by Fiona Lowe
I like to play here.
Sophie instantly remembered the time Imogen had vanished on her when she’d been playing quietly and an idea rushed in. ‘Have you checked inside the house?’
‘God, Sophie, do you think we’re stupid? Of course we’ve checked the house.’ Jack stormed towards the steps.
‘I think I might know where she is.’ Without stopping to explain, she pulled the wire door open and ran down the hall, calling over her shoulder, ‘Mrs Armitage, is it OK if I go into your room?’
‘Of course it is.’
Sophie’s heart thundered against her ribs. Imogen, darling, be here—please be here. She wrenched open the wardrobe door and reached in, pulling on the light. She started to cry, great, racking sobs that came from so deep they shuddered all the way through her as she tossed out shoe boxes and hat boxes and Christmas presents. She fell to her knees and crawled in.
Tears blurred her vision, but she could make out a familiar shape. Imogen lay fast asleep in the far corner of the wardrobe, her head on a cushion and her arms wrapped around Sheils. Somehow, between sobs, Sophie found her voice and yelled out, ‘I’ve found her.’
She hauled the child into her arms, buried her face in her apple-scented hair and let her tears fall.
‘Jack, Sophie’s found her.’
She heard Min’s voice calling out faintly in the distance.
Imogen slowly opened her eyes, blinked and then smiled. ‘I hided, but they didn’t find me.’
Sophie smiled and sniffed. ‘They didn’t know about our special place, did they?’ She stroked Imogen’s hair. ‘But we need to tell everyone about it because they thought you were lost.’
The little girl shook her head with all the logic of a child. ‘I wasn’t lost, I was here. Why are you crying?’
Sophie wiped her face with the back of her hand. ‘Because I’ve missed you.’
Imogen snuggled in. ‘Jack says doctors have to work at the hospital.’
More tears spilled out, rolling down already damp cheeks. Jack might hate her, but he hadn’t bad-mouthed her to Imogen. A flicker of hope flared for a moment before dying away. Did that mean anything more than the fact that Jack was a good and decent man? Probably not. God, her life was the biggest mess. ‘Come on, honey, let’s go and show everyone you’re OK.’
Footsteps pounded on the floorboards as Sophie nudged Imogen out of the wardrobe. She didn’t follow. She heard Jack’s voice, gruff with emotion, Min’s and Juliet’s sweeter tones telling her how worried they’d been, and that if she wanted to play hide and seek she must tell them before hiding.
The voices faded away along with the footsteps and Sophie sat with her head on her knees, psyching herself to leave the relative safety of the hiding space before she launched herself once more into her self-created, personal hell. Could she get Jack to speak with her? He’d made it pretty clear he didn’t want to have anything to do with her.
When the room had been silent for a couple of minutes, she crawled backwards out of the wardrobe, stood up, turned around and gasped.
Jack sat on his mother’s bed, dishevelled, gorgeous and grim. Her heart rolled over. Nothing resembling forgiveness hovered on his cheeks, only chilled resentment.
His violet eyes bored into her. ‘How did you know she was in there?’
She tilted her chin and met his gaze, knowing only the truth could save her. Save them. ‘Maternal instinct.’
His body jerked as if he’d been shocked by a jolt of electricity. ‘Three days ago you insisted you didn’t have any of that.’
‘I know. I was wrong.’
‘Wrong?’ His brows rose with scepticism.
She nodded, biting her lip hard. ‘I’ve been wrong about everything.’
‘You’re right about that.’ But his frosty expression had thawed slightly and the harsh corner of his mouth had softened.
A strangled sound escaped her lips and she fell to her knees, seeking forgiveness. The tension in his body slammed hard against her, screaming emotional ruthlessness and judgement, but she centred herself and kept on going. ‘I’ve made a complete hash of everything, Jack. I couldn’t see the future like you could and I was so scared I’d ruin it that I ran from it, just like you accused me of doing.’
He held himself stiffly, his hands fisted by his side. ‘What brought you back?’
‘You. Imogen.’
