‘Jacob, check this out, buddy.’ Dylan hoisted his son up into his arms so he could see the train circling the base of the Christmas tree near the entrance to the Inglenook Falls Christmas market. The town was less than forty minutes out of Stamford and this was the first year the market had been held. Ruby had found an article in the local news magazine and she’d put a huge reminder in luminous green pen on the calendar to come along today and see what it was like. And after the kids had spent last night with their mom, it was lovely to do something so special with them. It’d been the second item on the agenda this morning after they’d dumped their sleepover bags… first was opening their advent calendars and devouring the hidden chocolate inside.
The crowds were bigger today than Dylan had expected and Jacob was already tetchy at being among so many people. Whenever he was in a crowd made up largely of adults, he’d get upset and cry that he was in the land of giants. The train track served as the perfect distraction, and although Dylan couldn’t see it, he knew by the sounds coming from Jacob that a smile had replaced his son’s frown.
‘Can you see, Ruby?’ Dylan asked his daughter.
‘Yep.’ A little voice came from beside him where she’d found a gap between two adults and already squeezed on in there.
‘What’s next?’ Ruby tugged at his arm when they’d watched the train for a few minutes and her kiddie attention span reached its limit. Dylan suspected Jacob could’ve watched for hours, safe from the giants.
They walked across the field that had been transformed into Inglenook Falls’ first annual Christmas market, which would run right through to a few days before Christmas. Dylan had never been to a craft market before, but with the cold nipping at their noses and the wafts of mulled cider, gingerbread and roasting chestnuts spilling out from the Swiss-chalet-like huts, this was something else. There were stalls selling hats and scarves, one selling handmade jewellery, another with kids’ toys, a carousel all lit up with ponies prancing up and down with delighted kids on top, and more food stalls than he could take a guess at.
The kids spotted the carousel the same time he did, and he paid the money at the booth, settled Ruby and Jacob on the horses, and watched them go round. He’d never tire of hearing those giggles, those innocent yelps of fun mixed with the cold air, the sounds of childhood he’d remember forever.
‘Hot dogs!’ Jacob made a beeline for the stall the second he hopped off his brightly painted pony. His nose sought out his favourite meal between the giants surrounding them.
‘Come on then. Call it an early dinner, shall we?’ Dylan watched his son have no hesitation at battling his way through the crowds when food was on offer, and Jacob ran over to the stall and promptly garbled out his own order. Dylan grabbed a hotdog for Ruby—no ketchup—a hotdog with the works for himself, and they walked along the pathway created by the Swiss chalet market stalls as they ate.
‘That was good.’ Dylan tossed his napkin in the trash first, steadied Jacob’s hand before he lost his sausage from the bun to the floor, and gave Ruby some change to buy two cans of soda.
‘That’s what we need.’ Dylan pointed over to the stall after the kids had finished their drinks. ‘Make your own ornaments,’ he read out loud. ‘We buy one every year, how about we make one this year instead?’
A chorus of ‘yay’ erupted and soon after they joined the line, Dylan looked around him, soaking up the atmosphere, and that was when he saw her. The woman with wavy blonde hair, the woman he hadn’t been able to put out of his mind.
He lifted a hand to wave and breathed a sigh of relief when Cleo returned the gesture. But she seemed hesitant when he beckoned her over. Did she expect to see Prue here?
When Cleo froze on the spot, the kids asked who he was waving at.
‘That lady over there,’ he explained.
‘With the loopy earrings?’ Trust Ruby to notice the jewellery. She was desperate to have her ears pierced but he’d make her wait for years yet.
‘That’s the one.’ Still Cleo didn’t move. ‘How about I hold our place in the line and you go over and get her, Ruby?’
‘Okay.’ No qualms, his daughter went over and seconds later Cleo was at his side.
‘How are you?’ He tried to ignore Ruby looking questioningly up at him and then Cleo, her gaze darting between both their faces.
‘I’m fine,’ Cleo answered. ‘Busy with the store, you know.’
The store he was taking away from her. ‘Have you decided what you want to do?’
‘Not really.’
‘You have a store?’ Ruby didn’t miss a thing. ‘What does it sell? Where is it? Can I come and see it?’
‘Whoa, slow down there, Ruby.’ Dylan ruffled his daughter’s blonde hair, curly today after her mom had done something to it last night involving hair bands, or ties, he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that she had curly hair today and was enjoying the change.
‘What’s your name?’ Ruby persisted.
‘I’m Cleo. It’s nice to meet you, Ruby.’ Cleo took off her glove and extended her hand to his daughter’s. Her slender fingers wrapped around Ruby’s and he couldn’t help but smile. Ruby was often wise beyond her years but he was reminded of her age when an adult dwarfed her tiny frame, her tiny limbs and hands. ‘And you’re welcome to visit my store one day if you’d like.’
‘You sound different.’ Jacob braved talking to this stranger.
‘That’s because I’m from England.’
‘My Uncle William lives in England,’ said Ruby. ‘He’s marrying a real English lady.’
Cleo smiled at his kids but wouldn’t meet his gaze. ‘Is that so?’
