Fiction Serial: A Truly Magical Christmas (Part 3)
WRITTEN BY DELLA GALTON
Part three of Della Galton’s warm Christmas romance… and you can read Part 1 and Part 2 here if you missed them
Katie was woken on Saturday morning by the smell of burned toast and crashing. This was swiftly followed by the sound of cursing. Her brother must be making breakfast. Or more to the point, cremating breakfast.
By the time she got to the kitchen door, the smoke alarm in the hall had added its voice in a tuneless crescendo. Jimmy was flapping a tea towel beneath it.
“Sorry… I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I thought you might be in need of some TLC. But it’s all gone a bit wrong.”
She smiled at his crestfallen expression.
“Thanks,” she said as the smoke alarm was finally silenced. “That was a very nice thought. Never mind the toast but I’d love some coffee.”
“Are you OK?” Jimmy asked as they drank it. “Bet you didn’t get much sleep.”
“Actually, I slept really well. To be honest I wasn’t all that surprised about Marcus’s decision to finish things. Although I was a bit shocked that he’d moved on before he’d thought to actually mention it!”
“Did he say who?”
“No, and I’m not really that bothered. Which sounds mad, I know, considering we’ve been together for nearly a year, but deep down I’ve known for a while that it isn’t working.” She hesitated. “Being here for a few days has given me chance to get some perspective on my life.”
“That’s not why he ended it, is it – you being here?” He looked worried.
“No, honey. If he was going to cheat on me, he’d have found a way to do it wherever I was. I’m glad I am here, though. At least I haven’t got to panic about finding somewhere to live just before Christmas…”
She looked at him.
I’m assuming it’s OK if I stay on a bit?
“You don’t even need to ask. Mi casa es su casa.”
“Thanks. Anyway, enough about me. How are you? Did you hear anything from Lindsey in the end?”
“Yeah. She phoned up first thing. We were chatting. That’s why I burned the toast. Apparently she was on her way to meet me when the babysitter phoned to tell her William had really bad pains in his stomach. They thought he had appendicitis so they ended up taking the little lad to hospital.” He shook his head.
“Luckily it was only a bug. It’s been going round his school. Doesn’t last long.”
“Bless him. At least you know she didn’t stand you up on purpose.”
“No. She was really apologetic. She asked if we could reschedule for next Friday, subject to William being OK.” He hesitated. “And subject to being able to get a babysitter.”
“I can babysit if you like?” she offered because she knew he wouldn’t ask.
“Thanks.” He blinked a few times.
“Are you sure you’re OK about Marcus? I’m happy to go up with you when you collect your stuff. I might not be able to drive with this plaster on my foot, but I can still carry boxes and I can do moral support. And I can kick him quite hard – if you need me to.”
“I’ll take you up on the moral support bit. Thank you. Now, talking of carrying stuff, don’t we have a party to go to, Jimmy Juggle?”
There wasn’t time to brood about Marcus and his defection over the next few days because it was Jimmy’s busiest week of the year. There were Christmas parties every day.
It was also Holly Baker’s birthday party on Wednesday afternoon. Aiden Baker had decided he wanted the full show for this one as it was being held in village hall, and so Jimmy had persuaded Katie to be his “glamorous assistant”.
“There’s nothing to it,” he’d said when she’d protested that she wouldn’t know what to do. “All you have to do is wear a sparkly costume and smile a lot.”
I haven’t got a sparkly costume.
“I have,” her brother had said.
“Please. Just try it on. I’ll pay you.”
“I don’t need you to pay me,” she said, feeling slightly irritated that the sparkly outfit, which was a lot skimpier than she’d been expecting, fitted perfectly.
“Yes you do, you don’t have a job. Besides, I’d have paid my usual assistant if she hadn’t double-booked me.”
He named a figure which would have been tempting even if he hadn’t had his pleading elder-brother look on his face.
“OK, I’ll do it,” she said grudgingly. He was right. She’d been living off her savings for the last six weeks, but they wouldn’t last indefinitely.
“You are an absolute star,” Jimmy said, hugging her.
“You don’t need to get changed until the last minute,” Jimmy told her on the day of Holly’s party, as he applied his clown make-up.
“Thank goodness for small mercies, as our mum would say,” she replied with a wry grin.
They’d practised the routine several times. It was a little more complex than Jimmy had implied, but Katie was confident she knew what she was doing.
