Page 71 of The Best Little Christmas Shop
Your Jag is currently being loaded to come to workshop. Saw your mum this morning and she promised to get your dad out of the way for an hour. Will get what we can done on it and you are free to come and work on it any time if you get a moment.
After I’d basically dumped him last night, the last thing I thought he would be doing was sticking to an agreement that I knew, even if he wouldn’t admit it, would cost him money. I glanced up and pasted on a smile as the doorbell tinkled and a family got swept in through the door, along with a light dusting of snow. Looking back at my phone, I began composing a reply. Before I could send it, anothertext bounced in. Cal again.
PS: hope you’re OK.
I couldn’t decide whether Marco’s reaction of not talking to me for the best part of the year was easier to deal with than Cal’s calm, mature one. The emotional side of me was screaming at me that no, I definitely wasn’t OK. I’d finally found a man who, in pretty much every way, was damn near perfect for me but I couldn’t have him. I was actuallynowhere near OK. And I had a feeling that “OK” wasn’t something I’d be feeling again for a while.
Yep, thanks.
My brain told me that was a big fat fib. I ignored it and carried on typing my reply.
And thanks so much for the help with the car. Really appreciated. Make sure you bill me for everything.
I pondered whether to add a kiss to the end of the message as we both had been doing up untilnow, but I’d noticed his didn’t have one and so that probably meant I shouldn’t either, right? Bloody hell. Why was everything so complicated? Were there books with all the rules and etiquette in them about all this stuff? If not, there damn well should be!
The family that had come in a little earlier, having now chosen several items, were approaching the desk so I quickly just pressed send andbegan putting through their purchases. Their arrival was the first in a steady stream that continued until closing time, thankfully keeping me and my overactive mind otherwise occupied for the rest of the day.
The rest of the week followed in much the same manner. When I wasn’t in the shop serving, I was in the stock room boxing up orders, and getting them sent off or liaising with suppliersand discovering new ones. This latter aspect had been something my family had been trying to build on, keen to find other cottage industries and small businesses to support.
I found I enjoyed looking out for new and exciting products, and making contact with their producers. I’d even tentatively lined up a couple of trips abroad in the new year to go and see a few of the ones I’d been talkingto. Obviously one of my brothers would have to take these as I’d have moved away again by then with the new job.
It was difficult to ignore the niggling feeling I had about how much this fact bothered me. Part of me was desperate to follow my discovery through, and I did love to travel. My brothers were already running close to maximum, and Mum and Dad had stepped back from travelling for businessa few years ago, when Dad had his heart attack.
As we sat at the long dining table one night, talking about the potential new suppliers and their products, I could see the conflict in their eyes. Everyone was keen on growing the business more, but it was clear that it was getting to a point where they’d either have to keep it at a certain level or start looking into hiring people.
The Four Seasonsshop had always been a family concern when it came to staffing, which made things easier. Discussions could be held over dinner, arguments never went too far, and most of all there was utter trust. They’d seen other companies eaten alive from within once they began to grow, and the wrong hire would make a pleasant working day into a stressful one full of people walking on eggshells. That wasnever a situation my family had wanted to get into but I could see them having to now consider the real possibility of employing someone outside of the family.
‘I could always take some holiday and do those trips before the season really got going,’ I suggested as mention was made of a wonderful new supplier I’d discovered in southern Italy.
Mum patted my hand then went back to daintily loadingher fork. ‘I’m not sure you’ll be able to fit it all in, darling, but thank you so much for offering. We do appreciate it.’
‘I could. I’m sure,’ I persisted.
‘Lex, it’s not just that trip. There’s that one to Australia, and another in the Highlands that we need to plan for,’ Dan added.
‘No, I know,’ I said, pushing my food around my plate a bit. ‘I just thought I could help … a bit.’
Dad gaveme a smile and a wink.
‘You could help out a lot if you actually committed to the business full time.’ My youngest brother, Joe, had always been the most blunt.
Feeling a little bit raw on the emotion front I had no hesitation in reading into his comment far and above what he probably meant. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ I snapped.
Joe looked at me, having just emptied a forkful of dinnerinto his mouth. ‘What I said,’ he mumbled through it.
‘Don’t speak with your mouth full, please,’ Mum admonished.
‘I’m no good at committing to anything. Is that what you’re getting at?’ I snapped.
Joe screwed up his face as he swallowed. ‘No. It wasn’t.’
‘Lexi. You’re reading too much into it. Now finish your dinner before it gets cold,’ Dad added from his end of the table.
‘Although, asyou brought it up …’ Joe raised an eyebrow at me. Dan nudged him with his elbow and I gritted my teeth, willing myself not to burst into tears. I didn’t know what had happened to me since I got back. It was like the squishy side of me had finally rebelled and now decided to make up for all the times I’d stopped myself from crying, determined not to be “girly” or show any hint of what I had somehowtwisted into a perception of weakness.
‘Don’t go blabbing about stuff you don’t understand, Joe.’
He snorted. ‘It’s not exactly rocket science, Lexi. You somehow manage to get a billionaire to go out with you –’
