Read Online The Unexpected Holiday Gift by Sophie Pembroke - Free Book Online Page A

had always been a very traditional affair. Apart from that year when everyone had come out to California to his beach house, to celebrate with him and Clara. Clara had cooked a full English roast and they’d eaten it in the sunshine. The stockings had hung by the artisan steel-and-glass fire display, looking out of place in their red velvet glory.
    It hadn’t been traditional, maybe, but he’d been happy. Happy—and terrified, he realised now. Scared that it could all go wrong. That he’d screw it up.
    They’d gone from meeting to marriage so fast, and never even thought to talk about what their lives together would look like. And it had never felt real, somehow. As if, from the moment he’d said ‘I do’ in that clichéd Vegas chapel, he’d been waiting for it to end. For Clara to realise that he wasn’t enough, that she couldn’t rely on him. That he was bound to hurt her, eventually.
    Even his family knew better than to trust him with anything more than business. Work was easy. People were breakable.
    He’d woken up the next morning to find Clara gone, a note propped up against the bracelet he’d given her the day before.
    Jacob shook away the memories and called out. ‘Any chance of a mince pie?’
    His mum appeared from the kitchen instantly, a tartan apron wrapped over her skirt and blouse. ‘Jacob! What a surprise. Why didn’t you call and let us know you were coming?’
    â€˜Spur-of-the-moment decision.’ He pressed a kiss to her cheek. ‘Is Dad here?’
    â€˜Upstairs. Working, of course.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘I thought he might slow down a bit once...well, never mind. He seems happy enough.’
    â€˜Think we can risk interrupting him? I’ve got something to talk to you both about.’ He knew as soon as he said it that it was a mistake, but it was too late. His mother’s eyes took on the sort of gleam that meant she was picturing grandchildren, and the smile she gave him made him fear for his life once he’d explained what was actually happening.
    â€˜By all means,’ she said, grabbing his arm and leading him towards the stairs. ‘It’ll do him good to take a break, anyway. Now, let me see if I can guess...’
    â€˜It’s nothing to do with a woman,’ Jacob said quickly, then realised that wasn’t strictly true. ‘Well, not in the way you’re thinking, anyway.’
    â€˜So you’re saying I shouldn’t buy a hat but I might want to start thinking about nursery curtains?’
    â€˜No! Definitely not that.’ The very thought of it made him shudder. If people were breakable, children were a million times more so. He’d learnt that early enough. Fatherhood was one responsibility he’d proved himself incapable of, and sworn never to have. And, given how badly he’d screwed up his marriage, it just proved that was the right decision.
    His mother might be disappointed now, but even she had to accept that. There was, after all, a reason why she’d never asked him to babysit Heather again. Not after the accident.
    Jacob sighed as they reached the top of the stairs. There was no way out of this that wasn’t going to make things worse. ‘Just...wait. Let’s go and find Dad. Then you’ll both know soon enough.’
    James Foster’s office was at the far end of the hallway, its window looking out over the apple orchard behind the house. Jacob knocked on the door and waited, feeling like a sixteen-year-old boy again, in trouble because his science marks weren’t quite as high as they needed to be.
    In the end, of course, it had been his flair for business that had taken the family company to new heights, not his scientific talents. For him, science had become something to work around rather than to experiment in. It was safer that way.
    â€˜Come in.’
    Even his dad’s voice sounded tired, Jacob realised.