Christmas at the Second Chance Chocolate Shop. Kellie Hailes

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      Ritchie stared at it. The hands were strong to look at, with long fingers, and skin that looked like it had seen hard work. Much like the hands that had belonged to the man he’d called father.

      But that’s where the similarities ended. This man had an open smile, a twinkle in his eye and exuded a warmth that came from somewhere down deep.

      Good to the core.

      ‘Shake the man’s hand already.’ Serena nudged him with her elbow.

      Ritchie did as he was told, and allowed that strong hand to clasp his. To give it a shake. Firm. Brief. Welcoming.

      ‘Good to meet you. Call me Roger.’ The man clapped his other hand over Ritchie’s. Embracing him in the handshake, then broke his hold.

      Ritchie turned to Serena’s mother who was hunkered down in front of the oven door, staring at something cooking in it, filling the air with a savoury scent that had his mouth watering. His stomach grumbled and he remembered he hadn’t had a bite to eat in hours.

      He’d been too busy pushing forward with his mission. To find his wife and win her back. And failure was not an option because without her he had no inspiration. Which meant no songs. No albums. No adoring fans. Nothing to keep his mind occupied. Nothing to shield himself against the pain of his past. No one to keep his heart warm at night.

      ‘Mum? Are you going to say hello? Ritchie’s come all the way from Malibu to visit us. The least you could do is acknowledge his presence.’

      There was a lilting tone to Serena’s words. A jauntiness. Why? Because after all these years he was having to do the one thing he’d refused to do time and time again?

      Although that didn’t explain the stiffness of Serena’s mother’s back. The grim thin line of lips, void of a smile. The absolute opposite of Serena’s father.

      ‘I’m keeping an eye on the bacon, Serena.’

      ‘Well you’ll have to introduce yourself eventually, because Ritchie’s going to be staying with you while he’s here.’

      ‘What?’ Serena’s mother’s head snapped round. A deep line marring the space between her eyebrows. ‘Who is staying where?’

      Ritchie took an unsteady step backwards, his gut aching as if he’d been sucker punched. ‘Serena, you said you’d found a place for me to stay. You never said anything about it being with your parents. And your mum doesn’t look like she wants me here. So, let’s go back to the original plan. I’m staying with you.’

      Serena rounded on him, her eyebrows raised high and triumph shining in her luminous brown eyes. ‘Ritchie, I think you’ll find that was your plan. Not mine.’

      ‘Can’t he stay at the pub?’ Serena’s mother stood up, apparently no longer caring about the bacon.

      ‘Oh, you’re finally standing like a woman who was brought up with good manners. Great.’ Serena smiled. ‘Mum, meet Ritchie. Ritchie, meet my mum, Marjorie.’

      Marjorie crossed her arms across her chest. A barrier to stop any advances. No kiss on the cheek. No shake of the hand. Not a problem. He wasn’t interested in playing happy families.

      ‘As for the pub…’ Serena casually opened the fridge door and scanned the contents. ‘He can’t. I called Tony and he’s all booked up, and he can’t stay with me. I’m too busy with the shop to cater for his wants and needs. Also, we’re broken up. It would be unseemly.’

      Boom. Another punch to the gut.

      ‘So you’ve brought him to us?’ Marjorie’s grip tightened around herself. ‘We don’t have time to entertain. Your father and I are busy on the farm, doing what used to be your share of the work. And I’m in the thick of organising the Rabbits Leap Farmer of the Year Awards.’

      Serena didn’t even bother to hide her eye roll as she shut the fridge door, an apple in hand. ‘You? Busy with all the awards stuff?’ She snorted. ‘That’s not what I heard. Jody says Christian’s got it well in hand. Organizing catering, sorting out the judges, ensuring all the award entries are correct…’

      ‘Yes, well…’ Marjorie waved away the accusation. ‘Someone still has to oversee the event. It’s not like he’s done this particular kind before. Despite the success of the Big Little Festival I can’t entrust him completely with the awards. He’s already tried to get us regional coverage. He doesn’t yet understand that the last thing this town needs on Christmas Eve is to be overrun by media. And quite frankly, that also means we don’t need the likes of him here.’ She jerked her head in Ritchie’s direction. ‘Christmas in Rabbits Leap is a time of community, of everyone’s nearest and dearest coming together. Laughter, love, celebration. And a good dose of frivolity. It’s not a time for us to court the attention of outsiders. Which is why that man can’t be here.’

      Ritchie bristled. ‘That man’? Really? He wasn’t just ‘that man’ – he was Ritchie Dangerfield. The world’s biggest rock star. Women worshipped him. Men admired him. He was respected by the industry.

      His carefully constructed bravado threatened to fold in on itself as he noted the disdainful shrivel of Marjorie’s nose.

      Damn it. He wasn’t a confused little boy. Not anymore. And there was no way he would allow the woman before him to treat him like he was nothing and no one. That time was long gone. And he’d sworn no one was dragging him down to that level ever again.

      He pulled out the golden-stained oak chair, straddled it and sat down on its padded forest-green leather seat. He folded his arms loosely over the top rung and lazily tipped his head to the side. ‘Sorry, Marjorie, I’m not going anywhere. Not until Serena agrees to come back with me.’

      ‘Oh, really?’ Marjorie’s hands flew to her hips. Her eyes narrowed at the exact time her daughter’s did.

      Ritchie’s lips twitched, threatened to smirk. He pursed them, kept them still. If he was to stay with this woman he didn’t want to further antagonise her. But he wasn’t going to have her thinking she could treat him like dirt either.

      ‘You think Serena’s going back to LA, with you?’ Marjorie’s laugh boomed through the kitchen, bouncing off the walls. ‘Well good luck with that, because it’s never going to happen. Serena’s made it clear she wants to stay in Rabbits Leap, even if she doesn’t want to stay here on the farm, with us.’

      Ritchie caught a hint of sadness in her last words. It appeared abandonment was becoming Serena’s specialty.

      ‘Geez, Mum, you really need to get over my moving out. It’s been a month. Besides, you and Dad must be enjoying the freedom to be able to roam around naked, chase each other round the kitchen table, get all frisky.’ Serena waggled her brows up and down, a grin sending her cheekbones sky high.

      ‘Don’t be trying to make light of this Serena. We thought you’d come home for good. Come to farm for good, like we Hunter women have always done. And you were so good on the farm. Thanks to you we’ve gone free-range. You set us up with that dairy co-op who’ll pay us more for our milk. And if all goes well, soon enough we’ll be able to swap to a robotic system for milking.’

      ‘I do like that idea.’ Roger nodded. ‘It’ll free up time. Hopefully СКАЧАТЬ