This was rattled out at such high speed, Amy was slow to take it in. “It’s...very nice of you, Ruth...”
“Please say you can. It’s no trouble, I promise you. We’ll have food enough for an army. Mum’s bringing the turkey and my sisters-in-law are providing the ham and the pudding, and Jake, of course, is in charge of the drinks. We’ve told him, nothing but the best French champagne...”
Which had probably contributed to the mess she was in, Amy thought miserably.
“So you see,” Ruth went on, “we’ll have the best time. All the festive stuff has been thought of and you must see my tree. It’s Joshua’s first Christmas and Martin and I bought the most splendid tree you can imagine. Fabulous decorations. Please say you’ll come, Amy.”
She never had got around to buying a tree. Too much else on her mind. Jake’s baby. And this was his family—her baby’s family—inviting her to meet them. Suddenly it felt important to do so, to see Jake in action with his family, to see him with children...
“Thank you, Ruth. It’s such a kind thought...”
“You’ll come?” she cried excitedly.
“Yes. I’d like to.”
“Great! Jake will pick you up at...”
“No, please, I don’t want that. He should be with you.”
“He won’t mind.”
“Ruth, I’d mind.” She could cope with him in office hours. Outside of them...her stomach quivered. “I’d rather come and go by myself,” she stated firmly.
Ruth laughed. “Still keeping him in line. Good for you, Amy! Does eleven o’clock Christmas morning suit you?”
“Yes. Where do you live?”
The address was given and the call ended, Ruth sounding triumphantly satisfied with the arrangements.
It was really Jake’s doing, Amy realised, remembering how he’d questioned her about Christmas yesterday.
He didn’t like the idea of her being alone.
The irony was the last time he’d acted to save her from being alone, he’d left her pregnant, ensuring she wouldn’t be alone in the future.
But where was he going to stand in her future?
He did care about her.
But how much? ...How much?
Christmas...
Maybe that would be the day she’d find out.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHRISTMAS day with the Carter family was happy chaos. From the moment Amy arrived at the Powell home, Ruth linked her arm with hers in warm welcome and whizzed her into a wonderfully large family room which opened out onto a lovely patio and pool garden area. People were scattered everywhere and introductions were very informal.
“Amy, this is my dad, trying to clear the room of wrapping paper.”
“Hi, Amy!” An elderly version of Jake grinned at her over the mountain of brilliantly printed Christmas gift wreckage he held in his arms. “I’m sick of wading through this stuff. Might stub my toe on something.”
She grinned back. “I can see it might be a problem. Nice to meet you, Mr. Carter.”
“And this is our tree,” Ruth went on proudly, not giving Amy time to get into conversation. It didn’t really seem expected. Which was totally unlike any visitor’s encounter with her father, who would have demanded full and absolute attention.
The tree was, indeed, fabulous—three metres tall, at least, towering up towards the cathedral ceiling, a green fir draped in red and purple and silver ornaments and hundreds of fairy lights.
Amy was swept into the adjoining kitchen where two women were gathered around an island bench loaded with festive food. “Grace, Tess, here she is. These two busy bodies are my sisters-in-law, Amy.”
She managed a “Hi!” before being interrupted.
“At last!” Grace, a plump and very pretty brunette exclaimed, brown eyes twinkling triumphant delight. “You’re making our day, Amy. We can really henpeck Jake about you now.”
“Pardon?” The word tripped out as alarm shot through Amy. She didn’t want to be a target of teasing, no matter how good-natured it was. The situation was too serious for her to respond light-heartedly.
Tess laughed. She was a honey-blonde and obviously pregnant, making Amy even more conscious of her own condition. “Don’t worry, Amy,” she was quick to assure. “We won’t embarrass you. It’s just that our brother-in-law is such a slippery customer when it comes to women, it’s nice to hang one on him.”
“I am only his P.A.,” she reminded them.
“Don’t say only,” Ruth instantly expostulated. “We think you’re marvellous. The only constant female in Jake’s life, apart from his family.”
“And he cared enough to want you here,” Grace put in.
“Which proves he can care,” Tess declared. “We were beginning to doubt he was capable of it. You’re the only one he’s ever wanted to share his Christmas with, Amy.”
“Well, we do share a lot of days,” Amy explained, trying to hide the flutter of hope in her heart. “I guess he thought this was just another.”
“Nope. It’s definitely caring,” Grace insisted.
“Trust, too,” Tess said decisively. “You’ve given us hope for him, Amy. He actually trusts you to survive meeting his family. Obviously a woman of strength.”
Amy smiled at their free flow of zany humour. “Are you so formidable?”
“Dreadful en masse,” Ruth said, rolling her eyes to express the burden of belonging to them. “Loud and competitive and opinionated and everyone tells horrible stories. You’d better come and meet the rest so you can sort them out.”
Ruth’s husband, Martin, Jake and his two older brothers, Adam and Nathan, were all in the pool, playing water games with five children. “Hannah’s the eldest at ten. Olivia’s eight. Tom’s seven. Mitch is four and Ashleigh’s three,” Ruth rattled out. “It’s a rule in this family that everyone has to learn to swim before they walk.”
They all yelled out, “Happy Christmas!” and Amy was struck by their happiness and harmony as they continued their fun. Jake was holding a big plastic ball, ready to throw, and the cries of “Me, Uncle Jake, me!” rang with excitement and pleasure.
She would have liked to stop and watch him frolicking with his nieces and nephews but Ruth steered her to where an elderly woman sat in the shade of a vinecovered pergola, nursing a wide awake Joshua on her lap. “Mum, this is Jake’s Amy,” she announced.