Christmas In Ghost Gum Springs Page 9

  ‘What did you do for a job?’

  ‘I was a teacher. I thought by becoming a teacher Grandma Mary-Lou would be happy I’d chosen an occupation where I was always guaranteed of a job. And she was, education is a steady employment she said, but I was in a terrible school and it wasn’t what I hoped it would be.’

  The despair in her voice reached into his soul and he couldn’t fight it any longer. He pulled her close. ‘I’m sorry, sweetheart. You are a beautiful, wonderful person. If your grandma can’t see that then her life is poorer for it.’

  Diana scoffed and pulled out of his embrace. ‘I’m sure she’s laughing in heaven at all the misfortunes that have happened to me on this trip. I’d be surprised she didn’t orchestrate all my issues because I had the audacity to use some of the money she left me on a frivolous vacation.’

  Enlightenment hit him like a lightning bolt—being in Ghost Gum Springs reminded her of the life she was trying to escape. As much as it would hurt him to do it, he couldn’t make her stay. He wasn’t cruel. He had to accept they were mere ships passing in the night and even though he’d tried to help her, he couldn’t fix everyone. No matter how much he wanted to.

  He’d tried his best to ensure Melanie was safe from her abusive ex, but the system he’d admired for so long finally worked against him. He couldn’t change the outcome no matter how much he wanted to. Just like he couldn’t change Diana’s mind.

  Decision made he walked up to her and kissed her softly on the forehead. ‘I’ll drive you to Sydney tomorrow. We’ll leave at 6am if that’s okay?’

  Her eyes widened in shock, as though she had expected him to try and talk her out of her request. ‘Thank you.’

  He tempered the urge to pull her close and kiss away the sadness. Once he started touching her, he wouldn’t be able to stop. ‘Sleep well, sweetheart.’ He brushed his lips across the top of her forehead and walked away.

  When he reached his room, he sat down on the bed, the aroma of her apple perfume wafted up to him. It was going to be a long night.

  Chapter 10

  Diana sat at the bar and sipped her glass of wine. People surrounded her and yet she was all alone. The guy next to her bumped her arm and the wine glass clinked into her tooth.

  ‘Sorry, love,’ he slurred. ‘You alright? How about I buy you another drink. It’s Christmas Eve after all.’

  ‘Thanks, but no.’ She turned her back, hoping he got the message that she wanted him to leave her alone.

  How ironic, here she was in the city, where she had thought she wanted to be, but she yearned to be back in Ghost Gum Springs sharing barbs about the Christmas decorations with Fred. She looked around the room and found a small tree in a corner, looking a little worse for wear as people brushed up against it continually.

  How could everything she thought she wanted turn out to be everything she didn’t want? The city sucked, it was so impersonal and not one person, apart from the drunk who’d tried to buy her a drink, had smiled at her or asked her how she was.

  To make matters worse, she hadn’t been able to find anywhere decent to have a Christmas meal. Most places were closed or the ones that were open were already booked up.

  ‘Merry fucking Christmas to me,’ she muttered and gulped down the rest of her wine. Might as well go back to her hotel room, order room service and stare at the four walls in her room. No point turning the television on, it would only be playing sickly sweet Christmas movies.

  As she walked back to her hotel she couldn’t believe she wished she was back in a town four hours away. Back in Connor’s arms.

  The drive to Sydney that morning had been tense and quiet. She’d pretended to be asleep most of the trip. It saved her from trying to make small talk. She’d had no idea what to say anyway. Connor hadn’t even got out of the car when he’d pulled up at the hotel. A valet had opened the door and one look at Connor’s face had her swallowing her invite to see if he’d like to grab a coffee before he drove back. His eyes were forward, and his hands were clenched on the steering wheel as if it was a life preserver. The only chink in his impersonation of a statue was when she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. He’d flexed his fingers and for half a second she thought he was going to release his grip, pull her to him and give her a proper kiss goodbye. Instead all he did was nod and she had to fight back the tears.

