Sweet Christmas Kisses (27 page)

The idea of Monique moving back here with Sean grated on Kelly. In the two short weeks she had been here, Sean and his girls had become hers. Given a chance, she would rather stay here and care for them than do any other job. But she could hardly say that. Anyway, it would be mean to steal Monique's position.

"So, when do we start dating?" They had sort of started already with all the kissing they'd done, although that was as far as they'd gone.

"Tomorrow." Sean rose and kissed her. "I'll go in to see Private Tyler in the morning, then I'm on leave until the New Year. We'll take the girls to visit Santa in the afternoon, then you and I have been invited out to dinner in the evening."

The tight knot of concern in Kelly loosened. Sean was bruised and wary, but he wasn't still in love with Eleanor and he wanted to move on. There was hope that sometime in the future she might be a proper part of this family.

She would have to take good care of him and give him lots of love to restore his trust in women.

Chattering adults and laughing children lined up outside the snow-dusted timber chalet at the entrance to Santa's grotto on the fourth floor of the busy London department store.

"We might as well carry the girls through so they're high enough to see everything," Sean said.

"Good idea. Also, they're less likely to be frightened by something if they're in our arms." Kelly followed Sean as he pushed the stroller into the parking area set aside for baby carriers and applied the brake. She lifted Annabelle from her seat while he picked up Zoe.

Kelly hitched her bag higher on her shoulder and handed their booking form to the small woman dressed as an elf in a red hat trimmed with bells.

"Follow the signs to Santa Claus's workshop." The elf lady grinned at the children. "Have fun!"

They pushed through a turnstile, ducked beneath strips of hanging greenery, and entered a dimly lit cave. Tiny mechanical elves lined up at a bench hammered at wooden dolls and trains in time to cheery Christmas music.

Annabelle clutched Kelly's coat collar, wide-eyed with fascination. She pointed at the tableau. "Me, me, me, me," she chanted in her latest refrain. It was her new favorite word and she knew exactly what it meant.

"You can't have those toys," Kelly said. "Santa's elves are still making them. When we reach Santa, he'll give you a present to take home."

Annabelle stared at Kelly, obviously trying to understand. Then she stretched towards the scene again, chattering to herself.

Kelly squinted in the low light, her eyes still not adjusted. "Is Zoe all right?" she asked Sean. As usual, Zoe was the quieter of the two children, cuddled in her daddy's arms, sucking her thumb.

"You're okay, angel, aren't you? You like the elves." Sean dropped a kiss on top of Zoe's hair.

He leaned close to Kelly, pressed his lips to Annabelle's head, and stole a quick kiss from Kelly as well.

"Zoe'll be fine. I might not sit her on Santa's knee, though. I'm willing to bet she won't like that."

They wandered along the winding woodchip path through Rudolph's stable where a huge reindeer model with a flashing red nose nodded its head, past Santa's sleigh piled high with brightly wrapped boxes tied with ribbons, and on to Santa's workshop itself.

Other family groups of mum, dad, and children strolled with them, laughing and enjoying themselves. With a rush of affection, Kelly stroked back Annabelle's hair and held her close. How she loved this sweet little girl and her sister. Anyone seeing their group probably thought she was the twins' mother, and Sean's wife. If only that were true.

Longing swept through her, leaving goose bumps on her skin. She was certainly something to them, but would never be a mother and wife if Sean adhered to what he'd said. He'd been adamant he didn't want to marry again.

She joined in with the Christmas song, singing softly to Annabelle as they passed a traditional festive scene of a decorated tree beside a fireplace with four stockings hung on the mantelpiece, two large ones and two small ones.

Kelly had thought of hanging stockings at Sean's house but in the end she hadn't, feeling awkward about putting one up for herself with the other three. It seemed a bit presumptuous somehow.

An elf ushered them towards a rustic wooden door and Sean pushed it open. "Oh, look, girls. Who can you see?" He held Zoe up and pointed. "There's Santa."

A fat old man in a Santa suit complete with long white beard sat on a wooden stool in a mock log cabin surrounded by sacks of brightly wrapped gifts. "Ho, ho, ho, who do we have here?" he said in a deep voice.

