Page 97 of Atticus Arnott's Great Adventure
As Atticus stepped into the well-appointed sitting area, he almost dropped Declan to the floor. Side by side, wearing Christmas T-shirts featuring festive gnomes, sat Jake and Arthur.
‘The Travelling Grandad!’ Arthur called out. ‘About time, too.’ He grinned. ‘Not that we’ve minded waiting in this parked-up piece of paradise.’
‘Grandad!’ Jake couldn’t contain himself and leapt up to clamber barefoot over the sofa. ‘We’re here!’
‘Good grief.’ Atticus handed Declan to Mary. ‘Do you want to give me a heart attack?’ he asked as he embraced Jake and Arthur. ‘How on earth have you two escaped?’
‘Dad is having a fit,’ Jake began. ‘I left him a note to let him know that I was safe travelling with Uncle Arthur to Spain, and we got a very early flight out of Manchester this morning.’
‘Oh hell, I wondered why I’d missed so many calls from Mungo.’ Atticus was stunned and knew that he should have spoken to his son. ‘But where did you fly to?’
‘Alicante, of course,’ Jake said. ‘We didn’t know that Aunty Mary was on the earlier flight but found out when Erik picked us up at the airport.’
‘So, you are in on this too?’ Atticusturned to Erik.
‘The power of social media.’ Erik smiled. ‘So easy to make new friends and exchange messages.’
Atticus stared at Arthur. ‘What on earth has Shirley got to say about you not being at Shirlarth Cottage for Christmas?’ he asked.
‘I doubt that she’ll miss me.’ Arthur adjusted the Santa hat that had dipped over one eye. ‘She’s up to her ears in gnome-land, with the usual house full of festive freeloaders who creep out of the woodwork at Christmas,’ Arthur said, shrugging. ‘But I left an explanatory note on the kitchen table beside Mistletoe Mike.’
‘What did it say?’
‘I told her it was me or the gnomes. I can no longer compete with a bunch of ceramic statues,’ Arthur said. ‘I wished her a happy Christmas and said I’d be back in the new year when I’d had time to consider my position.’
Jake said, ‘I think the final straw came when Aunty Shirley wanted Uncle Arthur to wear a gnome outfit.’
‘I found Mistletoe Mike sitting in my armchair when I got back from the pub.’ Arthur shook his head. ‘Shirley said the gnome was just keeping it warm, but I have my doubts.’
Atticus laughed. He could hardly believe that his best friend was relaxing before him. ‘Where are you staying?’ he asked.
‘Why here, of course,’ Erik chipped in. ‘There is plenty of room for the boys.’
The ‘boys’ beamed as Erik handed them a beer and a Coke.
‘Cool,’ chorused Maeve and Caitlin.
‘Aye, it’s smashing having the accommodation that ourfriend Erik has so generously offered,’ Arthur said as he sipped his beer. ‘For the price of the flights, you’d think the plane was made of solid gold.’
‘We did travel last minute on Christmas Eve, Uncle Arthur,’ Jake said, worried about the cost that Arthur had generously picked up.
‘I’m not complaining, anything to get away from the gnomes. I’m convinced they were plotting against me.’
‘So, everyone is happy?’ Erik asked and looked at the guests gathered in his motorhome. ‘Then let’s celebrate,’ he smiled. ‘After all, it is Christmas, and I say, Feliz Navidad!’
‘Feliz Navidad!’ they all replied and, without further ado, began to enjoy the party.
Atticus stepped out of the motorhome and looked to the bar where Mary and Britta were chatting with Cheryl and Ruby, as though they’d known each other for years. Finn was kicking about a football with a Spanish elf, and Declan was holding hands with a pretty fairy, who also had a teddy. Maeve was wandering around taking photos, while Caitlin chatted to a young man whom Atticus recognised as the jogger, Luis, from the beach. Erik had the bonnet open on his motorhome, and Jake and Arthur were peering inside, their heads nodding as they studied the powerful engine.
If only Mungo and the rest of his family were here, Atticus thought and wondered if he would ever see eye to eye with his son. He knew that Mungo would be pleased that he’d instructed Señor Resano to preparehis new will. Now, no matter what happened, his children would have their inheritance to do with as they pleased.
At that moment, the months of separation melted away, and Atticus realised that, together with his new friends and Britta, he was surrounded by people he loved. He vowed that, somehow, he would put things right with Mungo and make every effort going forward to be an important part of his family’s lives.
Atticus hadn’t let the old man in, and he was no longer a man adrift.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Conor took off his coat and hung it in the closet in the hall. The familiar scent of home enveloped him, and he felt a surge of emotion as he tugged on the sleeves of his shirt and straightened the collar. Digging into his pocket, Conor felt the diamond ring he’d bought for Lucinda in its red leather box.
