Page 37 of The Cotswold Christmas Bookshop

‘Woah! That old?’ She laughed. ‘I know what you mean, though. You get into your late twenties and people start asking if you’re thinking of getting married, having children, all those kinds of heavy questions. I’m always like, “Mind your own business!” As you can imagine, Mum is the worst for it.’

Guy laughed. ‘I can imagine. And at the risk of doing that exact thing that you hate, have you ever come close? I mean, had any long-term relationships.’

‘Not since school and my first love. He broke my heart, and then we went our separate ways to university.’

‘The swine!’ said Guy, in a vehement exclamation of support.

‘I know, right,’ said Isla with a grin. ‘He came into the shop recently actually, with his beautiful wife and child.’ She exhaled an audible sigh. ‘I hadn’t seen him in years.’

‘Absolute swine!’ said Guy.

‘Yep,’ agreed Isla. ‘I’ve had a few short-term relationships since then, lots of dates, but nothing serious.’

Her gaze drifted off into the distance, her thoughts taken up with her almost non-existent romantic life these last few years. Normally, she wasn’t one for much introspection, or time spent mulling over her own thoughts, but losing her job had made her question all her life choices, wondering if she’d been far too focussed on her career, at the expense of everything else. She needed to find some more balance in her life.

‘What about you?’ she asked, curious to know.

‘I was a late developer,’ he admitted with a wry smile. ‘In my teens, I was too focussed on football to be interested in girls. Then when my career was over, well, before it had even started really, I went off the rails and basically just partied for a couple of years. Lots of booze, lots of girls, lots of stuff I can barely even remember. After that, once I’d got my act together, my longest relationship was for about two years, but there’s been nothing serious since.’

He hadn’t admitted to as much, but she could imagine how Guy might have broken a few hearts along the way.

‘Thanks for the coffee,’ she said, returning the cup, the warmth it had provided now long since gone as she shivered in her thick coat.

‘Come on, let’s get moving again. It’s freezing, not that it seems to bother these two.’ The dogs were still busy exploring with their noses to the ground, the scents leading them in every possibly direction, their tails held high. Isla and Guy followed them down the hill and back on the main path. ‘We should celebrate the new job, don’t you think? Let’s go for dinner or…’ He faltered for a moment. ‘Why don’t I cook for you instead? I can show you my place.’

‘That sounds inviting,’ she said, genuinely intrigued to see where he lived and if it might offer any more glimpses into his personality. The prospect of spending more time with Guy was certainly appealing. Although whether she was ready to celebrate the new job offer yet, she wasn’t certain.

24

‘So, we’ve got lasagne, garlic bread and salad,’ Diana announced proudly. ‘All your favourites,’ she said, placing a couple of serving spoons on the table. ‘Get stuck in.’

It was later the same evening and Isla was sat at the dining-room table with her parents and Jake. One of the many lovely things about everyone being at home was her mum’s wonderful cooking and the way she made those meals when they were all together an occasion, lighting a candle, putting fresh flowers on the table and using their best crockery. The aromas wafting from the food in front of them set Isla’s taste buds alight and made her realise how hungry she was. Obviously, that long walk through the countryside with Guy and the dogs had stirred her appetite.

‘How did the walk with your guy, Guy, go?’ Jake asked as he tucked into his food, clearly pleased with himself for the quip until he looked up to see Isla’s unimpressed expression.

‘What’s this,’ asked Diana. ‘Guy?’

‘Yes,’ Isla said breezily. ‘We met up for a dog walk today. He calls into the shop quite regularly because he’s been talking to Jon about the property. The flat upstairs is empty at the moment.’

Although that wasn’t the prime reason for his visits, she suspected. There was also the matter of selling the entire freehold of the building, or the business as a going concern. It had definitely gone quiet on that front. Isla wondered if Jonathan and Miriam had made any firm decisions yet.

There was also the important issue of coffee and cake time with Guy too, she thought with a smile. She would miss them when she returned to London.

‘Really, how lovely!’ Diana’s face lit up. ‘You do know he is taken, don’t you?’

‘Mum, that’s so funny! He’s a friend, that’s all, but for clarity, he’s not actually taken, as you so charmingly put it. He’s single. No wife or girlfriend. I checked that with him.’

‘Oh,’ she said, her brow furrowing. ‘I must have got confused.’

‘It wouldn’t be the first time,’ said Hugo with a quirk of his lip. He picked up his glass of red wine and took a sip, amusement in his eyes.

‘Is he… gay?’ her mum ventured.

‘No, Mum!’

‘Usually, the best ones are,’ she said mischievously. ‘Well, that’s lovely news. He’s such a dish and he’s clearly successful at what he does. He’s always so beautifully presented. So do you think you two…?’

‘Mum, no!’ Isla chided her mum, more firmly this time.