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‘How about if we compromise?’ Seren suggested. ‘We’ll eat the sandwiches later and I’ll treat us to a hot chocolate now.’
Nicole appeared to be mulling it over, but Seren could tell she’d already succumbed to temptation. ‘Go on then. We might as well grab a drink before it gets any busier. And if you don’t mind, I’d like to have a look around the market to see if anything takes my eye – I’ve still got loads of presents to buy.’
‘Of course I don’t mind! You’re doing me a massive favour just by being here. I don’t expect you to have your nose to the grindstone all day. We’ll have our hot chocolates, then you go exploring.’
There were already loads of people around and Seren could see a queue starting to form outside Santa’s grotto. The wooden hut was currently locked and shuttered, but fairy lights gleamed from the rafters and at some point during the past half an hour three rather realistic reindeer had come to mechanical life and were gently moving their heads to the sound of ‘Jingle Bells’. Fake snow lay around their hooves and behind them sat Santa’s sleigh, with a toy elf standing on top of a stack of brightly covered presents, waving his arm, and another climbing down a little ladder, then climbing back up again. As a grown-up Seren was enchanted, so she could only imagine how a small child would feel on seeing this delightful scene for the first time.
Hugging herself with excitement, the joy of the festive season swirling through her and making her feel quite giddy, Seren headed towards the grotto. There was a stall selling hot drinks, cakes and cookies situated next to it, and it was already doing a brisk trade. Several people strolling past were holding cups of hot chocolate (one even had a candy cane in it!) and they looked delicious. She hurried over to the stall, anticipating the feel of silky-smooth chocolate on her lips, and sweetness bursting on her tongue—
She didn’t notice the man cutting across her until she’d barged into him, her shoulder catching him in the chest.
‘Oomph!’ The impact sent her staggering back, and she thought she was going to fall but his hand shot out and grabbed her forcibly by the arm. ‘Ouch,’ she cried again.
‘Sorry,’ the man released her so abruptly, that she almost lost her balance once more.
His head was lowered and she followed his gaze, realising he’d dropped a Santa hat. Hastily, she stooped to retrieve it, feeling guilty, but as she did so he reached for it at the same time, and his forehead collided with hers with an audible crack.
Abruptly, Seren’s legs went from under her, and she sat down heavily on the freezing tarmac, her teeth clacking together. ‘Ow,’ she moaned, clutching her head.
‘Are you all right? Oh, it’s you. Um, hi…’ a familiar voice said, and Seren looked up to see Daniel’s face inches from hers as he crouched down to check on her.
Stars hovered around his head and for an awful second Seren thought she might be suffering from concussion, until she realised it was the fairy lights of the grotto twinkling behind him.
Crossly she was about to retort ‘do I look all right’, but as she gazed at him her irritation melted away. She blamed her inability to hold onto her annoyance on the hazel eyes gazing down at her in worry. She also blamed it on his aquiline nose, sculpted cheekbones and the brown hair that curled around his ears and flopped over his forehead. A hint of stubble and a chiselled jaw didn’t help, either. Daniel was a handsome-looking man.
Abruptly, he held out a hand.
Seren took it and he hauled her to her feet.
She staggered again, almost falling into him, but caught herself in time, putting out a hand and feeling soft fluffiness under her palm. When she looked down, she saw he was holding a Father Christmas outfit in his arms.
‘Sorry,’ she said. It had been her fault, not his, so she had no right to be annoyed with him. And even if she did, any hint of crotchetiness had well and truly disappeared. She should have been concentrating on where she was going, and not on images of hot chocolate.
‘It’s OK,’ he replied, but he didn’t look happy and she hoped he hadn’t hurt his head too badly; hers was sore and she’d probably have an impressive lump and a headache later on, but maybe he’d come off worse than she had.
‘Are you all right?’ she asked.
‘Fine. No harm done.’
‘Good, well… I’d better leave you to it. I’ve got to get back to the van.’ She glanced over at it and he followed her gaze. ‘Nice to meet you again, and sorry for the…’ She pointed to his head and rubbed her own ruefully, giving him a small smile.
He nodded, then bent to retrieve the Santa hat and plonked it on top of the pile of clothing he was holding.
‘Good luck for today,’ he said, looking at the van. ‘Not that you’ll need it.’ He continued to stare at it, not meeting her eye. ‘Tobias has done a good job.’
‘Yes, he has,’ she agreed enthusiastically, and beamed at him when he glanced back at her.
To her surprise, he hastily looked away again. ‘I’d better go.’
‘Of course.’ She had to stop lingering too, but she couldn’t help asking, ‘Is that for you?’ She nodded at the Santa suit he was holding. ‘I’m only asking because Tobias said you were playing Father Christmas.’
The frown he gave her made her wish she hadn’t mentioned it. ‘Thanks, Tobias,’ he muttered, then said a little louder. ‘Yes, it’s mine.’
‘How lovely. What a wonderful way to get into the Christmas spirit, all those eager children and their little faces.’ It was a pity Nicole hadn’t been able to bring Freya to see Father Christmas, but it would have been too long a day for the little girl. She was better off spending it with her granny. Maybe another time…
Daniel grimaced. ‘If you say so,’ he said. ‘Look, I’ve got to go. It’s been nice talking to you.’ And with that, he walked away.
Seren watched him go, bemused and rather cross once more. OK, the collision had totally been her fault, but there was no need for him to be so cranky about it. She hadn’t walked into him on purpose, and from the feel of things she’d come off far worse than he had. And why was he so miserable about dressing up as Santa Claus anyway?
