Читать книгу Perfect Proposals Collection - Lynne Marshall - Страница 47

CHAPTER TEN

‘THAT poor little girl,’ Katrina said later that evening as they left the hospital. ‘Just as well her grandparents are going to be able to look after her while her mum’s in hospital.’

‘She’s going to be in for observations for a few days yet,’ Rhys reminded her.

‘It was lucky she was on the same side as her mum, strapped into her car seat in the back of the car rather than the front,’ Katrina said. ‘Ed in the emergency department told me the car was pretty much flattened on the passenger side.’ They’d also learned that Denise’s mother had taken the brunt of the damage, with internal injuries, a broken arm and collarbone and a broken leg.

‘And why do I get the feeling that a certain doctor is going to be spending her lunch breaks taking Denise to visit her mother?’ Rhys asked wryly.

Katrina spread her hands. ‘You could pull rank and tell me not to.’

‘You’d simply ignore me and do it anyway,’ Rhys said. ‘So I’m not going to waste my breath.’

‘Good, you’re learning.’ She paused. ‘Rhys, you’re working on Christmas Day, too, aren’t you?’

He nodded. ‘It’s not fair to make staff with children do it when they could be at home with their kids.’

Her view exactly. Although she missed spending the day with her family, there weren’t any children to be disappointed by her absence and she usually managed either an early or a late celebration with her parents instead. ‘I wondered if you were going back to Wales for Christmas.’

He shrugged. ‘I’m perfectly happy here in London. Maybe we could spend the evening together after our shift.’

Part of Katrina was delighted that Rhys wanted to spend the holiday season with her, but part of her realised how estranged he was from his family, if he wasn’t even planning to see them at the time of year when most people made the effort to see their families. It was a far cry from her relationship with her own family, whose closeness more than made up for its small size. She usually managed to get home once a month to see her parents, whereas Rhys hadn’t returned to Wales to see his family ever since she’d known him. And as far as she knew he hadn’t spoken to his parents in weeks, whereas she spoke to hers or had a conversation by text or email at least every other day.

Or maybe she’d got it wrong. Maybe this was his way of asking her to spend time with him and meet his family. ‘Is your family coming up to see you in London?’

‘I doubt it.’

She couldn’t quite get her head around that. ‘But surely they’ll want to see you at Christmas?’

‘I doubt it,’ he said again. His voice had become very cool, warning her to leave it alone.

But how could she? If Rhys was estranged from his family, that was probably why he was so reserved, she was sure. In his shoes, barely on speaking terms with her family, she’d be utterly miserable.

So maybe she could help him heal the breach. ‘How do you know unless you ask?’

He gave her an exasperated look as they reached her front door. ‘I just do.’ He paused. ‘You know what, Katrina? I think I’ll go back to my place, tonight. On my own.’

On his own? Katrina felt her eyes widen. She really hadn’t expected him to react like this, to push her away. ‘But, Rhys—’

‘Just leave it, Katrina,’ he cut in quietly. ‘I need some space. Not every family’s like yours, you know. And some things are best left as they are. Trust me on this.’

‘Rhys, I’m—’

But he’d already turned and was striding purposefully away down the street.

Katrina let herself indoors, but didn’t bother cooking anything. She’d lost her appetite.

How could she have misjudged this so badly?

She was tempted to ring him, to apologise for pushing him too hard, but she had a feeling that he’d meant exactly what he’d said.

He needed space.

And the best thing she could do right now was accept that. Take him at his word. Give him what he needed.

Even though it made her miserable.

It was the first night they’d spent apart in ages. Katrina slept badly, missing the warmth of his arms round her and wishing she’d never opened her mouth. For the first time she could remember, she actually felt deaf. Cut off from everyone. Rhys was quiet, but his presence had filled the house.

She missed his music.

Missed his slow, sexy smile.

Missed him.

Rhys, too, spent a bad night. And although he was tempted to call Katrina as he sat drinking coffee in his kitchen at 6:00 a.m., knowing that like him she’d be awake, he also knew that she found the telephone difficult—he’d watched her at work talking to a patient’s relative on the phone, pressing the earpiece as close as possible to her right ear and switching her hearing aid off in the left so she wasn’t distracted by the noise of the ward.

