He frowned. “Maybe but I did notice that the team over there,” he gestured at a group of elderly men and women who had whispered furiously throughout the quiz as they debated the answers, “seemed to know them all.”
“Ah…” Camilla smiled. “Makes sense. That’s Judith Burnley’s team. We don’t want to challenge their quiz crown.”
“Do they always win?”
“They have whenever I’ve been here for the quiz.”
“That’s right.” Honey leaned over to join in. “And Judith Burnley is a force to be reckoned with. Don’t mess with her whatever you do.”
“Thanks for the warning.” Dane pretended to quiver.
The results came in early with Burnley’s Bards winning with nineteen out of twenty correct answers, closely followed by seventeen from Allie’s All Stars.
“Do you want another drink or do you want to go?” Tom asked Camilla.
She gazed at him, drinking him in, knowing that she didn’t want to leave him and the great evening they’d had but also aware that she was really tired.
“I suppose I should go on home. It’s been a tiring week.”
“Come on then, I’ll walk you home.”
“There’s no need.”
“I’d like to if you don’t mind.”
They got their coats and said their goodbyes, earning big knowing smiles from Allie and Honey, and even a wink from Chris, then they made their way out into the December evening.
“Hand?” Tom asked as he held his out.
Camilla stared at it in surprise.
“In case the ground is icy.”
“Oh! Of course.”
She slid her hand into his and heat spread through her at the delight of having his skin against hers. She was glad she’d forgotten her gloves and glad that he wasn’t wearing any, even though it was certainly cold enough to justify wearing them.
“What’re your plans for the weekend?”
Camilla exhaled, watching her breath curl like smoke into the darkness.
“Nothing much, really. I mean, I suppose I’ll need to go to see Mum and Dad.” She shivered. “Although I’ll make sure to give them fair warning before I turn up.”
“Oh?” He glanced at her and she paused for a moment, causing him to stop too.
“It seems that my parents are… very friendly now he’s back.”
She watched his face under the glow of the streetlamp, wondering what he would make of this information.
“Very friendly as in… getting on well or as in… hanky-panky?”
“As in the latter.”
“I see.” He nodded. “And how do you feel about that?”
She sighed then shook her head. “It’s strange. I want them both to be happy, of course I do, but I can’t help being concerned too. I mean… at their age and after they’ve been apart for so long. What if it’s not real? What if they wake up after Christmas and look at each other and realise they’ve made a big mistake? Or what if he does and then he lets her down again? What if… there are so many what ifs.”
Tom took her other hand and stepped closer to her.
“Camilla, I completely understand your concerns here, believe me. But at the end of the day, they’re adults. They’re old enough to make their own mistakes and to learn from them. You could, of course, try to interfere but where would that get you other than upset? Because I suspect that you would get upset when they didn’t listen. It’s so difficult trying to advise people, especially your parents and in this case, I think you have to let them get on with it. It might work out and they might be happy. I really hope that’s the case. If not… they will deal with it in their own way.”
Camilla ran her eyes over his strong jaw, his cheekbones that were highlighted by the streetlamp and the dark hollows of his eyes. He moved forwards a fraction and she could see the warmth in his gaze.
“You’re right. I know you are and it’s what I’d already decided to do. I just needed to hear someone else say it.”
“Glad to have helped.” He smiled. “I do have a question though.”
“Fire away.”
“If you don’t have any definite plans tomorrow, do you fancy going somewhere?”
“Like where?” Camilla’s heart skipped a beat.
“Like… to a Christmas market perhaps?”
“That sounds like something I might like to do.”
“Fabulous! If you come with me, I’ll buy you lunch.”
“Deal.”
He squeezed her hands then released the one and they carried on walking.
When they reached her gate, he squeezed her hand again.
“I’ll call for you about nine in the morning. Is that okay?”
“Bright and early?”
“Well I’m always up with HP anyway and we want to be on the road, so to speak, fairly early.”
“I’ll be ready.”
“Goodnight, Camilla.”
“Goodnight, Tom.”
He raised her hand and pressed his lips to it, and her heart beat faster as he raised his eyes to meet hers. Then he pulled her towards him, gently lifted her chin with his forefinger and lowered his mouth to hers.
His lips were soft and warm, his breath was sweet and his scent was intoxicating.
When Tom pulled away, Camilla was breathless.
“Now go on in so I know you’re safe before I leave.”
“Okay…” she squeaked.
“Sweet dreams.”
She nodded then opened her door and went into her home, wondering how she’d ever be able to sleep after that kiss. But she did, and she had the sweetest dreams she’d ever had.
12
The barren winter landscape whizzed past outside the car window. Dark branches of naked trees pierced the sky and the clusters of houses blocked the light at intervals. But try as she might to focus on the outside world, she was acutely aware that next to her, in the driver’s seat, was Tom.
