‘Ironic, given she’s putting the responsibility onto you.’
‘I should’ve said no a long time ago. But then I got attached and, to be honest, I like having Kyle in my life.’ Paul had never wanted kids and she’d thought she was fine with that – she had Kyle in her life and he was more than enough, plus the kids at work. She’d agreed, at least on the surface, that handling another tiny human might have been too much for them both. ‘When Kyle was sick I’d look after him so Connie could go into the office. She had a horrible boss who’d berated her for time off more than once and I knew she couldn’t afford to lose her job, being a single mum.’
‘But it meant your sister went about her day as normal and you didn’t. You worked at home, and I’ll bet your output was nowhere near as productive. No way can you look after a baby or a toddler and get a good day’s work done. Believe me, I’ve tried it when Scarlett was little, never bloody worked.’
‘You’re right. It wasn’t particularly fair. I’m glad Kyle and I are close though, something I think happened without really trying because I spent so much time with him. It means that now he’s older he knows he can depend on me.’
‘He’s lucky to have you. When did you work, if you were looking after him during the day?’
‘If Kyle slept, then I’d work. Or I’d wait for Connie to pick him up in the evening.’ She rubbed her hands across her face. ‘Why am I such a pushover?’
‘You’re not. You care, that’s all. You stepped up when your sister was having a hard time and devoted all your attention to looking after her and her son rather than yourself. That’s admirable.’
‘Admirable, really? Or do you mean pathetic?’
He shrugged. ‘We can go with your description if you really want to.’
‘I like yours better. And Connie isn’t a bad person, you know.’ Sitting here going on about her sister made her feel guilty.
‘I’m sure she isn’t. I don’t think you’d put up with her if she was.’
‘You know, sometimes I think life would’ve been easier if I’d kept on doing telesales from home. The job worked for me for a while – I earned good money, I had no travel expenses or commute, which meant I put in longer hours. My parents worry about the career I’ve chosen now. Paul did too. Nobody wanted me getting involved with families and kids in crisis.’
‘Do they have much need to worry?’
‘Sometimes.’ She didn’t give away the specifics, but gave him an overview of some of the more difficult projects they’d implemented where she’d spend time with a street team working in rougher areas, often finding opposition to the positivity they were trying to instil. ‘The way I see it is that all jobs come with a risk. If I’d become a teacher a student could’ve turned on me, if I was an electrician I could electrocute myself –’
‘If you’d stayed as a telesales executive you could’ve died of boredom.’
‘I wouldn’t go quite that far,’ she laughed, ‘but I’m glad I made the change.’
Enid gave them a knowing smile when they left the café and Amelia hoped Nathan hadn’t noticed, although she was buzzing inside at spending time with this man, way across the miles and away from everything familiar.
Outside, they buttoned their coats up straight away. Darkness had descended and there was a hint of snow still on the air. ‘Thank you,’ she told him, her fingers scooping her hair away from her mouth as the breeze insisted on blowing it there. ‘For listening to me, I mean. Letting me moan about my troublesome life, which really isn’t all that bad.’
‘For what it’s worth, I admire you. Kyle seems a nice lad deep down and I reckon a lot of that is down to you.’
She nudged him and grinned. ‘You like him, you’re happy he’s with Scarlett because you know he’s good. Admit it.’
‘Never.’ But he smiled at her and only broke eye contact when he looked up and said, ‘Talking of the teens, here they come.’
Wary of Nathan at first, it took Kyle a bit of coaxing to talk about what they’d got up to all day. Scarlett too. Kyle had chopped log after log, bagged them up, carried them to customers’ cars, he’d helped fell several trees, he and Scarlett had taken photographs of some of the most amazing trees that bordered the edges of Mitch’s land. Holly had made them all lunch – soup with crusty bread and Kyle had had two helpings he was so hungry – and both of them looked the better for the fresh air and space.
Amelia watched Nathan’s reaction when the kids walked ahead of them and Scarlett slipped her hand into Kyle’s. He seemed reluctant to take it but when he did, Nathan didn’t say a word.