Zoe burst into tears and clung to Sean, burying her face against his chest. Annabelle curled her chubby fingers around Kelly's collar and held on tightly, but she stared at Santa with rapt attention.

"Hello, Santa," Sean said. "We've brought Zoe and Annabelle to see you."

"Have you been good girls this year?" Santa asked.

"Of course they have." Kelly grinned at Annabelle and Zoe, trying to put them at ease. "They're always good girls, aren't you?"

"Do you want to sit on Santa's knee?" the man asked Annabelle.

Kelly had mixed feelings about handing the toddler over to a strange man. Annabelle allowed herself to be carried closer without complaining, but hung on to Kelly for dear life when Santa patted his lap.

"Both the girls are slightly shy," Kelly said with an apologetic smile.

Undaunted, Santa jangled a rod covered in bells. Two old men dressed as elves came in and did a funny little dance. The whole thing was so surreal, Kelly had to swallow back a laugh as her gaze collided with Sean's disbelieving look.

Santa handed a gift to Annabelle and one to Sean for Zoe. Then the elves hustled them out, presumably making way for the next in line.

They emerged onto a busy aisle in the toy section of the department store.

"Poor baby," Kelly said to Zoe, hoping to distract her by helping her unwrap her present. Zoe stopped crying and grasped the small blue teddy inside, turning it over and trying to pull off its ears. One immediately came loose.

"I think she wants to dissect it," Sean quipped.

"That must be her surgeon genes. You'd better watch out when she's big enough to use a knife."

Sean chuckled. They huddled together as people bustled past in the busy aisle while both girls examined their identical teddies. After a few minutes, Annabelle tossed hers on the floor and pointed at a display of dolls, chanting, "Me, me, me."

Crouching to pick up the discarded toy, Sean tucked it in the front of Annabelle's coat. "Nothing more for you until Christmas Day, Little Miss Fickle. Let's hope that tomorrow Santa can come up with something interesting enough to hold your attention."

"Does Santa have something interesting lined up for tomorrow?" Kelly asked with a grin.

"I hope so. Santa has certainly spent plenty of money on the presents."

****

Kelly emerged from her bedroom in the only decent dress she owned, a slinky scarlet wraparound. It was shorter than she remembered, falling to mid-thigh level. She'd bought it for a summer vacation in Greece a few years back and it was not really warm enough for winter. She hoped the heating in the restaurant where they ate would be good or she'd have to keep her coat on.

The doorbell chimed. She hurried downstairs to let in Lisa, the teenager from the village who was babysitting for the evening. The sixteen-year-old's eyelashes were caked with mascara, her eyes outlined in black, her lids blue and pink, her lips scarlet. She tottered in on high heels wearing a skirt that barely covered her backside.

Both Kelly and Lisa stared as Sean came down the stairs. Kelly's heart fluttered like a moth trying to get to a flame. For a moment she couldn't catch her breath. She was so used to being around Sean that she forgot how gorgeous he was until she suddenly saw him wearing something different. Tonight was the first time she'd seen him in a suit.

The navy jacket hugged his broad shoulders, the white shirt bringing out the blue of his eyes. He reached for his coat and draped the snowman scarf around his neck, making her smile.

"Hello, Mr. Fab." The teen giggled, striking a pose and pushing out her chest.

"The girls are both asleep," Sean said, giving no indication he even noticed Lisa's flirting. "If they wake, don't go in to them unless they sound distressed. Often they will just go back to sleep. It might unsettle them if they know Kelly and I aren't here. Don't worry about changing diapers; we'll do that when we get home. We won't be late."

"Yes, Mr. Fab. I'll call you if there are any problems." The girl fluttered her eyelashes. "Can I have your mobile number?"

Kelly had to swallow her laugh. Cheeky little minx. "You can have mine," Kelly said, jotting it on the pad by the house phone and handing it over. "Text me if you have any questions while we're out."

The doorbell chimed again, heralding the taxi driver.

"Don't hesitate to call Kelly if necessary," Sean said to the girl as he helped Kelly on with her coat. "We're only going a few miles away, so we can return quickly if the children need us."

