Sarah Morgan - Christmas Ever After

Despite the circumstances, he was genuinely pleased to see his friend and they chatted for a few moments, catching up on the main events of their lives, before Michael walked over to the bed to take a look at Skylar.

Alec wished he were somewhere else. This whole situation was wrong on every level.

It was too intimate, too personal.

He and Skylar barely knew each other.

What if Michael asked her a question Alec didn’t want to hear?

As far as he was concerned the bar for “too much information” was set low.

He prowled to the window and stood with his back to the room while his friend examined her. He could see the reflection of her body in the glass, so he pressed his forehead against the window and focused on the street below.

Snow was still falling and far beneath him people and cars moved slowly.

He heard Michael ask Skylar what had happened and heard her dismiss it as a silly accident.

Was that true? Maybe, but something told him that Richard Everson had played a part in that “accident.”

And even if he hadn’t, the one undisputable fact that stood out above all others was that the guy hadn’t stayed to help her.

“Just sick the once?” Michael stood up and pulled a sheet of paper out of his bag. “Alec?”

Bracing himself, Alec turned. “Yes?”

Michael handed over the paper. “Instructions for head-injured patients. You probably know it all, but read it anyway. If you’re worried, the next step is to bring her into the department for a scan. I’m in tomorrow, so call my mobile and I’ll arrange it.”

“Thanks.” Alec stared down at the paper in his hand.

Tomorrow he was supposed to be traveling deep into the English countryside to celebrate Christmas early with his family. It had made sense to combine a trip with his other commitments because he needed to be back in Maine in order to meet his deadline.

His friend snapped his bag closed. “She can’t be left on her own, of course, but given that she has you, that’s not a problem.”

Alec realized that Michael had misunderstood their relationship. He opened his mouth to put him right, but his friend was already walking to the door.

“I have to dash. I’m supposed to be having a late dinner with the in-laws. May will kill me if I don’t show up. Next time you’re over here, email me and you must come for dinner. Bring Skylar.” He opened the door and lowered his voice. “Can’t tell you how relieved I am to see you getting back out there. We were worried that after everything that happened with Selina you wouldn’t take the risk again. And I can see why you were finally tempted back into the scary world of relationships. Skylar is a stunner. Nice smile. Taking her home for Christmas?”

Alec frowned. “No! I—”

“Next time give me more notice. We’ll grab a beer. Give my love to your family. May and I are going over there for New Year’s Eve. Looking forward to your mother’s cooking—wish she’d give mine a few lessons.” He slapped Alec on the shoulder and was out the door before Alec had time to correct the misconceptions that were piling up.

He stood in the doorway, digesting the fact that his friends and family were still speculating on his divorce and love life.

He’d carefully laid down ground rules for that.

As far as he was concerned the subject was closed and he’d moved on.

He tried to spend as little time as possible thinking about his marriage. He certainly didn’t want others thinking about it.

Aware that there was silence from the bedroom, Alec locked the door and walked back into the room.

Skylar had fallen asleep.

Her hair, clean again, lay in a pool around her shoulders, as if someone had knocked over a jar of pale creamy honey.

Alec stared down at her and felt a flicker of concern.

He found himself wishing she’d wake up and return to her chatty, energetic self. Being with Skylar was like being outdoors without sunglasses on a day when the sun was just a little too bright. Usually he wanted to turn down the wattage, but maybe that was because his own world had been dark and gray for the past few years.

Sleeping Beauty, he thought and gently pulled the cover over her.

There was no question of her going back to her own hotel, at least not tonight.

He dimmed the lights, wondering what to do about his family gathering.

His mother was working on Christmas Day and he’d be back on Puffin Island, so this date for their annual “early Christmas” had been in his calendar for months.

It was the one time of year everyone made an effort to be together.

There was no way he could cancel.

Which left him with the problem of what to do about Skylar.

Through the window he could see the snow falling layer upon layer, leaving an ever-deepening carpet of white on the streets below.

If it didn’t stop soon, his journey home the next day would be hazardous. Negotiating English country roads in the middle of a snowstorm was not for the fainthearted.

He opened his laptop, scanned the news and found a photograph of Richard Everson. The caption said that he’d been in London for the exhibition of his girlfriend, jewelry designer Skylar Tempest. There was nothing about the proposal.

Alec closed his laptop and strolled over to the bed to check on Skylar again.

She was still sleeping, her breathing even, the bruising on her head dark against the swathe of pale hair.

The bed was huge, plenty big enough for two people to spend the night and not come into contact, but he lifted the bags from the sofa and piled them on the floor. He’d slept in places where most people wouldn’t venture, so the prospect of a night on a sofa didn’t bother him.

What bothered him was the woman lying in the bed.

SKYLAR WOKE TO find her head still pounding. This time it felt as if someone was having a fireworks display inside her skull.

It was still dark in the room and it took her a moment to remember what had happened.

Her relationship with Richard was over.

Over, over, over.

She relived the evening in fast-forward, from the moment he’d taken the microphone to the moment she’d had to sprint to the bathroom.

She’d been ill, and in front of Alec Hunter of all people.

Why, oh why, couldn’t she have lost her memory?

She rolled over and buried her face in the pillow to muffle the groan, and then a horrible thought occurred to her and she lifted her head and checked the bed next to her.

It was empty.

Well, that was something to be grateful for. She might have crashed in the wrong bed, but at least she hadn’t slept with the enemy.

Feeling wobbly and thoroughly irritated with herself, she slid out of bed and saw Alec asleep on the sofa. He was too tall and broad for it and she suspected he’d had a very uncomfortable night. Strands of dark hair flopped over his handsome face, signposting a bone structure that made the artist in her want to reach for a pencil.

Sleep softened his hard features and made him seem more approachable.

And of course last night she’d seen a different side of him.

He’d been cool, competent and … kind.

Alec being kind was the last thing she would have expected.

Unlike the man she’d been dating, who had behaved like an unprincipled rat, Alec had refused to abandon her. He’d brought her back here, mopped up the blood and held her head while she’d been sick.

That, in her mind, had earned him enough points that he could pretty much do anything and she’d never be able to criticize him again.

Later, she knew that would irritate her, but for now she was grateful.

Grabbing her bag, she dragged herself to the bathroom and recoiled from her reflection.