Love at the Northern Lights

by Love at the Northern Lights (retail) (epub)

  He had never been hers in the first place, so she had no right to yearn for anything else and she certainly couldn’t compete in the circles that he seemed to move in, could she?

  She used the toilet then washed her hands and splashed some water onto her hot cheeks. She’d have some wine and a nice meal then go back to her hotel and take a nap. It was probably everything catching up with her, including the emotion of seeing her mother again.

  When she walked out of the corridor though, a hand caught her arm.

  ‘Frankie! I thought it was you.’ The soft Norwegian inflections laced his words and her heart leapt as it recognized him.

  ‘Jonas! You scared me.’

  ‘I’m sorry. Sigfrid said a woman was staring at us but when I looked up you had disappeared into the toilets. Why didn’t you come and say hello?’

  ‘Oh… I stopped because I thought it was you but I wasn’t sure and then a man asked me to move and I really needed to go… to use the loo.’ Her cheeks burned as she tried to avoid eye contact. The blue of his eyes was so bright; his smile was so easy, that looking at him actually hurt her. She’d stupidly fallen for him in spite of all her vows to the contrary and now she didn’t know what she was going to do. But she also felt awkward around him, as if he was a stranger and not the man she’d sat next to on a patchwork quilt as they’d eaten a picnic, or the one she’d posed in front of for photographs. It made her wonder if she’d really known him at all. If she’d turned him into the man she wanted him to be.

  ‘Come and meet my friends.’ He nodded at the corner booth and she looked over at the people who were currently staring at her, clearly interested in the strange woman who’d been sneakily observing them. They might even suspect her of being some crazed stalker, one of Jonas’s admirers who’d mistaken him for Thor.

  ‘Oh… no… better not. I’m with my parents.’

  ‘That’s OK. Freya knew I was coming here for lunch anyway and I told her that if she brought you here to come and say hi. You could join us, even.’

  ‘Uh… I’m not sure. I mean… Dad just ordered some wine and they were chatting and—’

  ‘That’s decided then. We’ll get a table moved next to ours and you can eat with us. We can order more wine… to share.’ He smiled at her and her mind went completely blank. She couldn’t think of an excuse to make to get out of having lunch with him and his gorgeous friends.

  ‘OK. I’ll go and get them.’

  ‘Frankie?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘It’s good to see you.’

  Her mouth was dry and she struggled to swallow, but she managed to whisper, ‘It’s good to see you too.’

  Then she walked away on legs as shaky as a baby giraffe’s, and tried not to trip over her own feet. She’d imagined seeing Jonas again but in all of her fantasies, it hadn’t been when he was in the company of such beautiful people. However, she’d have to put on her best smile and make small talk, because otherwise she was going to come across as a spoilt little rich girl from England, and she’d hate to seem that way.

  Chapter 32

  Frankie arrived back at their table to find her parents giggling.

  ‘Oh, hello, love. We thought you’d got lost and Dad was about to send in a search party.’ Freya chuckled and Hugo gazed adoringly at her.

  ‘No… I bumped into Jonas, actually.’

  ‘Yes, he said he’d probably be here. Is he with his gang?’

  ‘Gang?’

  ‘Friends. They’re all photographers and bloggers and I’ve had work from quite a few of them in the gallery at different points. Like Sigfrid Nilson, for example. I take a lot of her work at the gallery and it sells like hot cakes.’

  ‘Ah, right. Yes… I think that’s probably who he’s with.’

  ‘Were they all strikingly attractive?’

  Frankie nodded then took a big gulp of her wine. ‘Extremely.’

  ‘I swear it’s the air in Norway. Some of these kids grow so tall.’

  ‘He asked if we’d like to join them.’ Please say no…

  Freya placed a hand on Hugo’s arm. ‘Shall we?’

  Frankie’s dad smiled broadly. ‘I’m easy. Whatever my two favourite women want to do is fine with me.’