“I know I shouldn’t get emotionally involved but I’m quite nervous about this party,” he told her as they set off.
“Me too,” Katie agreed, thinking of the evening she’d spent with Aiden. This was his little girl’s first birthday, not to mention Christmas, without her mother.
He’d had to be both father and mother to her this last year – and he’d been terrified of getting it wrong. No wonder he’d earned a reputation as Jimmy’s most pernickety customer.
When they arrived at Crichton Village Hall, they found Aiden surrounded by children and a few harassed-looking parents, but he looked completely in control as he came to meet them. A world away from the stressed-out, prickly man he’d been when Katie had first met him.
He smiled warmly at them both.
“Everything’s ready for the off,” he said, gesturing through to the hall which was decked out with pink Happy Birthday balloons and bunting, as well as a Christmas tree with pretty lights. “I’ve opened the door round the back so you can set up on the stage,” he said, helping them carry in equipment.
“You’d both be welcome to stay for a bite to eat, if you don’t have to rush off?”
“No, we don’t – do we?” Jimmy glanced at Katie.
She smiled.
I’d love to stay. That’s if I’m still in one piece. He’s going to saw me in half later.
“I hope he’ll be extremely careful,” Aiden said, his gaze resting on her with an expression she couldn’t fathom.
“Oh, he will. He’ll never hear the end of it if he doesn’t.”
For a moment she felt as if she were locked in his gaze. It was odd – this was only the third time they’d ever met, but there was something about him that drew her, something really appealing.
Clearly she wasn’t the only one who thought so. At that moment, a woman wearing flashing fir tree earrings appeared beside him.
“Darling Aiden, could you come and tell us which sandwiches you’d like where?” Her hand closed around his forearm, blood-red fingernails against his white shirt-sleeve, and she shot Katie a cool look. “We all want everything to be perfect for darling Holly.”
Darling Aiden, darling Holly – why did the woman’s tone irk her so much? Katie wondered.
“Hey, you,” Jimmy’s voice was beside her. “It’s nearly show time. You going to get changed?”
Katie felt slightly self-conscious, walking out on stage in the skimpy sparkly outfit, especially when she spotted Aiden and the “darling” woman sitting in the front row. Thank goodness most of the audience were eight or under! Holly was alongside Aiden, her little face intense. Katie gave her a thumbs up and got a tentative smile in return.
They’d met briefly earlier and Katie had understood a little more of Aiden’s anxiousness. Holly, with her geeky glasses and dark pigtails was a serious and clearly very sensitive little girl. She nodded solemnly when Jimmy had asked her if she was looking forward to her own special magic show. Then she’d stuck her thumb in her mouth.
Katie forgot her nerves. All that mattered today was that Holly enjoyed her party, she thought, climbing as gracefully as she could into the magic box. She was soon ensconced in the dark and could hear the oohs and ahs of the audience as Jimmy prepared to saw her in half. It may be an old trick but it was still one of the children’s favourites.
She heard her brother’s energetic sawing. She heard the keyword that meant she should be getting ready to spring out and then she was out, not as gracefully as she’d have liked, but she and Jimmy were bowing to loud applause.
Aiden and Holly had gone, Katie saw, with a jolt of alarm.
“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Jimmy said, when they were finally offstage. “Maybe she wanted the loo or something.”
But Katie had barely finished changing when she heard Jimmy talking to someone. It was Aiden, she saw as she peeked out, holding the hand of a very distressed Holly.
Katie shot across the room and knelt down at her side.
Sweetheart, what’s wrong? Are you OK?
At the sound of her voice, Holly stopped sobbing and to Katie’s surprise she flung her small arms around her waist.
Katie held her gently. “You’re OK. Everything’s all right.” What on earth could have happened? She glanced up at Aiden questioningly.
“She thought you’d disappeared for good,” Aiden murmured, sounding stricken. “It was probably the box. She’s never seen that trick before.”
“Of course.” Katie swallowed as realisation dawned. Boxes. Her mother’s funeral. Why hadn’t they realised?
Jimmy glanced at her helplessly.
Still cuddling Holly, she murmured into her hair. “It was a bit of silly magic, that’s all. But everything’s absolutely fine, I promise.”
Holly looked at her uncertainly, her tear-washed eyes wide behind her glasses.