Maybe Nathan was managing to see the Kyle she knew, the boy who was kind and considerate, polite and dependable. And today, she’d got to see a man who was very much the same.
And when she looked at him as they boarded the train and she got a waft of fresh aftershave, she wondered whether the kids were the only ones who’d found a bit of holiday romance.
Chapter Thirteen
Nathan
With Christmas Eve fast approaching Scarlett begged her dad, yet again, to go ice-skating and when they investigated the Bryant Park winter village he found himself agreeing. He was in such a good mood after his time with Amelia in Inglenook Falls that if Scarlett wanted him to walk a tightrope across Central Park when it was thunder and lightning outside, he’d probably do it.
After Amelia’s company yesterday, she and Kyle had headed back to their apartment while Nathan and Scarlett had found a charming Italian bistro last night not too far from the Inglenook Inn. They’d dined on lobster ravioli, mains of wild mushroom and cream risotto and a dessert of the silkiest panna cotta he’d ever eaten. But amazing as their meal had been, Nathan had found himself thinking of chatter and laughter over little cardboard takeaway boxes with chopsticks poking out of the top. After dinner they’d trawled the city for light displays, and his mind kept going to Amelia, wondering what she was up to, what she would think of the giant evergreen that had become tradition at the Rockefeller Center, the floating displays of Christmas trees on one of the lakes in Central Park, the stunning decorations on Fifth Avenue. His good mood even survived Scarlett shopping in stores she’d only ever seen in the movies, her excitement mounting, spending six months’ worth of allowance in one hit. Amelia was an unexpected and very welcome distraction on his holiday and more than once he’d been tempted to text her and see whether she wanted to meet up again.
‘You’re getting better,’ Scarlett told him after they’d handed back their skates at the winter village.
‘I wouldn’t go that far.’
‘Mind if I go meet Kyle?’
‘As long as you’re back at the inn by eleven o’clock at the latest.’
She did her best to hide her surprise at his willingness to let her go. ‘What are you going to do?’ She had him hold her bobble hat while she ran her fingers through her long hair before plaiting it to the side and popping her hat back on. It brought back a memory of putting her hair into plaits one morning for school. He’d felt so accomplished dropping her at the gates. He bet none of the other dads had such skill. But he’d only done it once or twice before she announced she was old enough to do her own hair now, thank you very much.
‘Don’t you worry, you go have fun without your old man. I’ll just have an early night.’
‘No way, that’s dull. It’s three more sleeps until Christmas Eve, you’re in New York.’
‘OK, maybe I’ll go back up the Empire State Building. You weren’t interested in reading all the placards, the history. I wouldn’t mind seeing it all again.’
‘I wish you’d told me at the time.’
He hugged her. ‘Have a good time tonight. I’m making a fuss of you now so I don’t embarrass you in front of Kyle.’
They made their way towards the Garland Street markets, where Kyle had finished working the tree stall.
‘She won’t be late,’ Kyle assured him.
‘I appreciate that.’
Nathan
sneaked a look at the knitting stall but Amelia was busy, customers forming a line at the chalet, so he walked to the Empire State Building, taking in the skyline, the sense of fun and festivity in the air, the feel of the cold on his cheeks and the freedom of only having himself to think about for once. The building loomed in the distance, its lit-up spire in the centre of midtown Manhattan twinkling with the rest of the city’s lights.
He passed in through the Fifth Avenue Lobby, taking in the art-deco-inspired ceiling murals in gold and aluminium leaf. He went to the Dare To Dream exhibit that chronicled the planning and construction of the building; there were period photographs, architectural sketches and reproductions of the mementos from the thousands of workers who’d helped create a piece of history in the city. Up on the Main Deck he felt the bite against his cheeks when he went outside. He needed another layer but it was hard to resist staying out here for the three-hundred-and-sixty-degree views of New York City, the high-powered binoculars that were dotted strategically affording him a better view of the lights of Times Square and the Statue of Liberty. The city sparkled beneath, he soaked up the New York atmosphere, the feeling of Christmas. He and Scarlett usually went to his parents’ for the day itself but already he was looking forward to the change, to eating their Christmas dinner in the company of other guests at the inn. He’d booked it with Darcy soon after they arrived and he’d seen a framed magazine article on the wall titled ‘Christmas at The Inglenook Inn’, the write-up accompanied by a photograph of the dining room dressed for Christmas with a huge platter in the middle, a turkey so big it could feed half of Manhattan.