No, a phone call wasn’t the right thing to do. There was a better way. He flicked into the text service of his mobile phone and tapped out a message. Katrina, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. See you at work. Will apologise properly in person. R x

Half an hour later, his phone beeped to signal her reply. I’m sorry too. Was too pushy. See you later. K x

She’d added a smiley face.

So she forgave him. She’d even taken part of the blame herself, though it hadn’t been her fault. That, he thought, was a lot more than he deserved.

Katrina was her usual professional self with him at work when they did the ward rounds together, and, as he’d expected she was unavailable at lunchtime because she’d grabbed a chocolate bar and taken little Denise to the general ward in a wheelchair to visit her mother. Which was fine by him, because it meant he had enough time to go and buy something. Strictly speaking, he knew he ought to give her a floral apology—but if he brought a huge bouquet onto the ward and then Katrina left with it, tongues would start wagging. He didn’t want his personal life being the subject of hospital gossip and he knew how much she’d hated being talked about at her previous hospital when she’d split up with Pete, so he chose something rather less obvious than flowers—but something he hoped she’d like as much.

When their shifts had finished, he caught up on some paperwork while Katrina did her usual end-of-day story in the children’s playroom, and timed it so that he walked out of his office at the same time that she left the playroom.

‘Can I have a quick word?’ he asked.

‘Sure.’ She allowed him to shepherd her back into his office and close the door behind them.

‘I, um, wondered if I could take you to dinner at Mezze tonight. If you’re not busy. To say sorry.’

‘Rhys, you don’t have to do that.’

‘I’d like to. And I want to apologise properly…which is a bit difficult here, under the eagle eyes of our colleagues.’

‘Uh-huh.’

‘So are you free?’

She smiled. ‘Yes. Thank you. And I’d love to go to Mezze.’

‘Good.’

He waited until they were seated at the restaurant and had ordered a pile of different dishes to share—all Katrina’s favourites— before he gave her the paper carrier bag.

Her eyes widened as she saw the name on the outside. ‘Rhys, these are hideously expensive!’

‘But you like them?’

She smiled. ‘I love them. They’re my absolute favourite chocolates—the kind of thing I buy as a birthday treat. Thank you. But you really didn’t have to.’

‘Yes, I did. I shouldn’t have lost my temper with you last night.’ He sighed. ‘Not everyone has the kind of close family you do, Katrina. And I guess I’m a bit sensitive about it.’

‘A bit?’ she asked mildly.

‘All right. Very,’ he admitted. ‘And I’m sorry.’

‘I was too pushy. So I’m as much to blame, which means you really need to share these with me,’ she said. Then she bit her lip. ‘Um. Speaking of being pushy… Look, I understand completely if you say no, but the thing is that Maddie’s having a big family Christmas do at hers. She wants me to go there as soon as I finish work on Christmas Day. My parents are coming up just for the day, because they know I normally work over the holiday—but having lunch at Maddie’s is a chance for them to see me too, and to meet Theo…and…’ She wriggled in her seat. ‘Look, there’s no pressure. If you prefer, I’ll introduce you to everyone as my friend and colleague who’s been on shift with me on Christmas Day. Everyone knows that Maddie, being Maddie, believes that the more the merrier. And…’ She took a deep breath. ‘I’m gabbling. Sorry. I just wondered if…if you’d go with me.’

She wanted him to go with her. To share a proper family Christmas. Something he hadn’t had for years and years and years. Rhys had always made sure he was working over the holiday season, ever since he’d qualified, to avoid the sheer grind of the day.

A big family Christmas at Madison’s with Katrina’s parents, Madison’s parents and Theo’s family. The idea of it filled him with dread—he just wasn’t used to that sort of thing. But he also knew he needed to make an effort, for Katrina’s sake. Her family was important to her.

As for introducing him to them as her colleague—he knew that Madison was as close as a sister to Katrina, and he was pretty sure that Katrina had confided in her that they were seeing each other. Even if Katrina hadn’t told the rest of her family, Madison—with the best of intentions—might have already done so.

