Page 67 of Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea

Ed reached for her hand and gently pulled her up from her seat.He took a deep breath. ‘Okay,’ he said to himself. ‘Time to do it.’

Time to do what?And why is he suddenly looking so… so… weird?‘Ed, what’s going on?’

He paused, ceased his fidgeting and drew in another breath, then turned his full navy-blue gaze onto Florrie, which made her stomach roll over unexpectedly.

‘Florrie.’ Another pause. ‘You’re nothing short of amazing. In fact, you’re without doubt the most amazing person I’ve ever met. You’ve got the biggest heart – The Happy Christmas Memory Project is evidence of that. Who else would think of doing something so thoughtful and completely wonderful? I could go on and list a million other reasons to explain why I think you’re so special, but we’d be here all day.’ He gave a little laugh. ‘So, what I really want to say is that I love you with all my heart. And…’

Florrie looked on, her mouth falling open as he got down on one knee, her thoughts scrambling together, trying to work out if she was hallucinating, or if he was falling. But neither would seem to be the case. She tried to speak, but found herself unable to form a single word. All she could do was look down at Ed’s earnest face looking back at her.

Gerty pulled her eyes away from the remains of the picnic and threw Ed a cursory glance before turning her attention back to the food.

‘Florrie Appleton, would you do me the honour of becoming Florrie Harte – or Florrie Appleton-Harte, if that’s what you’dprefer?’ He opened his hand, a small, battered leather box sitting in his palm. He carefully lifted the lid to reveal an exquisite antique ring glinting up at them. The princess cut emerald flanked by two half-carat diamonds looked instantly familiar to Florrie: Mrs H’s engagement ring.

‘Oh!’ She gasped, pressing her hand to her mouth. She hadn’t been expecting any of this!

‘Will you marry me, Florrie?’ Ed asked hopefully.

‘Yes!’ She nodded, her eyes blurring with tears as her heart soared with a happiness she’d never thought possible. ‘Yes! Yes! Yes! I’d love nothing more than to marry you, Ed.’

‘Woohoo!’ he cried at the top of his voice, making Florrie laugh. In the next moment, beaming broadly, he slid the ring onto her finger. ‘I guessed it would be a bit loose on you and would need adjusting, which we can get done at the jewellers in town, but I didn’t want to propose to you with a ring that had a split in the band.’

‘I wouldn’t have minded,’ she said, gazing down at her hand as Ed pulled himself upright.

‘Yes, but I would. It wouldn’t have felt right.’ He gave a gentle smile. ‘It’s my grandma’s engagement ring, but if you’d rather have something new or?—’

‘I love it, Ed. I can remember your grandma wearing it and I always thought it was beautiful. Lark would say it’s full of happy energy from all the years your grandparents were together. For so many reasons, it’s the most perfect ring.’ She could barely tear her eyes away from it.So this is what he’d been looking for when he was spending all that time in the attic!It couldn’t be any further from the reason her fears had led her to believe.

He cupped her face in his hands. ‘I don’t know about you, future Mrs Harte, but I think this rounds up The Happy Christmas Memory Project rather nicely.’

‘I think it rounds it up perfectly. In fact, I’d say it’s the most perfect Christmas memory of them all.’

‘I had to play a part in making some, I couldn’t leave you to do all the work,’ Ed joked, before kissing her deeply, her stomach performing a series of somersaults.

‘I only wish my grandfather could have been around to see this day.’ He heaved a wistful sigh when they finally came up for air, wrapping her in his arms and holding her close.

‘Oh, I don’t doubt for a second that Mr H – AKACupidHarte – is looking down at us wearing thebiggestsmile and congratulating himself rather smugly.’ Florrie wished they could stay in this moment forever, wished she could bottle the joy in her heart, be able to lift the lid and savour every delicious emotion all over again.

‘Yeah, I think you could be right.’

EPILOGUE

WEDNESDAY 27TH DECEMBER

‘Come in!’ Stella threw open the door to her apartment. She was looking stunning as ever in a velvet knee-length shift dress in a rich shade of midnight blue, the fabric rustling as she moved. Her blonde hair was sculpted into a neat French pleat and her make-up had been expertly applied, complete with a flattering smoky eye. ‘Everyone’s here, even Jazz!’ She gave Ed a quick peck on the cheek before pulling Florrie into a hug that smelt of her friend’s crisp floral signature perfume.

Stella usually hosted what she referred to as a cocktail party in the week between Christmas and New Year, opting for a day she knew all of the friendship group would be available. This was the first such party in her fancy new apartment with stunning views out to sea, stretching right along to Thorncliffe.

Stella hung up their coats while Florrie and Ed kicked off their boots – there’d been more snow that day so they’d opted for their wellies in case it continued. They followed their statuesque friend down the hall and into the open-plan living room, where a large contemporary electric fire flickered with surprisingly realistic faux flames and subtle music murmured away in the background. The dining table was laden with artfully arranged nibbles, while a large Christmas tree occupied thespace between the two glass doors that led out onto the balcony. It was draped in cool white lights and studded with baubles in various shades of grey, with the odd one in silver tones punctuating the mix and giving the colour palette a lift. The tasteful décor of the space reflected Stella’s personality perfectly: minimalist with an undertone of warmth.

Florrie and Ed were greeted by a cheerful chorus of hellos and wide smiles, making them feel instantly welcome.

Florrie’s gaze travelled around the room, excitement racing inside her, so desperate was she to share their news. Lark and Nate were looking cosy together on one of the large, L-shaped sofas –they’re so meant to be together– Jasmine sitting on the sofa opposite next to Alex’s twin sister Zara who’d become a regular visitor and had plans to move to the town. Bear was chatting to Alex who stood at the kitchen peninsular where an assortment of bottles and glasses were set out, mixing drinks for Jean and Jack who’d arrived only minutes before Florrie and Ed.

‘S’good to see you survived Christmas,’ said Maggie, heading over to Florrie, smiling warmly. She was looking voluptuous in a deep-red maxi dress with its plunging neckline, her dark curls framing her face. ‘You’re looking gorgeous, flower.’

‘Thanks, and so are you. In fact, you look amazing.’ Florrie felt positively dowdy in her simply cut aubergine knee-length dress – though Ed had told her she looked beautiful when she’d done a twirl for him at home just before they headed out.

‘Oh, and please excuse the baby sick on my shoulder. It was a parting gift from Lucy as we dropped her off with the in-laws. I didn’t have time to change – or anything half-decent to change into, for that matter, while my boobs are the size of over-inflated watermelons. Nowt fits at the minute.’ Maggie chuckled as she swept Florrie into a hug that oozed warmth and happiness with a hint of newborn baby thrown in.

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