Silver Christmas (7 page)

Jennifer shook hands with Chris Prout, the director of the
Warmshurst Zoo. They stood in the state-of-the-art reception area,
a huge glass geodesic dome that looked like some futuristic
biosphere on an alien planet.

He led her past a massive decorated Christmas
tree that nearly touched the glass ceiling in the center of the
domed building, and gestured around. "Did you have time to read
about our achievements? We're very proud of our conservation work
here at Warmshurst."

All around were beautiful displays of
photographs of endangered species, and interactive interfaces where
visitors could find out about the zoo's captive breeding programs
and their success in releasing animals back into the wild. She'd
spent ten minutes perusing the displays while she waited for the
zoo director.

"Yes, I did. Very impressive." Jennifer
wasn't always a fan of zoos. Before she went to Africa, she
believed wild animals belonged in their natural habitats and any
preservation work should be carried out in the field, not in a zoo.
After her firsthand experience of the difficulties of working in
the wild, she'd modified her view. "I like your commitment to
education, and the fact you're very selective about the species you
have here."

Chris beamed at her, a look of pride on his
face. "I'm glad you approve. I'll show you around and introduce you
to some of the people you'll work with if you decide to join us.
Then we can have a chat."

He led Jennifer from enclosure to enclosure
along a color-coded route that made it easy for visitors to follow.
They walked through the rain forest house, the desert house, and a
huge glass aviary that mirrored the shape of the reception
building. Their route led them past the big cats' area, baboon
rock, the crocodile swamp, pens containing other large mammals, and
they ended up at the ape house that housed gorillas and
orangutans.

At the back of this was the medical facility
where she met the veterinary nurses and medical technicians. They
were all friendly, and she could easily imagine working with
them.

Then Chris led her up a wooden tower, shaped
like a lighthouse with spiral steps inside. Jennifer gripped the
railing of the viewing gallery at the top and took in the panoramic
view of the zoo spread out below her.

"Do you see that row of houses over there on
the far side of the zebra enclosure?" Chris pointed. "The zoo owns
those properties, and we offer them to members of the staff. You
could live there or find your own place, but we would want you
close enough to have a quick response to after-hours medical
emergency calls."

Jennifer gazed at the neat properties with
the zebra paddock at the bottom of the garden fences, imagining how
excited Chloe would be to live at a zoo, or at least live here
every other weekend and sometimes during the school vacations.

Next they went to Chris's office and chatted
over a cup of coffee. "You know I'm eager to have you on board," he
said with a laugh. She'd guessed that when he'd approached her
through headhunters. "Your experience is just what we need. What do
you think? Will you join our team?"

This would be a fantastic job with wonderful
facilities, doing something she loved. She mentally ticked off all
the plus points. The only negative was the distance from Rosemoor.
It had taken her just over two hours to drive here today. If the
traffic was heavy, it could take longer. Although that
was
acceptable if she was only going back and forth to Rosemoor to pick
up and drop off Chloe for visits on weekends.

So why was she so reluctant to say yes?

• • •

A Christmas tree sparkling with colored lights stood
on the triangle of grass outside Rosemoor parish church, and more
lights adorned the kissing gate that led into the church grounds,
welcoming those who had arrived to watch the school nativity
play.

Although it was only a week until Christmas,
Jennifer hadn't really given the holiday season much thought. She'd
been too focused on other things, like getting to know Chloe and
looking after the kittens.

"Why don't you have any decorations up at the
farm?" she asked Owen as he slowed the car and looked for a parking
space.

"We always decorate the weekend before
Christmas, since that's about when Chloe finishes school and the
holiday really starts."

That was this weekend, she realized. "So
you'll decorate tomorrow?"

"Yep. Chloe and I always go tree shopping
immediately after church, and decorate when we get home."

Owen would be certain to ask her to go
shopping with them, but was that something she should let him do on
his own with Chloe? She didn't want him to feel she had taken over
his life.

