Page 109 of Escape for Christmas
‘Me too.’ He put his arm around her. ‘You know, this morning got me thinking. How is Harold going to deal with two cats all the time?’
‘They seem to get along OK,’ Sophie replied. ‘Wait, why? Are you suggesting … that we move in together?’
‘In theory, yes – it’s what people do – but I suppose there’s no rush, when we already live next door.’
‘Plus, I have the guest house to run,’ Sophie pointed out.
‘And we already have all the perks of living together,’ Brody said, with a twinkle in his eye.
‘You’re forgetting that we don’t need to be too traditional and rush into anything. I already have a reputation for doing things differently,’ Sophie joked.
‘True.’ He smiled. ‘Come back to the farm. I have something special to show you.’
‘So you said you had something special to show me,’ Brody’s mother said, when he took her coat in the hall later that afternoon.
‘Come with me,’ Brody said.
‘This is all very mysterious …’
He led the way towards the snug, where the fire was glowing in the hearth on the chilly afternoon. It looked bare, now that the decorations had been taken down and the tree long turned into mulch at the recycling centre. But therewere daffodils in a jug on the coffee table and a pot of hyacinths in the window, both courtesy of Sophie.
However, it wasn’t the fire or the flowers that caught his mother’s attention. They were not what stopped her in her tracks and made her gasp and hold her hands to her mouth and start to cry.
‘Oh, Mum! I’d never have done it, if I’d thought it would have this effect on you.’
‘No, you should have. It’s only that … it’s so beautiful, and so – so perfect, and I’d no idea and—’
‘Do you think Dad would have approved?’ Brody asked nervously.
‘Approved? He’d have loved it.’
‘Why don’t you try the new chair for size?’ Brody offered.
‘I’d love to.’
His mother sat in the armchair. ‘Where did you get this made?’
‘At the furniture workshop in the village. They did a rush job. Turns out I saved their chihuahua last year, and they said they owed me a favour. They didn’t, but I wanted the chair, so I took them up on the offer.’
She ran her hands over the arms of the chair. ‘It’s identical.’
‘Practically, though the upholstery is slightly different. They couldn’t find an exact match.’
She rested her hands on it. ‘Silly of me, but I can almost feel Ralph’s hands have been here.’ She glanced up, her eyes suspiciously bright. ‘Dare I ask where the old chair is?’
‘In the dining room, with a cover over it. Harold loves it.I expect it will fall apart pretty soon, but I couldn’t bear to part with it.’
‘What a brilliant idea.’ Louise got up and hugged him warmly. ‘It’s perfect.’
‘Now, would you like a cup of tea?’ he asked, filled with relief and pleasure that his mother approved.
‘I’d love one.’
Sophie walked in. ‘Shall I make it? Hello, Louise.’
‘Hello, Sophie.’ Louise gave her a peck on the cheek. ‘It’s nice to see you.’
‘So do you like the chair?