He’d knocked on her door at five minutes to nine and she’d been ready and waiting; her excitement hadn’t allowed her to sleep past six-thirty. She’d got up, showered, dressed and tried to force down some breakfast but her stomach had been so fluttery that she’d only managed half a piece of toast.
Tom had refused to tell her where they were going other than that it was a very nice Christmas Market and it was less than an hour away. When she’d locked her front door then walked down the path, she’d gasped when she’d seen his car. A brand new Range Rover Velar, it was sleek, black and so shiny that she could see her reflection in the door as Tom opened it for her to get in. The interior was just as luxurious with smooth leather seats and touchscreen controls. It had that new car smell but the confined space meant that she could also enjoy Tom’s scent of sandalwood aftershave and something lighter that she suspected was a citrus shower gel.
As Tom drove, Camilla allowed herself to relax. It was actually nice to have someone else taking care of things and making the decisions. This was unusual for her, because she liked to control where her life was going and when, but something about Tom made her feel relaxed, and that she could trust him. And this surprised her, even as it pleased her.
“Will HP be all right while you’re out?” she asked Tom as they drove through a country lane.
“He’ll sleep all morning then use the dog flap if he needs the toilet. He only eats twice a day, and had breakfast before I left, so he’ll be fine. Besides, we won’t be out late.”
Camilla nodded.
“Did you enjoy the quiz last night?”
“I did. It was a good evening.”
“Me too.” He glanced at her and her stomach flipped as she recalled their goodnight kiss.
“Right we’re about ten minutes away so do you want to know where we’re going?”
“I think I have an idea…”
“You do?”
“Yes but I don’t want to say in case I’m wrong.”
“No harm in guessing, Camilla. It’s okay to be wrong about some
things. And you probably won’t be anyway.”
“Okay then… is it Reading?”
He nodded.
“I’ve been shopping there before but not to the Christmas Market.”
“I did some research and it’s meant to be a good one.”
“I’m excited now.”
Camilla gazed at his profile, taking in his strong jaw, dark eyelashes, short brown hair and straight nose. His skin was clear and he was freshly shaven. It made her want to run her hand over his cheek then up through his hair. More than that, being so close to him made her want to hold him close. And that was not something Camilla was used to feeling.
Tom pulled the vehicle into a space in a large open-air car park and cut the engine.
“Do you need to get much today?”
“A few things. Mainly for Dawn and the children. And I suppose I’d better get something for Dad too, now that it looks like he’s here for Christmas.”
“No problem.”
“What about you?”
“If I see anything suitable for my parents I’ll pick it up.”
“Are you going back to Brighton for Christmas?”
He shook his head. “Not over Christmas because of work but I am going back next weekend for a few days to drop gifts off and show my face.”
“Is your mum okay with that?”
He shrugged. “She understands that I needed a fresh start and that my work is here now. She’ll be fine. It’s a surprise but Dad’s whisking her away this year to Paris. He thought that seeing as how I’ve moved away, it would be a good plan to take her somewhere so she’s not moping around. He’s always fancied Christmas in France, so now he has the perfect opportunity. He’s not a big fan of the festivities anyway.”
“Really?”
Tom shook his head. “He says it’s all a waste of time and money and that we’d be better off scrapping it altogether.”
“I can kind of understand that. I mean, Christmas is about children really isn’t it?”
“It is about children but it can also be fun for adults. I’ll be on call this year and that’s fine, but if I had a family it would be different I suppose.”
“Do you like Christmas?”
“I do. Mum always made it really special when I was growing up and Dad even made the effort to get into the festive spirit.”
“I’ve always gone along with it all for Mum and Dawn, but more recently it’s been about Laura and James. I don’t know though… there’s just something about Christmas that I like.”
“There is a sense of magic about it.” He smiled. “Especially when you have good company.”
“Exactly. And the best part is the build up.”
“Days like this.”
“Yes.”
“So let’s have some fun, shall we?”
He undid his seatbelt then turned to her and gently stroked her cheek. They gazed at each other for a moment, and the gentle movement of his thumb against her skin made heat course through Camilla. It wasn’t just that he was handsome, intelligent and kind. There was more to him and she felt that she had only scratched the surface of who he was and what he could mean to her. Part of her mind cried out that this was wrong, that she didn’t do this. Camilla Dix did not develop feelings for men. Ever.
But she quickly squashed the voice and instead turned her head slightly and pressed her lips to Tom’s palm. Whatever had happened in her life up to this point, right now, she didn’t care. She wanted to enjoy being with Tom today, to lose herself in his company and in just being alive. It might be risky, it might be something she would have scolded herself for just weeks ago. But for today, at least, Camilla was throwing caution to the wind and letting herself have fun.
