Silver Christmas (6 page)

As Owen opened a gate in the fence, Jennifer
glanced his way and found him watching her, an unreadable
expression on his face. A strange sensation washed through her, one
she couldn't pin down. She'd caught him watching her a few times in
the past few days, and she had no idea what it meant. He'd been
fantastic letting her walk back into his and Chloe's lives like he
had, but she didn't really know what he thought of her.

They stepped onto the closely cropped grass
of the parkland, kept short by the healthy rabbit population and
the wild deer. Once he'd closed the gate, Owen tossed a tennis
ball, and all three dogs took off after it as if their lives
depended on beating their pals.

Paddy loped along, huge and long legged,
while Heidi streaked sleekly at his side, her sheep dog heritage
making her fast and disciplined. Zach's short legs pumped
frantically. He couldn't keep up, so typical terrier that he was,
he resorted to tricks to get his way, nipping the other dogs' heels
and taking a shortcut through a patch of brambles the others went
around.

Jennifer puffed out a steamy breath, content
and relaxed—more so than she had been in a long time. She'd loved
her time in Africa, enjoyed caring for the endangered animals,
especially the babies in the orphanage, but there was nowhere like
home. Even though England was cold, it was a relief to be able to
wander through the countryside on her own, without fearing she
would be attacked by a wild animal or shot by a poacher.

The dogs startled a group of five deer behind
some bushes, and both deer and dogs took off across the grass.

"Come here," Owen bellowed, and whistled.

Heidi immediately obeyed. Zach kept chasing
for a minute more before turning around and heading back. Paddy
ignored the call completely.

"That dog is so disobedient." Owen shook his
head.

A second black Labrador appeared, distracting
Paddy, and the two Labs ran in circles, playing.

"That's Peggy, my cousin Marcus's dog. She
came from the same litter."

"I can see they're friends." She vaguely
remembered Marcus. He was a year or two older than Owen, and had
been away at college when she was here last time.

Paddy and Peggy romped around, having fun
splashing through a muddy hollow and getting filthy.

They rounded a corner and found Marcus
sitting on a bench, overlooking the view with a faraway look on his
face. He rose as they approached.

"Owen. I was just coming to see if you wanted
a walk with the dogs." He smiled at her, his smile so like Owen's.
He had the same dark hair and brown eyes as all the other Bramwell
men.

Owen introduced her, and Jennifer shook his
offered hand. "I heard you'd returned. I gather you were shot. That
must have been a traumatic experience. How're you feeling now?"

"Recovering."

"I'll bet Chloe was pleased to see you."

Jennifer nodded and smiled, not wanting to
discuss her relationship with Chloe. That was too new and fragile
to dissect with someone she didn't know.

They walked and chatted, strolling in a huge
circuit around the acres of grassland back towards the gate.
Jennifer listened, content to let the men talk. Yet it was obvious
Marcus was distracted.

When they parted and headed back towards the
farmhouse, Jennifer waited a few minutes until she was sure Marcus
wouldn't hear her. "He's worried about something."

"I know." Owen heaved a sigh. "He has the
wife from hell."

"Oh." Jennifer glanced over her shoulder at
Marcus striding away. On the surface he had everything—good looks,
money, a beautiful home. It just showed that everyone had their
problems to deal with, and she wasn't alone in that.

They passed through the gate and Jennifer's
phone chimed the kitten alert.

"Just in time," Owen said. "When you've
finished with the kittens, would you like to pick up Chloe from
school?"

A streak of pleasure shot through Jennifer.
"I'd love to." She'd thought of asking to do this, but didn't want
to step on Owen's toes by disrupting his routine with Chloe.

"I think the kittens are old enough to be
handled now, so Chloe can pick them up tonight."

Owen smiled. "Wonderful. Chloe will be over
the moon. I'll video it on my phone."

Jennifer pulled up outside Rosemoor village school in
Owen's four-wheel-drive with the estate angel motif on the side,
and cut the engine. The luxury vehicle was a lot nicer than the
rental car she'd returned. Owen had said there was no point in her
keeping it when she could borrow an estate vehicle, so he'd put her
on their group insurance policy.

