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He gave her a smile and shook his head. ‘There’s nothing in those boxes. But I did think about purple before we left. Give me a second.’
His footsteps echoed down the hall and she looked around. The fire was flickering merrily, giving off a distinctive heat. The smell of the turkey and Christmas pudding was drifting across the main hall towards them. Between that, and the Christmas tree, this place really did have the aroma and feel of Christmas.
Finlay came back holding a string of Christmas lights—the same ones they’d used in the hotel. Grace gasped. ‘You brought purple lights?’
He nodded. ‘I don’t even know. I didn’t think I’d planned to come here. But I know the lights we used to have here don’t work any more. I liked the purple lights from the hotel so I brought some along.’
He started to wind them around the tree. It was almost finished. The lights should have gone on first, but Finlay managed to wrap them around the tinsel and hanging decorations without any problem. When he’d finished he flicked the switch to light up the room.
It had grown steadily darker outside, now the room was only lit with the orange crackling fire and the purple glowing lights. Together with the smells of Christmas it was almost as if some Christmas spirit had been breathed back into Drumegan Castle.
Grace felt her heart flutter. There was one last thing she had to do. She was doing it for the right reasons. Even if she did have a tiny bit of selfishness there too. She needed to know where Finlay was. She needed to know how ready he was.
‘I brought something too. Give me a minute.’
She practically ran along the hall, finding the white tissue paper and bringing the item back. Finlay was standing looking around the room. She couldn’t quite read the expression on his face.
So, she took a deep breath and held out the item with a trembling hand.
It was now, or never. Time to find out what the future might hold.
* * *
Finlay’s breath was caught somewhere in his throat. He didn’t need to unwrap the item to know what it was.
Grace’s hand was shaking. He could see that. He reached up and put his hand under hers, taking his other hand to pull back the delicate tissue paper.
‘You brought this?’
She nodded. It wasn’t just her hand that was shaking. Her voice was too. ‘I thought it might be important. I thought it might be important for you.’
He pulled back the tissue paper on the white ceramic Christmas angel. This time when he looked at it, he didn’t feel despair and angst. He didn’t feel anger and regret. He looked into the eyes of the woman that was holding it. It was almost as if she were holding her heart in her hand right now.
He knew exactly how she felt.
Grace had brought this. Even though she’d been feeling lonely and sad this Christmas she’d still thought of him.
He could see how vulnerable she was right now. It was written all over her face. He reached up and touched her cheek. A sense of peace washed over him.
Anna. She was here with him. He could almost feel her smiling down on him. It was as if a little part of him unravelled. Anna had made him promise he’d move on. He’d find love again.
He’d locked that memory away because he’d never imagined it possible.
But he’d never imagined Grace.
Did she know how gorgeous she looked in that black dress that hugged her curves and skimmed out around her hips?
He lifted the white ceramic angel and clasped Grace’s hand as they walked over to the tree together. As he lifted the angel to hang it from the top of the tree there was the sound of fireworks outside. Bright, colourful, sparkling fireworks lighting up the dark Christmas night sky.
Everything about this just felt right. He reached up and gave the pink ribbon holding Grace’s hair back a little tug. As it came away in his hand he rearranged her hair, letting the loose curls tumble all around her face. ‘You always tie it back. I like it best like this,’ he said. ‘While you’re in the snow, and while you’re lying in bed.’
Grace’s eyes were glistening. This time when she smiled the warmth reached all the way into her brown eyes. Her sadness was gone. Banished. ‘We haven’t sorted out our sleeping arrangements for tonight,’ she said huskily. ‘I think we forgot to clean the other bedroom.’
He pulled her closer. ‘I think we did. But I’ve got another idea.’
She tilted her chin up towards him. ‘What is it?’
He nodded towards the fire and rug in front of it. ‘I was thinking of a picnic. A Christmas picnic with a mishmash of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, chipolatas and Christmas pudding, all in front of our real fire.’
She licked her bottom lip. ‘Sounds good to me. In fact, it sounds perfect. Do we have any wine? Or any champagne?’
He lowered his head, his lips brushing against the soft delicate skin at the bottom of her neck. ‘I think we might have brought some with us.’
She laughed, her fingers reaching for his chin and bringing it up next to hers. She met his lips with hers. ‘How about you grab the food and champagne and I grab us a blanket?’
He didn’t want to let her out of his grasp. Not when he could feel all her curves against his. ‘How quick can you be?’
She winked. ‘Quicker than you. Just grab an oven glove and bring the whole tray and some knives and forks.’ She stood on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear. ‘Last one back pays a forfeit.’
‘What will that be?’
She raised her eyebrows as she walked backwards to the door. ‘You’ll find out, slowcoach.’
He loved that she was teasing him. He’d already decided she could win. ‘Oh, and, Grace?’
She spun around at the door. ‘Yes?’
He winked at her as his mind went directly to other places. ‘Forget the flannel pyjamas. You won’t be needing them.’
CHAPTER NINE
THIS TIME WHEN she woke up in the castle, underneath was hard and uncomfortable. The arms around her were warm and reassuring, as was the feel of Finlay at her back. His soft breathing against her neck and feel of his heartbeat against her shoulder sent waves of heat throughout her body.
She couldn’t help the soft little moan that escaped her lips. Neither could Finlay; she smiled as she recognised the instantaneous effect it had on him too.
‘How do you feel about a Boxing Day excursion?’ he murmured in her ear.
She leaned back further into him, relishing the bare skin against hers. ‘What do you mean?’
He cleared his throat. ‘I’d told my mum, dad and sister I would visit today, remember? How do feel a
bout coming along?’
She turned onto her back so she could face him. ‘You want me to meet your mum and dad?’ The tiny hairs on her arms stood on end. Last night had been magical. Last night had felt like a dream. She’d never, ever experienced a connection like that. For Grace, it had felt like coming home to the place she’d always meant to be.
Nothing had ever seemed as right to her. But she was worried about what it meant to Finlay. His inviting her to meet his mum and dad today was sending a million reassuring go faster signals through her body.
She snaked her arms around his neck. ‘I’d love to meet your mum and dad. And your sister. Do you think they’ll be okay about meeting me?’
He gave a gentle laugh. ‘Oh, I think my mum will measure you for a pair of family slippers.’ He dropped a kiss on her lips. ‘Don’t worry, my family will love you.’
It was easy to respond to his kisses. Even though her brain was focusing on the family-loving-her part. Everything about this Christmas was turning out to be perfect.
* * *
The expression on his mother’s face when she opened the door was priceless. She flung her arms around his neck while the whole time she stared at Grace.
‘This is Grace,’ he said quickly as he slid his hand into hers for reassurance. ‘We met at work and she came up for Christmas at the castle with me.’
His mother’s chin bounced off the floor. ‘Fraser!’ she shouted at the top of her voice. ‘Aileen!’ He imagined his father pushing himself out of his chair at the pitch of his mum’s voice. ‘You spent yesterday at the castle? Why? You could have come here.’
He glanced at Grace and gave her a smile. Yesterday had been better than he could ever have imagined. Nothing could have matched that. He edged around his mother, who was still standing in the doorway in shock. ‘You knew I was coming today. That seemed enough.’
His father walked through from the living room and only took a few seconds to hide his shock. He greeted Finlay, then Grace with a huge bear hug. He wasn’t even discreet about the whisper in Grace’s ear. ‘Watch out for Aileen, she’s pregnant, cranky and will ask a million questions.’
