Page 48 of The Cotswolds Christmas Fair

She reached across the table, wiggling her fingers until Jen relented and gave her hand a little squeeze. When Jen tried to pull away again, Julia held her fast, her grip surprisingly strong for a sick woman. Her eyes were full of anguish.

‘I’b – I’b so glad you’re here. It’s been lovely and I – Jen, I’b so sorry about what I said that time, I was just young and stupid and I – I’b really sorry, that’s all.’ She slumped down in her seat, picking at her nail, tears trickling slowly down her cheeks. She hastily wiped them away as Amy shot her a concerned glance.

Jen’s stomach dropped. Julia was making it really hard to stay angry at her.

‘I’b OK,’ Julia said, giving a shaky smile. ‘Just this stupid cold makind me teary. But you – I’b so sorry I hurt you, you didn’t deserve it.’

Bugger. It really was impossible to stay angry at Julia when she insisted on saying things like this, and looking at her with her big teary eyes. Jen sighed. ‘Oh, I’m not—oh!’ her phone buzzed, and she almost tipped Amy onto the floor in her haste to get it out of her pocket, glad of the distraction.

Perhaps it was one of the bands or children’s DJs that she’d contacted about the Christmas fair. So far, she wasn’t having much luck – they were all either fully booked, too far away, or simply not replying to her messages.

But, if she was honest, that wasn’t what she was hoping for. She was hoping for Anthony.

And the message was from him.

Her heart was beating so fast she thought she might throw up.

Hey. Can’t wait. Dinner? x

She stared at the phone, hands shaking, relief flooding through her.

The message was brief and to the point – not what she’d expect from a writer, or from a man who’d had whole, detailed conversations with her over text. But he wanted to see her again, and that was all that mattered.

Julia frowned. ‘You OK?’

And, after Julia’s tears and apologies and kind words, Jen couldn’t resist any longer.

‘Well, something has happened . . .’

A playful light danced in Julia’s eyes, and she hurried the children into the living room with a Disney film and free access to a bag of cheese puffs. They were so shocked and thrilled by this extremely rare occurrence that they stayed quiet for a good hour.

‘Tell me everythind,’ Julia said, leaning forwards and grabbing Jen’s arm. Remarkably more cheerful now. ‘I’b a boring old married woman, I need to live through you!’

So Jen did. She told her about the meeting on the train, bumping into Anthony in the bar by chance, the connection she felt with him. His eyes, his cheekbones, his lips.

And, as they giggled over her accidentally falling into Anthony’s lap on the train and as Julia sighed and went a little dewy-eyed at hearing how Anthony had told Jen she was special, Jen felt as though she was transported back to their teens. That closeness they’d shared felt as strong as ever. As though the awkwardness of the past few years had never happened.

As though Julia had never said those things.

When Jen talked about why she’d gone to the open mic night, even though it had hardly lived up to expectations, and about the art class, Julia frowned and laughed at the same time.

‘Why are you doind that?’

‘Well, because I want to learn a bit about the things he’s interested in and the things he’s good at. You know. Nothing wrong with expanding my skills, right?’

Julia looked doubtful. ‘I suppose. So what’s your next date going to be? You going on a walk or something, you love that, don’t you? Or to the cinema to see a classic film somewhere?’

Julia’s expression was hopeful.

Jen shrugged. ‘Out for dinner, I think.’

‘How romantic. The last time Dan and I went for dinner it was at Pizza Hut. With the kids. Where are you goinb?’

But Jen didn’t know. She didn’t know what Anthony liked to eat yet.

Chapter Twenty-One

They were the youngest in Sarah’s art class by a good decade or so, and Jen was rather delighted to be feeling so youthful so soon after ticking off another year. They sat next to the woman she’d seen wearing bike leathers and the man who’d iced biscuits at the open mic. They introduced themselves as Pat and Matt.