“Well it is, kind of. And anyway, all that matters is that if Jake thinks we’re against the idea, there’s no way he’ll let anything happen with our baby sister.” What she wouldn’t give to slap the smug look right off her brother’s face. “Problem sorted.”
Dory didn’t look entirely convinced, which surprised Molly. She’d have bought Tim’s logic herself, if it hadn’t been for the kiss in the kitchen that morning.
“Except Jake probably believes that we think he isn’t good enough for her. You know how he likes to rise to a challenge… and he’s always wanted so badly to be a part of this family.”
“You think he’d seduce Molly just to prove a point?”
“I think he’d fall into a relationship with her if it meant he knew for sure he’d get invited back here every year.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Tim said, louder than he probably meant to. Dory shushed him, and he dropped his voice as he continued, “Jake’s always invited here. He knows that.”
Except he didn’t.
Molly’s head thunked back against the doorframe. Suddenly Jake’s change of attitude made a little too much sense. He was trying to buy himself a permanent place in the family. She wanted one night only, and he was after forever – but not for her, not really. Because he wanted to be a Mackenzie.
God, this was such a mess.
“Look, Tim, talk to him,” Dory pleaded, and Molly forced herself to pay attention again. “Explain things. That we love him, that he is part of our family, whatever happens. But that Molly is finally getting her life together, moving to London and everything, and we just don’t want a fling with him to jeopardise that.”
“Yeah… those really aren’t the sort of conversations I have with Jake,” Tim said.
“Fine. I’ll tell him, then,” Dory said.
“Great.” Tim paused, not moving away but not talking.
“What?” Dory asked, and Molly leant just a little bit closer to be sure of hearing.
“Do you really think Molly’s got things together in London? That she’s… well, happy?”
Of course I am, Molly thought, just as Dory said, “Of course she is! She’s wanted to move away for years, you know that. And that job at the hotel… she’s far too bright to have stayed there. She’s in a new city, with a great job, new friends—”
“No, Dory,” Tim interrupted softly. “That’s you. That’s what you wanted.”
Dory stared at him. “Molly wanted it too.”
“Are you sure?”
As her brother and sister stared at each other in silence, Tim’s words echoed in Molly’s head. Are you sure?
Was she? Right then, it was hard to be sure of anything at all.
Least of all what the hell she was doing with Jake.
Chapter 13
Present giving in the Mackenzie household always started with the opening of stockings around the tree, while everyone waited for the coffee to take effect. By the time Jake made it downstairs with his stocking, the others were already knee deep in wrapping paper.
“I told them they should wait,” Philippa said as he took the spare seat left for him on the sofa beside her. “But you know how they are.”
“I do.” Jake smiled softly across at Molly, unwrapping a fortune telling fish by the tree, but she didn’t return it.
Not a good sign. Had he spooked her, kissing her that morning?
“And thank you,” he added to Philippa, indicating his stocking. “You didn’t have to.”
Philippa’s eyes grew wide. “Nothing to do with me, you know that. It’s all down to Father Christmas.”
“Of course.” Jake wondered if by the time Philippa could be persuaded to drop the act for her children, Dory and Lucas would have provided her with some grandchildren to keep it up for. He rather hoped so.
His stocking was filled with the usual assortment of small gifts. A new comb, a paperback Glen had been raving about, a small tub of multivitamins he took as a hint from Philippa that he was looking tired, shower gel, festive socks, his own fortune telling fish and one of the Toblerones he’d bought as a substitute for the usual chocolate oranges.
“Right, fish at the ready everyone!” The fortune telling fish were a tradition all of their own. Tim ripped open his own packet and placed the filmy red fish in his palm. His sisters followed suit and, after a moment and some prodding from Dory, so did Lucas and Jake.
“Aw, moving head and tail!” Dory kissed her boyfriend soundly as the fish in his palm wiggled at both ends. “I knew you loved me.”
“I tell you often enough,” Lucas murmured, kissing her back. “Figures you’d trust some fish over me.”
“Are those sides curling?” Tim asked, staring at his own fish. “Apparently I’m fickle.”
“We could have told you that,” Molly teased.
“Me? Fickle? What did you get, then?” Tim asked. “If I’m fickle, whatever you are must be beyond even the might of the fortune telling fish.”
Jake looked at the fish in Molly’s hand as she stuck out her tongue. It had curled up completely into a little circle of red film. Passionate, his mind filled in, the instructions still in front of him. Well, the fish was on form this year.
Glancing down at his own fish, Jake watched as the head and tail both moved. In love.
He crumpled it within his fist. What did a red plastic fish know anyway?
After the stockings came the real gifts. Jake relaxed a little as they handed them round. He’d had this one sussed for years now. All he needed to do was send Philippa an email in early November asking what everyone wanted, and she’d send back a carefully thought out list with a selection of options for each family member. As long as he didn’t deviate from the list, he was fine.
He tensed as Molly reached for her gift from him. In all the ups and downs of the last two days, he’d almost forgotten that he had deviated from the list this year. Just once.
“To Molly, love Jake,” she read out the label. Beside him, Philippa raised her eyebrows, obviously very aware that the tiny box Molly held couldn’t possibly contain the DVD box set she’d suggested. “Thank you!”
“You haven’t opened it yet,” Jake pointed out.
Molly tore off the wrapping paper with unashamed glee, revealing the small, flat, velvet box inside. Jake very carefully ignored the looks Dory and Tim were exchanging across the room.
Perhaps this hadn’t been his best idea ever. But when he’d bought it, he’d assumed that he and Molly would spend the entire holiday being awkward around each other, and that a nice present might go a way to helping them be friends again
.
Besides, when he’d seen it in the display case, he’d known it was perfect for her, and he just couldn’t resist.
Molly opened the box slowly, and let out a little squeak. “I love it!” She beamed at him and he knew, without her having to say, that she wanted nothing more than to thank him properly, but couldn’t. Not with everyone watching.
“Let me see.” Dory elbowed past Tim to get a look at Molly’s present. “Oooh, that’s gorgeous!”
“Help me put it on?” Molly asked, and Dory took the delicate silver chain and wrapped it around Molly’s wrist. As she fastened it, the tiny snowflake charm that hung from it sparkled in the fairy lights from the tree.
“Very nice work, Mr Sommers,” Philippa whispered. “Much better than a DVD.”
Jake shifted uncomfortably in his seat, suddenly aware that Tim and Glen were both watching him with matching looks of interest – and suspicion.
Yeah, definitely not his best ever idea.
-
“He bought you jewellery, Moll.” Dory handed her a pair of fluffy red mittens. “Don’t tell me that’s nothing.”
Molly shrugged as she pulled her mittens on, trying not to stare at the tiny snowflake dangling from her wrist. It was perfect. How had he known?
“You know Jake. He likes to make an effort with presents.” Inspiration struck. “You know, I think he asks Mum for help. Maybe she suggested it.”
Dory didn’t look convinced. “He bought me a book.”
“Yeah, but a book you really, really wanted.”
“True,” Dory conceded.
“And anyway, I think he was trying to make it up to me for missing my moving to London party. Or something.” Stop digging, Molly. She was rapidly approaching protesting-too-much territory.
Dory paused, halfway through wrapping a pale blue scarf with a knitted rendition of the Snowman around her neck. “You know you can talk to me, right? If there’s anything…”
“There’s nothing for you to worry about with me and Jake.” It wasn’t quite a lie, Molly decided. After all, Dory would be heading back to New York in a week or so. Whatever fallout there was from this holiday, she wouldn’t have to worry about it.