“I’ve got a present for you,” Katie added. “Shall we see if we can find it?”
“Yes please.” The little girl’s voice was a whisper, but at least she had stopped crying.
To everyone’s huge relief she was fine for the rest of her party. She opened Katie’s present and was delighted with the Grow Your Own Unicorn’ kit.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Katie had said to Aiden, “It was just a little something I thought she might like.”
You were spot-on. It’s unicorn everything with Holly at the moment.
“In my day it was ponies.”
“I appreciate your kindness.”
“And we’re very sorry about the trick,” Jimmy added.
“It’s fine. You couldn’t have guessed it would upset her. But I probably should have.” He bit his lip. “We live and learn.”
On the way home Jimmy was unusually quiet.
“Thanks for today, Sis,” he said. “You were brilliant with that little girl. I felt out of my depth. That could have been a total disaster.”
“She was fine in the end.” Katie patted his arm. “Don’t beat yourself up.”
He sighed. “I should have pre-empted it. I don’t suppose you want a full-time job? Driver and glamorous assistant?”
“No, I don’t. But thank you for asking. What I’d actually like is a career in music. I just haven’t decided what…”
That’s a shame. You’re brilliant with kids. Aiden told me his late wife was the same. He says you’re very much like her – which is why he thinks Holly bonded with you so well.
“I see,” Katie mused. “Maybe that’s why he connects with me too.” She felt her heart dip a little. She’d hoped that Aiden liked her in her own right. “Do I look like her, then?”
“No – I don’t think so. He just said you have exactly the same warmth.”
“So what are we doing next Tuesday?” Katie asked the following day, when they paused for breath between jobs.
“I don’t know. I don’t think we’ve got any parties booked,” Jimmy returned.
“I hope we haven’t,” Katie said, hurling a roll of tinsel at him. “You do know it’s Christmas Day.”
“Blimey, is it? That’s crept up quick.”
She was about to thump him when he winked. “Of course I know that. I was planning to have a pizza, maybe open a present or two – watch TV.”
You can’t have a pizza on Christmas Day. I’ll cook something more traditional. You’ll have to get the ingredients.
“It’s a deal.” There was a little pause.
“Are you still OK for babysitting tomorrow night? Or are you too tired?”
“It’ll be a pleasure to spend the evening in Lindsey’s lovely house and to meet her boys properly.”
“Thanks so much,” Lindsey said, as she showed them into the lounge. “Are you really sure you don’t mind, Katie? I’ve lit the fire and I’ve left you some mince pies and Christmas popcorn, and the boys have promised they’ll be on their best behaviour.”
“Can we watch The Grinch?” William asked.
“Home Alone,” demanded Dean.
“You’re not ill any more. So it’s my turn to choose.”
“I feel a bit sick,” William said mutinously.
“No you do not,” said his mother, with a rueful glance at Katie. “Last chance to change your mind.”
Illustration: Mandy Dixon
“Be off with the pair of you…” Katie said. “And if these two don’t behave, I shall make them watch Love Actually.”
“What! No way,” the boys chorused in utter horror.
Soon they were all settled on the sofa eating Christmas popcorn, which turned out to be wickedly decadent. White chocolate had been drizzled all over it and left to harden. It was fiendishly addictive. She’d done worse favours for her brother, Katie thought happily. And at least tonight’s didn’t involve getting in a box!
Little Holly had crept into her mind often over the last couple of days. So had her father. He had actually rung her mobile after the party to thank her again. They’d ended up chatting for almost an hour. Every time her phone had burst into its Christmas ringtone since, Katie had found herself hoping it might be him again.
Stop it, she berated herself. The very last thing you need is a rebound relationship.
She was in the kitchen fetching more popcorn when Jingle Bells blasted out of her phone and this time Aiden Baker’s name really did flash up on the screen. Had she conjured him up with her thoughts?
With her heart beating ridiculously fast Katie picked it up.
“Hello there. Good to hear from you.”
“Hello, Katie. I hope you don’t mind me phoning you again.” His voice was uncertain. Slightly vulnerable. “I have a proposition for you…”
We’ve picked out some of our favourite Christmas fiction serials from the archive to share with you. This is the first serial, a 4-part, warm-hearted Christmas tale. Click below to read Parts 1 and 2, and come back on October 5 for the final instalment!
