Christmas at the Little Clock House on the Green

by Eve Devon

  ‘They should,’ Juliet said with a nod as she started painting her right hand. ‘And I’ll be right behind you when you do.’

  ‘She was really nice to me,’ Emma said.

  Kate and Juliet shared a shocked look. ‘Bizarre,’ said Kate.

  ‘I guess you can’t blame her for struggling to get out from under everyone knowing what happened. I mean if someone like Jake feels he has to get away from everyone thinking about his non-wedding, I can’t even imagine what it must have been like for Gloria having to stay around for her daughter. Maybe because I’m new she feels she can start from fresh with me,’ Emma commented and then sighed a little. ‘Can you imagine navigating the fallout of the lie her marriage was? Her husband probably never set out to hurt her like that, but, I swear, sometimes it feels as if no one enters into a relationship with honest intent these days.’

  ‘At the start it’s probably easier to think everything is perfect,’ Kate mused.

  Is that how things had started out with Jake and The Grinch, Emma wondered. It was certainly how her mother started every relationship. Hanging back and patiently waiting for a relationship to develop, wasn’t something Lydia Danes had managed to do since the breakup of her own marriage. Nope, she went in heart first so that everything was happy and rushed and exciting, but then…

  Sometimes Emma wished her mother could be transported back to times where a little restraint helped you figure out whether you really wanted the person or the ‘in love’ feeling you thought they represented.

  ‘Everything’s always perfect at the start because at the start you both spend all your time together,’ Juliet said quietly.

  Emma looked at Kate who was looking worriedly at Juliet again.

  ‘It’ll get easier when we open,’ Kate said.

  ‘Promise?’ Juliet asked with a wobbly smile before confessing in a rush, ‘Won’t we be spending even less time together? If I can’t manage a relationship and this job, how on earth would I manage—’ hurriedly she lifted her glass to her mouth and drained the whole lot.

  ‘How on earth would you manage what?’ Kate asked, obviously not in the mood to let it go.

  ‘Nothing,’ Juliet said, and Emma got the distinct impression Juliet was mortified she’d said anything.

  ‘A baby?’ Kate pushed.

  Juliet stared down into her empty glass.

  ‘Wow, have you both been talking about having kids?’ Emma asked gently.

  Juliet shook her head. ‘We hardly manage enough time together to watch a second episode of whichever series everyone’s currently talking about on Netflix, where would we find the time to talk about babies? Besides,’ she licked her lips and looked up at them both, shock clearly etched across her fine features. ‘It’s way, way too soon to be even thinking about babies.’

  ‘But you’re feeling broody?’ Kate asked.

  Juliet looked both baffled and a little embarrassed. ‘It’s probably only because of Melody. She makes it so easy to love her and share in the parenting of her.’

  ‘Yes, that’s probably all it is,’ Kate mumbled but she didn’t sound convinced and Juliet, being sensitive, picked up on it right away.

  ‘Don’t either of you ever feel broody?’ Juliet asked, looking like she really needed them both to answer with an immediate affirmative.

  But Emma shook her head honestly and said, ‘I don’t – I mean, I haven’t. Yet,’ she added when Juliet looked crestfallen. ‘But then, I’m not in a relationship—’

  ‘You don’t have to be in a relationship to want a baby,’ Juliet quickly said.

  ‘Well, no. But, I think for me, I’ve been so caught up in wanting the acting to come off it was only when I didn’t get this latest part that I came up for air and started thinking about anything else at all. Then, sure, I thought about babies.’

  ‘Thank God,’ Juliet immediately said. ‘Phew. I don’t know what I’ve been worrying about, then. It’s completely normal for women our age.’

  ‘But I should be honest,’ Emma said, feeling bad for how panicked Juliet looked. ‘I thought about them years down the track, and coming with a man, too.’

  ‘And you?’

  Kate looked at Juliet like she’d heard the unspoken ‘comrade’ at the end of the question and she looked really guilty when she admitted, ‘Jules, I haven’t. But as we’re being so honest, I have been thinking about asking Daniel to move in with me and even thinking about it freaks me out, so I can only imagine what you’re feeling.’