They climbed in the back of the taxi and Kelly breathed a sigh of relief to be out of the house. It had been hectic spending the afternoon in London at the department store visiting Santa, then driving home in time to go out for dinner.

As she sat in the warm car, the radio playing softly in the background, the reality sank in. This was the first time she and Sean had gone out without the girls. She'd have liked it to be just the two of them, but they were meeting Cameron and Alice, and Radley and his wife, Olivia.

Sean lifted her hand and dropped a kiss on her knuckles. "This is our first real date."

"I was just thinking the same thing."

"I hope it's the first of many." He slid his arm around her shoulders and pressed his lips to her temple. She turned, clutching his lapels, and kissed him properly.

"I didn't get a chance to say how lovely you look," he said. "It's the first time I've seen you in anything but trousers."

"Except for the bunny girl outfit," she reminded him.

"Yep. Except for that." He grinned. "I hope I might see you dressed that way again sometime."

Kelly raised her eyebrows. He'd been very much the gentleman so far. Could he be thinking of taking things further now they were officially dating?

"I'm sure that can be arranged."

He tapped the end of her nose playfully.

A few minutes later, the taxi stopped in front of a row of thatched cottages that had been joined into one building and converted into a restaurant by a local celebrity chef. Sean jumped out and offered her his hand as she negotiated the rough ground in the semidarkness. She rarely wore high heels; they took some getting used to.

Sean opened the low arched door. "Mind your head. I think they were all tiny in the 1500s when this place was built." He ushered her in first and they both ducked under a thick black beam. A huge log fire crackled in the inglenook fireplace flanked by pillars hung with Christmas garlands of holly decorated with tiny gold bells.

Christmas centerpieces graced the many tables and the murmur of conversation filled the candlelit room.

"There they are." Sean put his arm around Kelly's shoulders and led her to the bar area.

"Hello," Cameron said with his usual smile, embracing her.

She waited for the familiar tingle of awareness as Cameron moved close and pressed his cheek to hers. It was still there, but only just. Nothing like the shivery pleasure she felt every time Sean kissed her or touched her.

Cameron turned his attention to Sean. "I gather after the big op that you and Radley are now movie stars."

"Yes, absolutely," Sean said. "We'll be famous among medical students everywhere."

They all chuckled.

The men shook hands and Radley kissed Kelly's cheek.

Kelly moved to Alice's side so they could embrace around her huge belly. "How are you?

Alice fanned herself with a menu, her cheeks bright red. "Roasting. It's like a furnace in here."

"You have a little heater inside you, that's why," Cameron quipped.

She batted him on the arm with the menu. "Don't joke about it. I'm uncomfortable." Despite her words, she smiled at him affectionately.

Sean introduced Kelly to Radley's wife and they greeted each other. Olivia Knight was exactly the sort of woman to suit Radley—tall, slender, and beautiful with an air of quiet competence about her. Kelly had seen her from a distance at formal army events, but they'd never been introduced. As a lieutenant, she wouldn't normally socialize with a colonel's wife.

"Your table's ready, if you'd like to follow me," a waitress said.

They all trooped after the petite woman in a tiny black dress and white apron, through to what must once have been the next cottage before it was converted.

Stopping at a table in the corner by a huge Christmas tree, Kelly sat with a view out the tiny diamond panes of a leaded window towards the twinkling lights of Oxford.

"Cities always look better at night from a distance when all you can see are the lights," Alice said.

"I like Oxford," Olivia chimed in. "The shopping's good."

They both laughed and Kelly joined in. She already knew Alice and hoped Olivia would accept her as a friend as well. While the men chatted about surgery, Kelly took part in the baby chat with Alice and Olivia, really enjoying the female company. Hearing about the antics of Alice's little boy, Sami, and Olivia's two children was fun.

They ordered and were halfway through their meal when Alice stopped eating and screwed up her face. "The small of my back aches like mad. I've been trying to ignore it, but I can't anymore."

Cameron rubbed a soothing hand in circles over the painful place. "Perhaps we should go home, love."

"Yes. I think so. I just need to visit the ladies' room first. The baby likes to sit on my bladder." With Cameron's assistance, she heaved her heavy body out of the chair and straightened, a hand pressed against her lower spine.