Page 21 of A Merry Little Christmas

‘If you really don’t want to discuss it, shall we talk about something else?’ Merry suggested.

‘Yes, let’s,’ Nell said gratefully. ‘The first Christmas candle workshop. We’ve had one cancellation but two new bookings. So we’re fully booked.’

‘Oh that’s a shame,’ Merry sighed. ‘I was hoping for a small group, it would make it easier for me to manage.’

‘You?’ Nell squawked. ‘You can’t possibly run it.’

‘The doctor said I could do the essentials,’ Merry said defiantly. ‘This is my business, therefore it’s essential.’

‘It’s our business,’ said Nell gently. ‘We’re partners, remember? And the whole point of you bringing me in to the company last year was so that we could be a team and I could support you, rather than you having to cope with everything alone.’

‘True,’ said Merry. ‘But you do sales, I make the candles.’

‘Usually, yes,’ she pointed out. ‘However, we can both do everything, like when you and Cole went to visit Emily in the summer and we had a run on Home candles and I had to make more.’

‘Teaching other people to make candles is a whole other skill set. I’d say you’re only at beginner’s level yourself.’

That was a bit harsh in Nell’s opinion, but she kept quiet, determined not to rile Merry. The last thing she wanted was for her to insist on coming in to run it; Cole would go bananas.

‘I’m less experienced than you, of course, but I helped you pull this beginners workshop together; I know the schedule and you tested it out on me. I’ll be fine.’ In fact, the more she thought about running the workshop herself, the more anxious she became. There’d be eight loose cannons in a small space, plus herself. She wasn’t completely sure she’d be able to cope.

‘It’s the first workshop and I wanted to be there,’ Merry said.

‘It’s not ideal, but I can manage,’ Nell reassured her.

‘Hmm.’

‘Thanks for your vote of confidence,’ Nell said, feeling her nostrils twitch with annoyance. ‘I’m doing my best here.’

‘I know, it’s just …’ Merry paused. ‘I guess Merry and Bright was my baby.’

‘Of course it was, and obviously still is if you don’t trust me. And rub it in, why don’t you?’ Nell’s temper fizzed over, and she could no longer contain it. ‘They’re all your babies, aren’t they? Whereas I get none. No baby at all.’

‘Nell, that’s not what—’

She had heard enough; the pressure of keeping everything in was too much for her. With a flash of anger, she stabbed at the ‘end call’ button and sent her phone skidding across the counter, then sank down onto the floor on her knees and burst into tears.

She must have been crying louder than she realised because she didn’t hear the shop bell ring and jumped at the sound of a male voice hovering above her.

‘Um. Hello, is this a bad time?’

Nell looked up to see a very attractive man with kind grey eyes, dark hair and a salt-and-pepper beard peering over the counter at her. He was slim and well-dressed and despite the presence of several scented candles in the shop, she was able to pick out the spicy aroma of his aftershave.

She scrubbed her tears away, bounced to her feet and reprised her earlier smile. ‘Not at all! How can I help?’

He gave her a sceptical look before extending his hand.

‘I’m Woody,’ he said. ‘I’m your last-minute Airbnb guest.’

‘Oh!’ Nell’s eyes widened. She raked a hand through her curls and straightened her apron. ‘Oh, how lovely. Welcome to Merry and Bright, I’m Nell.’

The door opened again and in came a tall, muscular man dressed in jogging bottoms and a hoodie, his hair tightly cropped and an earring glinting in one ear. He slid a large suitcase inside the door and Woody dashed over.

‘Thank you, I can manage from here,’ Woody insisted.

‘You don’t need to do this, you know,’ the other man murmured, touching Woody’s shoulder.

Woody sighed. ‘I do. Spencer, I do.’