  Now she was fighting another set of tears as the entrance to the hotel loomed in front of her. She walked through the double glass doors and a huge Christmas tree stood in the middle the foyer. It was beautiful, yet cold. She wanted the explosion of decorations that filled a pub in a country town miles and miles away.

  ‘What am I doing?’ she asked herself. ‘I don’t want to be here.’

  Swiping away the tears, she strode toward the elevators, a plan forming in her mind. As she punched the disc for her floor, doubts crowded in. What if her plan blew up in her face? Had she thrown away her chance to experience something she’d only ever seen in movies because of her fears?

  But there was no reward without risk and if this gamble didn’t pay the big dividends she hoped it would, then she’d just continue with her plan to try and find a new place to settle down in. Even though she was pretty sure she’d already found it in the unlikeliest place.

  ***

  Christmas morning dawned bright and the temperature was already rising, but the glow and excitement that usually filled Connor was absent.

  As he marched downstairs the aroma of freshly baked bread assailed his senses. It didn’t matter that he’d left a part of himself in Sydney when he’d dropped Diana off. When she’d kissed him on the cheek he wanted to grab her and kiss her until she changed her mind and asked to return with him. But he didn’t, and he’d let her walk away. It was a miracle he hadn’t crashed his car on the drive back. His attention certainly hadn’t been on the road.

  Pushing thoughts of Diana to the back of his mind, he strode into the kitchen with a big smile on his face.

  ‘Merry Christmas, Chook.’ He hoped he’d injected enough enthusiasm so the hotel cook didn’t pick up on the fact he was anything but festive.

  ‘Merry Christmas to you mate. Although you look like you got a lump of coal under the tree instead of the present you wanted the most.’

  Damn, he hadn’t been convincing enough. He’d have to work on it. ‘Nah, just got a lot on my mind. We’ve got a few people coming for lunch. I want it to be a big success.’

  ‘Why?’

  Connor wasn’t sure if he could trust the cook to keep the news of a possible sale to himself, but he needed to voice it out loud to make it seem more real. Of course, it wouldn’t happen until he’d done a comprehensive review of the books. Plus, he needed to tie up his life in Sydney and he couldn’t start doing that until his former office opened up after the New Year.

  ‘Look, what I’m about to say is between you, me and the gate post. You understand?’

  Chook nodded. ‘You can trust me. I’ve got plenty of secrets no one knows about.’

  ‘Smithy’s looking at selling the pub and he asked me if I’d be interested in buying it.’

  Chook tapped his wooden spoon against the pot he’d been stirring. ‘Is it something you want to do? You don’t strike me as a guy who’d be happy pulling beers for the rest of his life. You’re a lawyer, right? Won’t you be itching to get back into putting the bad guys behind bars?’

  ‘Sometimes the bad guys walk, no matter what you do. I was getting burned out. The stress was getting to me. I like it here. I like the people.’

  ‘I think you’ll be great if it happens, and I’d be okay with it because you’re willing to let me try different things on the menu. Smithy’s always like, the locals don’t like change. It’s been this way for twenty years.’

  Connor laughed at Chook’s poor impersonation of the pub owner. ‘Well it’s not set in stone. But we can make one night a week Chook’s Night where you wow us with your culinary skills.’

  They chatted for a few m
ore minutes about the menu and timing for Christmas lunch, before Connor walked out to start decorating the tables. He’d advertised that Christmas Lunch was going to be held at the pub for those who didn’t want to cook or weren’t going to a family member’s place for lunch. The response was good, and they had over thirty people coming.

  He decorated the tables and Christmas music played over the speakers, but it still didn’t get him in the mood. He loved Christmas. His mum had instilled her love for the holiday in him. He needed to find the joy that usually filled him on this day, and he needed to find it fast.

