Page 76 of The Secret Holiday Kiss

‘So give up your lease,’ she whispered. ‘If May is happy for you to be here, and you want to be here, then what’s keeping you there?’

His pause was so long, Daisy wondered if he was just going to refuse to answer. But then he said, ‘a few loose ends’ and, before she could reply, or ask him what they were, he kissed her. It was slow and gentle to start with, but then he tipped her chin up, changing the angle, his hips pressing into hers.

Daisy didn’t want to be distracted, she wanted to get to the bottom of this, but it felt like running up against a brick wall again and again. She needed a new tactic, but that tactic couldn’t involve asking Avery, so she figured it was OK to put it aside for now and make the most of the time she had with him. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him more firmly on top of her, and returned his kiss. She wasn’t going to stop worrying about him, she would simply uncover his secret a different way.

Chapter Twenty-four

‘So, we’ve got Owen, the carpenter, coming in on Monday to construct your counter, to get all the larger items in place. You’re good to go with that?’ Daisy looked around the café. Everything had been stripped back so it was ready for its new look.

Lars was leaning against the wall, gazing out at the bustling Norwich street, looking lithe and elegant in a soft blue shirt and smart black trousers, his dark hair slightly ruffled. ‘I’m good to go with that,’ he confirmed. ‘Will you be here to greet him?’

‘I’ve spoken to him at length on the phone,’ Daisy said. ‘I won’t need to be here – unless there are any problems, of course.’

‘Of course,’ Lars echoed. ‘But maybe I will manufacture a couple of problems?’

Daisy laughed, her cheeks heating. ‘You know I’m here to look after you,’ she said soothingly, then cleared her throat because that sounded wrong. ‘Your café – you as a client. You’re very important to me.’ She had thought about his proposition since their dinner, and if Avery hadn’t been in Mistingham, if she hadn’t fallen for her incredibly sexy builder, then it might have been tempting. But not now. Also, had she just thought of Avery as her builder?

Lars’s dark eyes held hers. ‘You’re important to me, too.’

‘Right. But I don’t mean—’

‘You’re here early today,’ he said, cutting her off. ‘I thought we could go to lunch. Tick off items on the list, discuss what’s next.’

‘I think we can get that finished up now.’ She sat at the table he’d left in the main space. ‘I’m afraid I’ve got another appointment after this.’

‘Understood.’ Lars sat next to her, and she took out her plan, talking him through it. She could smell his expensive aftershave, but it didn’t make her shudder the way she did when Avery stood close to her. Avery, who had said he couldn’t drive her into Norwich today because he needed to pick up some things on the way home. She had wanted to call ‘bullshit’, but also, she wanted to put her new plan into action.

‘What about the decorator?’ Lars said. ‘He can’t start until January now.’

‘When did he say that?’ Daisy asked. ‘I spoke to Rick yesterday, and it took a bit of negotiation, but he’s happy to come in between Christmas and New Year, the twenty-ninth to the thirty-first, once you’re back from Madrid. He can’t get going until Owen’s done anyway, then he can finish in early January.’

Lars laughed. ‘This is why you’re perfect.’

‘It’s why I’m good at my job,’ she corrected. ‘We’re a week away from Christmas’ – her heart gave a start as she said it aloud – ‘so getting anything in before the new year is a bonus. In a month’s time, you’ll be well on your way to a beautiful space.’

‘And your Christmas plans?’

‘After today, I am fully committed to Christmas. There’s my ball and a treasure hunt in Mistingham, and I’ll be spending the big day with my brother and his wife, and probably some other friends.’

‘Your village sounds charming.’

‘It is.’ Daisy didn’t correct him, because right now it felt like her village. After this meeting she would get the final Christmas bits she needed from Norwich, and she would execute her Avery plan, then she would ensconce herself in Mistingham and enjoy all its festivities. ‘It’s beautiful, I’ve loved staying there, and I can’t wait to have Christmas with my family.’

‘Then back to London?’ Lars tapped the iPad screen, his finger brushing hers. Daisy knew he’d done it on purpose, and that she needed to shut him down, be completely straight with him – tell him about Avery – but then her eyes snagged on the time display and she realized she had to go.

‘Of course.’ She gathered up her things. ‘Absolutely, Lars.’

‘It’s better for your business, and your social life, to be in London. An easy train ride here instead of winding country lanes to the sea. I visit London a lot. We could meet up there.’

‘London is where it’s at,’ she said distractedly, because this was her last chance to find out what was going on with Avery before Christmas. She was about to miss it, and then what? ‘I’ve got a Zoom scheduled with Owen when he arrives on Monday. You can be on that, too, so I know you’ve both got everything you need.’ She stood up, and Lars kissed her on both cheeks.

‘You know, we could nip over to Denmark for New Year? The fireworks in Copenhagen are spectacular.’

Daisy smiled at him. ‘That’s a tempting offer, but I’ve got so much to sort out with …’ God, she didn’t even have time to list everything that was up in the air right now. ‘… so much to sort out.’ She squeezed his arm. ‘We’ll see each other on Zoom on Monday, but in case I don’t remember to say it then, have a great Christmas, Lars.’

‘You too, Daisy. I hope next year will be wonderful for both of us.’

‘I’m sure it will be.’ Except her plans for next year – moving back into her flat, rebuilding the international part of her business – seemed so distant and implausible. Did she even want that any more? She gave Lars a wave and stepped out into the cold air, jaunty Christmas tunes filtering out of open doorways. She hoped she wasn’t too late.