  ‘You know what?’ Juliet said determinedly. ‘I think it’s probably as well Oscar and I barely have time to talk because I don’t want to begin a conversation until I’ve worked out where I’m going with these feelings.’

  ‘Maybe if you tried less crafting and more talking?’

  ‘The craft doesn’t have anything to do with avoiding talking babies with Oscar,’ Juliet replied. ‘I don’t think,’ she added with a frown.

  ‘Has Mum been having a go at you?’ Kate probed. ‘Because if she has and you’re not comfortable, you really have to tell her, she’d expect you to.’

  ‘No, she hasn’t said anything. I think I’m just being really bloody stupid! It’s like I have everything I could possibly want. More than I actually thought I could have, even. So, what, now I want even more?’

  ‘Why not? And why not now?’ Emma said, feeling instinctively that Juliet wasn’t someone who normally rushed in without thinking. ‘You could handle it.’

  Juliet looked at her as if she was mad. ‘Because it’s precisely when you have everything you want that it all gets ripped away from you.’

  ‘Oh, Jules. No, you can’t think like that,’ Kate said, reaching out to put her arm around her. ‘It’s okay to want even more than you have. You work hard enough for it.’

  ‘But I shouldn’t want everything all at the same time. I mean, that’s insane, right? Isn’t that what’s freaking you out about moving in with Daniel – which I totally think you should do, by the way.’

  ‘It does feel really fast and I am worried it would put too much pressure on our relationship,’ Kate murmured.

  ‘Exactly,’ Juliet said holding up her hands.

  ‘Or maybe it would enhance it?’ Emma said.

  ‘Noooo,’ Kate moaned. ‘You’re supposed to be on our side, not playing devil’s advocate.’

  ‘I am on your side,’ Emma insisted. ‘I’m just removed enough to help you with perspective. It’s hard when society tells you everything is attainable but then frowns on you for chasing it.’

  ‘Oh my God,’ Kate said. ‘Do you think that’s what we’re experiencing? Millenial Guilt – like Catholic Guilt, but without the lightning bolts?’

  ‘Or maybe it’s simply the silly season,’ Emma continued, ‘aka, Christmas, and you’re all doing what everyone else is doing and looking about and bumping into the two biggest watchwords of the season: love and family.’ That was definitely why she kept thinking about Jake, she decided. She didn’t like him looking sad and overcome with unhappy memories at a time of the year when everyone was supposed to be feeling jovial and full of Christmas spirit.

  ‘Okay, the panic I’ve been carrying around is practically limping off the field in defeat,’ Juliet said. ‘You’re really good at this.’

  Emma smiled, pleased to see the deer-in-headlights look had vanished from Juliet’s eyes. ‘Acting is all about observing motivation and then portraying that through actions, so you learn to question and sooner or later some answers pop up.’

  ‘Oh, is that all?’ Kate said. ‘It couldn’t also be because you’re genius at people?’

  If Emma was so genius at people she’d be able to work out what had gone wrong with her parents’ marriage and be able to put it to bed but she smiled. ‘I don’t know about that, but I guess listening is the number-one skill for a bar-tender. That and the ability to serve drinks! Seriously though, you and Oscar and you and Daniel,’ she said, looking at Kate, ‘need to spend some time together talking … and not
about work. Oh,’ Emma leant forward suddenly excited as an idea came to her, ‘you know what? I actually have the perfect solution.’

  She was going to arrange a soft-opening of Cocktails & Chai, she thought.

  Just a small gathering.

  With no talk about work allowed.

  It would give Kate and Juliet some breathing space to enjoy their men without the weight of the world on their shoulders.

  And it might just stop her thinking about a certain man with a pre-owned heart.

  Chapter 16

  Sleigh-bells Ring, Are You Listening?

  Jake

  Jake could feel the excitement from the open doors of The Clock House. With a swift glance up at the clock to make sure he wasn’t too late, he hurried across the gravel drive and in through the double doors, and as he walked into Cocktails & Chai he was met with the biggest turn-out he’d ever seen for a village meeting.

