Page 34 of Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea

Joking aside, Florrie’s heart went out to her friend who never seemed to have a moment to sit down and catch her breath. She was in awe of Jasmine, of how she kept track of everything, and of how she kept on top of it all; though Jazz joked about her life being chaotic, she was the most organised person Florrie knew. She’d been a single mum for over six years since the death of her partner, Bart, when she was pregnant with Chloe, losing her home not long after, but you rarely heard her grumbling about all she had to do, even if at times it seemed she was being pulled in a million different directions. She was a brilliant mum – everyone said so – with seemingly boundless energy, though Florrie did occasionally detect a whiff of tiredness about her. In fact, as she looked more closely at her friend right now, she picked up on the dark shadows that hung beneath her eyes, despite Jasmine’s evident attempts to hide them with concealer. And there was a general undertone of weariness about her that wasn’t usually there.Poor Jazz. Florrie pulled herself up with a start; the last thing Jasmine would want was her sympathy. Anyone Jasmine suspected of feeling sorry for her was in danger of finding themselves on the receiving end of a verbal savaging. Florrie winced inwardly at the thought.

‘So, how’s The Happy Christmas Memory Project going, Florrie?’ Jasmine asked, pushing a gravy-dunked chip into her mouth and chewing enthusiastically.

‘The ice skating yesterday was brilliant fun – thanks for suggesting it, Mags. Mind, we’re both suffering a bit for it today. I’ve got a massive bruise on my bum.’ Florrie chuckled.

‘Don’t worry, we won’t ask you to show us.’ Jasmine grinned at her.

‘I hope whatever’s going on with Ed’s dad and Dodgy Dick haven’t been too much of a distraction,’ said Stella. ‘You mustn’t let them spoil something as thoughtful as The Happy Christmas Memories Project. And don’t forget to holler if you need help with anything, or for us to join in.’

‘It’s been a welcome distraction, actually.’ Speaking of distractions, something Jasmine had said earlier had set an idea brewing in her mind. And it was one Florrie couldn’t wait to set in motion.

TWENTY

Once she’d finished her food, Florrie used the excuse of a trip to the loo to send a quick text to Ed – he’d told her earlier he’d keep his phone on while she was out in case her Friday night plans changed and she needed a lift back. An idea that involved helping Jasmine out of her childcare predicament the following day had been growing in her mind and she’d been itching to set the ball rolling. That it would kill two birds with one stone had only added to the thrill. She just needed to check that Ed would be up for it. As an added bonus, it was something that could be included in The Happy Christmas Memory Project.

How does sledging & snowman building with Zak & Chloe sound for tomorrow if I can get cover for the bookshop? Fxx

A wide smile lit up her face when he replied immediately.

Sounds great! Count me in!

‘Yay!’ Florrie did a little dance on the spot and fired off a speedy reply.

Fab! Thank you! Fxx

Next, she texted her mum to see if she’d mind covering for her in the bookshop the following day. Though Paula had already helped out so they could go ice skating, she knew her mother wouldn’t mind doing another shift, especially if it got Jasmine out of a difficult situation. Paula had known Jasmine since she was a small girl and thought fondly of her and her children.

Like Ed, her mum replied quickly saying she was only too happy to help, especially once she’d heard the reason behind it.

On the way back to the table Florrie took a quick detour, peeking through the door to check on the weather. She was thrilled to see the snow had continued to fall since they’d arrived and now everywhere was covered in a blanket of the stuff. It wasn’t sufficient to worry about them getting home – Bear had the Land Rover, after all – but it was enough to boost her hopes that her plans for tomorrow would be put into action.

‘You okay there, Florrie?’ asked Maggie as Lark eased out of the settle and let Florrie slip back in. ‘That’s a massive smile you’ve got on your fizzog.’

‘You’re right, it is,’ said Jasmine, observing her with interest. ‘I thought you’d just popped to the loo, but you look like you’ve been up to mischief. Think I might have a quick trip there, see if I come back smiling like that.’ She cackled.

‘I think I’ll join you before a queue starts forming,’ Stella said, dryly, her mouth twitching with a smile.

Florrie couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Hey, you shouldn’t be talking like that, young lady, especially since you’re all loved up with Alex.’

‘Clearly old habits die hard,’ quipped Jasmine, earning herself a mock dirty look from Stella.

Florrie pushed her glasses up her nose, willing her friend to agree with what she was about to put to her. ‘So, I have a suggestion to make, Jazz.’

‘Ey up, that sounds ominous,’ said Jasmine.

‘Well’ – Florrie met her friend’s gaze – ‘as you now know, Ed has never built a snowman before, never had a snowball fight, and has never been sledging so I wondered if it’d be okay if we borrow the kids tomorrow? I mean, who better to show him how to do those things than Zak and Chloe? I’ve already checked, and my mum says she’s happy to stand in for me at the bookshop, so that wouldn’t be a problem.’ Florrie was keeping her fingers crossed Jasmine wouldn’t think the offer came out of pity for her childcare headache. ‘I’ve run it by Ed, and he loves the sound of it. And if there isn’t enough snow, then our plan B is to go to the cinema and see the latest Christmas film instead – seeing a Christmas film at the cinema’s something else he’s never done and is a contender for The Happy Christmas Memory Project. We’d finish off with a pizza. I should add, we’re both already buzzing with excitement for the idea and would be massively disappointed if the answer’s no. What do you think?’ she finished with a hopeful smile.

All eyes turned to Jasmine.

She took a moment, clearly mulling it over. Florrie watched her friend’s face for clues that might reveal how her suggestion had been received. ‘Are you sure about this?’ Jasmine asked, sounding half-convinced. ‘I mean, having my two little horrors for the day? Much as I love them to bits, they can be a handful, and they’re wound up like tops at the minute, what with Christmas on the horizon. You do realise you’ll be completely knackered by the end of the day, don’t you? And what about all your aches and pains from ice skating? How will you manage with that?’

Florrie laughed. ‘We’ll be fine – moving about actually helps. And we won’t care if we’re knackered. We’ll have had a great time, it’ll be so worth it, and besides, we’ll have Sunday to recover.’

‘Well, if you’re sure… I know the kids won’t need asking twice… I’d love you to take them snowman building, sledging and all the rest of it. Thanks, Florrie, you’ve just made tomorrow a whole load easier for me.’ A huge grin spread across Jasmine’s face, unmistakable relief in her eyes.

‘Fantastic!’ Florrie’s smile mirrored Jasmine’s. ‘And it’s me who should be thanking you. We’ll have loads more fun with Zak and Chloe being involved. I so can’t wait.’ She rubbed her hands together gleefully. Much as she’d been dreading the disruption heavy snow could cause for their expected deliveries and scheduled reading with Jenna Johnstone, Florrie had decided it would be best to park that concern for now and deal with it if and when the problem arose. Instead, she’d focus on something positive for Ed and helping out her friend. Hopefully, with the salty air, any snow would be gone by early in the week – provided they didn’t get any more, of course.

Before they knew it, landlady Mandy was ringing the ship’s bell above the bar, signalling the end of the evening. ‘Time, folks,’ she said, her cockney accent floating over the burble of chatter. The friends made a move to leave.

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