'Pre-ordained, you mean?' Harrison asked.
'Yes, exactly.'
Kiki rolled her eyes. 'Dear God. You two are like a couple of teenage girls! Next you'll be saying you both believe in Father Christmas. Or... or Unicorns.' Kiki slapped her napkin on the table and slumped back in her chair.
Luke raised his brows. 'Juliet believes in Unicorns. Or she did. I remember Zoe telling me.'
Kiki glowered at Harrison. 'Unicorns. Hmm. That explains a lot. Excuse me, please. I have some calls to make.'
'What's up with her?' Luke asked, as she slammed the door behind her. 'What's really happened between you?'
Harrison got to his feet. 'Nothing, Luke. Honestly. Just a little misunderstanding of what we want from the future. Please don't worry about it. But if Zoe wants a job as my assistant, please let me know. I'd better get to those papers. They won't sign themselves.'
Luke laughed. 'I think Zoe will stay put for now. At least until we get our business up and running. But thanks for the offer.'
Harrison was about to close the door when Luke added: 'Oh. But I do know someone who is looking for a job. And she was an executive assistant, I believe.'
'Oh? Who's that?' Harrison turned back to look at Luke.
'Juliet. She's been made redundant. That's why she's moving back. She's planning to work in London if she can't get anything local.'
Harrison nearly choked. 'I can't see Juliet wanting to work for me, can you? We may be speaking – just about, but I think she'd rather throw herself back in the lake than be my assistant. And besides, I need to concentrate on work. With Juliet sitting the other side of my desk, all I'd be thinking about would be leaping across it, throwing her on it and making mad, passionate love to her.'
'Shit, Harrison! I knew it. I knew you were head over heels in love with her. That's why you've asked about her constantly over the years. Not merely out of interest because you were friends once, as you claimed. Why the hell didn't you say something sooner?'
He shook his head. 'I can't believe I've actually said it now.' He ran a hand through his hair. 'Do me a massive favour, Luke, and keep that to yourself. She really doesn't have any interest in me at all, and with you and Zoe getting married, I'd hate for there to be even more tension between Juliet and me than there is already.'
'But if you told her how you feel—'
'No, Luke! I'm serious. Don't say one word to her. I never thought I'd hear myself say this – and doing so makes me feel a little bit sick. I'm clearly more like the old man than I want to admit. But if you want my help and the funds to start your business, you'll promise me now, you won't tell Juliet what I just said. Or that I have any feelings for her whatsoever. Is that clear?'
'Jesus, Harrison. Yes that's clear. But I think you're making a mistake.'
'It won't be my first and I doubt it'll be my last. I'm sorry, Luke. But this is really important to me. Please promise me.'
'Okay. I promise. I won't say one word to Juliet about the way you feel. Not one word.'
Harrison breathed a sigh of relief. 'Thank you, Luke. That means a lot.'
He smiled and closed the door, feeling grateful that his brother had agreed to his demand, but feeling dreadful that he'd made it, and furious with himself that now all he could think about was Juliet on his desk and what he'd like to do. Not many papers were going to get signed at this rate. And there were only two working days until Christmas, counting today and Christmas Eve.
And now he'd also got to find himself another bloody assistant. Again, the image of Juliet flashed before his eyes.
Chapter Nineteen
Juliet walked into The Mistletoe pub that night with Zoe by her side. She was looking forward to seeing Dan again; they had been friends for years, but she wasn't relishing the prospect of seeing Harrison. And Zoe had told her they were meeting him and Luke in the pub, and had specifically asked her to 'be nice'.
'I'm always nice,' Juliet protested.
'Not to Harrison, you're not.'
Juliet promised she would be nothing but sweet, polite and friendly. But as she stepped inside the door, one look at Harrison's back as he stood at the bar, and she wasn't sure she could go any further, let alone pretend to be pleased to see him.
The trouble was, merely looking at his back sent shivers of excitement running through her. What would she be like when he turned around and smiled? Assuming he did smile. She quickly scanned the pub but could see no sign of Kiki. Perhaps the woman was in the loo.
'Zoe!' Luke was clearly happy to see Zoe. 'And Juliet. Hi.'
