Page 25 of The Best Little Christmas Shop
They smiled and nodded and handed over the basket they’d filled between them.
‘We should be going,’ Cal said, with a half-smile at me.
I didn’t want him to go justyet. George seemed pale but a little brighter and as silly and unexpected as it felt, I’d begun to realise that the more often he and George came into the shop, the more I looked forward to it. Cal glanced down at his son who was now peering at the lollipop porcupine.
‘Do you want to help me with these, George?’ I asked, nodding at the ladies’ purchases.
George looked round at me, his littleface still pale. He gave a watery smile and plodded over to the desk.
‘I’m having trouble wrapping these up. Would you mind giving me a hand?’
‘OK.’
I quickly bent and hefted him up onto the desk so that his legs dangled over the edge.
‘Right. So if I fold the paper here, would you be able to hold it whilst I put some sticky tape on it?’
George nodded and we did a couple of the ladies’ parcels,passing idle chat with them about the weather, their upcoming plans for Christmas and the New Year, and anything else random I could think of in an attempt to distract them. I could already see the gossip forming in their brains from the partly overheard conversation, as well as from the simple fact that the Prodigal Daughter was now back in the village and, with one broken engagement behindher, was now chatting with perhaps the most good-looking man in the entire county.
From the corner of my eye, I saw the odd surreptitious glance being sent Cal’s way and could only hope he hadn’t noticed. From the conversations we’d had, and from the odd snippet I’d heard from Giselle, Cal Martin was a pretty private man and making himself the target of extra gossip, even if it was innocent,probably wasn’t high on his To-Do list. I was used to it all but Cal hadn’t grown up here and I didn’t want it to be a reason for him to stop coming in.
I’d actually been telling the truth that first day when I told him their visit had brightened my day. Even though I wasn’t about to get sucked into Giselle and Xander’s imaginings about what Cal Martin’s interests might be, I couldn’t deny thatI looked forward to seeing him.
I turned my attention back to George who was now participating but his pale and wan face looked a little fed up. I knew he loved the shop and all the toys and unusual items we had that he was allowed to explore and touch but, like any five-year-old boy, he would clearly much rather be out in the snow with his friends. I caught his eye and gave him a smile as Isnapped some tape off the dispenser. He did his best to return it and my heart went all squishy. I got him to hold the edges of the wrapping paper and on the next fold, I stuck the tape right over the end of his fingers.
‘Oh no! Oh dear! Look at that! You’re all stuck to it too. It looks like these lovely ladies have got more than they planned with their Christmas shopping … although I’m notsure I’ve got a bag quite big enough to pop you in! Let me see here …’
George began to giggle as I pretended to look under the desk for a bag.
‘Nooooo! Lexi! I’m not for sale!’ He swung his legs a little as he giggled and Cal’s large hand quickly moved and provided a buffer between the toe of George’s welly and my cheekbone.
I stood up, surprise on my face, exchanging the quickest of thank-youglances with Cal as I did so.
‘You’re not?’ I said, shock in my voice.
‘No!’ George replied, his voice giggly. ‘Of course, I’m not!’
‘Oh dear. I’m so sorry, ladies. It looks like we’ll have to keep him here.’
‘Oh no, what a shame!’ They joined in the game and George giggled some more as I finished off wrapping the last purchase and processing the transaction. I handed them the gift bags containingtheir goodies, and we all waved them off out of the shop. Neither Cal, nor I missed the slight glance they cast between us as they pulled the door closed behind them and headed out into the damp street.
‘Come on, pest. Let’s get you home and tucked up.’ Cal effortlessly scooped his son up with one arm.
‘Can I just look at the sleigh quickly, Daddy?’
Cal plopped George down on the floor. ‘Twominutes.’
His son nodded, crossed the shop, and began investigating the sleigh Matt had built as another novel way of displaying stock. Within moments, he had climbed aboard and was busily amusing himself by having a long conversation with the oversized teddy driving it.
Cal leant back against the desk, and grinned down at me.
‘What?’
‘You. This place. But mostly you.’
‘Oh dear. What haveI done now? If it’s about earlier, when I said about surprising you with what I know, I didn’t mean …’
Cal raised an eyebrow, waiting.