  The last time Jake had seen so many people at The Clock House was summer just gone, when everyone had come to see Daniel and Kate present their ideas for themes and fundraising for the village fete.

  He supposed he should be grateful for such a big crowd. Now no one could accuse him of hiding himself away and as soon as Crispin started wrapping up the proceedings, he could leave without having to endure any of the well-meaning conversations about why he should stick around for Christmas.

  The question was, he thought as he edged further into the room, nodding his head and smiling at a few people, had everyone come out on this cold evening to get a good gawp at one more completed room at The Clock House?

  Or, were they all here to see Emma?

  At the far end of the room, Jake noticed Crispin standing on the makeshift stage in prime position by the lectern.

  Tables had been neatly stacked against one wall and the chairs had been laid out leaving a central aisle.

  From the assortment of colourful coats, hats, scarves and gloves reserving seats, he could tell he was going to have to pick a spot right at the back to stand in.

  All the better to sneak out as soon as the meeting ended.

  He picked his spot and without anything else to do, his gaze started scanning the room for a glimpse of the woman of the hour.

  When he couldn’t immediately locate her, a spike of disappointment shot through him and his scan of the room became a little less patient.

  Obviously seeing Emma wasn’t the reason he’d come.

  He’d come to do his bit for the community and support Crispin in the telling of his plans for the annual tree-lighting ceremony. It was his land that supplied the tree, so it was important to be here.

  He looked around the room, trying not to wish he was already ensconced in a cosy cottage in Cornwall, sipping a single malt. His sketch book in his hand, the grey ocean stretching out before him and nothing to remind him of where he’d gone wrong with Alice, only the space to think about where he was going with his plans for Knightley Hall.

  He was only aware he was frowning when his gaze searched wider and wider into the room and suddenly collided with Oscar and Daniel’s.

  Oscar, who was looking back at him and grinning from ear to ear, with a terribly knowing look in his eyes, and Daniel, who, without a shred of subtlety, suddenly started inclining his head and pointing over at Emma, who was chatting to Cheryl Brown, Juliet’s mother.

  Jake’s hand went to pull at the neck of his jumper.

  Was it overly hot in here, or was it just him?

  Not content with the crazy head-twitching and mad pointing, Daniel then nudged Oscar and they both winked at him, making Jake wish with all his might that an alien ship would appear and hover over the village green, it’s tracker beam searching him out and dragging him up to the ship to take him to a galaxy far, far away.

  It was his own bloody fault.

  So he’d asked a couple of questions about Emma during poker night.

  All right, a lot of questions.

  Was that any reason for the pair of them to turn one alcohol-infused conversation into a step away from holding up signs and shouting clear across the room, ‘Mate, the woman you couldn’t stop talking about at poker night is standing right there.’

  What happened to the first rule of poker night being not to talk/gesture/infer what happened at poker night? The next time the game got round to being at Knightley Hall, he was introducing a new rule: no women talk.

  What was wrong with talking about work, anyway? The three of them all did different things.

  Sport.

  They could also talk about sport.

  He tensed as he saw Emma spot Oscar and Daniel pointing at her, and then watched helplessly as she moved the direction of her gaze so that it bounced right into his, leaving her in no doubt he’d been staring at her.

  With a bright grin, she lifted her hand and waved ‘hello’ at him.

  All friendly-like.

  All sexy-like.

  He gave an infinitesimal shake of his head.

  No.

  Not all sexy-like for f—

  ‘All right, there, Jake?’ Kate said, stopping beside him at the bar.

  ‘What? Oh. Yep.’ God, he could do with a drink.

  ‘Thirsty, you say?’

  Jake turned to find Kate looking at Emma before suddenly swinging her gaze back to him and looking at him shrewdly.

  ‘Huh?’ he managed.

  ‘I was saying that, although we can’t serve from the bar until the licence kicks in, Emma made sure to lay out tea and coffee on one of the tables over there.’

  ‘Oh. Great idea.’

  ‘She’s great, that’s for sure.’

  Jake gave an evasive smile and asked, ‘So does this mean you’ll no longer be bringing along contraband to village meetings?’