Harrison turned around but Juliet didn't get a chance to see his face. From out of nowhere a tall, blond, athletic man slammed into her, lifted her off the ground and spun her around in circles.
'Juliet! My darling, Juliet. You have no idea how happy I am to see you.'
In spite of the surprise, she laughed, realising who it was. 'And I'm happy to see you, Dan. Now please put me down before I feel sick.'
He let her feet slide to the floor but kept his arms wrapped tightly around her as he planted a kiss on her cheek.
'Paula tells me you almost died. Is that true, my darling?'
She glanced in Harrison's direction but he was no longer standing where he had been.
'Um. Yes, it's true. Harrison saved me.'
'Thank God for that. What would I have done without you? My life would've been bereft of hope and happiness. Come and tell me all about it. We're having a bit of a BBQ outside. And before you say it's too cold, this is mild compared to northern Norway at the moment. Besides, there's a huge fire and chairs and lots of lovely warm throws to wrap around us. And you can always cuddle up to me to keep warm.'
With his arm still wrapped around her, he led her out towards the river bank, waving with one hand to indicate that anyone who wanted to, should follow. It was only as she kissed Dan on the cheek and wiped off her lipstick mark with her finger that she saw Harrison scowling at her. What on earth had annoyed him?
'Come on, Zoe,' Dan said, as they passed. 'And you can bring your friend Luke and that hunk of a brother of his. What's his name? Oh wait. It's Harrison. Come on Harrison. I'm sure you don't feel the cold.'
Dan smiled at them and they all smiled back. Apart from Harrison. He did follow them outside though.
It was a cold night, with no cloud cover to speak of and the stars looked like tiny ice cubes in the black expanse of sky. There was hardly any snow remaining on the ground, and only small chunks of ice left in the river, sparkling like jewels in the burbling water, beneath the glow of the rows and rows of fairy lights strung up around the garden and the river bank.
'Are you having a party?' Luke asked.
'Yes,' replied Dan. 'A homecoming party for me and Juliet.'
'You're coming home?' Juliet was astonished.
Dan nodded and grinned from ear to ear. 'Yep,' he said, and burst into the England World Cup football anthem, replacing his name and then Juliet's with the word 'football'.
'Your gran didn't mention it when I saw her the day I arrived.'
'That's because she didn't know. No one knew.' He leant closer and whispered so that only Juliet could hear. 'I've met someone and I'm in love. I'll tell you all about it later.'
Juliet turned to face him and threw her arms around his neck. 'Oh Dan. I'm so happy. That's the best news I've had for ages. Oh. Apart from the fact that Zoe's in love with Luke.'
'Really?' Dan looked surprised. 'Luke Bow? This Luke?'
'The very same,' said Luke, smiling across at him, in spite of Dan's evident surprise.
'Well, let me congratulate you both,' Dan said, letting go of Juliet and hugging Luke and Zoe heartily. 'There's nothing as wonderful as being in love, is there?' He pulled Juliet back into his arms and gave her another massive hug.
'No, Dan. There isn't.' She smiled up into his eyes.
She was so pleased for him. Being gay had been a huge struggle for Dan and he still hadn't officially told his family. Juliet had known for ages
but had been sworn to secrecy. No one else knew. Dan's family still hoped there might be a future together for him and Juliet. Particularly his gran, Mrs D. Juliet had urged him, over the years, to tell them. After all, being gay was no big deal. The Dobbies were lovely people and she was sure they'd be happy for him. But Dan had experienced some pretty awful bullying in his younger days and he wasn't yet prepared to let his guard down completely.
But now Dan was in love. Surely that meant he would finally tell his family? She'd have a long talk with him later when they could grab some time alone.
'Marshmallows,' Dan said, easing Juliet away from him. 'We need to toast some marshmallows over this glorious fire. And some chestnuts. And some of those delightful little cocktail sausages. I'll go and see what else Paula's got ferreted away. I know there're chicken wings, and big, fat, meaty burgers. Back in a jiffy, darling. Save me a seat by the fire.' He kissed her on the cheek once more and dashed back inside the pub.