His throat convulsed, but still he didn’t touch her. ‘How do I know you’re not going to run again at the first hard moment?’
She stared up into his violet eyes, knowing she’d violated his trust in her so badly that it was only by baring her soul that she could attempt to repair the damage. ‘Because you and Imogen are the only things in my life that make sense. I love her and I love you, Jack. You’re my laughter, my joy, my heartache and my soul mate. Without you I’m an empty vessel, but with you I truly live.’
From the moment Jack had seen Sophie on the veranda he’d lurched from wanting to hate her to wanting to pull her into his arms and never let her go. His previous fear for Imogen had unravelled him to the point of incoherency—to have lost them both would have killed him. Now he gazed down into Sophie’s tear-stained face and saw the truth in her eyes, heard it in her voice; his hurt faded and his battered heart healed. She really did love him and Im.
He pulled her towards him and buried his face in her hair. ‘God, Sophie, I thought I’d lost both of you.’
Her arms wrapped around his waist, her head on his chest. ‘Then you totally understand how I’ve been feeling.’
He tilted her chin up with his fingers so he could see her face. ‘I so do. Are you absolutely certain you want to make a family and live the life of an Armitage? Because I can’t go through the last two days ever again.’
‘I’m so sorry I put us through this, Jack. I love you. I love everything about you—even the lists.’
He instantly relaxed. ‘You really do love me.’
Her eyes shone and she smiled. ‘I really do love you, and seeing I’m down on my knees it seems appropriate that I ask you a question.’
He grinned. ‘Is that why you’re down there?’
She laughed and playfully slapped his thigh. ‘Jack Armitage, will you make me the happiest woman in the world by making an honest woman of me, living with me in Barragong and helping me raise our children?’
Joy flooded him and he pulled her to her feet before rolling her onto the bed and kissing her thoroughly. Now he was truly home.
Sophie gave herself up to his kiss, loving the feel of his body pressing against her and his mouth roving over her lips, but as his hand touched her breast she gave him a gentle push, breaking the kiss. ‘We’re in your mother’s bedroom.’
He laughed a wicked chuckle. ‘I never thought I’d find your sexual-embarrassment button.’
She gave him a sheepish smile. ‘I really want to have a good relationship with your mother, but acting like a total tart in her bedroom on the first day I meet her might jeopardise things.’
He trailed a finger down her cheek. ‘She’s going to love you. She’ll be in seventh heaven, because this Christmas she’s getting a new daughter and a granddaughter.’ He stood up and pulled her with him. ‘Come on, let’s go and tell everyone the good news.’
‘Can I at least splash my face? I must look a fright.’
He cupped her cheeks. ‘You’re beautiful, Sophie. I think I’ve loved you from the moment you and your backpack walked in the hospital.’
She laid her head on his shoulder, in awe that she’d found this man so full of love, care and delicious sexuality, and he that he loved her back. ‘You had me weak at the knees with your bad-boy persona, but I fell in love with all of you.’
‘So if things ever get a bit stale all I need to do is take us for a ride on the bike?’
She grinned. ‘That will do it every time.’ But her smile faded because she knew there was one more thing she had to ask. ‘Jack, I know you say your trip is no longer necessary, but
are you absolutely certain you have no regrets?’
He tucked a stray curl behind her ear. ‘We’ll get a locum and you, Imogen and I will take a three-month holiday. We’ll camp under the stars at Uluru, feed the dolphins at Monkey Mia and swim in the crystal waters of Jim Jim Falls, and by the time we get back you’ll be a fair-dinkim Aussie.’
‘That sounds perfect to me.’
Santa came to Barragong on the CFS fire truck, his suit as red and rosy as the vehicle. His jolly belly wobbled, and his violet eyes sparkled as he handed out lollies and listened to the children’s gift requests.
Imogen held Sophie’s hand as she waited her turn. ‘Did Jack have to go to the hospital?’
Sophie nodded, wondering if she’d be struck down for the half-truth. Jack had gone to the hospital to get changed into the Santa costume. She wondered if all the padding and the white whiskers were enough to fox her very intelligent daughter. ‘He’ll be here for your concert.’