It was strange driving Owen's car, strange
coming to the school to pick up her daughter for the first time in
her life. When she stepped down from the high vehicle, she felt
awkward and out of place, like an imposter.

The closest people looked her way, curiosity
in their furtive glances. The village was small and a hotbed of
gossip. Most of the parents waiting probably already knew who she
was.

She pushed her hands in the pockets of her
coat. She'd picked it up as soon as she left the hospital and
bought her normal size without trying it on, forgetting that after
the accident she was skin and bone, so it was far too big for her.
Every time Owen looked at her, she was painfully aware she didn't
look her best. Did he still find her attractive? She shook her head
to banish the thought. She didn't want to go there.

Sidling through the gathered parents who
chatted as they waited, she found a quiet spot and leaned against
the wall by the school bulletin board. Pinned in the middle was an
encapsulated flyer with a picture of Mama Cat and her kittens,
asking for the owner to contact the Rosemoor estate office.

Chloe had made flyers and Owen had put them
up outside the church, in the pub, and in the convenience store. He
had even taped one in the window of his car. So far nobody had come
forward to claim the cat and kittens.

Jennifer had palpated Mama Cat's neck and
couldn't feel a microchip, but it would help to get her scanned in
case there was a digital record of the cat's owner. Although
Jennifer was starting to wonder if someone had abandoned her.

Her thoughts of the cat fled as the school
door opened and children streamed out, the smallest first, then a
couple of minutes later the older children.

Jennifer stepped closer to the gate, her
hands in her pockets, watching. When Chloe emerged, chatting with a
girl with short curly hair, Jennifer stood on tiptoe to see over
the heads in front.

Chloe looked her way, scanning the crowd of
parents, and Jennifer felt ridiculously nervous. Would Chloe be
disappointed Owen hadn't come?

"Mum!" Chloe's excited shout quieted the
sound of conversation, and all eyes followed Chloe as she dashed
through the other children and threw her arms around Jennifer.

Jennifer hugged her, blinking back tears,
overwhelmed by the greeting. As they walked to the car, she was
aware of those they passed staring, some whispering together.

"Is that Chloe's mother?"

"Is she Owen's wife? Where has she been?"

"My son works in the Rosemoor dairy, and he
says she just turned up out of the blue."

Jennifer pretended not to hear and focused on
Chloe as she babbled about the nativity play rehearsal.

"Miss Harper says I'm a born actress."

"Does she now. Have you changed your career
plans then?"

"No. I still want to be a veterinarian like
you." Chloe hugged Jennifer's arm and grinned as she spotted Paddy
with his nose pressed against the side window of the car.

"Hey, Paddy Paws." Chloe patted the window
where his nose was.

Jennifer opened the car door and grabbed
Paddy's collar, pushing him back so Chloe could climb in.

Paddy's tail thumped the seat, and Chloe
giggled as she greeted her dog.

"Remember to put your seat belt on," Jennifer
said as she climbed in the driver's side. "Your play's at the end
of the week, isn't it?"

"Friday afternoon and Saturday
afternoon."

Jennifer had an interview at a zoo about two
hours' drive away on Friday. "I can't make the first performance,
but I'll come on Saturday, if that's okay."

"That's fine, Mum. You don't have to come
both times."

It would be nice for Owen to go to the first
performance anyway. Jennifer wanted to give him space with Chloe.
She didn't expect to do everything with them.

The drive home was only five minutes, and
soon they saw the tall gateposts. They rattled over the cattle
grid, crunched down the gravel drive, and pulled up by the back
door.

Chloe opened the car's rear door and Paddy
leaped out. She followed, waiting for Jennifer, and they walked to
the back door together.

"You've been very patient with the kittens. I
think they're old enough for you to hold them now, if you want
to."

Chloe whooped, dancing around with excitement
as Paddy jumped at her feet. Then she charged inside.

"Wait for me before you pick them up,"
Jennifer shouted after her.

She'd never looked forward to seeing someone
pick up a kitten so much in her life before. It was strange how
normal little things took on a whole new meaning when she shared
them with her daughter.