Juliet looked around at the fairy lights as the flames from the fire reached high into the cold night air. Chairs had been placed in a wide circle around the large firepit, with cushions and throws scattered, or piled here and there. There were a couple of waterproofed-backed picnic rugs on the ground, also strewn with cushions and throws, and Christmas music wafted towards them from inside the pub.
'So that's Daniel Dobbie.' Harrison's voice made her jump.
'Yes. That's Dan. He's lovely.'
'So it seems. You look a lot happier than you did the last time I saw you.'
Juliet's cheeks burned, but it wasn't from the fire. Why did he have to smell so good? Scents of sandalwood and vanilla filled her nostrils as he stood by her side. And why did he have to look so bloody gorgeous? Even frowning, he was sexy. Simply looking at him made her heart thump in her chest and her stomach do somersaults.
'Do I? I suppose I am. I'm fully recovered from my brush with death. Thanks to you. And I discovered that my little sister is in love. Who wouldn't be happy?'
He shrugged. 'And she's not the only one, is she?'
Juliet smiled. 'No. Luke's in love too.'
'I wasn't referring to Luke.'
'Oh?'
What did that mean? Was he telling her he was also in love? With the drop-dead gorgeous Kiki, obviously.
'I wish you well,' he said, giving her a very strange look. And then he walked away to talk to the Reverend Noah Waters, Dan's great-uncle, who was at least seventy, but looked more like fifty in his jeans, crew-necked sweater and trendy, leather biker-jacket.
'It's chilly out here, dear.' Mrs D came and gave Juliet a hug. 'It won't be long before I'm back inside, mark my words. But then this is really for the youngsters, isn't it?' She nodded towards the fire and the fairy lights. 'What wouldn't I give to be your age, dear Juliet. Daniel looked mighty pleased to see you. Any chance there'll be news of another romance before too long?'
Juliet smiled. 'If there is, it won't involve me.'
Mrs D sighed. 'But how are you feeling, my dear? To think we almost lost you. Extraordinarily brave of young Harrison to jump in after you and save your life.'
'Yes. Incredibly so. In fact, I don't think I've thanked him properly. But what do you say to someone who's risked their life to save your own, apart from thank you?'
Mrs D looked thoughtful. 'I don't know, dear. But it's coming up to Christmas. You could buy him a little gift. I know the man has more money than the rest of us put together, but there must be something he wants. Possibly something money can't buy?'
'Like what?'
'No point in asking me, dear. I hardly know the man. But there must be someone who knows him well enough to know exactly what he wants. Ask Luke.'
'I think Kiki knows exactly what he wants. But I can't buy that.'
'What's that dear? And who's Kiki?'
'She's Harrison's girlfriend.'
Mrs D raised her brows and her mouth fell open for a second before a smile spread across her lips. 'Is she indeed? He certainly kept that quiet. Daphne never mentioned him having a girlfriend. She did say he was bringing his executive assistant with him for Christmas and was hoping to get a lot of work done while he was here. She didn't say anything about a girlfriend though. My, my. I'll have to have a word with her tomorrow and catch up on all the latest gossip. Or perhaps I can get it directly from the horse's mouth. I need to have a word with my brother in any case. Excuse me, dear, while I go and talk to Noah. Make sure you have fun. And don't forget, we'd be more than happy to welcome you to the Dobbie family. You and Daniel look so good together.'
Juliet watched her shuffle away towards the Reverend and Harrison. What would Mrs D say when Dan told her the truth? Would she finally stop trying to pair them up? But at least Mrs D had given her an idea. She could buy Harrison a present as a way of saying thank you. She had no intention of asking Kiki what to buy, but Luke would know. She would ask him later, and tomorrow she, Zoe and their mum would go into town to do their final Christmas present shopping.
It wasn't long before Dan reappeared, laden down with plates and sealed containers of food. He even had a bag of marshmallows hanging from his teeth.
Juliet laughed. 'Need a hand?'
Dan merely nodded. She took the bag of marshmallows and some of the containers and set them on a table near the fire. There wasn't much space left once Dan had unburdened himself of the rest.
'Good grief,' he said. 'I feel like a donkey. But where would I find one at this time of night?' He laughed at his own joke.
