Page 93 of New Beginnings on Railway Lane

She and Ryan wrapped up in their winter layers and headed out hand in hand on the slippery paths. When they returned, with glowing cheeks from the cold and bruised lips from the many kisses, they enjoyed a piece of Ryan’s delicious iced Christmas cake.

Later on, they played Monopoly, where Ethan cheated and everyone else let him.

As the evening drew to a close, they left Bob and Eddie to wend their weary ways up to bed.

‘That was a really lovely day,’ Katy told the brothers as they headed back.

Once back at the apartment, Ethan checked his phone. ‘I have many girlfriends to text back. Who shall I choose first? Perhaps I’ll go alphabetically.’

Katy shook her head in mocking derision. She knew that Ethan wasn’t a bad person, but he was extremely cynical about love. Perhaps she had been like that once, but everything had changed since she had arrived in Cranfield.

They wished him goodnight and then it was just Katy and Ryan alone.

They stood in the darkness of the lounge and, as if drawn together by some invisible magnetic threat, they stepped forward and into each other’s arms.

Their mouths met almost instantly and Katy was lost in his embrace.

‘You’ve swept into my life and everything’s changed,’ he murmured into her hair when they finally stopped kissing.

‘For the better, I hope,’ she whispered, reaching up to stroke his face.

He looked down at her. ‘Definitely. I feel like I’m coming back to life again.’

She smiled at him, anxious not to get too serious after such a wonderful day. ‘Maybe it’s just the Christmas spirit,’ she said, glancing over at the tree twinkling in the corner of the room. ‘Or your grandad’s large measures of gin.’

‘Maybe it’s you.’

She looked up at him.

‘And maybe you should stay and see how great the village is the rest of the year, even after Valentine’s Day is over,’ he added, stroking her hair.

‘Don’t,’ she murmured, drawing into him a little closer. ‘We can’t always get everything we want. Not even at Christmas.’

With a groan, he pulled her close to him once more. ‘Why not?’

‘Because real life isn’t like that,’ she told him, before kissing him.

Not only because she didn’t want him to question her further, but because she couldn’t stop herself from wanting more and more of him. Perhaps forever.

But she forced herself to stay in the here and now. Because a future without Ryan was too heartbreaking to think about.

50

After a very merry New Year’s Eve spent in the Black Swan Inn with their family and friends, Katy and Ryan allowed themselves New Year’s Day off at home to relax and draw strength for the extremely busy weeks ahead of them.

They also had to bid farewell to Ethan as he left to go to America for his next contract. Katy was sad to see him leave and knew that Ryan was feeling the loss as well. Thankfully Ethan had promised to return for the grand opening of the railway carriage accommodation over Valentine’s Day weekend.

With so much still to do, as soon as the holidays were over, it was full steam ahead.

‘I’m not sure I’ve got time for this,’ Katy told the girls when they arrived for coffee one morning in Platform 1.

‘Is Ryan such a hard taskmaster that he won’t let you have any time off?’ murmured Flora.

Libby laughed. ‘Are you kidding? I don’t think Ryan’s in charge around here, is he?’

Katy glanced over her shoulder, but thankfully Ryan was over at the railway carriage talking to a local electrician. ‘Most definitely not,’ she said with a wink.

The others broke into a grin.