A Christmas Family Wish (3 page)

She slumped down in a chair at the table. The only choice was
to call in and report her absence. Scrolling through the address book on her
phone, she found the number and left a message on the automated absence line.

The kettle Ian had set on the range whistled and he pulled
it off. "Tea or coffee?"

"Tea, please." Rachel closed her eyes and pressed
her fingers to her temples as a tension headache started to take hold.

Ian set a big mug on the table beside her. "What would
Toby like?"

"Milk, if you have enough."

Ian filled a plastic cup with milk and placed it on the
table. "Gonna sit up for a drink, kiddo?"

Toby left Max and joined them at the table, climbing onto
the chair and quickly drinking his milk. He yawned hugely and covered his mouth
with his teddy. Rachel stroked back his hair. "You're tired, baby, aren't
you?"

She couldn't expect to drag him off to day care now. It
wouldn't have been fair to him even if he did have clothes to wear. With a
sigh, she accepted the inevitable. Her life was screwed up. It would take a few
days to fix and cost her money she could ill afford.

"Are you happy to share a double bed with Toby?"
Ian asked.

"That'll be perfect. Thank you." She preferred to
keep her son with her as he didn't know the house.

"Great. Bring your mug of tea. I'll show you where you
can sleep."

Weary and despondent, Rachel took Toby's hand, picked up her
mug, and followed Ian into a hallway. He grabbed her bag and carried it
upstairs to the landing. Opening one of the doors, he switched on the light and
stood aside.

"Here you go." He followed her into the room, put
her bag on the bed, and turned up the thermostat on the radiator. "It
should warm up in a few minutes. The bathroom's at the end of the
corridor."

It was a beautiful bedroom with old oak furniture, floral
drapes, and a deep window seat in the thick stone wall. A house like this
wouldn't blow down in a hurricane. It was solid and steady, like its owner.

"Thank you, Ian. I really appreciate your helping me
like this. I don't know what I'd have done without you."

He patted her shoulder as he went out. "You were doing
pretty well on your own. You rescued Toby from his bedroom. Lots of people
would have panicked."

Rachel shrugged. Right now she just felt tired and helpless.
Everything she had was in that house—everything she had worked so hard for
after she got away from Greg.

"Sleep as late as you want. I'm going back to bed as
well. I'll see you tomorrow." Ian left, closing the door behind him.

Rachel quickly took Toby to the bathroom, then returned her
sleepy boy to bed. "Hop under the covers, sweetie." Rachel pulled
back the pretty floral bedspread so Toby could slide in between the crisp
sheets. He cuddled his teddy and closed his eyes.

Once he was settled, Rachel texted her parents to tell them
she and Toby were safe, then slipped out and returned to the bathroom. She
switched on the light above the mirror and examined her face.

When she rescued Toby, she barely noticed scratching
herself, yet a nasty deep cut slashed across her cheek. It stung like crazy now
she was in the warm. She sluiced her face with water and patted it dry on the
clean towel Ian had laid out for her, then she bathed her bruised feet in the bathtub.

She couldn't go to work in this state, anyway. The shift
manager would take one look at her and send her home. She couldn't even try to
cover up the damage to her face. Her makeup bag was still at home in her
bathroom. All she had in her handbag were a lipstick and mascara.

In the medicine cabinet, she found antiseptic ointment to
apply to the various scratches on her face, arms, and legs. She was a mess, her
hair tangled like a bird's nest.

Tears flooded her eyes as she stared at her ravaged face.
The night's events overwhelmed her and a sob caught in her throat. It had been
hard work starting from scratch when she left Greg. But she had pulled herself
up and got back on her feet, rebuilt a life for herself and Toby, despite
Greg's attempts to sabotage her.

Why had fate decided to knock her down again? She wasn't a
bad person. Sure, she'd had an easy life when she was younger and probably
hadn't appreciated it as she should. But she didn't deserve this. It was time
fate gave her a break.

She grabbed some tissue and mopped her eyes but more tears
flowed down her cheeks, stinging her cut.

She slumped down on the toilet and gave in to the tears. She
only had so much strength, so much resolve. Right now she had reached the end
of her rope.

Chapter Three

Ian sent Jeff Carne a text to let him know Rachel and Toby
were safe. Jeff was bound to be worrying, as any father would. Ian worried
about his daughter, Ella, all the time.

He dashed off a couple of texts to his men, telling them to
head straight to Rachel's house in the morning to secure it.

Mentally drawing up a list of what he needed to do when he
got up, he tidied the kitchen, switched off the light, and went upstairs.

When he reached the landing, he paused at a muffled sob from
the bathroom. Rachel must be in there crying. Ian pinched the bridge of his
nose, half tempted to ignore the sound and retreat to his bed. He was tired and
had a full day's work ahead of him in a couple of hours.

The sound of her tears brought back uncomfortable memories
of the night eight years ago when he'd tried to explain why he couldn't date
her. He hadn't done a good job of it.

