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It was a while before she spoke. ‘You know… maybe you should talk to someone about it.’
He frowned. ‘I am talking to someone – I’m talking to you.’ She was the only person he could open up to. He didn’t even want to think about how much he was going to miss her when she left.
‘I mean a professional. A… counsellor, or something.’
He sighed. ‘I’ve told you, I don’t need to see a shrink.’ He placed his hands on her shoulders and tried to look serious. ‘What I do need is a quicker route down this bloody incline, because I’m knackered and in desperate need of caffeine.’
She dropped the metal tray onto the snow. ‘Then step aboard, good sir, for we shall descend at speed. Today’s challenge is called: tray versus snow… although I can’t promise a safe landing,’ she added, with a shrug.
He stepped over the tray, laughing. ‘You’re a brave woman, Kate Lawrence.’
She squatted behind him. ‘Some might say foolish… Buckle up.’
He rolled his eyes. ‘If only. Brace yourself.’
It took all his effort to push them away. It seemed like a lost cause as the tray stuttered over the snow, unwilling to shift. Buta sudden drop in the level gave them a jolt of speed, and then next thing he knew, the tray shot off down the slope.
Her scream was so loud, he wasn’t sure he’d ever hear properly in his left ear again. Her grip around his middle tightened, as they gained momentum and hurtled down the hill. He suspected a crash landing was likely – something which turned into an inevitability when he saw Suki running towards them.
‘Oh, shit!’
His yell did nothing to deter the dog, who sprinted over the snow like an accomplished skier, her tail wagging excitedly as she launched herself into the air and hit them head on. What followed was a series of yelps, swearing and an explosion of snow.
Calvin had no idea how they escaped injury. Amongst the laughter, screaming and plenty of blonde dog hair, all three were thrown into the air, before landing with a thud in the snow.
He couldn’t have moved, even if Suki hadn’t been standing on his chest, alternating between barking and licking his face, as though he’d invented the best game ever.
‘Get off me, you daft dog,’ he said, easing her away so he could search for his co-pilot. ‘Kate? Are you still alive?’
She struggled to sit up. ‘Just about,’ she said, spitting snow and wiping it from her face. Her hair was matted, her cheeks were bright pink and she looked slightly dazed. But she surprised him by yelling, ‘Hooray! We did it! We won the battle of tray versus snow!’ She pinned him with a smile that threatened to melt the snow quicker than if he’d had a blowtorch to hand. ‘Tell me that doesn’t feel good?’
He couldn’t help laughing. Despite the pounding in his head, the ache in his bum and the sadness in his heart at what the future held for Rose Court, at that precise moment in time he did indeed feel bloody good.
And the reason was Kate Lawrence.
Chapter Nineteen
Thursday, 23rdDecember
As Kate escaped the hot kitchen and headed outside to dispose of the waste, she prided herself on having managed to keep occupied for an entire seven hours, without allowing her mind to dwell, which was quite an achievement. Especially as there were any number of thoughts that had the potential to derail her. Spending a further day trapped at Rose Court was one; thinking about Calvin was another. Because however much she tried to ignore it, she liked Calvin.Reallyliked him. And that was why she needed to leave. Staying was causing her fragile heart too much grief. There was only so much baking and present wrapping she could do to occupy her time.
A loud bang from the wooden outbuilding prevented her heading back inside. Concerned an animal might have found its way into the storeroom, she went to investigate, only to stumble across a bizarre scene, similar to a nativity play. Stacked hay bales formed a semicircle, and loose straw had been scattered across the floor.
Even more surprising was the sight of Hanna on her knees, rubbing oil into a wooden crib, and Alex sanding down a piece of wood. ‘Goodness, what’s going on here?’ she said, her eyes growing wide.
‘We make festive grotto for Jacob,’ Hanna said, her outfit of black leggings and fitted jumper making her look like a spy about to take on Jason Bourne in a martial arts battle.
In contrast, Alex looked like someone fromThe Repair Shop. His leather apron was covered in sawdust and his face was hidden behind a huge pair of goggles. ‘Natalie was upset shecouldn’t take Jacob to see Father Christmas because of the weather,’ he said, pointing to a wire coat-hanger dangling from a rafter. ‘We’re making him a mobile to go above his cot.’
Kate could make out one of the shapes was a sheep. It was very cute. ‘I’m sure Natalie will be really touched. Did you make the crib, too?’
‘Hanna’s quite the carpenter,’ Alex said, sounding strangely proud as he watched Hanna rubbing oil on to the slatted wood. ‘She’s teaching me how to whittle.’
‘Right… well, I’m sure it’s a skill that will come in handy,’ Kate said, even though she wasn’t entirely sure what whittling was.
Hanna shook out her cloth. ‘In Poland we have culture of making things. Families have no money to buy expensive gifts. We make gifts. A tradition we pass down to each generation. Is good skill to have.’
The care home’s head nurse was a woman of many talents, it seemed. ‘The crib’s beautiful, Hanna. Jacob’s a lucky boy.’ Kate turned to watch her cousin sanding the wood, showing a level of focus she hadn’t seen before. ‘You’re definitely staying here for Christmas, then?’
