Page 101 of Christmas at Black Cherry Retreat
For a second the little girl didn’t move or make any noise. Tom watched her eyes widen.
‘Is it mine?’ The disbelief and wonder in her voice tied his heart in knots. Mary-Jo nodded and Lulu shrieked and jumped up and down, bubbling over with excitement.
‘UncleT made it for you.’
Lulu broke away from her mother and flung herself at him. Tom swept her up into his armsand succumbed to her wet, sloppy kisses. He was surprised her squeals didn’t burst his eardrum.
‘You want to take a look at your new house, pumpkin?’ He softened his voice and started to tell her all about the different rooms as he carried her slowly around the table. When he set her down on the floor and Mary-Jo came to join them everyone else piled in to take a look and he eventuallymanaged to extricate himself from the crowd. Tom slipped behind his mother to join Fee over in the doorway.
‘I don’t think she likes it much.’ Behind Fee’s broad smile Tom saw the little girl who’d never experienced this kind of Christmas. Maddy and Fee got along much better now but some hurts never went away. Forgiveness didn’t mean forgetting.
‘Nope. I guess I’d better take itback.’
‘You’d have a riot on your hands. Lulu’s got too many people on her side.’ Fee’s voice cracked and there it was again, the separateness and loneliness he’d recognised in her the day they met.
‘So do you now, sweetheart.’ Tom pulled her into his arms, aware of her heartbeat through the new red sweater he’d bought her. No black. They were making progress. ‘Trust me.’
Her eyes glazed with tears. ‘I do.’
‘That’s all we’ve got to say tomorrow and you’ll be mine and I’ll be yours,’ he whispered. ‘In case I haven’t said it enough I really, really like you in red.’ Fee’s cheeks turned the same rich shade of scarlet as the sweater. Tom jumped as someone tapped his shoulder.
‘Thomas Michael.’ His mother’s stern tone brought him back to being fiveyears old and in trouble again for talking in church. ‘I’m giving you advance warning now so don’t bother to claim later I didn’t tell you. When you leave here you’ll take Fee back to Black Cherry, wait while she packs an overnight bag and bring her straight back here. You will not phone, text or otherwise pester the girl tonight. She needs her rest plus it’s bad luck for you to see each other beforethe wedding. Her mama and I will take good care of her.’ She nodded over at Maddy.
He heard Fee’s hastily stifled giggle. ‘Yes, Mama.’ With a smile his mother left them to go and look at the dolls’ house.
‘Yes, Mama,’ Fee mimicked him. ‘You are a truly hopeless case.’
‘I’m glad I amuse you.’ His effort to sound offended failed because all she did was laugh harder. ‘Youwon’t find it so funny when you’re sleeping alone in a hard, single bed tonight.’
‘My only consolation will be in knowing that you’re equally miserable,’ Fee retorted. ‘Your mother didn’t actually define “straight back”. You know I always take an extraordinarily long time to pack.’
‘Yeah, putting a toothbrush in a bag takes ages.’
‘It certainly does.’
‘UncleT.UncleT.’ Lulu tugged on his arm. ‘The kitchen door broke. Fix it.’
Tom let go of Fee and flashed an apologetic smile. ‘Of course, pumpkin.’ For the women in his life he’d do anything and everything he could to make them happy. Tomorrow he’d make his promises to Fee in front of everyone and couldn’t wait.