He decided to leave her to sort herself out but his feet
stayed glued to the spot. She'd had a horrible night and must be stressed out.
She'd impressed him by keeping her cool up until now. Little Rachel Carne,
who'd once behaved like a spoiled princess, had grown into a sensible woman.

He guessed he'd changed in the last eight years as well. He
hoped he was more tolerant and understanding than he'd been in his early
twenties.

With a weary sigh, Ian trod along the hall in his socks and
rapped a knuckle on the bathroom door. "Rachel. Are you okay in
there?"

The sobbing stopped. She sniffed and blew her nose.
"I'm fine." Yet she obviously wasn't.

"Things will look brighter in the morning," he
said.

"It's the morning now. They don't look very
bright."

Ian chuckled, despite himself. She had a point.
"They'll look brighter when you've slept some and aren't so tired."

The door latch clicked. Rachel came out, the scratch on her
cheek red, her eyes swollen from her tears. She looked a state, yet it was
plain the pretty girl he'd known had blossomed into a beautiful woman. He
couldn't understand what she was doing alone with a kid. Any man with a pulse
would find her attractive.

"Sorry to hog the bathroom, Ian."

"No problem. I've got my own. You and Toby have this
one to yourselves while you're here." He planned to step aside and let her
pass; instead, he slipped a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Things
really will look better when you're not so tired. Climb into bed with that boy
of yours and get some shut-eye. In the morning, we'll discuss what your next
step should be."

Rachel pressed her lips together, trying not to cry. Despite
her efforts, more tears overflowed her lashes and streamed down her cheeks. Her
face crumpled and she looked down, swiping her hand over her eyes.

"Aw, come here, love. Come here. It's going to be all
right." Ian pulled her into his arms and held her close, rubbing a hand on
her back to soothe her as if she were a child.

His body quickly noticed she didn't
feel
like a
child. Soft womanly curves pressed against his chest and the floral smell of
her hair filled his nose. The memory burned through him of her lips pressed to
his, so eager and innocent, of the red-hot kiss that nearly stole his control.

Rachel Carne felt good in his arms. Too good. The six-year
difference in their ages didn't matter now they were older, and he no longer
worked for her father. But he had enough hassle right now trying to deal with
his ex and see his daughter. He couldn't cope with another woman and child in his
life.

"Come on, Rach, love. Let's get you into bed." He
guided her down the hall and opened her bedroom door. Toby lay fast asleep
under the covers. She turned away from Ian, obviously embarrassed. Despite
knowing any intimacy between them was a bad idea, he still released her with a
hint of reluctance. Holding her would be addictive. He must make sure it didn't
happen again.

***

Rachel woke and blinked. Why did her eyes feel gritty? Then
she remembered what had happened last night. Her house was a wreck, Toby had no
clothes, and to top it all, she'd cried all over Ian.

With a groan she rubbed her face, wincing as her cheek
stung. She probably looked as much a fright this morning as she had last night.

Despite that Ian had held her, comforted her, and been very
kind. For a few glorious minutes, she'd let herself sink into the strength of
his embrace. If only she really had a man like Ian to lean on occasionally, a
kind, understanding man to share the ups and downs. Going it alone could be
tough, not even having a partner to talk things over with when she needed
reassurance.

But there was no way Ian Harper would consider a
relationship with her. She'd thrown herself at him when she was young and
embarrassed them both. Her cheeks still heated at the memory of how mortified
she'd been the night he rejected her. She'd avoided him ever since.

With a sigh, she turned over to check on Toby, but the rest
of the bed was empty. All thoughts of Ian fled as she sat up to scan the room.
Toby wasn't there. He couldn't have gone far. She climbed from the bed and
poked her head out the door into the hall.

Downstairs, she heard Ian talking to someone, then her son's
laughter. Ian and Toby seemed to get along well. It was nice for her boy to
spend time with him. He was reaching the age where he needed a male role model.
She had tried so hard to persuade Greg to take an interest in Toby, with no
success.

She grabbed her phone off the nightstand and checked the
time. It was nearly ten. Ian probably wanted to get off to work and she needed
to call the insurance company about her house.

Grabbing some clean clothes, she hurried to the bathroom and
jumped in the shower for a couple of minutes, washing herself with Ian's shower
gel. The tangy herbal fragrance brought a smile to her lips. Last night when
she'd pressed her face against his chest, he'd smelled warm and herbal like
this. A skitter of feeling raced along her nerves. Turning her face into the
spray, she washed away any romantic thoughts. She'd chased Ian once and it had
not turned out well. She wouldn't make a fool of herself a second time.

After a quick rubdown with the towel, she pulled a comb
through her wet hair, dressed, and headed downstairs. She paused in the hall
outside the kitchen door and peeped through the crack, listening to their
conversation.

Toby sat at the kitchen table wearing jeans, a sweater, and
some blue socks. Where had Ian found clothes to fit him? Toby dug a finger of
toast in the top of a boiled egg and bit off the end. Jimbo, the teddy, sat on
the table at his side, propped against a mug.

