Page 125 of A Christmas Celebration
‘And a little distance from your work will give you some perspective,’ Albert wisely added. ‘Come back to it again this evening with fresh eyes and a full belly and you’ll be far more productive than if you try to carry on with it now.’
Brodie wasn’t initially inclined to completely agree, buteventually relented and headed off to shower while I made tea and buttered toast.
‘There’s tea here, Brodie,’ I called through the shower room door, ‘and toast.’
‘Bring it in, will you?’ he called back. ‘I am decent.’
The sight which met my eyes when I opened the door and peered through the steam was very decent indeed. Wrapped in a low-slung towel I was treated to the admirable view of a beautiful broad chest and a deliciously toned torso. I had a desire to run my fingers down it as Brodie roughly rubbed his hair until it was almost dry.
‘There you go,’ I said, resting the mug and plate on top of the laundry hamper. ‘Don’t be too long.’ I swallowed, struggling to keep my empty hands to myself. ‘Otherwise, we’ll never get to the front of the queue for a ride in the sleigh.’
Brodie grinned and turned to face the sink which didn’t help quell my desire at all as his muscular back and defined waist looked every bit as perfect as his front.
‘Happy Christmas to me,’ I wistfully sighed and Brodie laughed.
I laughed too and quickly stepped out of the door to find Albert waiting.
‘Everything all right in there?’ he asked, with his eyebrows raised and sounding like a stern old-school headmaster.
‘Yes,’ I squeaked. ‘Everything very all right. I was just taking Brodie his breakfast.’
‘That’s all right then,’ he said, with a smile. ‘Now, comeon, Brodie!’ he called. ‘There’s a bag of hot chestnuts up at the hall with my name on it!’
Sunday was even busier than Saturday and we took our time looking at everything the Winter Wonderland had to offer. Brodie had begun the expedition wearing a bit of a thundercloud expression, and muttering about needing to get back, in spite of the smile he had given me in the shower room, but as the morning progressed, he started to unbend and relax a bit. Finally, after a glass of his brother’s excellent mulled wine, served by a very content looking Tilly, brooding Brodie was banished and my much happier beau had popped up in his place.
‘A sleigh ride next,’ I said, rubbing my gloved hands together in anticipation of the Wonderland highlight. ‘And look, the queue’s not too long.’
‘You young things go and enjoy that,’ said Albert, ‘and I’m going to take a breather with Catherine in the morning room.’
Right on cue, my godmother appeared, wrapped in a stunning shawl and with her hair in an elegant wispy bun. She looked as if she could have stepped straight out of the pages of a Forster novel.
‘Come along then, Albert,’ she said, offering him her arm. ‘Let’s go and warm up inside, shall we?’ Then, sensing my disappointment added, ‘I’ve booked a ride in the sleigh for the two of us a little later, Paige, so don’t worry. Albert won’t miss out.’
Their time together had obviously been pre-arrangedand I loved that the two of them had been in touch since Albert’s initial visit to the hall and that he was forging lasting connections with my godparents. I knew there would be no chance of him slipping back into his former frugal ways with the Connellys keeping an eye on him and if Brodie moved into the cottage full-time that would be even better.
I watched the pair walk away and a sigh escaped my lips.
‘Penny for them?’ Brodie asked, pulling me back to the present.
I looked up into his handsome face and felt my heartrate quicken.
‘I was just thinking what a comfort it is to know that Albert is going to be looked after so well should I have to…’ My words trailed off.
If my seed of an idea about what I could do with my life next did germinate there was going to be every chance that I wouldn’t be leaving Wynbridge in the new year, so why upset the apple cart by mentioning the possibility of it?
‘Should you have to what?’ Brodie frowned.
‘Take on more festive deliveries and have less time to check in with him,’ I blagged.
‘I think he’s more than capable of looking after himself again now.’ Brodie smiled down at me. ‘And,’ he happily added, ‘I’ve decided I’m definitely moving in with him, so you won’t have to worry about him no matter how many deliveries you have to make. How do you feel about that?’
‘Ecstatic!’ I told him, giving him a hug. ‘Althoughgiven the amount of time you’ve been spending in the studio recently, I was beginning to think you already had moved in.’
‘I suppose I pretty much have,’ Brodie laughed, ‘but I’ve still got the rest of my stuff to shift from Jack’s place.’
I said I’d help him move his things as soon as he was ready and we joined the queue for the sleigh rides. The trip turned out to be even more exhilarating than I expected.
‘It feels much faster than it looks when you’re watching it go around, doesn’t it?’ I laughed as Mick treated Brodie and I to a second lap and tendrils of hair escaped from under my hat and whipped around my face.
