Page 30 of The Best Little Christmas Shop
‘In the meantime, there are some people here to see you.’ Cal leant back and saw me peeking. A smile slid onto his face at catching me. He indicated for us to come in andGeorge’s face beamed as he saw us. My smile got wider at his joy as Apollo loped towards him and laid his big head on the duvet around George’s lap and looked up at him with big, heartbreaker eyes. George giggled and folded himself down to wrap his arms around Apollo’s head and cuddled him.
‘Do I get one of those?’ I asked.
George sat up, still grinning as he threw his arms out for me. I wrappedmine around his little body and gave him a big cuddle as Apollo watched us, quirking first one brow and then the other. The dog let out a sigh and slid back into his puppy sit position, his hip resting against Cal’s leg now that he had stood to make way for us next to the bed.
‘I’ve had a poorly tummy,’ George said, as he released me.
‘I know, sweetheart. But you’re looking much better thanyou did yesterday so you just concentrate on getting better now.’
‘OK.’ George nodded, his hand gravitating to Apollo’s head resting on the bed. He began stroking it and, within moments, both George’s and the dog’s eyes were beginning to droop.
Cal motioned to me and we moved quietly from the room. Once outside, he turned to me. ‘Next time I have trouble getting him to sleep, can you pop overwith the dog?’
I grinned. ‘Sure. No problem.’
He returned my grin. ‘OK, I’d better grab that shower. Martha has a key so she’ll let herself in. Wait anywhere you like. Just make yourself at home. I’ll see you in a few minutes.’
‘OK.’ I watched as Cal walked at a fast pace off down the hallway and turned out of sight, before pushing all random thoughts of Cal and showers firmly out of my mind.Wandering back into George’s room, I saw the little boy had now snuggled down in his bed, one arm still around Apollo and the other around Bear. Someone was snoring softly. I ruled out Bear and after glancing at both the other sleeping forms, pinned the blame firmly on the dog and gave him a gentle stroke.
Apollo had soothed many a child – and adult – to sleep since he’d come to us as a ganglypuppy three years ago. His gentle nature and mere presence had a way of calming even the busiest of minds. Which probably accounted for why he was currently sleeping at the side of, and occasionally on top of, my bed most nights now. Just knowing he was there made everything that tiny bit less overwhelming. And I was glad he had now worked his magic on little George.
I crossed the room quietlyand headed back to the kitchen, listening out for movement on the gravel drive that would signal the approach of Martha. The kitchen was a bright, airy room, mostly white with flashes of lemon to add a bit of zing and take away any hint of sterility. There was plenty of workspace, plus a large island in the middle. An extension housed an eating area, and large bifold doors covered one entire wall,leading out onto a wide patio and the sprawling garden beyond.
Even on a grey and uninspiring day like today, light flooded into the room, making it cheery and bright. I wandered over to the fridge and smiled at the childish drawings held there by magnets from landmarks and cities around the world, as well as closer to home.
My stomach grumbled and I chewed on my lip for a moment, glancing around.I walked away from the fridge and sat down on one of the bar stools at the island. Another loud growl from my tummy broke the silence.
‘Oh, for goodness’ sake!’ I mumbled and headed back to fridge. Inside I found everything I needed for my plan bar one, which I saw sat on the side. I rummaged for a moment in one of the deep drawers of the island, pulled out what I needed, and set to work.
***
‘That smells amazing!’ Cal padded back into the kitchen, his socked feet making his approach more stealthy than I’d anticipated. I jumped about three feet in the air. ‘Hey! Only me.’
‘Yes. Of course. I’m just used to noisier blokes. George and the dog are asleep. Here.’ I handed him a plate with a warm bacon sandwich on it. ‘I hope you didn’t mind me taking over your kitchen but walking the dogalways makes me hungry, and I didn’t think you’d probably had much to eat looking after George so it seemed a good idea to have something before we set out.’
‘Mind? A gorgeous woman shows up to check on us, soothes my sick child to sleep, and then hands me food that I didn’t have to cook myself? That’s definitely not a scenario I mind in the slightest.’ He took a massive bite of the sandwichand made appreciative noises. ‘So good!’ He mumbled through it.
I smiled and began tucking into my own sarnie as I pondered over the fact that Cal Martin had just referred to me as gorgeous. Although that could just have been the bacon talking.
‘As much as I’d like to accept all that, in the interests of accuracy I feel I have to point out that it was technically Apollo who soothed George tosleep. I had very little to do with it. Nothing in fact.’
‘You made the decision to pop round in the first place. That means you had everything to do with it in my eyes.’
Oh my God. Those eyes.
‘Am I interrupting?’ Martha’s voice broke through. I glanced down at her shoeless feet, encased in thick, warm tights, perfect for silent movement – something that seemed to be the order of the day inthis house.
‘Not at all,’ Cal replied, his tone easy and relaxed. ‘Martha, do you know Lexi? Her family own The Four Seasons shop in the village. Lexi, this is Martha, George’s childminder.’
I held out my hand and Martha shook it. ‘Nice to meet you.’
‘And you. I love that shop. It’s always so interesting and full of such lovely things.’
‘Thanks.’
‘I must have missed you in there though.’
Aha, here we go.
