Page 96 of The Best Little Christmas Shop
‘Dinner’s ready!’ she hollered in a voice that belied her delicatestature and build. It still amazed me that this slight and very feminine woman had produced men the size of my brothers. I’d got my build from Mum but the grease monkey side of me was all Dad.
Cal was next to me. My family were not only generous, but also had a wide streak of persistence.
With dinner and pudding demolished and the kitchen now looking like a small war had taken place in it, Mumand I returned to the dining room bearing a very large birthday cake. I’d tucked my hair down the back of my dress so that it didn’t dangle in any of the thirty-four candles as we placed it carefully in front of Joe.
‘Make a wish, darling!’ Mum chirped, landing a big kiss on her youngest boy’s temple as she said it.
Joe grinned, and laughed at some of the suggestions being helpfully offeredas to what he should wish for. I slanted my eyes to Cal for a moment and saw the joy in his face at being a part of it all. Returning my gaze to Joe, I watched as he cast a glance at Dan and Claire before returning his focus to the cake. With an enormous breath, Joe blew out every single candle. I knew exactly what he’d wished for. I only hoped that it came true.
Despite its size having requiredtwo of us to lift it, the cake was nearly now all gone and so was much of the wine, which accounted for the fact the volume had kicked up another notch or two. Looking down the table to where the kids were all sat, George seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself and as Cal’s deep laugh burst next to me at the conversation he was immersed in with Matt, I guessed Cal was too. Across from me, Joeand Dan had inevitably turned the conversation to cars and racing and having dealt with touring cars and rallying, had now moved on to Formula One.
‘You know it’s a pain in the bum not having any inside gossip any more, Lex.’
I gave them a quick eyebrow raise. ‘Sorry about that.’
‘Don’t you know anything about what’s going on? Who might be the team to back this year?’
‘You should back theteam you choose because you support them, not just because they’re winning.’
‘When you’re having a little flutter on the championship that thinking – although noble – isn’t exactly the best strategy.’
‘Oh, Joseph, you know I don’t like you betting.’ Mum frowned at him.
‘It’s just one thing, Mum. I do it every year for a bit of fun. That’s all.’
‘I guess there’s no point betting on Marco Benoitto win the driver’s championship again though,’ Joe said.
I felt Cal’s eyes on me for a moment as I squished up some cake crumbs on my plate with a fork.
‘You don’t reckon he’ll do it again then?’ Dan asked.
‘Bit hard if he isn’t even driving.’
‘You think he’s definitely retiring then?’
‘That’s what the rumour mill is saying. Nothing’s actually been announced yet but according to some ofthe sites, he’s quitting driving and starting up his own team. Been cherry-picking the top staff from other teams to join him.’
Dan looked over. ‘Any of that true, Lex?’
I rolled my eyes. ‘I’ve told Joe before half of the stuff on those sites is just made up.’
‘Which means half of it isn’t,’ he countered. ‘So is it?’
‘What?’
‘True?’
I shrugged.
Dan and Joe each gave me one of those looksthat can only ever be exchanged between siblings.
‘So, when you met him for lunch the other day, he didn’t tell you anything or offer you a job?’ Joe asked.
Beside me I felt Cal stiffen. When I didn’t answer, Dan prompted me. ‘Did he then? Offer you a job?’
I took a swig of wine in an effort to stall and seem casual about it all. Which ordinarily I would have done. In fact, ordinarily I wouldhave been doing cartwheels at an opportunity like Marco had offered me. But something had changed since I’d been home, and none of the decisions I was making seemed to feel as right as they should. I’d caught the look on my mum’s face when Joe had asked if Marco had offered me a job. All of which meant that I was now feeling the very opposite of calm and casual. Shit.
The chatter from the adultshad now subsided and pretty much everyone was looking at me, waiting for a reply. Everyone except Cal. He had his head down and was studying the pattern on the plate with the intensity of a man memorising it for forgery purposes.
