Page 24 of The Twelve Dates of Christmas
And it was perfect. They had so much in common, if you put iceskating to one side. But Kate wasn’t about to get into something that would ultimately lead nowhere; she deserved better than that. She deserved to be with someone who wouldn’t ask her to compromise on something as big as having kids.
Anthony helped Kate out of her heavy ice skates and into her coat and together they made their way out to the car park. Kate was parked in the farthest corner and Anthony walked her to her car.Chivalrous to the last!thought Kate. And for a second, she doubted her resolve.
Anthony cleared his throat.
“Can I see you again?” he asked. “I’d really like to.”
Kate wavered but recovered herself.
“I’d love to,” she said. “But...”
“Please, not a ‘but,’” said Anthony. “I really like you and I think you like me.”
Kate stood taller.
“But here’s the thing,” she continued. “One day I’d like to have children. I’m not suggesting I’m on some kind of baby-daddy mission with this Twelve Dates thing. In fact I’m not saying there has to be a man involved in my family at all. But at this point in my life, I don’t want to start something with someone I might really like when it’s bound for doom because eventually I will want kids and you won’t.”
“Wow,” said Anthony. “I thought you never shied away from a challenge.”
“This isn’t a challenge,” said Kate. “It’s a dead end. I’m not for turning and I don’t think you are either. You said it yourself: when you make a decision, that’s it.”
“Brutal but fair,” said Anthony.
Kate shrugged.
“You were honest with me,” she said. “I’m just returning the compliment.”
“And I appreciate it,” said Anthony. “You’re right. I don’t want more kids. Period. I won’t deny I’m gutted, though. I think things could have been really simple with us.”
“I think so too,” said Kate.
Kate held out her hand for him to shake. Instead, Anthony slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her toward him.
“With your permission,” he said. “I’d like to leave with a taste of what could have been if things were different.”
“Permission granted,” said Kate.
It was a good kiss. The kind of kiss you feel all the way down to your toes and back up again. But still, as he walked away from her, she knew she’d made the right decision.
She was still thinking about the kiss when she pulled back into the Blexford village square. As she swung in, her headlamps illuminated the Pear Tree Café and Matt, swinging precariously off a ladder as he stapled a string of icicle fairy lights to the fascias.
Kate pulled over and got out.
“What in God’s name are you doing?” she asked.
“What does it look like I’m doing, Kate?” said Matt, his voice strained as he stretched and stapled in another length of wire.
“Yes, but why are you doing it now, at eleven thirty at night?”
“Because I don’t have time during the day,” said Matt. “And if I did, every bugger in the village would have a helpful suggestion as to how I could do it better.”
“You missed a bit,” said Kate.
Matt looked down and grimaced at her.
“Smart-arse,” he said. “You gonna help or make wisecracks?”
“Make wisecracks,” Kate decided.
