Page 26 of Christmas, Actually

‘Give me your coats.’ Nora held out a hand to Liam and Clara and they both shrugged them off. ‘It’s time for you to take your seats – good luck!’

‘I know you…’ A young girl aged around four, stared up at Liam, her rosebud mouth pinched. She held a large grey rabbit with a huge red bow tied around its neck – and it snuggled into her chest.

‘Of course you do, that’s Mr Christmas,’ her mother said, her expression harried as she patted her daughter on the arm.

‘No.’ The girl shook her head vigorously, screwed up her face and twisted her mouth mulishly. ‘I know that man and he’s not Mr Christmas. He doesn’t live in the North Pole, he lives in Hollythorpe. I think he might be⁠—’

‘Ah, well, you know I might look familiar because we probably met when I was visiting the pet shop last year,’ Liam said easily as Clara glanced over, surprised to see his cheeks had turned a fetching shade of pink. ‘Perhaps you brought your rabbit then?’

‘Nope, he’s new. My last one ran away.’ The girl shook her head again as Liam dug into the sack Joe had placed between them and pulled out a wrapped present. ‘This is a gift for…’ He frowned. ‘I’m sorry, what’s your rabbit’s name again?’

‘Thumper,’ Clara filled in because it was obvious the girl’s insistence that Liam wasn’t Mr Christmas had flustered him. ‘What a cute rabbit,’ she said, leaning closer to the pet, having decided to give him a break. Figgy chose that exact moment to sniff the girl’s coat – which was powder blue and velvet – and he let out a low moan, making the child shriek and then giggle.

‘He’s funny,’ she said, patting the dog on the head.

‘He is,’ Liam agreed. ‘My helper is especially excited about meeting you and Thumper today. If you want to take your present, you can pet him over there.’ He glanced at the girl’s mother who nodded and attempted to guide her daughter away.

‘I remember him too, he’s called Figgy!’ the girl suddenly declared, turning back to stare at Liam before she was directed away from the small stage and another child took her place. ‘You’re Charlie’s—’ she exclaimed, pointing to Liam, but the rest of her words were drowned out by the small boy’s spaniel barking excitedly.

‘Is everything okay?’ Clara whispered as Liam leaned down and petted the new dog. She glanced back at the small girl who was still pointing at Liam and shaking her head.

‘I’m all good. I’ve probably been to her house to do some electrics at some point. Sometimes people recognise me, but I try to stay in character,’ Liam said briskly as the dog’s barks intensified. ‘So, who do we have here?’ he shouted as Figgy – who clearly didn’t want to be outdone – left the young girl so he could sniff the spaniel’s fur.

‘One at a time,’ Eleanor yelled from the corner and Clara could see Ezra – who’d arrived just before the official start of the event – take a quick snap before turning the camera towards her godmother and taking a photo of her again too. Were all the pictures of Eleanor really necessary or did the bookshop owner have another reason for taking them?

Did he like her? The idea didn’t seem as crazy as it would have a few days ago.

‘He’s called Sir Barksalot,’ the child answered Liam grandly, his voice barely carrying above the barking. ‘My dad called him that, because⁠—’

‘Oh, I think I can guess,’ Liam chuckled, his humour returning as he winked. ‘What does Sir Barksalot want for Christmas?’ he asked loudly, leaning down as he tried to hear. ‘I’ll bet your parents would like a volume controller.’

Liam was good with the kids. Clara had noticed his endless patience this afternoon as they’d dealt with shyness, awkwardness and even temper tantrums when a gift had been presented to the pet and not the child. He always seemed to know the right thing to say and she admired that – admired him. Hudson didn’t like kids as a rule and had often made her leave a restaurant with him, even if one had simply been sitting quietly at a table waiting to eat. The comparison jarred and once again made her wonder what she’d been doing with the man.

‘He wants a brother for me!’ the boy shouted and when Clara looked up, she saw the boy’s mother pale.

‘Ah well…’ Liam scratched the light dusting of hair on his chin. ‘I’ll have to consult with the elves back at the North Pole. As a rule, small boys – especially babies – can be difficult to wrap.’

The boy considered him, his expression grave. ‘I suppose…’ he said reluctantly as his dog began to yap again. Liam rummaged in the sack before drawing out the spaniel’s gift. Then he watched with a smile on his face as the child took it, before taking his mother’s hand and allowing himself to be guided away.

‘You handled that well,’ Clara whispered. ‘I’ll bet his mum’s grateful you didn’t say yes.’

Liam flushed. ‘He caught me off guard.’ He cleared his throat. ‘This crowd is tougher than usual.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘Are we nearly done?’

The words were delivered with an air of humour, but Liam looked tired and it was clear the stress from the last few days had begun to catch up with him. She wondered if she should invite him to Eleanor’s this evening? Perhaps she could cook for them all? It must be difficult going back to an empty home each night. She might have just ended her relationship with Hudson – but at least she didn’t have to be alone.

Another child was guided towards them holding a small cat who stared at them. Clara leaned forward ready to introduce herself when she heard the squeak of the shop door open. Were yet more animals and people going to join the queue?

She heard Liam’s sharp intake of breath and looked up. Were Mia or his brother going to accost him again? She glanced at the entrance feeling a startling urge to protect him and saw an older woman holding the hand of a small boy. The child was clutching a plush toy – a Christmas pudding – which looked exactly like the one Figgy had lost. The woman waved and the boy beamed and Clara waved back confused.

Figgy must have noticed them too, because he let out a joyful bark and barrelled towards them, past the children and parents waiting in the queue.

‘Figgy, stop!’ Liam shouted, starting to rise.

But the dog didn’t stop until he reached the couple and Clara watched as the boy placed the toy into the dog’s mouth before leaning down to kiss the golden retriever on the nose. She turned to see Liam staring at them, his shoulders tense. ‘I⁠—’

‘You know them?’ Clara asked as dread stirred in the pit of her stomach. She wasn’t sure why, but there was something about the look on Liam’s face and the shape of the boy’s jaw. She glanced back and saw the child break away from the older woman before weaving his way through the crowd. She lost him a couple of times as he ducked under large coats or manoeuvred between pets, intent on reaching them.

‘Um, I probably should have mentioned, I’ve been meaning to…’ Liam began as the boy got to the front and immediately leapt into his arms.