Without Scarlett moaning about him taking his time, he read as much as he wanted in half the time he expected and was soon walking out of the foyer back onto the street. He took off his gloves so he could scroll through the map on his phone and see where else he could kill time with Scarlett out until eleven. He walked farther towards the Chrysler Building, snapping photos as he went. The thing about New York was that you needed to remember to look up, no matter how much you were hunched against the cold, or you’d miss too much.
When he reached Grand Central Terminal, with its row of New York cabs lined up out front and the Tiffany clock up high above the station’s famous name plaque, he could see the guide books weren’t wrong. This place was huge. It was a shopping and dining destination as well as a transport hub, all under one roof. Inside, the vast concourse with its information desk and brass clock teemed with people, warm golden walls encased the chaos, the American flag hung on one wall, departures boards told passengers what platform to head for and when, and there were plenty of people like him who were here to admire the architecture and the building itself. The vaulted, celestial ceiling loomed above and a golden luminosity fell across the entire space with chandelier lights, lamps dotted around the border and archways leading to platforms emitting a welcoming glow.
But Nathan had had enough of being a tourist for one night and unable to stop thinking of Amelia, he headed back to the winter markets, where, armed with two hot chocolates, he went straight for the knitting stall, queue or no queue. The holiday was almost at an end and if he ever wanted to make anything happen he needed to stop being such a wimp about it and let her know.
‘Hello, Nathan.’ It was Cleo he saw first as she arrived at the chalet. ‘Quick stop for some food and now I’m taking over from Amelia.’ He didn’t know her well but she looked stressed out. Then again, she was a mum of four, ran her own business and took on extras like the Garland Street winter markets.
Happy it sounded like Amelia was free to go, and clasping a steaming cup in each hand, he was pleased to be greeted by a big smile from Amelia when she caught sight of him hovering.
‘For me?’ She eyed the hot chocolates and grinned when he gave one to her. ‘You read my mind, I need this. It’s been a long shift until Cleo got here. I was tempted to stay, though – she’s exhausted, and she has trouble brewing at home again.’
‘You’re too kind.’
Cleo stepped onto the street out of the way of the lines forming at the chalets. ‘So what brings you here?’
‘I was hoping I’d catch you before you left. I’m at a bit of a loose end with Scarlett out and thought you might be too, without Kyle to look out for.’
‘Hardly, I’ve been busy here.’
‘Should I take that back?’ he nodded to the hot chocolate.
‘No chance, I know which cart you got this from.’ She read the familiar purple writing on the takeaway cup. ‘You’d have to wrestle me to the ground to get this back.’ She seemed awkward with her comment, which left him amused, and she suggested, ‘You could walk me home while we drink these.’
‘Sounds good to me. And we probably need the exercise. These are full-fat, extra cream, real chocolate flakes on top. I saw them being made, and kind of wish I hadn’t.’
They set off past the market stalls, some beginning to pack up, others making the most of trading time, and he recounted his tour of the city. ‘It’s a luxury to be out so much. At home it’s all work, parenting and the daily routine.’
‘I couldn’t agree more. It’s really nice to be away.’
‘Do you mind working while you’re here?’
‘It really doesn’t feel like work and when free accommodation was up for grabs, I leapt at the chance. Cleo made it very hard to say no.’ They walked on in the direction of the East Village and Amelia and Kyle’s apartment. ‘How’s Scarlett?’
‘Talking to me a lot more since I eased up over her and Kyle.’
‘Kyle will keep her safe.’
