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She wanted him to go with her. To share a proper family Christmas. Something he hadn’t had for years and years and years. Rhys had always made sure he was working over the holiday season, ever since he’d qualified, to avoid the sheer grind of the day.
A big family Christmas at Madison’s with Katrina’s parents, Madison’s parents and Theo’s family. The idea of it filled him with dread—he just wasn’t used to that sort of thing. But he also knew he needed to make an effort, for Katrina’s sake. Her family was important to her.
As for introducing him to them as her colleague—he knew that Madison was as close as a sister to Katrina, and he was pretty sure that Katrina had confided in her that they were seeing each other. Even if Katrina hadn’t told the rest of her family, Madison—with the best of intentions—might have already done so.
But if he wanted to be with Katrina—and he knew he did—then he was going to have to compromise. Do this one thing she’d asked of him. ‘OK. I’ll come.’
‘Thank you.’
She held him close, and the dread started to melt away. With Katrina by his side, anything was possible. And he was beginning to believe that maybe with her he could have the relationship he’d never had in his life before. A truly loving partner and a family who’d always be there for him.
On Christmas Eve, Rhys stayed overnight at Katrina’s. It unnerved him slightly—he never bothered decorating, other than putting up cards, but Katrina had gone the whole hog. A real tree which scented the air—she’d persuaded him to go with her, three days before, to choose it—covered with white twinkling lights, a holly wreath on her front door, more greenery draped round the mantelpiece, cards everywhere and candles which filled the room with Christmassy scents of orange, cloves and cinnamon. And, just for a dash of roguishness, she had a sprig of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling in the hall before the front door. ‘It’s not real mistletoe,’ she explained, ‘it’s environmentally friendly silk mistletoe. But it still works the same.’
How could he resist kissing her underneath it?
After dinner—which they’d cooked together—Rhys produced a small box.
‘What’s this?’
‘Welsh Christmas tradition—it’s taffy. It’s usually made on Christmas Eve, though I made it yesterday morning when I was off duty. And I set it in a tin rather than doing it the traditional way of dropping spoonfuls into ice-cold water,’ he explained.
She tasted a square. ‘Mmm. It’s wonderful.’ She tipped her head slightly to one side. ‘Does it take very long to make?’
‘Half an hour or so.’
‘Do you know the recipe off by heart? Just, if you do…maybe we could make some to take to Maddie’s tomorrow.’
Trust her to be thinking of someone else. ‘Already done, cariad, and it’s in my briefcase,’ he said with a smile. ‘This is only a taster for us tonight. But I can make more any time you want.’
‘Rhys, I…Thank you.’ She walked round to his side of the table and hugged him. ‘I know it’s going to be weird for you tomorrow, and I understand if you want to change your mind.’
Part of him still didn’t want to go. But he really, really didn’t want to hurt her by not going. ‘I’ll be there,’ he promised.
‘You’re probably not going to have time to open your present from me tomorrow morning,’ she said. ‘So I thought maybe you might like it tonight.’ She went over to a cupboard and, to his surprise, brought out a Christmas stocking. ‘Happy Christmas,’ she told him, kissing him lightly.
‘Katrina…’ There was a huge lump in his throat. When was the last time he’d had a Christmas stocking? Too long ago to remember. Though he understood why Christmas was always so difficult for his mother. The same reason why he loathed the days between Christmas and New Year, marking the anniversary of his little sister’s death and the time when his life had been turned upside down and nothing had been the same again.
He pushed the memories away. Not now. Not here. Katrina clearly loved Christmas, and even though he knew he ought to tell her, he wasn’t going to spoil her pleasure in the season. ‘Thank you. But I didn’t make you a stocking.’
She shrugged. ‘That’s OK. I wasn’t expecting anything.’
‘I did buy you something,’ he said. Though he’d cheated, putting the presents in a Christmas gift bag or having them wrapped in the shop. ‘Wait.’ He retrieved them from his overnight bag. ‘Happy Christmas, cariad,’ he said.
