Page 81 of Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop
Lars looked divine in a grey three-piece suit and it touched my heart seeing him seeking out each of my family members to thank them for his birthday gifts. Kadence, delighted to finally meet him, was full of compliments.
‘This one’s definitely a keeper,’ she said, hugging me during the drinks reception.
My family had been friendly around Ewan and Wes but there was something different about the way they interacted with Lars and I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was. I mentioned it to Cassie when I was in the bathroom helping with her dress before the wedding breakfast.
‘Head versus heart,’ she said. ‘They welcomed Ewan and Wes to the family because they’re lovely people and it was the polite thing to do when they knew they were important to you – a head thing. With Lars, they genuinely love being around him. He’s captured their hearts, just like he’s captured yours. You’ve finally found your Gilbert Blythe.’
My heart leapt because I felt that way too. I’d been thinking a lot lately about the connections between Lars’s and my story and my favourite literary couple like falling out as children but having a friendship which developed into love, and how Gil’s nickname for Anne ofCarrotsbecame a term of endearment, just asLittle Miss Perfect (-for-me)had become ours.
Returning to the bar, I spotted Lars at a table chatting to Kadence, Cory, Hendrix and Daisy. They were laughing together as though they were old friends and I could see exactly what Cassie meant. The Bay Books team acted the same around Lars too and the wonderful part was that it was all down to Lars being himself. The boy who’d had no friends and very little family had become the man with a growing circle of friends and a new family and I couldn’t be more proud of him.
When Jared announced in his groom’s speech that it was Lars’s birthday and led the guests in a chorus of ‘Happy Birthday to You’, all the warm smiles in Lars’s direction brought tears to my eyes. And the enormous smile from Lars when Cassie presented him with a bottle of bubbly was priceless. Knowing how much of an outsider Lars had felt for most of his life, struggling to fit in anywhere, it gave me so much joy to see him find where he belonged.
‘Best birthday ever,’ he said as we slowly moved around the dance floor to the last song of the evening. ‘Earlier, I was thinking about how I’d have spent today if you hadn’t offered me the job at the shop.’
‘Or if Danika hadn’t stood over you, making you submit your CV,’ I said, glancing across the dance floor at Danika and Milana, both of whom I’d warmed to instantly. ‘What would you have been doing?’
‘Lunch or tea with Nanna and a FaceTime call with Freyja at some point, but I’d have spent most of it on my own.’
I tightened my hold on him. ‘You’ll never need to be on your own again. My family and friends all love you and so do I.’
‘They’re so great. When I saw you with your family in the bookshop and I desperately wanted what you had, I never imagined I’d be lucky enough to get it.’
‘Þetta reddast,’ I said, hoping my pronunciation wasn’t way off.
He looked down at me, his eyes sparkling. ‘Thanks to you, everythinghasworked out.’
As he kissed me on the dance floor, I knew that my Christmas sparkle had well and truly returned and this was going to be the most incredible Christmas. The Christmas that banished all the demons of bad Christmases past. Bring it on!
42
LARS
At work the following day, everyone was on a high after the wedding, although Alec was definitely nursing a fuzzy head. I removed Stekkjarstaur from the window first thing and replaced him with Lily’s brilliant painting of Giljagaur. Several customers had already commented on the Yule Lads and been eager to look through the folder showing all thirteen. We’d introduce the Christmas Cat next weekend as the schools would have broken up and the town should be busy so he’d have the greatest impact then.
This morning, Lily and I had agreed that we wouldn’t spend tonight together as we both needed to catch up on some sleep after such a hectic week. Having spent so much time with her recently, it would be strange not seeing her until Monday morning but one glance in her direction during a quiet moment mid-afternoon confirmed it was necessary. She looked absolutely shattered and I suspected the Christmas break couldn’t come soon enough for her. I just hoped she had the energy for the final push. It was less than a fortnight away but I knew how exhausting seven-day weeks could be. On top of that, she’d had a hen do to organise, bridesmaid duties at her best friend’s wedding and a stack of props for the window to create. I couldn’t help thinking that painting all the Yule Lads had turned out to be a bigger project than she’d envisaged and the late nights painting might have taken their toll. No wonder she was yawning.
‘You look like you could do with one of Tara’s brownies,’ I said, joining her at the till after she’d served a couple of customers.
She winced. ‘And here was me thinking I was managing to hide it. Yes, please. I need the energy boost.’
I rang an order through to The Chocolate Pot and nipped out to collect drinks and snacks for Alec and Flo too, which were gratefully accepted. The last hour or so of the day massively slackened off. Lily stayed by the till while the rest of us went round the shop replenishing the shelves, putting abandoned books back in the right places and generally tidying up.
‘Are you okay?’ I asked Lily as we prepared to leave. She’d been unusually quiet as the afternoon progressed.
‘Just tired and I’ve got a bit of a headache. Some paracetamol and an early night should shift it.’
She unlocked the door to let me out and I moved to kiss her but she turned her head and I caught her cheek instead.
‘Sorry. So tired I can’t even do that properly,’ she said, rolling her eyes at me. ‘Have a good evening with your nanna. Give her my love.’
‘Will do and I hope the head clears soon.’
I decided against going in for another kiss. Lily looked as though she could fall asleep standing up and I didn’t want to waylay her, so I gave her a wink and a salute as I walked away but I’m not sure she even caught them before closing the door.
* * *
I drove to Nanna’s straight from work. There’d been a packed calendar of Christmas events at Bay View this month and it seemed Nanna was quite the joiner-in so I’d barely seen her. She’d told me it was wreath-making this evening but, as she’d already made one at an earlier session, she was willing to give it a miss for me. Just as well I didn’t take anything Nanna said personally.
