Page 113 of The Best Little Christmas Shop
Chapter Twenty-Two
Outside the snow was already half a foot deep at least.
‘Are you going to be all right getting back?’
‘That’s why I wore these.’ He wiggled his feet like a clown in funny shoes, but the expensive hiking boots were far sexier. Although to be fair, everything Cal wore was far sexier, precisely because it was him wearing it.
‘Good thinking. I guess you won’t be needing themin Antigua.’
He pulled a face. ‘No. Probably not. I’m kind of wishing I hadn’t booked that now.’
Giving a shiver, he turned his collar up against the snowflakes sneaking their way down his back. I reached out and grabbed a scarf from my coat stand.
‘Here,’ I said, wrapping and knotting it around his neck.
‘Thank you.’ His voice was so soft it almost drifted away on the gust of wind that blewacross the steps, adding to the snowdrift building up against the side of the house. ‘I’d better go.’
I nodded. ‘Can you text me when you’re in, just so I know you didn’t turn into Mr Frosty on the way home.’
‘If you promise to go right to sleep straight after.’
‘That sounds like a bribery line you’d use on George.’ I smiled.
‘I employ it whenever and wherever I need to. So, do you promise?’
‘I do.’
‘Good.’ He swooped in for another kiss and my hands slid behind his neck, resting on the scarf, pulling him closer.
‘I wish you hadn’t booked it too,’ I said as we broke from the kiss.
Cal rested his forehead against mine. ‘I’m pretty sure it’s going to feel like the longest week ever. Especially as George still hasn’t forgiven me for us not getting to spend Christmas at your parents’place with his friends.’
‘He’ll be fine once he gets caught up in all the holiday excitement, I’m sure.’
Cal pulled a face. ‘We’ll see. I’m not about to place any bets.’ He gave another yank at his collar as the wind blew across the steps.
‘Go on,’ I said. ‘Before you let all the snow in.’ The last thing I wanted right now was for Cal to leave but we both knew staying wasn’t really an optiontonight, not with little George at home and them heading off to Antigua tomorrow.
‘I’m going,’ He threw me that grin that always turned my insides deliciously liquid as soft laughter bubbled from him, its sound being absorbed into the landscape now muffled by its thick layer of soft white.
Cal half slid down the banisters, lifting his legs and letting the muscles in his arms support his weightuntil he got to the bottom where his feet landed with a soft squish in the snowdrift that was building at the foot of the steps. He turned, raised a hand, and then trudged off towards the gate. As he got to it, he waved again and blew a kiss.
I closed the door, gave a quick shiver, and then threw the double lock before hanging the key on the hook next to the door. Resting my head on the solidoak of the door for a moment, I knew I had to keep my brave pants on and take another risk. Checking the clock on my dresser, I picked up my mobile and dialled. It rang twice before being answered.
‘Hi, Marco. I have an answer for you.’
***
For the first time in weeks, I woke without a knot in my stomach, and I smiled to myself at the lack of tension in my shoulders as I moved. Rolling over,I grabbed the remote control from the other bedside and aimed it roughly in the direction of the TV. The red light went green and thenBBC Newscame up.
‘With the worst snowstorm to hit the south-east for several years, people are being advised not to attempt travel, with airports and many roads being closed.’
The reporter was in the standard North Face jacket with a woolly hat and full make-up.Frankly she looked like she was freezing her arse off and that her first call when she got the feeling back in her fingers was going to be to her agent.
‘Now back to you, Ariana, in the studio.’She didn’t exactly say ‘you lucky bleep’ but the suggestion was definitely there.
‘This is BBC News. It’s eight forty-seven. Here are the headlines. A major snowstorm has engulfed the south-east of Englandwith falls in some areas of at least …’