  ‘Come on then and you can meet some of Jonas’s friends. They’re all absolutely lovely.’

  Frankie picked up her wine and her coat and led the way over to Jonas, even though her feet wanted to retrace their steps right out the front door.

  Of course, Jonas’s friends had to be lovely too, didn’t they?

  And they really were.

  * * *

  Two hours later, Frankie was holding her stomach as she’d laughed so much that it was aching, as was her face.

  ‘No, he didn’t!’ she said to Hilda, the tallest of the blonde women, who had come to sit next to her.

  ‘Oh he did, Frankie. He was such a rascal when we were younger and he was always up to mischief.’

  It turned out that Jonas had known Hilda, Sigfrid and Astrid since kindergarten. They’d all shared stories of when they were very young, seemingly competing to see who could embarrass whom the most, and Frankie had laughed at each story as they got funnier and more outrageous.

  The rest of Jonas’s group included an Australian couple whom Astrid had met when travelling, Astrid’s boyfriend, Fredrik, and two other men who were also long-term friends of Jonas.

  As they ate, drank, talked and laughed, Frankie found it hard to believe that she’d been at all intimidated by the thought of joining these lovely people. She was so used to feeling that she didn’t fit in with her peers back home that the warmth and easy way of Jonas’s friends came as a surprise to her. There was no sense of pressure, no atmosphere of competition. Of course, not everyone she’d associated with in England was like that, but some of the acquaintances her grandmother had encouraged her to spend time with had been the epitome of highly competitive – in every area of their lives.

  The evening came to an end all too soon and it was time to go. Frankie exchanged hugs and numbers with Hilda, Sigfrid and Astrid, and they agreed to meet up again when she was next in Oslo. Her parents had also seemed to enjoy their evening and they were arm in arm as they left the bar and went out into the icy air. Frankie couldn’t believe how long they’d spent over dinner, and how the light had faded while they’d been inside, but then this late in December, daylight didn’t last long.

  Jonas walked outside with them and turned up his collar against the freezing air.

  ‘Your friends are lovely,’ Frankie said.

  ‘They’re a good bunch.’ He smiled. ‘And they really took to you, especially Astrid, Sigfrid and Hilda.’

  ‘Astrid said she wants to see my designs.’

  ‘She does, I know. I told her all about them… and about you.’

  Frankie gazed at him, absorbing the lines of his face that were highlighted by the street lamps and the light from the restaurant. He had told his friends about her… but only because of her fashion designs and aspirations. And yet, Astrid had said something about Jonas telling her all about Frankie, how much he enjoyed her company and how he hadn’t actually stopped talking about her since they’d met. Astrid had also said it wasn’t like Jonas at all. Jonas had always been a free spirit, Astrid had said, but now, something about him was different. Frankie had put Astrid’s comments down to the good wine and jovial atmosphere, as well as to the fact that they had got on so well but maybe it was something more…

  ‘I hope you didn’t tell them anything awful.’ Frankie nudged him.

  As he gazed at her, his pupils dilated, becoming deep dark pools, and she felt as if she could lose herself in his eyes.

  ‘I’ll walk you back to your hotel.’

  ‘No, it’s OK. We’re going to walk Freya home then I’ll walk back with Dad.’

  ‘Don’t your parents want some… time alone?’

  Frankie looked at her parents who were standing in the middle of the street, gazing up, a
s Freya pointed out the star formations visible in the black Norwegian sky.

  ‘Oh… I’m not sure. I’m not really sure how to act at the moment, to be honest. They’re so sweet together but I don’t want to make it obvious that I think they might be falling for each other all over again.’ At least she hoped that was what was happening and that neither of them would end up getting hurt. It was as though their roles were reversed and she was the concerned parent, worrying that Freya and Hugo would fall too hard and too quickly and end up with more regrets. But then, they were adults, had lived a lot longer than she had, and they were entitled to their feelings. She just hoped it would work out the way they wanted it to.

