Page 93 of All We Want for Christmas
Now was her chance to say she’d waited outside the HDU, how she’d rushed there in terror, but she wanted him to tell the story.
‘Imogen?’ she said, with mild surprise. Flynn’s parents would surely recognise her as soon as they saw her, but it was up to Lara to admit that she’d actually crept into theward and seen Molly and her mother with him. ‘I – thought she wasn’t coming home until the New Year.’
‘She managed to swap with a colleague and get a last-minute flight home as a Christmas Day surprise.’
So Flynn had had no idea about Imogen turning up. ‘That’s some surprise …’
‘Shock is a more accurate word. Molly had been trying to message me but I hadn’t checked my phone. First I knew about it was Imogen answering the door.’
‘And how did it go?’’
‘Awkward as you can imagine. None of us knew what to say or do. Imogen was stunned and not impressed that Molly and Brenda had been in touch with me behind her back. No one had warned her … and they were both hoping to stop me from turning up at the house. My parents are now angry with her for depriving them of their granddaughter for twenty years. I can’t blame them but they’ll all have to deal with it.’
‘What a shock. How do you … feel … about Imogen turning up?’ Lara asked, unsure of whether she wanted to hear the answer.
‘Still stunned. Very confused. Jesus, I don’t know how I feel.’ He leaned forward on the sofa again, agitated now. ‘I kept trying – still am – to understand why Imogen kept Molly a secret from me but I didn’t want a confrontation on Christmas Day, and especially not with Esme there.’
‘No. I can imagine.’ Lara pictured the little one amid a bunch of warring adults and felt sorry for her.
‘The two of us have a lot of talking to do,’ Flynn wenton. ‘I’m not sure she’ll ever accept me being part of Molly’s life but she’ll have to. I don’t know how I’m ever going to fix this.’ He sat up sharply, wincing and rubbing his thigh above the brace. ‘Feck. This bloody knee.’
‘You need to rest,’ Lara said, starting to rise from the chair.
‘No, don’t go! I don’t look that bad, do I?’ he added with mock hurt.
‘No. I mean, youhavebeen in a crash, Flynn,’ she said, refusing to tell him how gorgeous he looked in spite of his injuries. ‘Seriously, you need time to recover.’
He sighed. ‘I’ve no choice for a while at least. I’m off sick officially. I can’t ride a bike for weeks – even if Ihada bike, because the Harley is a write-off. I can’t drive before I’m signed off as fit by the doc. I can’t do any physical work for a while either, but there’s no way I’m lying around here being bored out of my mind when there’s so much to be done. There are still eight more days of the illuminations and I’m not totally helpless.’
‘And you’realive. That’s all that matters …’
‘Yes, I’m alive, but I feel torn in two.’
‘I know it’s a crap situation but try to get some rest. As for the business with Molly and Imogen, let it be for now and accept that even Flynn Cafferty may not be able to fix everything immediately. Some situations take time.’
‘Maybe … On Christmas Day, I didn’t leave the house on the best of terms with Imogen or in the best of moods. In fact, we were one step away from a blazing row, which is probably why I lost my focus on the way home. If I’d beenpaying attention, I might have spotted the deer or been able to control the bike better.’
‘Might – if – they’re pointless words. It was just bad luck …’ Lara murmured, a shiver running through her. ‘All you can do is look to the future now and, more importantly, be in the present.’
He held her gaze for a few moments during which she was sure he must be able to hear the beating of her heart. She wanted to throw her arms around him.
‘You’re right. You always are. Always the sensible one.’
‘I’m not sure that’s a good thing. I’m not sure I want to be sensible all the time.’
He winced and rubbed the top of his leg.
‘Are you in pain?’
‘It nags a bit. They gave me some painkillers but I can’t think straight if I take them. I feel fuzzy.’
‘If they help you sleep, though …’
‘Yeah.’
She got up. ‘I have to get back to work and you should rest up.’
He glanced up at her. ‘Lara, before you go, there’s something else I forgot to say.’
