Page 30 of A Very Crumbleton Christmas
Who was she kidding, anyway? Jack Jones could have anyone he wanted. Why would he want to be with a small-town reporter with boundary issues, whose main source of intimate conversation was an ailing spider plant?
He wouldn’t.
There wasn’t any point thinking that way… even if itwasa rather delicious fantasy! She’d just have to blame it on the Christmas lights and the fact that Jack had some old crooner on the record player making everything feel even more cosy and twinkly than it had before her bath!
‘Oh hey!’ said Jack, turning to find her staring at him. ‘I didn’t hear you come down… nice bath?’
‘Maybe a bit too nice.’ Caroline smiled at him, feeling suddenly shy. ‘Sorry for keeping you waiting for so long.’
‘Not at all,’ said Jack. ‘Anyway, I have to admit to snaffling a few bits of cheese and a couple of olives while you were up there!’
‘I don’t blame you!’ said Caroline, her eyes roving over the vast spread he’d prepared for the first time.
‘I know it’s probably overkill for just the two of us,’ said Jack, ‘but I didn’t know what you’d like, so I put out a bit of everything.’
‘It looks amazing!’ said Caroline, heading for one of the high stools. She avoided the one right next to him – there was far too much danger of “accidentally” brushing up against him if she sat there. Instead, she opted for the one around the corner. It afforded her a wonderful view of his face… and easy access to the cheese board too – bonus!
‘Well… happy Christmas,’ said Jack, passing her a plate.
‘Thanks!’ said Caroline. ‘Though you’re a bit early.’
‘Only by a week, said Jack with a shrug. ‘Plus, I’ve got crackers, so that makes it official!’
Caroline wriggled with excitement as he passed one over.
‘Are these fancy-pants ones with Fabergé eggs inside them?’ she said.
‘Erm… only if that’s what they sell in Bendall’s?’ said Jack.
‘Then probably not!’ laughed Caroline. ‘Here – pull!’
CHAPTER 10
JACK
It wasn’t very often that Jack found himself speechless… but the sight of Caroline Cook standing in his kitchen doorway, all fresh and pink from her bath, with her hair slightly wavy from the steam – well it had nearly been enough to topple him right off his kitchen stool.
Now here she was, bouncing around with excitement after pulling a couple of the cheap Christmas crackers Brian had bought him as a surprise from Bendall’s.
‘Come out come out come out!’ she chanted, rattling her end of the cracker in an attempt to encourage the cheap plastic toy out of its crepe paper prison.
Jack was busy pulling on an orange, tissue paper crown from his own cracker. He had no idea where his toy had gone… maybe it had flown across the kitchen and disappeared.
‘Got ya!’ cheered Caroline, as something small and pink whizzed from her cracker and skittered across the table between the cheese board and the jars of chutney.
‘Ooh, classy!’ chuckled Jack, fishing it out from its resting place underneath the bowl of olives. ‘Here.’
He tipped it into Caroline’s waiting palm, doing his best not to notice the zing of electricity that passed between their fingers at the contact.
‘A pencil sharpener?’ said Caroline.
‘A pink, glittery, festive pencil sharpener I think you’ll find!’ said Jack.
‘What did you get?’ said Caroline, craning her neck.
‘Nothing,’ said Jack.
‘Bet it’s still stuck,’ said Caroline. ‘Give it here!’
