Page 61 of Mistletoe and Mulled Wine at the Christmas Campervan

‘Umm, thanks but no, it’s something I need to tell her myself.’

His shoulders sagged, and he felt deflated. There wasn’t much he could do right now … After all, how was Lucy to know he’d gone and had some kind of relationship epiphany?

He got back into Ruby and drummed his fingertips on the steering wheel. Lucy hadn’t even mentioned where she might be … And this felt like a conversation they needed to have in person; he couldn’t risk any crossed wires over a text message. He cursed himself, what a jerk he’d been.

Tomorrow, he’d put it all right tomorrow.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Lucy and Becky were at Oscar’s wine bar for a girlie afternoon, catching up over cake, coffee and no doubt very soon a little festive fizz. Just the one glass for Lucy, who was driving, having a busy day ahead tomorrow with a fortieth birthday bash event to cater for. This was the girls’ annual last-minute Christmas ‘shopping’ trip – though in all honesty there was never very much shopping involved. It was more a chance to enjoy the Alnwick Christmas lights, soak up the small-town festive feels, and to unwind a little. Settled in a cosy corner booth, with a few last-minute stocking fillers at their feet, Becky asked, ‘So, how’s life been these past couple of weeks? How’s it all going with the party pizza van? And with Jack …?’

‘Ah …’ Where on earth to begin? She hadn’t even broached the latest saga with her and Jack to Becks, hoping he might yet come to his senses. ‘It’s been busy,’ Lucy thought it best to stick with the work angle, being safer ground. ‘Yeah, and I’ve loved doing all the Christmas markets and fayres these past few weeks.’ She really had, but her voice dipped a little remembering the castle fayre and the horrid fall-out with Jack. The gaping chasm that was in fact still between them.

‘Oh, I bet it’s been fun. Much nicer than being stuck in an office …’

‘Well, it’s certainly very different. Has its challenges, but yeah, it’s been a good move.’

‘And hey, I can’t believe it was Liam who did that to your tyres. What an idiot! How the hell did he think that would help worm his way back into your life?’

Lucy had phoned her friend, telling her all about it. ‘I know, crazy isn’t it. At least I can relax again back in my village.’

‘Yeah. Who’d have thought, hey? Love, or more likely in Liam’s case jealousy, can make you do crazy things.’

Lucy shrugged as Becky shook her head. Love really was a whole damned crazy ball game.

The two of them sipped their frothy cappuccinos, sprinkled with a touch of cinnamon, and munched on slices of moist chocolate-orange cake. They’d also lined up a crisp buttery-baked mince pie each. Well, it was the season for mince pies and merriment.

‘Anyway, how about you, Becks? Any luck with finding a new job as yet?’

As Becky had guessed, the company she worked for had given her her notice, having had to make some redundancies and, unfortunately, she found herself back on the employment register just in time for Christmas. She was trying her best not to let it get her down. ‘Been for a couple of interviews. Just got to keep on trying, keep ploughing on.’

‘Oh, good luck.’

‘Well, the one at the travel agents sounds really good, and the lady interviewing me was lovely. So, fingers crossed.’

‘Aw, I hope it comes off for you, Becks. You never know, you might get some good news and a new dream job really soon. You might even get some holiday discounts. A new start for New Year, eh?’ Lucy was determined to keep her friend’s spirits up.

‘Yeah, let’s hope so. Anyway,’ Becky changed tack, ‘How’s lover boy lately?’

‘Ah, he’s fine. It’s all fine …’ Lucy’s tone was undeniably flat.

‘Fine …? Uh-oh Luce, that sounds a bit dodgy. It should be happy days for you two … still in that first flush. He’s not giving you grief already, is he?’ Becky frowned exaggeratedly.

‘Uhm …’ Lucy floundered. Maybe it was time to open up. Time to share her feelings, voice her concerns. She’d been holding so much back. ‘Ah, Becks, it’s a bit of a nightmare, actually. He’s been pretty closed off for a while now. And well, I’d told you about us getting snowed in at the castle … and it should have been lovely, it was such a romantic place … but ah, he’d seen Liam coming out of my house that morning – that day when I found out about the tyres and all that malarkey, but Jack’s put two and two together and now he thinks there’s something going on between us. I can’t seem to get him to see sense. That Liam’s the last person I want to be around right now.’ Her voice went quiet as she confessed, ‘He’s actually mentioned having some space …’

Lucy paused, expecting the ‘I told you so’ from her friend, but it didn’t come. Becky just looked at her with a concerned frown.

‘It’s not all bad. It’s only this past couple of weeks things have started going wrong. We’ve had some amazing times together …’ Lucy was desperate for her friend to know the positives. ‘When it’s good, we just click, like really click. And it’s not just the sex, though that’s been pretty fantastic …’

A middle-aged lady at the next table spluttered into her peppermint tea.

‘Okay, enough,’ Becky giggled.

‘Yeah, just the other week, we watched the sun rise over the beach at Dunstanburgh, and it seemed so damned right … so perfect between us. But this week, and at the castle do …’ It was all starting to spill out now. ‘Well, he seems like a different person. It’s like some kind of shutter comes down … every time we begin to get close. I just don’t get it.’

Becky paused, thinking, before replying, ‘Well, the Liam thing, seeing him leave your cottage, that’d hit anyone hard.’

‘But there’s nothing in that. I just need to convince Jack that he wangled his way in that day. I can’t stand the bloody guy.’