Page 51 of The Best Little Christmas Shop
‘Don’t hmm me. Think about it.’
‘What?’
‘Cal likes you. You like Cal.’
‘Which is exactly why I’m not going to mess it up.’
The bell above the shop door tinkled and a group of pensioners began trailing in. The village withits chocolate box cottages, pale-stone-walled houses, and tall-spired church along with the assortment of individual shops made it a prime stop on several tourist routes.
‘I’ve got to go. A coach just dropped off.’
‘That’s convenient.’
‘Convenient but true.’
‘Fine.’ Giselle laughed. ‘But don’t think this conversation is over.’
‘I can live in hope though, right?’
‘You’re really quite impossiblesometimes.’
‘I know. It’s why you love me. I’m a challenge. Really got to go. Talk to you later. Love you! Bye.’
‘Love you too, and the bump is waving.’
‘Bye, bump!’ I called before pressing the end call button.
Tucking the phone back into the pocket of my jeans, I sat back and smiled at the customers filing in. A gust of the cold wind they were sheltering from blew across me as the last oneclosed the door behind them but the shop was cosy and snug and as I listened to the festive music playing softly I suddenly realised that I was happier than I’d been in a very long time. It wasn’t that I’d been unhappy at work. I’d loved my job. But I hadn’t realised how much other things truly meant to me until I was back immersed in them, finally able to appreciate and enjoy them properly.
And now there was something else to appreciate. The addition of Cal Martin and the gorgeous George in my life. If I let myself drift off into la-la land then yes, maybe I did want more from Cal. There was no doubt that just being near that man set off feelings that had been happily lying dormant for quite some time. And I wasn’t a nun, for goodness’ sake. But it was better this way, for everyone.
Cal was lovely. Really lovely. It would have been so easy to take that chance like Giselle said but I knew from experience getting swept along by things might be romantic, but it wasn’t always the best option. And letting myself get swept along by Cal Martin was only going to end badly. It was too quick. Too complicated. Too … perfect. And when something’s too perfect, it usually has a way ofturning around and showing itself to be quite the opposite.
***
The coach party had cleared out and we’d made some substantial sales. I’d seen various members of my family as they dipped in and out with deliveries, collections, information, and just to say hi, and check up on me. Whatever my age, I don’t think I was ever going to be thought of as anything but the baby of the family. I had mysuspicions that the extra attention was partly because it was such a novelty for me to be home for this length of time.
Everyone knew about the job offer I’d received – and because they were my family they also knew I wasn’t as excited as I might have been. Taking a step back down the ladder, and a pay cut wasn’t exactly what I’d planned for getting back into things but it had taken me monthsto even get that so I knew I should be grateful. And I was. So, if I was grateful, why wasn’t I excited?
My phone rang, distracting me from my ponderings. Cal’s name and a cute picture of him and George lit up on my screen. I smiled without thinking.
‘Hi!’
‘Hey. Just checking you were all recovered from your long day yesterday and not face down in the mistletoe.’
‘No. That was earlier.’
He laughed and my smile widened.
It felt so right, just chatting with him. Natural. And I knew that if I let it, anything else that followed would feel just the same – so, so right. But it wasn’t. Cal was settled here and he had a child to consider. I couldn’t go mucking about with that, especially if I was going to be leaving again after Christmas. Assuming I took the job. Which I would. Obviously.Most probably.
In the background, I heard George call his dad, and he told him he’d be there in a moment.
‘Sorry.’
‘Don’t worry about it.’
‘I had a great day with you yesterday.’
