Page 111 of The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts

‘Not particularly, Mum,’ he said. Then he reached out to take Amber’s hand in his. ‘But please leave me in control of my love life from now on.’

‘So, is anyone going to show me around my shop?’ asked Cathy.

Josh raised his eyebrows.

Cathy laughed. ‘OK.Yourshop.’

‘I’ll let Grandma Tilly do that,’ said Josh, glancing down at his wet clothes. ‘We need to get changed.’

‘Isn’t it marvellous what they’ve achieved?’ said Amber’s mum, looking around at the crowds milling around in Riverside Lane.

‘It feels like a village again,’ said Grandma Tilly.

As Josh led Amber away, he told her, ‘They’re right. It feels like home again. And it’s all down to you.’

She squeezed his hand as they walked up the steps and into the shop. ‘I seem to remember that you were right beside me the whole time, so you can take some of the blame as well.’

He stopped to draw her into his arms. ‘Mostly I was unpacking boxes,’ he said, smiling down at her.

‘Or sitting in the middle of the river,’ she said as his head dropped down to hers.

‘That too,’ he murmured, as their lips met.

And as they kissed once more, outside on Riverside Lane, the snow finally began to fall.

47

It was the last weekend before Christmas and the shop was all ready for the last-minute rush.

‘It looks great,’ Josh told Amber as he looked around.

She followed his gaze and had to agree with him. All the shelves were packed with daily necessities, as well as a wide range of home-made goods ready for the festive celebrations. Boxes of chocolates and Christmas cakes jostled for space alongside wrapping paper and Christmas cards. A row of ruby red poinsettias were lined up on the bonnet of the tractor. Below, in the various crates, potatoes, Brussel sprouts, carrots and parsnips were piled high waiting to be peeled for Christmas dinner.

The Christmas music played on the radio and the fairy lights twinkled on the oak beams that crossed the ceiling.

‘Do you think we’ve forgotten anything?’ she asked.

Josh shook his head. ‘You’re joking,’ he told her. ‘There’s no room for anything else in here.’

Thankfully the shop was no longer the chaotic mess it had been when she had first arrived. Everything was organised and in place despite the shelves bursting with goods.

‘Yep. I think we’ve covered every shopping requirement,’ she said, smiling.

‘Absolutely,’ he said, laughing. ‘Cranbridge Stores. Everything you never knew that you needed!’

‘Oh! I like that!’ she told him, her eyes gleaming. ‘We should put that on a sign outside!’

‘I was joking,’ he said, stepping forward to draw her into his arms.

‘I’m not,’ she said, looking up at him. For a second, she couldn’t breathe, such was the love she felt for him. He continued to have that effect on her, each and every day.

A smile played on his lips as he leaned forward, a gleam in his eyes that was full of intention.

The bell rang out over the front door and he reluctantly let go of her. Josh rolled his eyes before walking away.

‘Good morning,’ said Tom, heading through the shop.

‘Good morning,’ said Amber, smiling. ‘Coffee?’