Page 8 of The Best Little Christmas Shop
‘Are you sure you’re all right with those?’ Cal asked as George flopped softly against his shoulder.
‘Yes. So long as you’re not parked miles away, I’m fine.’
‘No, just down the road. Do you need to lock up or anything?’
‘No, it’s fine. Let’s just get going, shall we?’ The boxes were biting into my arms and I wasn’t about to show myself up by having to put them down again afterI’d made such a song and dance.
Cal got the door and then led the way to a relatively new Land Rover Defender. He opened the boot and between us, him still with a sleeping child in one arm, we loaded the boxes into the storage area and wedged them in with a blanket and a coat so that they didn’t tip. He closed the door and went around the side, deftly popping his son in and securing him intohis seat.
‘OK. Well, it was nice to meet you. Enjoy your purchases.’ I smiled and made to head off back to the shop.
‘Lexi?’ Cal called.
I turned and waited as he took the couple of steps towards me. There was a faint scent of aftershave now that he was close. Woody, masculine. Very him.
‘Look, I’m sorry if I snapped a bit at your offer earlier.’
‘It’s fine. I didn’t mean to cross any lines.I apologise if I did.’
‘No.’ He threw a glance back at the car, as if to check it was still there even though we were only two feet from it. ‘It’s me. I’m still pretty new to all this.’
‘All this?’ I queried.
‘People being kind, offering to help. Hell, even talking to one another for the most part.’
‘Right.’
‘I’ve hurt your feelings, which I would have felt a shit about anyway but after yourkindness today, I feel a double shit about it.’
‘Honestly. Don’t give it another thought. I’m not.’
‘I think that’s a big fib.’
I tilted my chin up in defiance. ‘It’s not, I assure you.’ I think I was quite convincing until the big swallow I did gave me away.
A glimmer of a smile fleeted across his lips. ‘That’s what I thought. Look, I … it’s hard to explain. I just didn’t want George suddenlywaking and find himself being carried along by someone he didn’t know then getting upset.’
‘It’s all right, Cal, really. You don’t have to justify anything to me.’
‘I think I do.’ He was watching me and once again the world around me seemed to melt into nothing. I’d never met anyone who could make me feel like I was the only one in the room before – even outside. And the thing was, I was prettysure he had no idea he was doing it.
I took a deep breath, and looked away, feeling it to be the safer option. ‘OK. Let’s just agree that I didn’t mean to cross a line and you didn’t mean to bite my head off and move on shall we?’
The glimmer became more of a smile. ‘I think I’d like that.’
I smiled back. ‘Me too.’
‘Now get back inside before you freeze to death and I have something else toapologise for.’
I laughed, waved, and half ran along the narrow pavement before diving back into the warmth of the shop. As I did, Matt popped his head out from the back stock room.
‘There you are. Thought you’d abandoned ship.’
‘No, not yet. Just helping a customer to the car with his purchases.’
‘Good sale?’
‘Yep. Very good actually. I threw in a wreath for free because his little boy likedthem.’
