Making Christmas Special Again. Annie O'Neil

      Military academy, apprenticeships over the summer holidays, boot camp. No matter what he’d done or how hard he’d worked, he had never been permitted into the house to shield his mum from the emotionally abusive relationship she’d unwittingly married into.

      Not that he blamed her. They’d both fallen for Gavin’s smooth lines. He’d promised her love, respect, a house with a big garden on the right side of town. A proper education for her ‘shockingly bright boy’, the son he’d always hoped to have.

      How the hell Gavin had convincingly passed off the lies still astounded him. The only plus side of the cancer that had taken his mother’s life was that it had freed her, at long last, from Gavin. It was more than he’d been able to do.

      He shook his head and forced himself to focus on the here and now.

      Esme Ross-Wylde didn’t strike him as a steamroller socialite. The type of do-gooder who blithely floated round the city flinging gold coins for the ‘have nots’ to do her bidding. Sour memories teased at his throat. Money brought power and no one had made that clearer to him than Gavin. ‘You earn your keep? You’re in. You don’t? You’ll have to learn how to make a real man of yourself.’

      ‘What’s your role in all of this?’ Max had already been hit by one bombshell today. This one—the Henshall H-bomb—was making it harder to harness any charm. If he was going to tell everyone who cared about Plants to Paws it was going to survive, he needed to trust it was a genuine offer. Trusting a woman who could clearly cut and run from any scenario that didn’t suit her was a tall order.

      ‘Apart from being Mrs Claus, you mean?’ She pursed her lips in a way that suggested he’d definitely hit a sore spot then said, ‘As well as running the foundation, I’m a vet and an animal behaviour specialist. I also pick up poo, in case that’s what you’re really asking.’

      It was all he could do not to laugh. Brilliant. Esme Double-Barrelled-Fancy-Boots picked up poo. It was a skilful way to tell him there was a vital, active brain behind the porcelain doll good looks. A woman who wanted to be mistress of her own destiny as much as he’d worked to be master of his.

      ‘That it?’ He knew he was winding her up, but...his flirting skills were rusty. Rusted and covered in a thick layer of dust if he was being honest.

      Her smile came naturally, clearly more relaxed when talking about her work. ‘The vet clinic is the only one in our area and the therapy centre’s busy pretty much round the clock. The service dogs are trained to aid patients with specific tasks they are unable to do themselves. Like press an alert button for someone having an epileptic seizure, for example. Much like a dog who works on a bomb squad or for drug detection, they are not for the general public to cuddle and coo over.’

      ‘That’s the therapy dog’s job?’ Max liked hearing the pride in her voice as she explained.

      ‘A therapy dog’s main role is to relieve stress and, hopefully, bring joy—but often on a bigger scale. Retirement homes, hospital wards, disaster areas. An emotional support dog tends to provide companionship and stress relief for an individual. People with autism, anyone suffering from PTSD. Social anxiety. That sort of thing.’

      Max nodded. The smiles on the faces of patients when they were reunited with their pets out here in the garden spoke volumes. Pets brought joy. Too bad people couldn’t be counted on to do the same.

      She continued, ‘We’re obviously highly selective, but find that dogs who come from animal rescue centres are particularly good for emotional support, learning and PTSD. The bigger dogs are wonderful with ex-soldiers who might need a service and emotional support dog all in one big furry package.’

      He gave a brisk nod at that one. A few guys from his platoon could probably do with a four-legged friend. He still didn’t know how he’d managed four tours in the Middle East without as much as a scratch. Physically, anyway. Emotionally? That was a whole mess he’d probably never untangle. ‘And your brother? The one with the medical clinic?’ Max crossed his arms again. ‘How much of a say does he have in who I choose?’

      A flicker of amusement lit up her blue eyes. One that said, You think I let my big brother push me around?

      ‘My brother’s a neurologist, but his clinic is predominantly for rehabilitation. The foundation has pretty much always been my baby, so...’ There was a flicker of something he couldn’t identify as she paused for breath. Something she was leaving out. When she noticed him watching her she quickly continued, ‘You’ll see for yourself when you come up to Heatherglen—’ She stopped herself short.

      ‘I was under the impression I wasn’t invited.’ He wasn’t hurt by it. Had been relieved, in fact, but...he had to admit he was curious. And he wasn’t thinking about the castle.

      Her cheeks were shot through with streaks of red. ‘Normally the head of the charity comes up, but I just assumed with the dates I have available being so close to Christmas... I just—I didn’t think it would be feasible for you to come along and observe, so...’ The rest of the sentence, if there had been any, died on her lips.

      Max pulled up the zip on his fleece and glanced across at the hospital where an ambulance was pulling in. His break was coming to an end and this was already getting more complicated than it should be. No point in watching the poor woman squirm. She obviously had a big heart and he shouldn’t play hard to get. The future of Plants to Paws was on the line. ‘Don’t worry about it. My dance card’s been full for a while.’

      ‘I see.’ She tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

      Max’s thumb involuntarily skidded across his fingertips wondering if her hair felt as soft as it looked. He forced his voice into fact-finding mode. ‘So where would the patients stay? If we go ahead with this.’

      ‘At Heatherglen.’ Esme reluctantly met his eye. ‘The castle has been partly remodelled as a residential clinic and we’ve refurbished the old stables as a training centre and kennels.’

      ‘No more hunts, then?’

      Her brows dived together as her eyes finally met his frankly. ‘You’ve been to Heatherglen?’

      ‘Not for a long time.’ He felt her eyes stay on him as he knelt down to give Skye another cuddle. The last thing he was going to tell her was that that long-ago day at Heatherglen was one of his handful of good memories from his childhood. Guilting her into an invitation she didn’t want to give wasn’t his style. Especially if it meant the ultimate outcome was helping patients with the added bonus of sticking one to Gavin Henshall. The money he’d give to see the look on Gavin’s face when he found out he wouldn’t get his precious car park.

      ‘So...’ Esme’s voice trickled down his spine again. ‘Does this mean you’re considering my offer?

      He stood up and looked her square in the eye. ‘If it means saving this place, let’s do it. How do I get in touch with you?’

      Esme shook her head. She might need her ears checked. Did Max Kirkpatrick just say he wanted to touch her?

      An image pinged into her mind. Ice skating by moonlight. Her mittened hand in his bigger, stronger hand. The two of them skating away beneath the starlit sky until he pulled her to him and... She screwed her eyes shut and forced the image back where it had come from.

      ‘Email? Phone?’ he prompted.

      Oh. Right. That kind of contact. She handed him a card. ‘From here it’s pretty easy. We’ll do two video calls with you and the patients once you’ve picked them.’

      ‘For what purpose?’

      ‘It’s how we introduce the dogs to the patients before training at Heatherglen gets under way. It gives me a good feel for who they are before they arrive. If you could take part in the calls, that would be greatly appreciated.’

      ‘Why