'How many people are you expecting? There's enough food here for the entire weekend.'
'That's just for you, darling. I know how much you like to eat.'
'Excuse me. But you're the one who devoured an entire tin of Quality Street last Christmas. And washed that down with two plates of chilli.'
'What can I say? I'm a strapping young man.' He grinned at her and then came and stood in front of her and pulled a rather odd face. 'Don't look now, darling, but Harrison is giving us some awfully peculiar looks. Has been since the moment you arrived, I believe. Now I have to say, if I wasn't in love, I might make a play for him myself, but I am, so I won't. The thing is, darling. I'm not sure it's me he's looking at.'
Juliet glanced in Harrison's direction. Dan was right. He was looking directly at them, appearing to ignore what Noah and Mrs D were saying, and there was such a scowl on his face that he looked as if he were ready to kill someone.
'Whoever it is he's looking at, it's a pretty murderous look. I don't think I've done anything to incur his wrath tonight. In fact, a moment ago, he wished me well.'
Dan threw a hasty look at Harrison over his shoulder and quickly returned his gaze to Juliet. 'Are you ill?'
'No. I'm perfectly fine.'
'Then why did he wish you well?'
Juliet tutted. 'I think ... Actually, I have no idea. I assumed he meant he hoped I had a good evening.'
'Then he would have said, “Have a good evening,” wouldn't he?'
'I suppose so. Oh wait. Kiki's still not here. That explains it. He's had a row with his girlfriend and he's simply in a bad mood.'
'What? And he's annoyed that everyone else is having a good time?'
'Yes.'
'Then why isn't he looking at everyone else?' Dan darted another look over his shoulder. 'Nope. Definitely us. You know what? I think we should just ignore him, darling. No. I think we should have even more fun until he's so cross, he's fit to burst.'
'Why?'
'Because I simply don't like the way he's looking at us. The man needs to lighten up.' He grabbed Juliet's hand and pulled her into his arms. 'Come along, darling. Let's dance.'
Dan whirled her around like a professional ballroom dancer, even on the uneven ground, and he expertly avoided all the icy patches. Each time she whizzed past Harrison's face it grew angrier. He was evidently in a terrible mood.
Juliet was having fun, but she needed to catch her breath. She'd been dancing and laughing; spun around so many times that sh
e was having trouble staying upright. She longed to sit for ten minutes or so and eventually she told Dan she needed to go and sit on one of the chairs close to the fire. Reluctantly, he let her go.
She wanted to simply enjoy the warmth, the lights and the starlit sky. The moon was bright again tonight; tomorrow it would be full and as she stared up at it she emptied her mind of thought, save for how beautiful it was. She didn't even notice Harrison come and sit beside her, until he said her name.
Her hand flew to her heart. 'Dear God, Harrison. You made me jump. I was miles away.'
'I'm beginning to wish I was. I wish I hadn't come back.'
'Feeling sorry for yourself? But why?' A thought struck her and she bridled, sitting upright. She gave him a cool stare. 'Is this about Zoe and your brother? I didn't expect you to be happy about it but wishing you weren't here is a bit much, isn't it?'
'Whoa! Where did that come from? It's got nothing to do with Zoe and Luke. I couldn't be happier for him. For both of them. You can see how much they love one another just by looking at them.'
He nodded his head in the direction the two were standing. They were staring up at the moon, just as Juliet had been, but they were arm in arm with their heads touching, and were so close together it was hard to see where Zoe ended and Luke began.
'Yes. But they hid it well. I had no idea until she told me on Wednesday.'
He shook his head. 'Nor did I. I didn't even know he was seeing anyone. I guess that makes me a bad brother.'
'If it does, then I'm an equally bad sister. I didn't know Zoe had a boyfriend, either. But it's amazing how people can keep their relationship quiet, if they want to, isn't it?'
'You can say that again.'
She gave him a sideways glance. 'So why are you wishing you hadn't come back? I'd have drowned, if you hadn't.'
'That's true. I'm glad I was there for that.'
'And I don't think I've thanked you properly. You were brave and kind and I didn't really show my appreciation.'
Bells and Bows on Mistletoe Row Page 11