to herself now.
She had never realised how creepy it was being alone here late at night. She had always had Sam here in the past, and latterly Crys and Sam. But it definitely wasn’t a place she would want to spend too much time in alone. She wondered how Sam had stood it all those years before he and Crys were married.
‘I know he had you.’ She grimaced apologetically at Merlin as he lifted his huge head to look at her, almost as if he had guessed her thoughts. ‘But it’s still a little creepy. Come on,’ she prompted the dog, deciding it was probably best if she kept herself busy. ‘Let’s go down and prepare mulled wine and mince pies for the returning carollers.’
Nevertheless, she pulled down all the blinds at the kitchen windows before preparing the wine and putting the mince pies in the warming oven. ‘Just in case,’ she told Merlin ruefully.
To say she was more than a little relieved when she heard the crunch of gravel outside to announce the return of Gideon’s Jaguar—the car the others had elected to go to church in—would be putting it mildly. Every creak of a tree branch outside, the rustle of fallen leaves on the driveway, even the whoosh of the central heating as it went into action, had seemed intensified in the stillness of the house, making her slightly jumpy.
‘Oh, wonderful!’ Crys enthused as she came in the kitchen door first and smelt the wine and mince pies, her cheeks rosy from the chill night air, her eyes bright with happiness. ‘Has Peter been okay?’ she added anxiously.
‘Of course,’ Molly reassured her, smiling at Sam and David as they came into the kitchen, but quickly averting her gaze before Gideon entered, obviously having lingered to lock up the car. ‘Go up and check on him if you want to,’ she told Crys affectionately, turning to pour mulled wine for them all as her friend hurried off up the stairs to check on the baby.
But all the time Molly was aware of Gideon’s brooding presence where he stood next to the Aga, warming his hands. Even more so now that she had realised she had stupidly fallen in love with the man. It made her other ill-fated love of over three years ago seem quite sane in comparison.
She took the plate from the warming oven. ‘Mince pie, anyone?’ she offered stiltedly, her gaze still lowered so that she didn’t actually have to look at Gideon.
‘Thanks.’ David put down his mulled wine and helped himself to one. ‘I don’t know about the rest of you, but I intend going up to bed as soon as I’ve had these; I’m absolutely bushed.’
‘So am I,’ Molly agreed quickly, having no intention of lingering down here and possibly being drawn into a late-night conversation that would include Gideon.
‘I’m just going to take Merlin out for a last stroll,’ Sam told them. ‘Crys spent hours making those mince pies, so you had better keep me one, Molly.’ He grinned.
‘Will do,’ she assured him lightly. ‘Mince pie, Gideon?’ she offered abruptly, still not quite looking at him.
‘Thanks,’ he murmured huskily, his hand briefly coming into Molly’s lowered line of vision.
It was a strong-looking hand, the fingers long and artistic, the nails kept short, his wrists wide, covered in soft blond hair, making Molly wonder if he had that same downy hair on the rest of his body. It was a thought guaranteed to make her completely lose her appetite—for mince pies, anyway.
‘Aren’t you having one?’ Gideon prompted softly.
‘Er—no.’ Her mouth had gone so dry she would probably choke on what she knew was mouthwatering pastry. ‘I had one earlier, while you were out,’ she dismissed, turning away.
Her hand shook slightly as she took a much-needed sip of her mulled wine. She recognized that the situation between Gideon and herself was becoming intolerable if she could no longer even look at him.
‘As it’s after midnight—Happy Christmas, Molly.’ David moved to kiss her on both cheeks. ‘And many of them,’ he told her warmly as he stepped back.
‘You, too.’ She smiled, her heart suddenly fluttering as she wondered if Gideon might decide to do the same; she wasn’t sure how she would respond if he did.
But she was saved from answering that question by the kitchen door opening. Sam stood in the doorway, his expression one of impatient exasperation.
‘Merlin has run off and isn’t responding when I call him,’ he bit out irritably. ‘Would the two of you mind coming out and helping me look for him?’ He looked at Gideon and David.
‘I’ll come,’ Molly offered, having taken one look at David’s face and realised he still wasn’t too sure of the Irish Wolfhound’s temperament. ‘David is exhausted, and I could do with a walk in the fresh air anyway,’ she added as she put down her glass and collected her coat and scarf from the back of the door.
‘I owe you one,’ David told her ruefully as she followed Sam and Gideon outside.
She paused to grin at him. ‘Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll be able to think of some way in which you can repay me.’
‘Think away,’ he invited. ‘After all, I have to keep my leading lady happy, don’t I?’ he added teasingly.
Molly was still grinning as she closed the kitchen door behind her. Although her smile faded as she turned and found herself face to face with Gideon.
Hie mouth twisted derisively as he looked down at her. ‘How touching.’
Molly opened her mouth to give a sharp reply to his obvious sarcasm. And then closed it again. What was the point? Gideon was never going to have a good opinion of her, so why bother to even try?
‘We’re supposed to be looking for Merlin,’ she reminded him abruptly.
‘Of course.’ He gave a mocking inclination of his head, putting his hand out in a gesture for her to precede him.
Molly was glad to move away from the light given out by the kitchen window, knowing her cheeks were flushed, her eyes overbright—and not from the chill of the cold night air, either.
‘Molly…?’
She froze at the sound of Gideon’s voice, her shoulders tense as she slowly turned to face him, her expression wary. ‘Yes?’ she prompted reluctantly.
He was scowling darkly, drawing in a harsh breath before answering. ‘Nothing.’ He shook his head impatiently. ‘Let’s go and look for this silly dog.’
But ten minutes of shouting and looking proved completely unsuccessful. Merlin was nowhere in sight. Sam was looking worried rather than impatient when the three of them once again joined up outside the house.
‘He’s probably gone off chasing rabbits again,’ Molly reassured lightly. ‘You know how he loves to do that.’
‘Maybe,’ Sam answered slowly. ‘I just—’ He broke off as a whining and scrabbling noise suddenly became apparent to them all. ‘What the—?’ He strode determinedly round the side of the house, with Molly and Gideon following him just in time to see him open the door to the garden shed, and a relieved Merlin rushing out into the darkness to jump up at him ecstatically.
‘Panic over,’ Gideon drawled ruefully as they strolled over to join Sam and the happily barking dog.
‘Shh, Merlin, you’ll wake Peter up,’ Sam murmured, still stroking the dog as he looked around distractedly.
‘Everything okay?’ Gideon prompted concernedly.
‘Hmm.’ Sam nodded, straightening. ‘I’m just wondering how Merlin got shut in the shed in the first place, that’s all.’ He shrugged. ‘Probably I just left it open earlier and it blew shut behind him,’ he decided.
‘He’s safe now. That’s the important thing,’ Molly said encouragingly as she linked her arm with his. ‘Let’s all go in out of the cold, hmm?’ She smiled reassuringly.
But