Page 4 of A Very Crumbleton Christmas
‘My first on the boat with Murray!’ said Milly, with a broad smile.
‘On that note, hadn’t you better hurry?’ said Caroline. ‘Just in case this turns into proper snow.’
‘Good thinking,’ said Milly, pulling her in for a quick hug. ‘Good luck on the celebrity hunt!’
Caroline waved as Milly trotted off, before following her down the hill at a much more leisurely pace. She wasn’t in any kind of rush to go back to the office… but she reallydidneed to find someone to switch the lights on.
‘Lee!’ she said, in surprise.
The antique shop’s large, slightly beaten-up van drew to a halt next to Caroline just as she reached the little courtyard in front of the Crumbleton Times and Echo offices.
‘Hey Cazzzarooney!’ said Lee, his grinning face appearing as he wound down the mud-splattered window.
‘I thought that name had died out the minute we left secondary school,’ huffed Caroline, wrapping her arms around herself. It felt like the temperature was plummeting, and she could swear the soft white flakes were already falling thicker and faster.
‘You’ll always be Cazzzarooney to me!’ said Lee.
‘Wonderful,’ sighed Caroline. ‘You’ll always be an idiot to me!’
‘Charming’ laughed Lee.
Caroline grinned at him. They’d known each other since they’d been in nursery school, and Lee would never be anything other than the idiot who’d taken a pair of elephant safety scissors to her pigtails when she was six.
‘Where’s your nan?’ said Caroline, wondering why Geraldine wasn’t in her usual spot behind the wheel.
‘She didn’t fancy her chances getting up the high street later tonight if this weather gets any worse, so she’s up at the shop and I’m doing the rounds early.’
‘Good idea,’ said Caroline.
‘Actually, I’ve just been out delivering to Crumbleton Sands,’ said Lee. ‘That’s why I stopped… I’ve got a bit of a scoop for you.’
‘Oh yeah?’ said Caroline, her ears pricking up.
‘Yeah,’ he said looking smug. ‘You still trying to find someone to turn the Christmas lights on?’
Caroline nodded. She knew better than to get her hopes up, though – this was probably just the start of one of Lee’s stupid jokes.
‘Then I might have the perfect person for you,’ he said.
‘Oh yeah?’ she said again, raising a sceptical eyebrow.
‘Jack Jones.’
‘Sod off,’ chuckled Caroline.
‘Hey – he’d be perfect!’ said Lee.
‘Yes… he would,’ said Caroline, ‘what with him being a massive Hollywood star and all.’
‘Well,’ said Lee, ‘I just delivered a whopping set of bookshelves to that particular Hollywood star’s house.’
‘You’re pulling my leg, right?’ said Caroline.
‘Hey, you’re the one who broke the story about him buying a holiday home there,’ said Lee. ‘In fact, I seem to remember you went on a lovely long rant about it.Unfair to the local community…blah blah blah…full-of-himself knob-head… blah blah blah!’
Caroline cringed. Yep. She’d said something along those lines. She’d also given his most recent film a less than favourable review. She’d called his performance wooden… and then she’d given him a lowly three stars.
Overcompensating much?!