Toby pretended to feed Jimbo a bite. "Does Max like
eggy soldiers?" he asked Ian.

"Max will eat anything, pal. He even eats the sheep's
poop in the field if I don't watch him."

"Ewww." Toby pulled a face. "That's
yucky."

Rachel put a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter.
Leave boys alone together for a while and they always managed to find something
gross to talk about.

"Yep," Ian said. "Dogs eat lots of yucky
things."

"Tell me some others," Toby said.

"Not while you're eating your breakfast, kiddo. It
might put you off."

Unlikely, Rachel thought, putting her fingers against the
door to widen the gap so she could see Ian. He sat at the table beside Toby,
eating a slice of toast, a newspaper laid out in front of him. Shaggy dark hair
hung over his forehead, his eyes a rich golden brown, eyes she'd mooned over
for most of her teens. The dark stubble that had covered his jaw last night was
gone, his face now smoothly shaved.

A tingle of awareness raced through her, a feeling she had
almost forgotten. Even in his pilot's uniform, Greg had never made her go weak
at the knees like Ian used to. Like he did still.

Max wandered over to Ian and snuffled his leg. With an
affectionate smile, Ian slipped the dog a small piece of buttered toast and
stroked the top of his head. "You really are a silly old thing, Max."
The dog snuffled again and Ian shook his head. "No more or you'll get
fat."

Rachel pushed open the door and walked in, trying to appear
as though she'd just come downstairs. "Good morning." She went to
Toby and kissed his forehead. "How are you, sweetie? Did you sleep
okay?"

He nodded. "Look, Mummy, Ian made me eggy
soldiers."

"Aren't you a lucky boy? I hope you said thank
you."

"He did," Ian said with a smile.

"Looks like I need to thank you as well." Rachel
gestured towards Toby's clothes, eyebrows raised. "Where did you find
these?"

"The neighbors. I'm converting the barns we passed last
night. I don't know if you noticed them in the storm. Anyway, the first one is
occupied by a guy who works for me. James is married to Paula. They have a son
about Toby's age. I walked that way when I took Max out this morning and
borrowed a few things for Toby. The clothes seem to fit."

"They do. Thank you so much. I'll have to pop by and
thank your friends later."

"Paula's in the office at the end of the house. She
works for me. Just go outside and turn left. The office door's on the end. I
converted what was the old milking parlor."

"Okay, thanks. I'll look in on her later."

"Have some breakfast, then I'll take you home to fetch
your car."

"I'd better call the insurance company first."

While Ian dropped slices of bread in the toaster, Rachel ran
upstairs, found her insurance documents, and dialed the claims number. She was
on hold for twenty minutes, annoying music blaring in her ear, before she was
put through. No doubt hundreds of people were phoning to report damage to their
houses after the hurricane. Finally a woman answered and took down Rachel's
details.

"Can you tell me if I'm covered for temporary
accommodation while the house is being repaired? It's going to take a few
months, I'd imagine," Rachel said.

"Once the claims adjuster has visited the insured
property and filed his report, we'll arrange for a rental property of
equivalent size to your home, if necessary."

"When will the adjuster get out to my place?"

"I'm afraid we're very busy at the moment. I don't
think that's likely to happen until after Christmas."

"After Christmas! That's three weeks away. Where am I
supposed to live until then?"

"Are you sure your home isn't habitable?"

"Absolutely."

"In situations like this, we usually advise people to
find hotel accommodation. If we judge the house is uninhabitable, we'll refund
the cost of the hotel when the claim is processed."

Rachel's heart thumped, her nerves strung tight. That didn't
help her find money to pay the hotel bill now. She simply couldn't afford a
hotel stay of three or four weeks with no guarantee she would get the money back.
Insurance companies were notorious for wriggling out of paying people. They
would probably turn around and say she could have camped in her lounge or
something stupid.

She ended the call and ran a hand back through her hair,
shaking out the long strands to help them dry before she went outside in the
chilly wind. Maybe she could stay here with Ian, but that was a terrible
imposition. He'd been kind enough to rescue her and bring her home last night.
She hated to ask him for extra help.

Rachel trudged downstairs and sat at the kitchen table. Toby
had finished his breakfast and was sitting in the dog's bed in front of the
range, running a brush over Max's coat.

Ian dropped some toast on a plate and put it in front of
her. "What did they say?"

She might as well tell him the truth. No point in beating
about the bush. "They won't pay for me to rent a place until the claims adjuster
has been out. That won't happen until after Christmas. I'm effectively homeless
until then."

Ian rubbed a hand across his mouth, his gaze on the floor.
"Look, you can stay here if you like. I know it's not ideal. It's a bit of
a trek to get anywhere, but once you have your car you can drive to work or
into town so you're not stuck out in the middle of nowhere."

Rachel's heart leaped with relief. "Are you sure?"

"Of course, or I wouldn't have offered."

"Oh, Ian. Thank you." She bounded up, threw her
arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek. "You're wonderful!"

If she hadn't already ruined her chances with Ian, she would
find it very easy to fall in love with him again.