“Never mind my horse,” Jack said with a carefree laugh. “I take it you will marry me when the time is right?”
“Yes.” She laughed and kissed him again, exuberant little kisses punctuated by, “Yes…yes…yes.”
“Then I think we should slip off tomorrow morning and buy you an engagement ring so you can flaunt it in front of everyone for the rest of Melbourne Cup Week. A very serious engagement ring so no one will have any doubt about where you stand with me. Not even your mother will be able to overlook it.”
She sighed, her mouth twisting into an ironic grimace. “She never really cared about me and Jane. We were her insurance policy, aimed at getting a big financial settlement if my father ever deserted her for another woman.”
“Forget her, Sally. She’s not worth another thought.”
“Can you forget her and what she did to you?”
“That page has been turned, and I’m not going to look back at it. The pages we turn together will fill my life from now on.”
“Mine, too,” she promised, shrugging off the brief cloud and giving him her sunshine smile. “So let’s enjoy the rest of the day.” Her eyes sparkled like clear water on a brilliant day. “We’ll go find out if your horse won.”
He laughed, hooking her arm around his to hold her close as they wove their way through the milling crowd to the winner’s circle. It didn’t matter where his horse had come in the race. Jack had never felt more of a winner than he did today.
Christmas
It was so different to last Christmas, Sally thought happily, no precise formality about anything, just calling out to each other to get moving and gather in the lounge room to share the gift-giving. Jack insisted on serving them a cocktail of orange juice and champagne first. Jane was completely relaxed, not anxious over pleasing her father with what she’d bought for him, not fearful of earning her mother’s displeasure by acting nervously or making the wrong response to what she was given.
The tree in front of the fireplace was not decorated with a mass of pristine white and silver ornaments. It sparkled with every colour she and Jane had been able to buy, and they’d had wonderful fun decorating it together. Jack had declared it the best Christmas tree he’d ever seen—a really personal tree, obviously dressed with love and joy and a far cry from the sort of showpiece that had always left him cold.
It was not cold this morning. The midsummer sun was already hot and instead of appropriate Christmas clothes, Jack wore only a pair of shorts, and she and Jane had donned bikinis and sarongs, ready for a swim after breakfast. Jeanette was bustling around in the kitchen, determined on giving them the most festive meals she could create, so pleased and grateful that none of them had to move from what had been their home for so long. To Jeanette and Graham and Tim, Jack was Santa Claus.
Though Jane suddenly claimed the position. “Since we don’t have to do it Mum’s way this year, I’m going to be Santa Claus and give out the presents,” she declared, dancing over to the tree with a gleeful anticipation Sally had never before seen in her sister.
Jane had grown in confidence this year. Maybe having become a fully qualified nurse had contributed to the change in her, though her emancipation from critical parents was undoubtedly a factor in her growth as a person in her own right. Whatever…she wasn’t scared of putting herself forward anymore.
“You, first, Sally.”
The gift she presented was from herself. Jane had always been into crafts, a hobby she could indulge in her own room, bothering no-one. Sally hadn’t even known she’d taken up scrapbooking, so it was with amazed delight she opened the gift album and saw photographs of herself on all the horses she had loved from age five upwards, each one surrounded with artistic decoration and annotated with amusing comments.
“Jane, this is marvellous! It must have taken you ages to do.”
“A labour of love.” Her eyes glowed with pleasure in Sally’s delight. “You’ve been the best sister in the world to me. This was something I could do for you.”
“Thank you so much!”
“Let me see,” Jack said eagerly, shifting closer to Sally on the sofa so he could share the pictorial view of the little girl who started riding a pony and grew up to become a champion showjumper.
“I’ve got something special for you, too, Jack.” Jane dashed back to the tree to fetch the next gift and returned to offer it, her confidence suddenly tottering into her old wary shyness. “At least, I hope you’ll think it’s special.”
“If it’s anywhere near as creative as what you’ve given Sally, I’m going to love it,” he warmly assured her.
She handed him a soft parcel and stood fidgeting nervously as Jack tore off the Christmas wrapping to reveal a pure wool, hand-knitted long-sleeved jumper in royal blue. Woven into the front of it was a black horse in full leap.
“I enlarged a photo of Midnight Magic and traced it onto graph paper so I could get the stitches right,” Jane quickly explained. “It will be cold over there in England for the World Cup and I thought you could wear this jumper when you’re watching Sally ride, willing her to get another blue ribbon.”
“Jane…” It was a breath of awed appreciation. “I’ll wear it until it falls apart,” he declared huskily. “It will be the most treasured possession in my wardrobe. Money can’t buy what you’ve just given me…the time, the care, the personal thought you’ve put into it…”
Jane bridled with pleasure. “Well, you are going to be my brother-in-law.”
“I surely am.” He grinned at her. “Thank you, little sister.”
She glowed with happiness.
We three are our own little family, Sally thought, and to her mind this was the happiest family Christmas she’d had. Their self-appointed Santa Claus joyously continued the bestowing of gifts—to Sally from Jack the title deeds of the property and a magnificent diamond to match her solitaire engagement ring. It hung on a fine gold chain, which she immediately fastened around her neck, loving its simplicity—something she could wear all the time instead of as a showpiece for a grand occasion.
She’d bought him a video camera for recording the special moments in their lives from now on, and Jack immediately put it to use, shooting Jane as she finally opened her own presents, capturing her slightly embarrassed delight with Sally’s gift—a range of gorgeous, sexy lingerie, bought online from Victoria’s Secret—and her puzzlement over the set of keys given to her by him.