Page 68 of Escape for Christmas
‘It’s the church bells up in the village,’ said Brody. ‘It’s Christmas Day.’
‘Christmas Day …’ She thought of all her plans to avoid it, and how they’d paled into insignificance compared to the situation they’d had to deal with. ‘I’d forgotten about that.’
‘Me too, but it’s here, and I have a suggestion for you. I’ll tell you on the way back to Sunnyside. I don’t know about you, but I’m freezing my bits off.’
When Sophie heard his plan, she was dumbfounded. ‘Move everyone into your house until the thaw? We couldn’t possibly do that – apart from Pete and the kids coming to yours. They can be cosy and have a proper bed, in their own room. We can’t all troop over to you, though. We can’t invade your home.’
‘I’m not suggesting you all sleep at the farm, only that you come over in the morning. You’ll need to charge your phones and torch batteries. Why don’t you all go back to bed for now, then come over for breakfast and stay until bedtime, so you’re not spending the day with no power.’
Everything he said made perfect sense. It would be so much more comfortable for her guests – and, Sophie had to admit, for her too. However, there was one big problem.
‘What about Tegan?’ she said.
‘She won’t mind.’
‘Have you asked her?’
‘No, it will be fine.’
‘She might not be fine when she finds ten strangersinvading her space, when she’d planned a quiet Christmas Day.’
‘We were meant to go to her parents’, not stay at the farm. She’ll cope,’ he said. ‘Plans have had to change and we need to deal with it, same as we did tonight.’
They’d reached Sunnyside, which still looked strange, with its low lights and all the top floor in darkness.
‘I think …’ Sophie said, realising that she would be silly not to accept Brody’s invitation. Her guests came first, and not her pride. ‘You should take Pete and the children back with you, so they can have a proper night’s rest. I’ll tell the guests about the plan for tomorrow.’
They went inside to give everyone the news.
Sophie had to admit Brody was right about one thing: her guests would definitely not mind moving into his house. Tegan, however, might be a very different story.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
In the end Brody returned to the farm alone because the Nowak children were fast asleep on the sofas in the guest lounge. After so much disruption and excitement, Pete decided to leave it until morning to bring them over to Felltop.
In one way Brody was a bit relieved, because it meant he had time to prepare Tegan for the fact that ten extra people would be arriving for lunch that day.
Harold bounded up to him, barking for joy, and licked his face.
‘OK, boy! I haven’t been to the North Pole.’ Brody fussed him, crouching down to stroke the dog in the hall. ‘At least you love me, Harold,’ he joked, soothed by the normality of being back in his own home, with the usual Harold response.
A moment later Brody was reminded of how un-normal his life was, when Tegan walked into the hall from the snug. ‘Brody!’ she called.
He got up.
‘What’s happened?’ she asked.’ Is everyone OK? I heard the helicopter.’
‘Mother and baby are doing well,’ Brody said. ‘Thank goodness.’
She gasped. ‘Oh. My. God. You didn’t have actually have to …’
‘I had no choice. The baby wasn’t going to wait for anyone. I had the emergency services on the phone and a retired nurse and Sophie to help, but really Anna – the mother – obviously did all the hard graft.’
‘B-but you actually delivered ababy?’
‘Well, yes. A little girl. The mountain-rescue medics arrived straight after she was born, and mum and baby are now on their way to hospital to be checked over.’
She flew to him and hugged him tightly. ‘You are a hero. You really are.’
