Page 105 of The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts

Amber had privately agreed with her. She just hoped that it wouldn’t be so cold as to prevent anyone coming to the fair.

Then there was the decoration. Her idea to wind fairy lights around the trees along the riverbank sounded great, but the reality of watching Josh, Tom and Del up a ladder had made her fear that they would end up in the water again.

She smiled to herself whenever she thought about when she had first seen Josh all those weeks ago, dripping wet in the middle of the river. He had been so angry, so unhappy. And now? Well, the shop was slowly becoming more profitable. They had more customers than ever before. He was obviously pleased that the business had turned around. She was so pleased for him. The family deserved some happiness. She just wished she could be there to share it with them.

At total odds with the pain in her heart, she had begun to feel confident in herself. For the first time that she could remember, she could face strangers with a smile. She trusted her abilities. She was finally living the full life that she had so longed for. She could face anything, except losing Josh. But it would have to be done.

Once the Christmas fair was over, she would move on. It would be time to look forward to the future.

It wasn’t just Josh she would miss, though. Molly and Belle had taken her out for a couple of drinks the previous night, where there had been much sniffling and tears. They had begun to be close over the past few weeks. Amber would miss her new friends terribly. And the other villagers too. Grandma Tilly, of course. Stanley and Frank were like the grandfathers she never knew she needed. Tom was funny. Even Mike and Angie in the pub and their many arguments had grown on her. The villagers of Cranbridge had stolen her heart. And though she knew their lives would carry on as before after she’d left, she just wasn’t sure where hers was going to take her without Josh.

Despite feeling utterly miserable about Amber leaving, Josh was actually pretty positive about the business. The shop seemed to have turned a corner profit-wise, in large part thanks to the frequent coach parties that were now a daily occurrence. The Christmas fair organisation was going well and bringing in even more new suppliers. Even his mum had called to say that she was coming home with a surprise. She had been disappointed about the news that Amber was leaving but perhaps not as upset as he thought she would have been.

They hadn’t dwelt on it too much in their phone call. He didn’t want to ruin the last few days of her holiday with her best friend. Anyway, she had some kind of exciting plans for the future now apparently. They didn’t involve him, she assured him.

And so life would move on. He would have to move on. He just wasn’t convinced how he was going to do that.

Keeping busy helped. Along with all the coachloads of customers arriving, there had been a surge in other visitors into the shop. Mainly thanks to Tom placing a large editorial about the importance of local business in his newspaper. Cranbridge Stores had featured heavily with regard to the community spirit they invoked during and after the storm.

Amber had even shed a tear or two when she had read it. ‘Seasonal food,’ she’d read aloud. ‘No big corporations. Local people for local customers. All that and a tractor as well! Oh! This is so great, Tom,’ she had said, leaning over to give him a peck on the cheek. ‘I must go and show Grandma Tilly.’

Once she had left, Tom had turned to look at Josh, who was frowning at him. ‘Relax,’ he’d said. ‘It’s just my magnetic personality with the ladies. Nothing more, I promise.’

Josh knew deep down that he trusted Tom. He trusted Amber. He just didn’t like the idea of her kissing anyone who wasn’t him.

Sometimes he regretted making that first move. He had kissed her and at the time it had felt like the right thing to do. The only thing that he had ever wanted to do. He ached inside for her, but their time together was about to come to an end. And he had no way of stopping her from leaving.

44

The day of the Christmas fair dawned bright and cold. A hard frost covered the ground and made the trees glisten and sparkle. The predicted snow had stayed away despite the somewhat overcast sky.

As the low winter sun began to sink in the sky, Amber weaved her way through Riverside Lane. Normally so quiet, it was now bustling with people. Trestle tables were covered with piles of goodies to be bought.

The first stall she could see was piled high with beautiful gift boxes of home-made chocolate. The next had decorated advent candles. She could also see festive Christmas wreaths made from holly and spruce, lots of decorated fruit cakes and pretty bottles of home-made gin.

The stallholders were milling around, drinking their hot drinks and taking a peek at what everyone else was selling.

Amber realised that she’d better head back to the shop to help Josh and began to weave her way through the hundreds of people packing out the lane. She had never seen it so busy. It was even more packed than she had imagined and the fair had only just begun. She would have loved to have done a little shopping herself, but she couldn’t even get near any of the stalls, such were the customers crowding around each one.

‘Hi,’ said Molly, appearing in front of her. ‘Wow! This is amazing!’

‘I know, it’s great,’ Amber told her. ‘It’s such a success.’

‘You will come for that farewell drink with me and Belle later,’ said Molly.

‘I promise,’ said Amber, reaching out to give her arm a squeeze. ‘I’ve got to get back to the shop. I’ll see you tonight.’

Amber gave her a smile, despite her heartbreak at leaving the following day. And there were still so many goodbyes to be said, she reminded herself. One in particular that she was trying not to think about.

As she drew near to Cranbridge Stores, she looked over the bridge to where Mike and Angie had set up a couple of tables outside the pub to serve drinks. Even they appeared to be laughing and getting into the festive spirit with no sign of any arguments yet.

Amber headed up the stairs and into the shop. It too was packed with customers, not only with villagers but people from the surrounding area as well.

Everyone who came in expressed their delight at the pretty layout and home-made goods. There were a few surprised looks at the tractor as well, but everyone was positive.

With the music playing softly in the background, conversations and laughter flowed all around. Life had returned to Cranbridge Stores. Hopefully it wasn’t temporary, thought Amber.

Later in the afternoon, Josh appeared by her side. ‘I’ve got to head over to see Mike,’ he told her. ‘There’s a problem with one of the beer pumps, apparently.’