But if he wanted to be with Katrina—and he knew he did—then he was going to have to compromise. Do this one thing she’d asked of him. ‘OK. I’ll come.’

‘Thank you.’

She held him close, and the dread started to melt away. With Katrina by his side, anything was possible. And he was beginning to believe that maybe with her he could have the relationship he’d never had in his life before. A truly loving partner and a family who’d always be there for him.

On Christmas Eve, Rhys stayed overnight at Katrina’s. It unnerved him slightly—he never bothered decorating, other than putting up cards, but Katrina had gone the whole hog. A real tree which scented the air—she’d persuaded him to go with her, three days before, to choose it—covered with white twinkling lights, a holly wreath on her front door, more greenery draped round the mantelpiece, cards everywhere and candles which filled the room with Christmassy scents of orange, cloves and cinnamon. And, just for a dash of roguishness, she had a sprig of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling in the hall before the front door. ‘It’s not real mistletoe,’ she explained, ‘it’s environmentally friendly silk mistletoe. But it still works the same.’

How could he resist kissing her underneath it?

After dinner—which they’d cooked together—Rhys produced a small box.

‘What’s this?’

‘Welsh Christmas tradition—it’s taffy. It’s usually made on Christmas Eve, though I made it yesterday morning when I was off duty. And I set it in a tin rather than doing it the traditional way of dropping spoonfuls into ice-cold water,’ he explained.

She tasted a square. ‘Mmm. It’s wonderful.’ She tipped her head slightly to one side. ‘Does it take very long to make?’

‘Half an hour or so.’

‘Do you know the recipe off by heart? Just, if you do…maybe we could make some to take to Maddie’s tomorrow.’

Trust her to be thinking of someone else. ‘Already done, cariad, and it’s in my briefcase,’ he said with a smile. ‘This is only a taster for us tonight. But I can make more any time you want.’

‘Rhys, I… Thank you.’ She walked round to his side of the table and hugged him. ‘I know it’s going to be weird for you tomorrow, and I understand if you want to change your mind.’

Part of him still didn’t want to go. But he really, really didn’t want to hurt her by not going. ‘I’ll be there,’ he promised.

‘You’re probably not going to have time to open your present from me tomorrow morning,’ she said. ‘So I thought maybe you might like it tonight.’ She went over to a cupboard and, to his surprise, brought out a Christmas stocking. ‘Happy Christmas,’ she told him, kissing him lightly.

‘Katrina…’ There was a huge lump in his throat. When was the last time he’d had a Christmas stocking? Too long ago to remember. Though he understood why Christmas was always so difficult for his mother. The same reason why he loathed the days between Christmas and New Year, marking the anniversary of his little sister’s death and the time when his life had been turned upside down and nothing had been the same again.

He pushed the memories away. Not now. Not here. Katrina clearly loved Christmas, and even though he knew he ought to tell her, he wasn’t going to spoil her pleasure in the season. ‘Thank you. But I didn’t make you a stocking.’

She shrugged. ‘That’s OK. I wasn’t expecting anything.’

‘I did buy you something,’ he said. Though he’d cheated, putting the presents in a Christmas gift bag or having them wrapped in the shop. ‘Wait.’ He retrieved them from his overnight bag. ‘Happy Christmas, cariad,’ he said.

‘Thank you,’ she said, kissing him. ‘Let’s open them one at a time.’

She loved the film encyclopaedia he’d bought her, the digital photo frame, the new restored special edition of one of her favourite films, a large box of the exclusive chocolates he’d bought her previously as an apology and the only girly indulgence he knew she liked—some exclusive chocolate- scented toiletries.

And he was blown away by what she’d given him. Inside the stocking was an envelope containing a year’s membership to the British Film Institute, a CD by one of his favourite cellists, seasonally shaped chocolates which she’d wrapped individually, and a tiny musical box that played the first part of Bach’s Air on a G String. And a rare first edition of one of his favourite Cornell Woolrich tales—something that had been missing from his collection. ‘Katrina, I’ve no idea where you managed to find this, but it’s fabulous. And you’re wonderful,’ he said, meaning it.

