Page 39 of Winter at the Cornish Garden Café
‘Hold on!’ Finn said. ‘What’s that I can hear?’ He made a show of cupping his hands around his ears and listening.
‘Oh ho ho! Merry Christmas!’ The sound of bells and stamping feet followed.
‘He’s outside!’ Thora announced as planned, and they all went to the front door. And there, standing on the lawn with a sleigh made of cardboard and an inflatable reindeer in front of it was Lucas. The Santa costume he was wearing looked good on him even down to the fluffy white beard. His belly was nice andplump, and Thora wondered what he’d stuffed up his top to create that effect because although he’d filled out since they were young, he still had quite a firm stomach and … She shook herself. She really needed to stop thinking about Lucas like this.
‘Hello, Santa,’ Titus said. ‘Do you have something for me?’
‘You have five minutes left!’ Pearl interrupted. ‘Just so you know.’
‘Oh yes!’ Santa chuckled. ‘Or you’ll be forced to live here in my workshop with the elves and to bring me lots of mince pies so I can keep my belly wobbling like a jelly.’
‘Could I have the clue, please, Santa?’ Titus asked, sounding more like a little boy than a grown man who massaged the knots out of people and helped them to deal with the stresses and strains life created in their bodies.
‘Of course you can, Titus.’ Santa pulled a long piece of paper from his pocket. ‘This is my naughty and nice list. I’m happy to report that you and Finn are on the nice list. Therefore, you can have a kiss under the mistletoe.’
Finn took hold of Titus’ hand and led him to the sign on the front of the café that had a bunch of mistletoe hanging from it. He pointed at a silver bow on the underside of the mistletoe and Titus reached up and pulled on the ribbon. A gold ring slid down the ribbon and into Titus’ palm.
He looked at the ring, then looked at Finn and his eyes filled with tears.
‘What does this mean?’ he asked Finn.
‘If we can just interrupt you a moment…’ Rosie said, and she and Reggie stepped forwards.
‘It means,’ Reggie said, ‘that you have made the nice list because you and Dad are such a perfect match. We all think you deserve to spend every Christmas together.’
‘It’s true,’ Rosie said.
Titus looked from them to Finn, and then he wrapped his arms around Finn and hugged him tight. When he pulled back, it was to look into Finn’s eyes. ‘I love you,’ he said.
‘And I love you,’ Finn replied. ‘And now for the most important question, just in case it’s not clear enough.’ He knelt down and held Titus’ left hand in his. ‘Titus Pinnock, will you please spend all your Christmases with me as my husband?’
Titus gasped and dropped to his knees, too. ‘Of course I will, my gorgeous boy! Of course I will.’
Finn took the ring and slid it onto Titus’ ring finger, and then they hugged and kissed.
Thora and everyone else cheered and clapped and then they all went to join in with the hug.
‘Just in time!’ Pearl laughed. ‘Now let's get inside before we all freeze then we can open some champagne!’
Two hours later, they’d celebrated with some bubbly and a festive buffet, and Finn and Titus had left with the twins. Thora was going to stay to help Ellie and Pearl tidy up and Lucas insisted on staying too. They packed everything Finn had brought to the café into boxes except for what they could use to add to the café’s Christmas cheer. By the time they’d finished, Thora was exhausted and couldn’t stop yawning.
‘You two head home now,’ Pearl said. ‘You’re opening up tomorrow, so Ellie and I will lock up this evening.’
‘Are you sure?’ Thora asked.
‘Positive. Head on home.’
They wrapped up in their coats and hats and left the café and walked down to the village. Thora was glad that Lucas offered her his arm because of the frost and because she wanted to be close to him again. Beneath their coats, they still wore their costumes. ‘I never thought I’d be walking home from work dressed as an elf after seeing my ex-husband propose to his boyfriend,’ Thora said, musing at the situation.
‘And me dressed as Santa. It’s not an everyday occurrence, is it?’ Lucas laughed. ‘Is Barry with your parents?’
‘Yes. I thought he’d get too excited with the costumes. He’s a rescue, and he has a thing about clowns, so I doubt he’d like elves or Santa. He’d probably start growling and barking and it would unsettle him.’
‘Is he staying there tonight, then?’ Lucas asked.
‘Yes, and the twins are staying at their dad’s then going straight to London tomorrow to do some Christmas shopping. Finn said he wanted to take them with him and Titus so they could have a celebratory lunch.’
‘It’s a good job Titus said yes, then.’ Lucas laughed.
