Page 63 of I’ll Be Home for Christmas

‘Some might say that’s a perfect match.’

‘You earn a lot more than me. You’ve been headhunted by firms in other countries. What if you want to take a job overseas? You’ve worked hard to get where you are.’

‘Then it will be a joint decision. Mine and yours.’

‘My job would have to take a back seat.’

‘Sarah, when will you see that you are important to me, and that means every part of you? You, your family, your work, your wishes. It all matters.’

She went over to the window and looked outside. It was completely calm and devoid of yesterday’s drama. She felt him come to stand alongside her and she leaned against him.

Tears filled her eyes. ‘It breaks my heart that my dad won’t be at my wedding.’

‘I know it does.’

‘And Grumps and Nanna definitely can’t come.’

‘I wish they could be there too.’

She looked out of the window again, took his hand. ‘I’m glad we’re spending Christmas with them.’

‘Me too.’ He waited before he asked, ‘How are we going to fix this, Sarah?’

‘I don’t know.’ They watched the beauty beyond the window for a moment. ‘I’m twenty years old, Rhys. Can you remember what you were doing when you were twenty?’

‘I was at uni.’ And then he got it. ‘No way would I have settled down then. But I hadn’t met anyone like you, Sarah. That’s the difference.’

When she didn’t say anything else he asked, ‘What do you want to do, Sarah?’

‘I want more time together before we get married.’ The words were out. She hadn’t had to practise them in her head because in this moment she knew it was what she wanted. What she needed. ‘I’m not ready yet. And I hate myself for leading you on and doing this to you.’

He held her closer and whispered into her hair, ‘You haven’t done anything wrong.’

‘But all our plans…’

‘Sarah, do you love me?’

‘I promise you I do. I love you so much.’

‘Then that is all I need to know.’ The way he looked at her made her fall for him all over again. ‘Let’s forget about doing it on New Year’s Eve.’

‘What about the guests, the bookings, the marquee?’

‘Mum will sort it all.’

‘I won’t be very popular.’

He smiled. ‘You will be. She loves you, so does my dad. To be honest, they did both wonder why the rush – my sister asked if you were pregnant.’ At that, Sarah laughed. ‘This will stop her asking and stop her looking at your belly too.’

‘Are you sure this is all right with you?’

‘I am.’ He pulled her closer against his body. ‘Let’s forget about every single thing except us. Deal?’

‘Deal.’

He put his fingers beneath her chin and tilted her face up towards his. ‘Glad to hear it.’ And with a brief kiss – keeping it respectable in her grandparents’ house – he added, ‘Now come on, let’s get out of here and you can show me some of this beautiful town you’ve told me so much about.’

No more questions, not for now. She’d forgotten how good he was at flipping a conversation to take your mind off something. He’d done it when she was about to have her wisdom teeth out shortly after they met – he’d distracted her so well she’d been giggling by the time they took her in. And afterwards, despite the discomfort, it hadn’t been long before she was smiling again.