‘I believe he will.’ His own hot chocolate was going down a treat and sipping it filled any silences, not that there were many of those. ‘Have you heard back from your ex?’ He pulled her out of the way when a taxi drove so close to the kerb they would’ve got splashed with the puddled water.
She thanked him and they stuck closer to the building fronts to avoid a repeat. ‘Not yet. But I didn’t expect to, maybe it’s for the best.’
‘Well, give me a shout when you need someone to go and get drunk with, I’m a willing volunteer.’
‘I’ll try to remember that if I need to drown my sorrows.’ They waited for the pedestrian lights to change and she looked across at him. ‘Kyle told me how interested Scarlett is in art, how good she is.’
‘I’ve always been reluctant to encourage it,’ he admitted. ‘I know, not very supportive. I was trying to do what’s best.’
‘You’re a good dad.’
‘You want to say something else, I can tell.’
She smiled at his astuteness. ‘I don’t know your history, but imagine if you really wanted something so bad and someone stopped you doing it. What would you do? Accept it and move on or put up a fight?’
‘You think she’ll end up resenting me if I push her into something she doesn’t want?’
‘I’m interfering, sorry.’
He put a hand on her arm. ‘Don’t apologise, I like talking to you.’ He took both their empty cups and dropped them into the nearest bin before they crossed to walk through Madison Square Park, pausing to admire the decorated Christmas tree once more. ‘I wanted to have an entirely different career, once upon a time.’
‘Why did you change your mind?’
‘Scarlett came along, it was time to accept my responsibilities. Dawn and I were both so young, I’m afraid I didn’t handle it very well. But in some ways it was the making of me.’ Standing by the tree he told her, ‘I wasn’t always as together and sensible as I am now.’
‘You had a rebellious side?’
‘My brother’s death hit the family like a head-on collision. We were all lost for a while. I watched the pain my parents were in. As far as they knew, I was coping and holding it together. I was doing well at school but outside of that institution I was a mess. I got into fights most weeks, came home with a black eye once and a split lip. I told my parents I’d been mugged on my way home from school but I refused to let the
m call the police. I could see I was adding to their grief so I backed away from the trouble the best I could. But then I started to drink. I got in with a bad crowd who hung around the local park in the evenings. I’d smuggle out what I could from home – gin, vodka – and everyone brought something. We’d sit there all night and get wasted; I told Mum and Dad I was studying at a friend’s house and they bought it.’
‘How did you keep up with school work?’
‘It was some kind of fluke that my school work didn’t completely fall apart. I guess in some ways it was another source of distraction. I’d throw everything into my days at school, I’d do homework right after, I never put on the television, and I’d only sneak out once I had caught up on everything.’
‘Doesn’t sound like the usual story I hear in my job. Usually school work is one of the biggest casualties.’
‘I figured if I could keep getting good school reports and grades, my parents never needed to know what else I was doing. I couldn’t stand seeing them fall apart, I never wanted to make it worse, and now I’ve got Scarlett I can’t ever imagine what it was like for them.’
‘What about what it was like for you?’
Staring at the lights on the tree was a balm that helped him tell her all of this. ‘It was hell.’
‘You must be clever for your brain to handle the academic side with everything else going on.’
‘Could’ve been a surgeon,’ he added with sadness.
‘Is that the career you missed out on?’
‘I guess it wasn’t meant to be. I was a wild child, got Dawn pregnant, and then I realised I couldn’t do that to her as well. I couldn’t go off and study for years on end, do my residencies, end up elsewhere for long periods of time, add in the shift work along with her own as a nurse. My parents never really knew the extent of my drinking and cavorting around the neighbourhood, and thankfully I never got in trouble with the police, it ended before it could get that far and it saved them the embarrassment and heartbreak to add to what they’d already gone through. I think I made my parents really proud the night I told them I’d changed my plans, I’d be getting a good career and a job to support my family. I wanted to give them stability and show I hadn’t thrown my life away with one mistake. And giving them Scarlett brought a joy that helped ease a small part of the pain of losing Robbie.’
Christmas Promises at the Garland Street Markets: A feel good Christmas romance (New York Ever After, Book 5) Page 18
