Page 65 of The Christmas Star

As we took a seat, he pulled out his mobile and began to research our accommodation options. ‘There aren’t many choices,’ he said. ‘Not looking at this.’

I stuffed my hands into my pockets and sighed. ‘If someone had told me a few days ago, I’d be spending Christmas Day night, in the south of France, with a gorgeous man, this is not what I would have imagined.’

Theo paused what he was doing. ‘So I’m gorgeous, am I?’

I smiled. ‘In my defence I am overdue an eye test.’

Theo chuckled as he got back to his googling while I got out my phone and signed into Mum’s TikTok to see if she’d posted an update.

‘Any news?’ Theo asked.

‘Nope,’ I replied, putting my phone away again. ‘They’re obviously having way too much fun to think of their viewers. What about you? Found anything?’

Nodding, he put his mobile to his ear. ‘Cross your fingers.’

I sat in silence desperately praying for someone to pick up, but as the ring tone evidently continued, Theo had no choice but to end the call. Watching him dial a second number, I thought back to the previous evening when I’d dreaded the prospect of sleeping in a bona fide stable. With things not looking good on the hotel front, I’d have willingly spent my Christmas Day night on a hay bale snuggled next to a donkey. Especially when the only alternative was sleeping upright in Theo’s Smart car.

I glanced at the houses around us. ‘Mum and Jackson could be in any one of these properties,’ I said. ‘They could be enjoying a post-concert night cap with Gisèle and her family. A door could open any second and they could appear ready for the walk back to their hotel.’

‘That would be way too easy,’ Theo said.

I let out a laugh. Thanks to the way things were going, I couldn’t have agreed more. I rested my head against Theo’s shoulder and putting an end to his second attempt at securing us a bed, he manoeuvred his free arm and wrapped it around me.

‘There’s one place left to try,’ he said, making a third call. Theo suddenly let go of me and jumped to his feet. ‘Bonjour, madame.’

My spirits lifted, but while he walked up the street as he talked, I was too cold to move. Letting Theo get on with it, I was tired after the day’s excitement, and I closed my eyes happy to enjoy a moment’s calm. Thinking I was imagining it, I heard a dog bark and someone call out my name.

‘Erin.’

I felt someone’s hand on my arm and my eyes flashed open.

‘What are you doing here?’

‘Mum?’ Confused, I wondered if I was seeing things.

‘And you think you can tell me off for sitting on a bench in the cold,’ she said.

My gaze went from her to Jackson to Roma who, tail up, sniffed at the ground. Overwhelmed with relief, I jumped to my feet and threw my arms tight around Mum. ‘Thank you, Lord,’ I said. Tears welled in my eyes, and reaching out, I pulled Jackson close too. ‘The worry you two have caused.’

‘Great news.’ Theo called out. ‘We’ve got somewhere.’ He slowed in his step as if assessing who I was talking to. ‘Jackson?’ he asked as realisation dawned. He suddenly raced towards us while at the same time, Jackson scooped up Roma and ran to his dad. The two of them embraced in a heartfelt bear hug, with poor Roma squashed somewhere in-between them. ‘What happened to Christmas just the two of us?’ Theo asked as they, at last, let go of each other.

Jackson kicked at the ground as if not sure what to say.

‘Come here.’ Theo grabbed his son and pulled him into another embrace.

‘Call me daft,’ Maeve said. ‘But again, I have to ask what you’re doing here?’

I stared at Mum, incredulous. ‘What kind of question is that? You didn’t really expect us to sit around at home, did you? We’ve been worried sick.’

Maeve sat down on the bench; the joy she’d exuded in her videos nowhere to be seen.

‘Oh, Mum. I’m sorry.’ I took a seat next to her. ‘I don’t want to upset you or spoil your fun. I just want to understand why you didn’t tell me about any of this.’

‘Because you’d have said I was daft and viewed it as yet another reason to put me in a home. Or taken over, because heaven forbid, I’m capable of undertaking a simple trip by myself. Before I knew it, you’d be telling me when I was coming and how I was getting here. Which hotels I’m staying in and for how long.’

‘There’s nothing wrong with being organised.’

‘You’re right, there isn’t. But it would have turned into your trip, Erin, not mine. Meeting up with Gisèle would’ve been something to squeeze in. Not the reason for being here.’