  Most of the townsfolk had grumbled about his over the top decorations in the pub, but deep down they loved them as much as he did. From what he’d been told by some of the locals, this year they were all excited about Christmas. He was glad he’d been able to help some people enjoy the holiday. Pity the person he wanted to spend time with was over four hours away from him.

  Stop it. You’re acting like a lovesick fool.

  Okay, whoa. He wasn’t a lovesick fool. He’d known Diana for all of three days. People don’t fall in love in three days.

  Dad said he knew the moment he laid eyes on mum that she was his. Fred said the same thing as well.

  He wasn’t his dad, but he could acknowledge to himself Diana stirred feelings inside of him he’d never experienced before. It was deeper than attraction, even though that was part of it. Their one night had been amazing and he wouldn’t mind repeating the experience. But it was more how he wanted to get to know her on a deeper level. How, when she’d told him about where she’d grown up, he’d wanted to go and tell them how stupid they were. How their lives were poorer for not knowing her. He wanted to champion her like he’d never wanted to do with any other woman he’d spent time with.

  The door opened, and a crowd of people walked in. He dragged his mind back to the task at hand—creating a wonderful Christmas lunch for the town who’d welcomed him and his love of all things Christmas.

  An hour later everyone was seated at the table ready for the first course to be served. Connor gazed at the people gathered around the long table he’d created and noticed a gap in the middle.

  ‘Where’s Fred?’ he asked.

  Beryl broke off the conversation she was having with Cindy from the doctor’s surgery and looked at him. ‘Not sure, I knocked on his door before I came, but there was no answer. Either he’s playing scrooge or he’s off somewhere. He usually keeps to himself Christmas Day.’

  A seed of worry planted in his mind, especially after what Fred had told him about losing the love of his life on Christmas Eve. Connor had gotten fond of the old man and had been happy when Fred had agreed to come to lunch. ‘Should we go check again?’

  Beryl shook her head at his question. ‘Leave him be, he’ll come when he’s ready.’

  Connor thought about ignoring Beryl, but she narrowed her gaze, daring him to defy her. If the plan to take over the pub came to fruition, the last thing he wanted to do was upset the lady who baked the best cream buns he’d ever tasted. He nodded and proceeded to go to the kitchen to collect the plates.

  He lost count of the times he went back and forth between the kitchen and the guests, but finally he and Chook joined the table. Fred was still missing. Perhaps the older man found it too difficult to join in with the festivities, the memory of losing his wife on Christmas Eve too much to overcome.

  He forked the delicious meal Chook had prepared into his mouth, conversation swirling around him, but he didn’t hear pay attention to it. He was just glad everyone was having a good time.

  ‘Connor.’ Chook elbowed his arm.

  ‘What?’

  The pub’s cook canted his head toward the door. Connor looked where he indicated and was glad he’d finished his mouthful, otherwise he likely would’ve choked on it. He had no idea what shocked him the most: Diana standing in the doorway of the pub or Fred standing next to her, a huge smile on his face.

  Connor pushed away from the table, his chair clattering to the ground. He was at the door in seconds, facing the woman he thought he would never see again.

  ‘What are you … What’s going on?’ He couldn’t form a coherent thought. He was sure he’d fallen into a post-Christmas lunch food coma and was dreaming Diana standing in front of him.

  ‘Merry Christmas, Connor.’ A flash of pink darted out to moisten her lips. Man, how he wanted to lean in and trace the path of her tongue with his own.

  He became aware the occupants of the room were staring at them. The last thing he wanted was to have his conversation with her in front of the main players in town.

  ‘Fred, go see Chook, I’m sure he can set you up with some food.’ Fred nodded and leaned over to kiss Diana on the cheek.

  Huh? What is that all about?

  He reached out and took Diana’s hand, a shock of electricity vibrated through him, and led her into the hallway where they could talk privately.

  ‘What’s going on, Diana? Why are you here? What’s with Fred giving you a kiss on the cheek? Why aren’t you in Sydney?’ He fired out the questions like he would when he was cross examining a witness. She pulled her hand away.

  Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times, as though she was struggling to think about how to answer his questions. ‘I thou—’

  Connor angled his mouth over hers, giving into the urge to taste her. It had only been one night since he’d seen her, but it may have well been years. He couldn’t believe she’d come back. He almost didn’t care about her reasoning, she was here and that’s all that mattered.

  Diana moaned and pulled away from him. ‘What was that for?’

  He laughed. ‘We’re asking a lot of questions and not getting any answers, aren’t we?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Okay, I’ll start. I kissed you because I wanted to. I didn’t expect to see you again.’ He reached out and tapped her nose. ‘I had to see for myself you were real and not a Christmas dream.’

  She rolled her eyes, he loved seeing it. ‘I’m real for sure.’

  ‘Why are you here? Why are you back in Ghost Gum Springs when you seemed so determined to leave?’

  She shrugged as though standing in the pub was no big deal. It was to him. A huge deal. ‘Sydney wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  She looked away from him. ‘I was just another person sitting in an impersonal bar. It was loud and there was no atmosphere. There was no Christmas spirit. No Christmas decorations.’ She breathed deeply before turning to look back at him. ‘But most of all there was no you. No Santa’s Elf to make Christmas magical.’

  ‘What exactly are you saying here, Diana?’ He needed clarification because what he was hoping for was almost too much to believe.

  She placed a hand on his face. ‘I’m saying you were right, Connor. Christmas isn’t a day that should be spent alone. In a few short days you showed me possibilities I thought only existed in movies.’

  He pulled her into his arms, holding her close. He had no idea what was about to happen but having her spend Christmas Day with him and the people he’d grown fond of in his short time in Ghost Gum Springs was as natural as breathing.

  After a couple of minutes he pulled away. ‘How long are you staying?’

  ‘Until I have to fly back.’

  ‘How long is that?’

  ‘End of January.’

  He smiled. ‘Then I have a few weeks to convince you of the benefits of living in a small town.’

  She returned his smile and he could see the shadows slipping away from her face. ‘I guess so.’

  Connor closed the gap between them and lowered his lips until there were millimetres from hers. ‘Merry Christmas, sweetheart.’

  ‘Merry Christmas, my Santa Elf.’

  Epilogue

  Four Months Later

  Diana wished the people in front of her would hurry up and move down the aisle. After sitting on a plane for over fourteen hours she couldn�
��t wait to get off.

  Excitement carried her through the long process of getting through immigration and the collection of her bags. She knew the moment she walked through the glass doors and into Connor’s arms her life was about to begin.

  It had been so hard to get on the plane at the end of January and leave Connor behind. Even though they hadn’t said the words to each other, Diana knew she was in love with him. Being apart from him for the last three months had been hard, but knowing that once she finalised everything in Montana she’d be heading back to Australia, and Connor, got her through.

  The doors slid open and there he was, holding a bunch of roses. The people around her faded to nothing, her eyes glued to Connor and his broad smile.

  She stopped in front of him. She swallowed a couple of times to dislodge the lump in her throat. ‘Hey.’

  He reached out and pulled her into a hug, the sound of cellophane crinkling near her ear. ‘Hey yourself.’

  Diana closed her eyes and breathed in the unique scent that was Connor. ‘God, I love you.’ That wasn’t what she meant to say. She meant to say she missed him but as soon as the words left her mouth an overwhelming sensation of rightness flowed through her. Her only fear was that Connor didn’t feel the same way.

  They’d had numerous face-time conversations while they’d been apart. He’d been busy finalising the purchase of the pub from Smithy. Just like she was busy preparing for her move to the other side of the world. But they’d shared so much with each other. He’d shared about why he walked away from his law career in Sydney and how he’d approached Reg about doing some consultation work for him. And she shared with him the life she’d had growing up in Packenridge.