The following morning saw Rhys dressed up as Father Christmas, Katrina and Tim as Santa’s helpers—both in elf costumes—and Lynne as a Christmas fairy, complete with wings and a magic wand. Thanks to the Hospital Friends Group, they had small parcels to give out to all the children on the ward and their siblings: a touch-and-feel board book and socks for the babies; colouring pencils and joke books for the older ones; and small gift tokens for the over-tens to put towards music or video games.

Katrina noticed that little Tommy Price, in with idiopathic thrombocytopetic purpura—a condition involving bruising and a rash that didn’t disappear when pressed, showing that there was bleeding under the skin, and they were busy checking out the cause—didn’t have any visitors. Although he’d said thank you for the present from Father Christmas, the eight-year-old hadn’t moved from his bed to join the other children in the playroom. And she’d noticed that although all the other children in the bay had cards stuck to the wall above their beds, Tommy had nothing.

Her heart ached for him. Seeing how the other children’s families had made a special fuss of them must have made him realise what he was missing, and as a result he’d withdrawn completely.

Was this how Rhys’s childhood had been, too? And, if so, was he going to be able to cope with a Gregory family Christmas? she wondered.

She stopped by Tommy’s bed. His family had been the only ones not to respond to her request for permission to give all the patients a seasonal chocolate lolly. She’d decided to take the line that silence indicated consent, so she handed Tommy the reindeer-shaped chocolate with the red nose. ‘Hey. Happy Christmas,’ she said.

‘Yeah. You, too. And thanks,’ he added swiftly.

Tommy’s eyes were a little too bright; Katrina, realising that he was near tears, began telling him atrocious jokes until she made him smile. She made a point of pulling a Christmas cracker with him at lunch and slipping him an extra chocolate lolly at the end of her shift.

‘I can’t believe Tommy Price’s family didn’t even bother coming to visit him on Christmas Day,’ she said to Rhys, glowering as they left the hospital together. ‘That’s so mean.’

‘Don’t you think you’re being just a tiny a bit judgemental?’ Rhys asked mildly. ‘Maybe his parents are desperately scared of hospitals. Maybe home life’s tough—maybe his parents are caring for an elderly parent or a small child with special needs as well, and there just aren’t enough hours in the day.’

‘You’re right. I’m sorry.’ She sighed. ‘But sometimes I really wish I had a magic wand. I don’t want fabulous riches or eternal youth.’

‘You just want to fix things for people,’ he finished. ‘But you can’t fix everything, cariad.’

‘No. I just wish I could.’ She shook herself. ‘Right. Enough. We’re going to Maddie’s.’

The nearer they got to Madison and Theo’s house, the more Rhys’s stomach churned with nerves. This was important to Katrina, and he was going to do it. But, lord, how he wished he were on a desert island instead. Especially when Madison ushered them inside and he realised how many people were there, how everyone was talking and laughing and acting as if they’d known each other all their lives despite the fact that, as far as he knew, this was the first time Theo’s family had met the Gregorys.

This was so very different from the way he was used to spending Christmas.

He managed to smile and be polite to everyone, and Madison seemed pleased with the home-made Welsh taffy and the champagne he’d brought as his contribution to the day. She was definitely delighted with the chocolate Christmas cake Katrina had made; clearly Katrina’s love of chocolate was shared by her family.

He found himself a quiet place on the edge of the room, but from the moment they arrived Katrina was right in the centre of things, clearly a much-loved part of the family. But the more he watched, the more he realised how close everyone was. Katrina’s parents finished each other’s sentences. Madison’s parents kept catching each other’s eye and smiling. Theo’s family, being Greek, were noisily and openly affectionate with everyone, and Theo fussed over his pregnant fiancée.

Katrina’s mum was doing her best to make him feel welcome, talking to him about his job—though he noticed that she avoided the normal questions about missing his family at Christmas, so he had a feeling that Katrina had primed her parents not to ask.

Katrina.