Jennifer clenched her hands in her lap as
Owen maneuvered his vehicle into a tight spot on the side of the
road. People and cars were everywhere as the parents and relatives
of the children arrived for the second and final performance of the
play.

"You didn't have to come with me, you know,"
she said. Owen had watched Chloe's nativity play yesterday, and
she'd expected to come on her own today. She wasn't entirely
comfortable attending events with Owen. It felt as though they were
pretending to be a couple when they weren't.

"I wanted to come. I watched Chloe last time;
this time I'm going to video her."

Jennifer nodded, nerves churning in her
belly. Everyone in Rosemoor must know who she was by now. The
Bramwells were well liked locally, and she suspected most of the
villagers wouldn't like her for leaving Owen and Chloe.

She climbed out of the vehicle as tiny spots
of snow started falling from the leaden gray sky. The flakes
weren't big enough to make much impression on the ground, but they
were icy against her face.

Owen circled the front of the parked vehicle
and offered his elbow for her to slip her hand through. She
hesitated for only a moment before doing so, resting her gloved
fingers on his forearm.

"You realize we'll have all the gossips
whispering, wondering if we're a couple again?" Owen grinned as if
the idea amused him.

Had he read her mind? "Don't you mind if they
think that?"

She'd assumed he'd be eager to quash that
notion. Surely he'd want the villagers to know he wasn't stupid
enough to take back the woman who'd abandoned him and her baby.

"No. Why should I mind?"

Not sure what to say, Jennifer simply stared
at him, trying to read his expression. They passed through the
kissing gate and followed the trail of people heading for the
church hall.

A blast of warm air hit them as they entered
the old building. The church and the church hall were two of the
only buildings in the village not built of the local golden stone.
The church was medieval and built of dark granite that must have
been brought in from somewhere, while the church hall was far more
modern, built just after the war and slightly shabby in an
endearing kind of way.

People greeted Owen, wishing him a merry
Christmas and shaking his hand. Jennifer smiled vaguely and
returned greetings while watching people in her peripheral vision
as they checked her out.

Owen led her down the central aisle between
the rows of chairs to the front. Marcus was there along with Owen's
other cousin Jonathan and his partner, Vicky. They exchanged
greetings and smiled at her.

She ended up sitting between Owen and the
vicar, who joked he earned a front-row seat purely because the
performance was in the church hall.

Jennifer was relieved when the music for the
carol "O Little Town of Bethlehem" started playing. The audience
fell silent as the heavy red velvet curtains around the stage drew
back to reveal the children in costume all gathered on stage around
baby Jesus's crib, with Chloe at center stage dressed as Mary with
a spotlight on her.

Chloe started singing on her own, her voice
so pure and sweet Jennifer's heart fluttered and tears filled her
eyes. Chloe had mentioned singing, but Jennifer had no idea she
would be a soloist or that she could sing this well.

There was so much about her daughter she
didn't know. She'd missed most of her life, so many milestones, so
many important life events.

How would she ever catch up? She pulled a
tissue from her pocket and surreptitiously wiped her eyes, hoping
nobody noticed.

Owen had been videoing, holding up his phone
to capture Chloe's solo. When she finished singing, he lowered his
phone and his large warm hand folded around Jennifer's where it lay
in her lap.

He leaned close and put his lips by her ear.
"I didn't tell you about Chloe singing. She wanted it to be a
surprise."

Jennifer nodded, not trusting her voice. Her
emotions were too fragile, such a poignant mix of wonder and
sadness.

The thirty-minute play seemed to be over in
half that time, Jennifer was so engrossed in watching her beautiful
daughter. The girl was so confident and capable, speaking her lines
clearly, leading the others in more carols.

It was only near the end she noticed that
Owen was still holding her hand, and when she tried to pull hers
away, he squeezed before he let go.

The curtain closed and all the parents rose
to their feet, clapping. Then the curtain drew back again for an
encore of "Silent Night."

