Page 90 of The Merry Christmas Project

‘How was the Christmas Fair ?’ Cole asked.

‘Hectic,’ I said. ‘But also profitable. And the children loved my little painted gift cards. Which reminds me. Wait there.’

I fetched a cardboard folder from the front room and came straight back with it, handing it to him. He opened it to reveal two watercolour Christmas cards : one of an angel on top of a Christmas tree with Merry Christmas to Freya on it; the other, which was to Harley, featuring a boy on a snowboard heading downhill towards a snowman.

Cole’s face was a picture. ‘These are awesome.’ He looked up at me, shaking his head in disbelief. ‘Seriously, I can’t thank you enough, they are going to love them.’

‘You’re welcome,’ I said, glowing with pleasure.

He showed Fred, who agreed both his grandchildren would be impressed.

‘Well, that’s just raised the bar for next year’s Christmas cards,’ Hester teased. ‘How are you going to top that ?’

‘I’m sure I can come up with something for next Christmas,’ I said.

‘I look forward to seeing it,’ said Cole in a low voice.

The intensity of his gaze sent shivers of longing through me and for a second I forgot there was anybody else in the room.

Fred picked up bottles of oils and sniffed them. ‘I’d love to have a go at making candles.’

‘Then you shall,’ I said, dragging myself away from Cole’s burning glances. ‘Pick a day next week.’

‘Tomorrow ?’ His face lit up. ‘Might as well strike while the iron’s hot.’

Talking of irons made me think of my conversation with Daniel earlier, which in turn made me think of Cole naked.

Fred was waiting for an answer. ‘Or if Monday’s no good … ?’ he prompted.

‘No, no, that would be lovely,’ I said, trying to get my breathing under control. ‘It’s a date.’

Hester nudged her brother. ‘See. Easy.’

‘I am going to kill you,’ he muttered.

Outside the bells on the church tower began to chime the hour.

‘Oh no !’ I gasped with panic. ‘We’re late ! Come on everyone !’

Chapter 27

Cole

1 DECEMBER

‘Good evening, Wetherley !’ Hester yelled into the microphone which had just been handed to her by Daniel. ‘And thank you for inviting me to join in your Christmas celebrations !’

Rapturous applause, hooting and whistling rippled around the market square and Hester held out the edge of her red cape and curtsied.

Cole grinned at his sister, remembering her initial reluctance to attend tonight’s event. Who had she been kidding, she loved this stuff. It was a shame Paul hadn’t been able to make it due to some work thing ; he was as proud of his wife as Cole. He’d take plenty of pictures to show him, and Hester had asked him to take some for her Instagram too.

His eyes moved along the rest of the group and he spotted Daniel stepping down from the stage. Merry had introduced the men to each other moments ago. Daniel, she said, was an old friend. Cole, she introduced as her landlord and then had laughed shyly and said that he was a new friend and that he had been very good to her. Which had pleased Cole no end and had made Daniel pump his hand firmly and pat his shoulder like an approving brother.

Daniel seemed pleasant enough but as Cole knew, he’d let the glorious Merry slip through his fingers. It had been brave of her to propose to him; he knew from experience what a nerve-wracking thing it was to ask someone if they’d like to spend the rest of their life with you. He imagined Merry’s pretty face crumpling in disappointment when he said that no, he didn’t want to marry her. Daniel was a fool.

His gaze reverted to Merry and he felt his heart skip. She was simply standing there, a big smile on her lovely face and Cole couldn’t take his eyes off her.

He’d been kicking himself since Friday. How difficult was it to ask a woman out on a date ? If he ran his business in the pathetic way he ran his love life, he’d have been bankrupt years ago.