Although he responded politely enough to her family, he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. She was reading a story to Theo’s niece and cuddling Theo’s nephew, sitting on the floor by the Christmas tree and looking as if she belonged.

Well, of course she belonged. This was her family.

She fitted into the extended family, too. She’d fit in anywhere. Even his mother, Rhys thought, would find it hard to resist her.

And then it hit him.

Between them, the three sets of parents had clocked up close to a century of happy marriage. They’d support their children, help them through any rough patches so their marriages would work, too.

And their love was unconditional.

So maybe, just maybe, he could afford to take the risk with Katrina. If Katrina was willing to take the risk with him.

He was still mulling it over when Theo’s niece came over to him. ‘You come and have a story too,’ she said in accented but perfect English, taking his hand.

How could he resist following her over to the Christmas tree?

Though Rhys was aware of a very weird feeling in the region of his heart when he sat down next to Katrina and little Arianna insisted that he cuddle her baby brother, Petros, while she and Katrina did a puppet show with her new toys.

Rhys was used to cuddling babies and children. He did it all the time at work, to soothe them when they were in pain or to explain what was going to happen next in their treatment. So holding a toddler shouldn’t make him feel so odd—a feeling he couldn’t pin down.

‘Sorry,’ Katrina mouthed.

‘It’s fine,’ he mouthed back, and settled back with the toddler, making appropriate noises of appreciation during the puppet show.

To his surprise, he found himself relaxing and enjoying the whole family thing. Pulling crackers and telling terrible jokes, laughing at the even more terrible ones Theo’s niece had clearly learned especially, and mucking in with everyone to set the table for tea and clear up afterwards and play charades.

And then finally it was time to leave.

Katrina’s mother hugged him goodbye, Katrina’s father shook his hand warmly, Theo clapped him on the shoulder, Theo’s family all hugged him—but Madison was the one who floored him. ‘Thank you for coming,’ she said, holding him close. And then she added in a voice so low it was clearly not meant to be heard by anyone else, ‘And especially for doing this for Kat. She’s special.’

Yeah. He knew that.

‘And I think you are too,’ Madison added, ‘if you’ll let yourself.’

He knew then without a doubt that Katrina had confided in her cousin—a confidence Madison had kept. Given how close they were, he had a feeling that Madison was very protective about her younger cousin. So the fact she thought he was good enough for Katrina…

He had a lump in his throat for a good five minutes after they left.

‘I’m sorry. Was it so awful?’ Katrina asked when they were on the tube.

‘No. Your family’s lovely.’

‘I’m glad you liked them.’ She bit her lip. ‘Just…you’ve been a bit quiet since we left.’

‘I was a bit overwhelmed,’ he admitted. ‘It’s not the kind of thing I’m used to.’ And right then he didn’t want to tell her what Madison had said. He was still trying to come to terms with it himself. The feeling that this woman was so right for him, that she was the one he wanted in his life.

But there were a few things he needed to sort out before he could ask her to share his life—to take the risk with him.

She curled her fingers round his. ‘Thanks, anyway.’

‘Any time.’

She smiled. ‘So does that mean I can ask you to come to Maddie’s wedding with me next May?’

Wedding.

He took a deep breath. ‘Sure.’

‘Good.’ She paused. ‘I told her about your cello. And we were kind of wondering…it’s going to be a civil wedding, not a church do, so she won’t have an organist to accompany her down the aisle. And…’

He guessed what she wanted to ask but was clearly holding back. ‘You want me to play the cello at her wedding?’

‘Only if you want to. Not if it’s going to be…’ She paused. ‘If it’s going to be difficult for you.’

Being part of her family? Rhys stopped, spun her round to face him and brushed his mouth over hers. ‘If you want me to play, of course I’ll do it. Tell her to pick whatever she likes—no, I’ll tell her that myself. Just as long as I have time to practise and polish any pieces I don’t already know.’

He’d go to her cousin’s wedding. Play the cello during the ceremony. Let her family draw him into the charmed circle.

And maybe, just maybe, he’d ask Katrina a question of his own. In the new year. When he’d sorted out a few things in his head.