When the curtain closed for the final time
and the lights came on, Jennifer felt strange as if she'd woken
from a dream. A few minutes later, Chloe came racing out from the
wing, and Jennifer opened her arms and hugged her ecstatic daughter
tightly, kissing her silky hair.

"You were wonderful. You should be an
actress, or a singer. You have such a lovely voice. Why didn't you
tell me you were singing?"

"I wanted to surprise you."

"You did. A lovely surprise. You have the
voice of an angel."

Jennifer released Chloe to hug her dad and
pass along the front row, accepting hugs and praise from all her
relatives.

Owen's arm came around Jennifer and he drew
her close, angling his head down. "We have a very talented
daughter," he said softly.

"I know. I'm overwhelmed." And she was, even
more so than the first time she'd met Chloe. There had been
something almost magical about hearing her daughter sing those
carols onstage.

Jennifer was painfully aware she didn't
deserve to be accepted back so readily by Owen and Chloe. Not when
she'd run away and contributed nothing to her daughter's life until
now. "You've been a wonderful father, Owen. You've raised an
amazing daughter."

"She has just as much of you in her as me.
I'm sure she must have inherited her voice from your side of the
family. She certainly didn't get it from mine."

"Even if she did, that doesn't give me the
right to take any credit for Chloe's amazing performance."

Jennifer almost felt she didn't have the
right to be here at all. She'd been angry with Owen for so long,
yet it was herself she was really angry with. She couldn't blame
him for her stupid decisions.

Owen
made a quick cup of tea when they arrived home from church on
Sunday while Chloe dashed upstairs to change out of her skirt and
put on some jeans, ready to go Christmas-tree shopping.

"I'm going to check the kittens," Jennifer
said, and wandered off.

Owen rubbed his forehead. He didn't
understand Jennifer. He'd expected her to be overjoyed to hear
Chloe sing, and she had been impressed and emotional. But she'd
seemed distracted and sad since she returned from the job interview
at the zoo on Friday, and it worried him. Was she going to move
away? Had she changed her mind and planned to take Chloe with her?
He'd asked her about it a few times, but she'd brushed off his
questions.

He didn't want her to take the zoo job. It
was too far away. Chloe would go to stay with her, but he'd never
see Jennifer. Yet he didn't dare try to tell her what to do. The
last time he'd done that, after she had Chloe, things had not gone
well.

Chloe clattered down the stairs with Paddy on
her heels and burst in the kitchen door.

"Tea, cocoa puff?"

"No. I just want to go shopping." She bounced
on the spot. "Can't we hurry up and leave? You can have a cup of
tea when we get back."

Owen chuckled. He was usually the one urging
Chloe to hurry up. "One quick cup won't take long. Anyway, Mum
isn't down yet."

Saying the word
mum
still sent an echo
of hope and possibilities through him. He poured out a cup of tea
for himself and one for Jennifer, then refueled with a couple of
chocolate chip cookies.

By the time he'd finished his tea, Jennifer
still hadn't come down. He opened the door to the corridor and
shouted for her. "Jennifer! We're leaving in a minute."

He let the dogs out for a toilet break and
then shrugged on his coat. "Go and hop in the car, Chloe. We'll be
right out."

Jennifer wandered back into the kitchen,
wearing her jeans and the oversized old sweater he'd loaned her.
She'd bought some new clothes, so he had no idea why she was still
wearing his old sweater.

"Do you want your cup of tea before we
go?"

Jennifer picked up her cup and took a sip.
"You two go without me."

"Why don't you want to come with us?"

She shrugged. "The kittens might need
me."

"The kittens are fine, and you've just
checked them, anyway." He didn't understand her. They'd been
getting along so well, and now she was pulling away from him. If
she hurt Chloe, he'd be furious.

"Your daughter is waiting in the car for
you." He couldn't keep the reprimand out of his voice.

Her gaze darted to his, lines on her
forehead. "Buying a Christmas tree is something for you and Chloe
to do together. I don't want to hijack your father-daughter
time."