  Kate laughed. ‘How did you know about that?’

  ‘Because one meeting in the summer I was sitting behind you and Juliet and I believe I saw a hip-flask and a jumbo packet of Skittles being passed back and forth.’

  Kate laughed again and looked back towards Emma. ‘I always had you down for the observant type, Jake.’

  He couldn’t help following her gaze back to Emma and had a feeling she wasn’t just talking about contraband.

  Stepping away from the bar, he said, ‘Maybe I’ll grab myself a quick cup of coffee before the meeting starts.’

  ‘Bring one back for me, too, will you? I’ll save you this spot.’ She moved slightly so that she was going to be between him and the doors.

  Damn.

  Now he was going to have to stand next to her for the duration of the meeting, which meant he couldn’t easily sneak away.

  As he picked his way across the room to the table of refreshments, he could feel a pair of eyes on him and despite ordering himself not to, right when he got to the table he turned and found Emma looking at him.

  Her grin had dropped a notch and he realised he might not have smiled back at her after the Weasley twins had done the whole gesticulating, head-twitching, winking, thing.

  He felt himself frown.

  That warmth that oozed out of her, that radiance … you couldn’t fake that.

  Could you?

  And why did he find himself so compelled to respond to it?

  Rattled, he turned back to the table and with only slightly shaking hands poured coffee for both himself and Kate. He made it halfway back to where Kate was before he couldn’t help himself, and swung his gaze back to seek Emma out.

  She was busy chatting with Mary, the school chaplain, and careful not to spill coffee, he turned back to Kate and pretended not to notice her keen gaze.

  ‘Testing, one, two, testing,’ boomed Crispin’s voice across the room, creating an instant moment of silence.

  ‘Dear God, who gave that man a mic and headset?’ Jake asked under his breath.

  ‘Do you think it’s an early Christmas present from Mrs Harlow?’ Kate asked.

  ‘Hey, Crispin,’ Ted, the local mechanic pointed to Crispin’s head on his way
to his seat, ‘what’s with the Britney Spears setup?’

  Kate choked on her coffee, and Juliet, walking up beside her, gave her a helpful slap on the back. ‘I just got here, what did I miss?’

  ‘Someone broke the rules and gave Crispin a mic and headset,’ Jake supplied, taking a gulp of his coffee.

  ‘Wait a minute, you don’t think this was what the urgent meeting with Daniel was for, earlier?’ Kate asked, looking at Juliet.

  ‘Where is Daniel?’

  ‘Conveniently absent,’ Kate said scanning the crowd for him. ‘What’s the betting he lent Crispin some of the tech from upstairs. Do you see him anywhere, Jake?’

  Jake pointed to the double doors to where Daniel was hovering, thinking it served him right for being at poker night. He’d been so bloody happy to encourage questions about Emma that Jake had lost all concentration and lost big-time.

  At three pairs of eyes staring at him in varying degrees of accusation, Jake watched Daniel grin back sheepishly as he made his way over to them.

  ‘If Crispin starts offering up info-graphics on how much bigger this year’s tree is compared with last year’s, you are going to be in such trouble,’ Kate told Daniel.

  Jake grinned because it would certainly explain what Crispin had done with all the stats he’d been asked to provide on how big the tree was and how many lights were needed. ‘I bet now you’re wishing you bought contraband,’ he mentioned.

  ‘Let’s get started, then, shall we?’ Crispin was saying. ‘Thank you all for coming tonight. Firstly, I think we should all give Kate, Daniel and Juliet a round of applause for allowing us to move out of the foyer for our meetings and into what will be our new home, Cocktails & Chai.’

  ‘Oh, he’s so sweet, really,’ Juliet said as everyone turned around and clapped and cheered. ‘It’s impossible to stay mad at him for long.’

  ‘Your version of long sounds like it’s coming up short,’ Kate murmured. ‘My “long” is way longer than yours.’

  ‘Ladies, please,’ Jake inserted, ‘I’m not sure now is the time to have a dick-measuring competition. The meeting’s started.’