Page 104 of The Best Little Christmas Shop
Cal gave me a “thanks a bunch” look and set about trying to come up with a plausibleexplanation that didn’t involve the words “I just need to put a few thousand miles between me and your daughter right now”.
Taking the opportunity of the distraction, I turned to Marco. ‘Why are you here anyway? I mean, it’s nice to see you, but …’
‘I was passing.’
‘Passing.’ I raised an eyebrow. Somehow I doubted that.
‘And, I wondered if you’d come to a decision yet … about the things Ioffered you.’
Even from the back and involved in another conversation, I could see Cal’s body tense. I cut Marco a look that told him I wasn’t in the mood for him to play games. It was obvious he’d sussed immediately that Cal was the man I’d spoken about meeting and also that we most definitely weren’t together. It was hard not to notice that Marco would prefer it stayed that way.
‘Don’t,’ Isaid, keeping my voice low. The tone was enough for him to raise his hands in submission.
Cal had his arm around my mum’s shoulder, hugging her to him as she patted his arm. ‘That’s OK, love. You just have a lovely time out there on holiday and perhaps you could pop round when you get home for a meal sometime.’
‘That sounds perfect, Annie. Thank you. And thanks so much for inviting us in thefirst place.’
She patted his arm again and smiled. I could see the disappointment it was masking but I pretended not to notice. The passing glance Cal gave me told me he was doing exactly the same.
‘Bloody hell! You traded up your car, Cal?’ A still slightly bruised Joe suddenly barrelled in the back door, before opening it wider for more of my nieces and nephews to pile through as the restof my family arrived in one big influx.
Cal gave a hollow laugh as he shook Joe’s hand and then proceeded to do the same to the rest of my brothers, dropping kisses on the cheeks of their various partners. ‘Hardly.’
‘It’s Marco’s, Joe,’ I called over to him and various glances shot Marco’s way. Marco had met my family a few times before, when we’d been together, so I left them all to it as Mumasked me to grab some extra napkins from the top of the cupboard. I climbed on a chair. Cal, standing close, automatically put out his hand to help my ascent. I took it without thinking and made the briefest of eye contact with him, receiving the ghost of a smile in return.
I glanced down to check my footing and instead felt Cal’s hands at my waist, lifting me down.
‘Thank you,’ I said, ‘butyou do know I’ve been climbing up and down on these chairs since the year dot.’
The smile glimmered again. ‘I don’t doubt it. And I wasn’t suggesting you actually needed help. I just wanted to give it.’
His voice was soft, even though the general noise level of my family having come together was probably way above EU recommendations.
I looked up at him. ‘It might be easier for both of us ifyou don’t.’
‘I know. And then I see you and I can’t help it.’
‘Then it’s probably a good thing you’re going to Antigua.’
A shadow passed across his features. ‘And where are you going?’ he asked, his glance taking in the additional guest in our kitchen.
I lifted my gaze. ‘It’s what I’m good at.’ Neither of us missed the element of sadness in my voice.
Cal carefully pushed my hair back overone shoulder. ‘So why don’t you sound excited about it?’
‘I am. I mean, I will be. I’ve just been really busy with everything else here.’
Keeping myself busy so that I didn’t think about you.
‘If it’s what you want then I’m really happy for you, Lexi.’
I knew what I wanted beyond anything else. He was standing right in front of me, sending my brain spinning and turning my insides to liquid.But I also knew there was something that he wanted too. I chewed my lip and took in the noise and crowd filling the kitchen as my family did what it did best – came together, laughing, talking over each other, taking the mickey, supporting. Everything he had never had. Everything he wanted. And everything I might not be able to give him. He’d turned now, absorbing the atmosphere. I watched him andI knew my decision.
‘Are we late? Did we miss it all?’ Giselle rushed into the kitchen, Xander following.
‘No, darlings. We’re just about to take everything through to the dining room. You’re right on time,’ Mum said, giving them a flush-faced squeeze as she bustled about.
‘Oh good,’ Giselle replied, draping her dusky pink wool swing coat over the back of a chair, eyeing the two men flankingme as she did so. ‘Hello, gorgeous,’ she said, hugging me, ‘everything all right?’ Her eye contact was direct and her words were loaded.