  ‘Well, if I insist on walking you back to the hotel, then they can have some time alone without having to ask for it.’

  She nodded, her heart thundering as she contemplated what was happening here.

  ‘Freya, Hugo, I’m going to walk back to the hotel with Frankie. I might even pop in for a drink at the bar.’

  ‘OK, love.’ Freya smiled then pulled her hat down over her ears. She whispered something to Hugo and he nodded. ‘Hugo’s coming back to mine for an hour.’

  ‘If that’s all right with Frankie?’ her dad asked, looking slightly sheepish.

  ‘Of course it is, Dad.’ Frankie gave them both a hug and a kiss. ‘Have fun.’

  They walked away and Jonas offered her his arm.

  ‘It’s slippery this evening.’

  ‘Of course. Thank you.’

  She tucked her gloved hand into the crook of his arm, conscious of his strength and his size as they walked, knowing that should she slip, he’d save her easily. He had a way of making her feel safe without needing to say anything, just by being there.

  When they reached the First Hotel Grims Grenka, they walked through the automatic doors and entered the warm, brightly lit lobby.

  ‘Do you want a drink?’ she asked.

  ‘Sure. Why not?’

  In the bar, they took seats at a corner table and a waiter took their drinks order. After all the wine they’d consumed earlier, they opted for coffee.

  ‘So…’ Frankie let the word hang in the air. ‘What do you think about my parents?’

  ‘I think they care about each other very much and that being reunited has made them both very happy.’

  She nodded.

  ‘I’ve known Freya for some time now and she has never shown a flicker of interest in another man. Not that she hasn’t had offers – she’s an attractive woman – but she always remained the consummate professional, never showed any interest in anyone other than in a business capacity. Not even the suave art collectors who came to the gallery and asked to take her out.’

  ‘Dad was the same.’

  ‘They were waiting for the right one, I suppose.’

  ‘Isn’t everyone?’ The words flew from Frankie’s mouth and she winced. ‘I didn’t mean that. I don’t believe in all that romantic nonsense about everyone needing someone and there being a perfect match for everyone out there.’

  ‘You don’t?’

  She shook her head. ‘It’s silly, isn’t it?’

  ‘So you don’t think your parents are perfect for each other, then? Or that they’ve been unable to love anyone else because they knew they’d never find anyone to match up to the one they’d already found?’

  ‘But they were apart for almost thirty years. How…’ She paused. Whatever she said, she could see that her parents had feelings for each other, feelings that had evidently never died.

  ‘You hear about it all the time,’ Jonas said, smiling at the waiter as he delivered their coffees. ‘People meet up with their first loves and get back together.’

  ‘Jonas… you sound like a romantic now.’

  His smile lit up his face. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever been called that before but I can take it.’

  ‘You’re right. My mother and father were forced apart and they’re delighted to see each other. I do hope they can find a way to make this work though. They have lives in separate countries. Dad still has his job and wasn’t planning on retiring any time soon… at least not until my mother came back into his life.’

  Jonas blew on his coffee and steam billowed over the edge of the cup.

  ‘I think that you need to stop worrying about them. They’re old enough to know what they’re doing and if they make each other happy, then they will find a way to be together.’

  Frankie sipped her coffee; it was hot, strong and delicious and a shiver of delight ran down her spine.

  ‘Good?’

  ‘So good.’

  ‘Like most Norwegian things.’ He laughed. ‘I’m meeting my contact from the boutique tomorrow, so I’ll let you know how it goes. She’s quite excited after seeing the portfolio of your designs.’

  ‘That makes my stomach flip.’

  ‘You’re nervous?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘Don’t be nervous, Frankie. You’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met.’

  ‘Me?’ She laughed. ‘I’m not strong.’

