Christmas for Beginners - Carole Matthews Page 0,130

for cracking open that bottle of rum that Bev bought for you.’

I laugh. ‘That sounds like a much better idea. Will you join us?’ I say to Matt. ‘If you’ve nothing to rush away for, you can stay over if you’d like. I’m happy to make up a bed on the sofa for you so that you don’t have to drive home.’

I feel shy making the offer, but the roads must be hazardous by now and, after what’s he’s done, I’d really like him to stay around.

‘I might take you up on that. A tot or three of rum sounds like a very good plan.’

‘I’ll take the sofa,’ Lucas offers. ‘Matt can have my bedroom.’

I’m not sure that he’ll want to sleep in a teenage-created bio-hazard, but we can sort that out in good time.

Then I look round. ‘Where’s Anthony?’

Chapter Eighty-Six

In all the drama, it seems our dear anti-social sheep has taken advantage of our distraction and has slipped through the gate to make a break for it.

‘Buggeration,’ I huff. ‘He’s heading across the field at full tilt. How did he even squeeze through the hedge?’

Anthony is a fair old size and the gap in the hedge is quite small. So I thought.

‘Don’t worry,’ Matt says. ‘I’ll get him.’ He grabs his jacket before chasing off after our badly behaved sheep.

Lucas and I head to the stile where we perch and stare at the pair of them, Anthony gambolling in the snow and Matt in hot pursuit.

We both giggle.

‘He has no idea what Anthony’s like, does he?’ Lucas says.

‘I’m afraid not.’

We laugh again.

Lucas gives me a sideways glance. ‘You should definitely get with Matt,’ he says. ‘He’s cool.’

‘You’re giving me dating advice?’

‘Well, it’s clear that you need help with your choice in men,’ he replies.

‘Oh, Lucas.’

‘Trust me. I know these things. He’s a good bloke.’

‘If it’s any help, I think so too.’

‘There you go, then. My dad’s fucked off. There’s nothing to stop you.’

My mind goes to Shelby across the miles, starting out on his glamorous Hollywood lifestyle, and think that it will suit him much more. He’s a man who needs to be adored, feted, whereas I need a man who’s here for me – one who will muck in and muck out. One who will roll up his sleeves and help a baby lamb in distress with aplomb.

In my heart I say goodbye to Shelby, the man that I’ve known and loved. It’s over for us and we both know it. I’m entirely rubbish at this romantic stuff, but I think there is chemistry between me and Matt, a tentative attraction. Perhaps Lucas is right, he would be a good man for me. There’s no doubt we have so much in common.

We watch as Matt gets closer to grabbing Anthony who then performs a perfect swerve to avoid him and runs the other way.

Lucas and I laugh so much that tears run down our faces.

My dear boy turns to me and, wipes away his tears. ‘Molly,’ he looks serious for a moment. ‘This has been a good Christmas. One of the best.’

‘For me too,’ I tell him.

‘We’ll be OK,’ he says. ‘Just you and me.’

I nod, emotion tightening my throat. ‘We will.’

I look above me. The stars are out, the landscape is white with snow as far as the eye can see, the air is crisp. The animals are snug and warm in their stalls. The dogs are at my feet. My dearest boy is content with the world and so am I. It feels exactly like a Christmas night should do.

‘Don’t just stand there,’ Matt shouts over at us. ‘This sheep is a damn sight speedier than he looks.’

We turn again to the antics carrying on in the field ahead of us and frown. ‘I suppose we should go to help Matt out or he’ll be there all night.’

‘We could help,’ Lucas notes. ‘Or we could just go and pound Matt with snowballs.’

I look at Lucas and smile. ‘That sounds like a very fine idea.’

Lucas’s eyes twinkle mischievously. ‘Let’s do it!’

‘You’re on.’

So, side-by-side, we jump down from the stile and run into the field, scooping up snow to pat into snowballs as we go. Matt sees us coming and stops chasing Anthony who immediately stands still in disgust at being abandoned.

‘Oh, no, you don’t,’ Matt shouts at us and bends to hastily make his own snowballs to repel our attack.

We all come together in a flurry of snow and playful shrieks. There’s snow in my hair, ears,