‘Great to see you here, Sophie.’ A proud and smiling Max passed by, cuddling his new daughter.
Elsie Stephenson, her arm linked through her husband’s, gave her a wave. ‘You did a great job on that costume, Sophie.’
Sophie smiled and waved, pinching herself at the fact that this was her town and these were her people.
Christmas Eve in Barragong was a community event and everyone in the district was there. The aroma of onions floated through the air as the Rotary Club cooked up a score of sausages and hamburgers for the hungry crowd. The stage was the flat bed of a huge Mack truck; the primary-school choir sang Six White Boomers and Rudolph, and the high-school band had done a stunning version of Joy To The World. The talented young soloist had reduced Sophie to tears with When a Child Is Born.
Imogen had held her hand and said, ‘Christmas is happy, Sophie.’
Jack had hugged her, saying, ‘It’s in our future.’
‘Who’s next?’ Santa’s deep voice boomed.
‘It’s my turn!’ Imogen ran up to Santa and sat on his lap.
Sophie took a photo; the moment she got home, she’d upload it and email it to her father. Jack had insisted she ring him as soon as they’d had a celebratory glass of champagne with his family. She’d spoken to her dad and each of her sisters, and Minty had said, ‘I’m so glad for you, sis. Dad was starting to worry I’d put you off kids, but I told him you weren’t that silly!’
Then Jack had seized the phone and spent ten minutes talking to her father. When he’d hung up, he’d said, ‘He sounds like a good bloke and I invited him for next Christmas.’
She loved the idea of that.
Min wandered over, tanned and healthy from her cruise and a lovely smile on her face. ‘I loved my Pacific holiday, but there’s nothing like a Barragong Christmas.’ She passed Sophie a glass of wine and then raised her glass. ‘I’ve wanted Jack to find this sort of happiness for a very long time, so thank you.’
Sophie felt the tears hovering again. ‘I broke his heart.’
Min’s nodded. ‘But you mended it, and that’s all that matters.’
Imogen ran back to them holding a lolly on a stick. ‘Look what Santa gave me.’
Min smiled. ‘I can mind that for you, because I can see your kinder teacher getting all the kids to line up for the concert.’
Imogen’s eyes sparkled. ‘Is it time for me to be an emu?’
‘It’s time.’
Ten minutes later, Sophie felt an arm snake around her waist. ‘How did it go?’
Jack grinned. ‘She never suspected a thing.’ He grabbed her hand. ‘Come on, shake a leg and hustle; we need to be at the front to take photos of our daughter’s very first concert.’
The music started and the children came on dressed as kangaroos, wombats, emus, bilbies and possums. They gathered around the manger and baby Caitlyn was a true professional—she slept through the entire play. Imogen, as the emu innkeeper, carried her tray and said in a loud voice, ‘We are full, but you can sleep in the stable.’
Sophie thought her heart would burst with pride.
As the nativity play ended, the evening star rose high in the sky and everyone lit their candles and joined together to sing the Aussie version of Jingle Bells.
Min held Imogen in her arms and Im carefully held her candle, gripping it in the plastic holder, while singing lustily and off-key.
Sophie leaned back against Jack, whose arms wrapped tightly around her.
He whispered in her ear, ‘Do you miss the cold and the snow?’
‘Not at all. I love all these new Christmas traditions.’
He grinned like an excited kid. ‘I can’t wait to give you your present in the morning.’
She turned in his arms and gazed up at him. ‘I don’t need a present, Jack. You’ve given me yourself and Imogen, and you’ve given me back Christmas. I’m the luckiest and happiest woman alive.’
He hugged her tightly. ‘Merry Christmas, my darling Sophie.’
‘Merry Christmas, Jack.’ And she hugged him right back.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7652-3
THE MOST MAGICAL GIFT OF ALL
First North American Publication 2010
Copyright © 2010 by Fiona Lowe
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
For questions and comments about the quality of this book please contact us at [email protected].
® and TM are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
www.eHarlequin.com
