Page 67

“I’ll not get bored,” Dylan said. “We’re going to make sugar cookies for everyone.”

Lucy shook her head. “We need to start by creaming the butter and the sugar together then,” she explained.

* * *

After four tray loads of cookies, even Dylan was losing the will to roll out dough, especially as he kept being told off for handling it too much.

“It’s a delicate mixture! Be gentle!”

They stopped for a lunch of turkey and stuffing sandwiches and then began decorating the biscuits with icing.

“Did you know you stick your tongue out of the side of your mouth when you’re concentrating?” Lucy commented, watching Dylan add buttons to a snowman cookie.

“Shush. Do you want these to be perfect or not?”

“Not really,” Lucy laughed, finishing off a star cookie with some gold edible glitter. Her pile of cookies looked good enough to sell in the coffee shop. Dylan’s . . . more like a decent attempt by a child, but they’d had a lovely time, especially since the point at which Lucy had threatened to ban all music completely if Dylan didn’t change the playlist. The classic Christmas carols now playing gently in the background were a far better accompaniment to their baking.

They finally finished icing the biscuits.

“Shall we put our feet up and put on one of these movies then?” Dylan suggested.

“As long as we get to eat some of these cookies while we watch it,” said Lucy.

“Deal. You get the film ready, I’ll heat us up some mulled wine.”

“Can we have some popcorn too? There’s some of the microwave stuff in the cupboard.”

“Sure, I’ll get on it.”

They got comfortable with their snacks at either end of the sofa. Lucy was very aware that their feet were almost touching as George Bailey’s story unfolded, which was the perfect antidote to her being tempted to fall asleep as soon as she sat down.

“OK,” said Lucy, stretching as the end credits played. “You have officially experienced It’s a Wonderful Life. What did you think?” She turned to face Dylan. Her hand sprang up to cover her mouth. “Oh, Dylan!” she said. She moved the tray onto the coffee table again and wiggled over to him, grabbing him a tissue from the box on the coffee table. “Are you OK?”

“I’m fine!” he said, immediately, wiping his eyes. “Just, the ending, you know.”

“I know,” Lucy said, gently.

“Well, you’re not crying,” he pointed out.

“I’ve seen it before, and I have a heart of stone,” she replied lightly. “What did you think?”

“It was indeed wonderful,” Dylan said, giving a final sniff.

“I’m glad you liked it, but I can’t help but feel we should move on to something else,” Lucy said. “What do you want to do next?”

“Let’s finish gift-wrapping the cookies,” Dylan said, standing and offering his hand to help Lucy up.

Lucy seized the opportunity to take a nap once the packages of cookies were declared perfect and Dylan went to the gym. She woke when he arrived back and sat up as he popped his head round the sitting room door.

“Hey there, you good?”

“Yeah, best nap ever,” she replied, with a yawn.

“I’ll get started on dinner,” he said. “Come through to keep me company when you’re ready.”

When she went through to the kitchen a few minutes later, it was already smelling so good. There was a glass of elderflower pressé poured out ready for her in a wine glass, and Dylan had opened a beer.

“Feel like dicing some onions?” Dylan asked.