• • •

The kittens had become escapologists!

Owen chuckled as he stood beside Jennifer in
the bathroom, watching Silver Sixpence and two of the other kittens
crawling up and over the edge of the cardboard box bed with their
little needle claws clinging to the blanket.

"They've only just opened their eyes and
already they're on the move. We'll have to erect a barrier around
them to keep them penned in," he said.

He and Jennifer were waiting for Chloe to
change out of her school uniform, and it gave him an excuse to
watch the kittens, something he could waste hours doing. Owen had
seen kittens before, of course, but had never watched a litter from
day one and seen how they developed.

"I know. Nature is an amazing thing. Kittens
aren't particularly precocious young, nothing like foals that are
on their feet shortly after birth and ready to run from a predator,
but they far surpass human babies."

"Yes. Human babies are very dependent on
their m—" Owen bit off the word as he realized what he'd been about
to say and that Jennifer might take it as a criticism. "Adults," he
finished belatedly.

Things were cordial between them, and Chloe
was happy. He didn't want to rock the boat now that Jennifer was
finally back. Luckily Sixpence chose that moment to make it over
the top of the box side and plopped in an undignified furry heap on
the pillow Jennifer had placed on the floor for just this
eventuality.

"No you don't, munchkin." Jennifer scooped
Sixpence up in a hand and held her at eye level. The tiny creature
blinked owlishly. She was so cute with her silvery stripes, her
little ears still partially folded over.

The bathroom door opened and Chloe backed in.
After a struggle, she managed to shut a whining Paddy on the other
side. "He wants to come and see the kittens too," she said as he
scratched at the closed door.

"We'll introduce them to him in a couple more
weeks," Owen said. "By then the kittens will be able to see better
and hear, and will be less fearful."

"Ready, Chloe?" Jennifer said.

"Very ready." Chloe was almost running on the
spot, she was so eager.

"Which kitten would you like to hold?"

"Duh. Silver Sixpence, of course."

The
duh
was a little impertinent, but
Owen let it pass this time.

"Remember to video me, Dad."

Owen held up his phone. "I'm all set. Lights,
camera, action," he said, hitting the Record button.

Jennifer passed Sixpence into Chloe's hands.
She held the kitten against the front of her pink sweater. Owen
sidestepped to get a better angle.

Suddenly Chloe pulled her hands away and
laughed as Sixpence clung onto the knitted loops of her sweater
with her tiny claws, front and back legs spread-eagled. "Look,
she's like a spider monkey."

"Hold on to her," Owen and Jennifer both said
together, leaping forward, hands out to do just that.

Chloe cradled the kitten again and pouted.
"She was okay. I only let go of her for a second so Dad could film
her hanging on."

"She's not a toy, Chloe. She's a baby animal.
If you aren't going to be responsible about this and hold her
sensibly, you can put her down." Jennifer was clearly angry.

It was the first time Jennifer had told Chloe
off. Owen said nothing, deciding not to interfere.

"I'm sorry, Mum."

"Sorry will be no good if Sixpence falls and
hurts herself. Sit down here."

Jennifer patted the back of the comfortable
chair that Owen had carried into the bathroom when they were
bottle-feeding Sixpence. They didn't need to do that now she'd
gained her strength and was feeding regularly from her mother.

Chloe sat, holding the kitten on her lap, and
Owen resumed filming as his daughter stroked and tickled the tiny
kitten, talking baby talk to her. Jennifer crouched beside the
chair, her smile full of affection as she watched Chloe gently
playing with the kitten.

Owen adjusted the angle to get mother and
daughter in the video together, his heart light, his fingers almost
fumbling the phone in his eagerness. Although Chloe didn't have her
mother's coloring, seeing them side by side, the resemblance was
obvious. Chloe had Jennifer's slender nose and high cheekbones.
They looked beautiful together, especially when they exchanged a
smile.

He'd waited so long for this, and he didn't
want Jennifer to go again. He wanted her here where she
belonged—where she might have stayed if he hadn't been such a
selfish, controlling idiot.