over to squeeze her hand. ‘Shall we have a cup of tea?’
Megan smiled back and nodded, getting up.
‘Did you get what you wanted from me?’ Jonathan asked her, pausing before they entered the kitchen.
‘I think so,’ she shrugged, knowing that it was more about her saying it than about him saying anything in return. They had only just set foot in the kitchen and greeted her mother when Skye burst in.
‘Trouble says he’s going to take me to see the reindeer in the park, can I go?’
‘Just you?’ Megan said, trying not to feel left out. Her mother laughed at her, standing doing the washing up.
‘I asked if we could spend some time together and he said yes,’ Skye shrugged. ‘Well, no, actually he said to ask you, and if you said yes, it was okay. So is it okay?’
Skye was rarely so excitable, yet there was a niggling feeling in her stomach. Sure, it was great that she and Lucas were on good terms again, it was great that Skye liked him. But it was impermanent. She had escaped this village once, and she wasn’t staying any longer than necessary.
‘Baby, did you already see the reindeer the other day? I thought you said they were boring?’ she asked.
Skye nodded. ‘But Lucas said he’s going to take his guitar and we’d sing them Christmas carols and…we wanted to practise a song for you. As a Christmas present…’
‘Is that the truth or are you just wheedling?’ Megan asked, head tilted, hands on hips. Jeremy called it Mum Mode.
Skye rolled her head. ‘It’s true, but he told me not to tell you, so it could be a surprise. But I said you don’t do surprises and I’d have to tell you, and now I have.’
Megan blinked. ‘When did all this happen?’
‘He gave my his phone number and said I could call whenever I wanted. Please, Mum? I want to be really good at playing!’
Megan looked to her mother, who shrugged, clearly amused as she continued with the washing up.
‘A couple of hours. Christmas Eve is a time for family,’ Megan said, wondering whose words she was stealing. ‘We’re going to call Anna this evening too.’
Skye’s face lit up, and she launched herself at her mother. ‘Thanks! You’re going to love it! It’ll be the best Christmas present you’ll ever get! Trouble promised!’
Megan relented, arms still around her daughter,. ‘You still want to be a detective though, right? No dreams of being a rock star? Because it gets you into trouble, believe me.’
Skye grinned. ‘And being an inspector doesn’t?’
‘Better amps and bass, than dead bodies and hitting Colonel Mustard in the library with a vase,’ Heather nodded.
Megan looked at her mother incredulously. ‘Thanks, Mum! Big help!’
‘So Trouble can come get me? I’ll go call him!’ Skye rushed from the room.
‘Tell him to bring his new car, I don’t want him taking you out in that death trap!’ Megan called after her, turning back to find her mother laughing and shaking her head.
‘Welcome to motherhood,’ she said.
July 2003
‘You do realise this is the worst idea in the history of bad ideas?’ Lucas fiddled with his shirt collar in the rear view mirror. Megan had come out to sit in the car with him, seeing as he’d been parked outside her house for the last twenty minutes.
‘It’s not that bad. They like you.’
‘I am the very symbol of your rebellion. They hate me,’ Lucas shrugged, ‘look, I’m doing this because you’ve asked me to, but I expect rewards for this. And brownie points. And if someone punches me you have to sit there with frozen peas and make sympathetic girlfriend faces.’
Megan grinned, ‘have I actually found something the one and only Lucas Bright, rock legend, is scared of?’
‘Have you met your mother?’ Lucas rolled his eyes, and opened the car door. ‘Come on then, let’s get the party started. I brought my own pitchfork incase they broke their last one.’
He walked around the car and hovered as she got out, reaching for her hand. He looked nervous, a little paler than usual, a little clammy (probably from wearing a long sleeved shirt on a warm July evening). It was somehow adorable.
‘Thank you for doing this,’ Megan linked her arm through his as they walked up to the front door.
‘She gets two pops at my Mum and unlimited comments about my career prospects and bad grades-’
‘You don’t have bad grades.’
‘But I’m not going to Cambridge,’ he raised an eyebrow, before continuing, ‘and if she starts on Clare or you, I’m out.’
‘She wants you here to get to know you,’ Megan said sensibly, and managed to look serious for about a minute, before laughing.
‘Megan McAllister, the sort of girl who’ll bring a lamb to slaughter,’ Lucas sighed and kissed her cheek as they reached the front door.
‘Lucas Bright, the sort of guy who’ll meet families just to keep a girl happy. Who knew?’
‘You know, and that’s what matters.’
In the end, Heather hadn’t hated him. She’d wanted to, but the charm offensive was far too strong, and by the end of the night, despite his low status and the fact that he wasn’t going anywhere fast, she was convinced Lucas might even be good for Megan. A motivator. He wanted great things for her. Jonathan chatted to him about music, and for the first time in a long time, the McAllister household was calm.
***
Skye returned at six pm with a smug look on her face. Megan opened the door, saw Skye jump up and give him a hug, declaring ‘Bye, Trouble!’ before she ran into the house.
‘Hey you,’ he grinned, leaning on the door frame, ‘missed me?’
‘Not as much as my daughter, apparently.’ She raised her eyebrows. ‘Care to explain?’
‘We’ve bonded,’ he shrugged, running a hand through his dark hair, ‘and I wanted some advice on your Christmas present.’
‘Luke, I haven’t got you anything –’ she said quickly, and he leaned in, dropping a kiss onto her lips.
‘Yes you have.’