  ‘But you are. You coped your whole life without your mother. You got through school and university then set up in business. You dealt with a grandmother who could – it seems – bully a grown man into submission and yet you kept going and had the strength to walk away from a wedding you knew wasn’t right. That takes so much courage, far more than walking down the aisle and going along with it. You’re stronger than you realize. And then… you came searching for your mother and had enough love and compassion in your heart to forgive her, your father and your grandmother for what happened. You are strong.’

  Frankie digested his words. She’d never thought of herself as a strong woman before; she just got by, got on with things, made a go of it. She often believed that she drifted along, allowing others like her grandmother and Rolo to control her direction. But Jonas believed that she was strong and that she’d done well throughout her life. She liked the way he saw her; no one had ever seen her like that before and it made her heart swell.

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘What for?’

  ‘For telling me that. I like how you see me. I’m not sure I deserve it but I’m grateful.’

  ‘You should value yourself more. You’re very special.’

  He stretched his arms above his head.

  ‘I think I need to get home. I’m quite tired after all that food and wine.’

  Frankie smiled. ‘I suspect I’m going to nod off as soon as my head hits the pillow.’

  ‘Shall we call it a night then?’

  They paid for their coffees then walked out of the bar and through to the lobby. Jonas put his coat back on then wound his scarf round his neck.

  ‘I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow.’

  ‘Please do.’

  ‘Before I go… what are your plans for seeing in the new year?’

  ‘I was just going to go along with what my parents wanted to do.’

  ‘Why don’t you come and watch the fireworks? We usually grab a few bottles of champagne then go down to the harbour. It’s a great place to watch the display.’

  ‘That sounds lovely.’

  ‘You might have some good news to celebrate too.’

  ‘I hope so.’

  ‘I’ll speak to Freya about the fireworks in the morning and speak to you later in the day.’

  ‘OK, marvellous. See you tomorrow then.’

  Jonas hesitated for a moment, leant forwards a bit, as if to kiss her cheek, then stepped backwards again.

  ‘Goodnight, Jonas.’

  ‘Goodnight, Frankie.’

  She reached out and squeezed his hand then turned and walked to the lift before she was tempted to do more. She’d seen the easy way Jonas had with his female friends and with her mother, and it was evidently just his way. He had such a kind heart and he was showing her the same respect and friendship he showed everyone he met.

  She was very lucky indeed to have him in her li
fe.

  Chapter 33

  Late the next morning, Jonas hurried along the street to Freya’s gallery. His smile was wide and he kept chuckling to himself. A few people who passed him looked at him curiously, as if suspecting him of early morning drinking. But it wasn’t that. He had good, no, great news to share. He’d texted Frankie and told her to meet him at the gallery and he couldn’t wait to see her face; he’d also sent Freya a text to ask her to get in a bottle of bubbly in for when he arrived.

  He paused outside the door, took a deep breath and tried to force the smile from his lips. He was going to give it away as soon as she laid eyes on him if he didn’t stop grinning. He tapped his boots on the wall outside to shake the snow from them then opened the door.

  Inside, the lamp on the desk cast a golden glow in the corner but the rest of the gallery was in darkness. As they were closed until January, Freya didn’t want anyone coming in when they saw the lights. Oslo was busy with tourists who’d arrived to see in the new year and they would be looking for things to do, and a walk around a gallery, in the warm, would likely bring them inside.

  ‘Freya?’ He peered through the gloom.

  ‘She’s in the kitchen making coffee.’ Frankie stepped out of the shadows.

  ‘Were you hiding?’ he asked.

  ‘No, I’d just… used the lavatory.’ She gestured behind her.

  ‘Ah! Sorry. Where’s your father?’

  ‘He said he had to go and get something.’

  ‘Right.’ Jonas nodded. Presumably, Hugo had gone out to get the champagne.

  Freya emerged from behind a display board carrying a tray of mugs and a coffee pot. She placed the tray on the desk then poured coffee into three mugs. Jonas took one gratefully and wrapped his hands around the mug, savouring the heat as it warmed his frozen fingers.