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‘I never thought…’ Her voice trailed off in a whisper He’d done this for her?

‘I give you exactly that’ He looked over at her as he turned off the engine stopped and an expectant silence filled the car, wrapping around thee’

‘But whose cottage is it?’ It was late on Christmas Eve and she wanted to know just whose Christ on

‘Ours—for Christmas, that is’

‘And you did all this?’ He’d re, how she’d never had a Christmas that had been special, how she’d wanted the tree, the trine in front of an open fire Didn’t that ? That he cared?

‘You doubt that I could be a fa you otherwise’ A determined firmness entered his voice but she refused to spoil thetoo hard about what he’d just said She didn’t want to acknowledge the true implications of this She just wanted to enjoy this special ine this was how they really were

‘I can’t believe it,’ she said as she opened the car door and got out, sreen-painted door It was her dream Christmas and the ht her here

The night air was cold and crisp Exactly what she’d always ilitch was that she’d i it with the ht had loved her too If she put that notion to one side, she could make a meht on New Year’s Eve and all this pretence of affection, of wanting to be a father, ca down

‘I hope you like it because we are here until we return to London for Angelina’s birthday party and then there will, of course, be the New Year’s Eve party’ His breath hung in the air, clouding around her, and she sone to all this trouble otherwise The pain and anger which had built up since they’d gone their separate ways thawed even as the night air chilled

‘I won’t know until I see it,’ she teased him, anxious now to see what his idea of the perfect Christ hard to stifle the hope that he really did want her and the baby in his life To allow that hope to groould be foolish

He smiled at her War ti her love show She wanted to reach up and kiss his lips, to snuggle against him and be held in his arms

‘Very well’ He took out a key fro in the lock, sounding loud in the dark stillness of the winter night

She pushed open the door and the heat froe rushed at her The scent of Christ his tre around the festive feast of decorations in the room, of which a real tree was the centrepiece

It stood beside the fire, which gloith orange war the perfect scene Beneath the tree were presents and its branches were heavy with coloured baubles and lights How had he ht of it infused her with hope Maybe he wasn’t so immune to her or the idea of fatherhood Maybe there was a future for them

‘I love it,’ she whispered as she pulled her cashmere scarf off and walked into the rooe all this ere in Madrid?’ With arestured around her The whole room looked as if the owners had just stepped outside for a moment

‘I rented the cottage and specified exactly what I wanted, even down to the mistletoe’ He moved closer to her and pulled her toward him and under the piece ofof his eyes left her in no doubt that Christht now and her resolve to keep her distance melted like ice in front of the fire

‘Thank you’ She e in hi that had been darkening his ht She’d been too sensitive—too emotional ‘It’s beautiful’

‘As are you’ The deep tone of his voice and heavy accent left her in no doubt where this was going to lead A sliver of doubt crept in, threatening to spoil the moment, but she pushed it aside It was Christmas Eve and didn’t wishes made on Christmas Eve come true?