Camilla slipped her charcoal grey poncho with the faux-fur trim over her head then pulled on her black leather gloves. She’d worn black jeans and a long-sleeved black tunic top with her low-heeled knee-high grey leather boots. It had been cosy in the car but outside, there was a chilly breeze, so she was glad that she’d also brought her black beret, which she now put on before hooking her small cross-body bag over her head and tucking it securely in front of her. When she was ready, she looked up to find Tom smiling at her over the roof of the car. She returned the smile and felt her cheeks glow as she realised he’d been watching her get ready.
She walked around the car and paused as he zipped up his brown leather bomber jacket then tugged a black beanie over his brown hair.
“Do you have gloves?” she asked him.
“No.” He frowned. “Keep losing them. It’s okay though, I have pockets.”
He tucked his hands into his jacket to demonstrate and Camilla nodded.
Then he shook his head, brought one hand back out then offered it to Camilla.
“Don’t want to risk losing you if it’s busy.”
“Please don’t.”
She took his hand and he tucked his into his pocket while holding hers firmly, then they made their way towards the Christmas market in Forbury Gardens. Camilla’s first thought as they approached the market was how colourful it was. Everywhere she looked she saw red, green, gold and silver. From chalet-style stalls to rides to decorations that hung from lampposts and trees, everything was gorgeously festive.
As they approached a stall, a large Santa plodded past them, rubbing his ample belly as he tucked into a slice of Christmas cake. He smiled as Camilla caught his eye and offered her a Ho Ho Ho.
“Think I’ve got competition there?” Tom nudged her.
“What? From Santa?”
“Well, he does have a fantastic white beard and a sleigh that flies.”
“Good point.” Camilla grinned. “But he lives in the North Pole and it’s a bit far to travel for work.”
“Thank goodness for that.” Tom laughed. “Although I bet the skiing is amazing there.”
“Have you been skiing?”
“A few times. Have you?”
Camilla nodded.
“And?”
“I enjoyed it. Once I managed to stop, that was.”
“It’s great exercise and so invigorating being out in the fresh air, cutting through the snow.”
“I’d like to go again.”
“I’ll remember that.”
Camilla smiled inwardly. He made it sound as though there could be a future for them. Then she released a deep breath. She shouldn’t get ahead of herself; she didn’t even know if she could fall for someone. She’d spent a lifetime erecting emotional barriers, preventing herself from caring for a man. What was different this time?
She knew the answer to that.
It was Tom. He was different. He was… everything she admired in a man and more.
“Penny for them?”
“I was just thinking about how lovely this is but also how hungry I am.”
“Well let’s find something to eat first then we can go shopping.”
“Great.”
They approached a colourful stall that looked like it could have blended in at a fairground, where steam poured out of a funnel like chimney in the roof and the aromas of spices and savoury meats filled the air.
“Schnitzel?”
“Sorry?”
“Frites?”
“Pardon?”
Tom pointed at the front of the stall where the words were written. “It’s the German Sausage Company. Fancy something from here?”
Camilla frowned then shook her head. “I’m in the mood for something sweet. How about crepes?” Camilla nodded at the next stall.
“Now that sounds perfect!”
Tom waited in the queue, still holding Camilla’s hand, and when they reached the counter, he ordered for them both, glancing at her twice to check she was in agreement.
Soon, the vendor passed him two large paper plates.
“Let me give you some money.” Camilla released Tom’s hand to open her bag but he shook his head. “My treat.”
“Oh, no. I can’t allow that.”
“Please,
Camilla, it’s just food. You can pay for some drinks or something later on. There’ll be plenty of chances for you to spend your money.” He handed her one of the plates.
“Okay then.”
They made their way to a bench where they sat down and Tom As they ate, Camilla savoured the perfectly thin crepe that was coated in crunchy sugar and fresh tangy lemon juice.; it seemed even nicer because they were eating alfresco.
When they’d finished, Tom took the tray back to the stall then handed Camilla some paper napkins to wipe her hands.
“Are you thirsty?”
“Yes.”
“How about a hot chocolate?”
“Mmmm.”
This time, Camilla paid, and handed Tom a colourful mug featuring a festive pattern.
They stood near the stall as they drank the sweet creamy drink that was topped with whipped cream and marshmallows. It might have been the sugar hit from the crepe and the drink but Camilla felt full of energy and she couldn’t stop smiling.
After they’d returned the mugs, they walked along, peering into the chalets and soaking up the atmosphere. Camilla realised that she’d never done this with a man before, at least she’d never walked along holding a man’s hand, comfortable when they were talking as well as when they were silent, and she marvelled at how Tom relaxed her so much that she could enjoy it.
They paused at a chalet selling colourful wooden toys.
“Do you think there might be something in there for your nephew?” Tom asked.
“There might be.”
They went into the cosy space and looked at the toys on offer. There were small red trains, figures, animals and houses.
“What about this?” Tom asked as he held up a car transporter. “It has four cars with it and looks pretty sturdy.
“That’s lovely. I think James would really like it.” Camilla took the box from him. “Ooh! And there’s a car wash. I’ll get that too.”
“What about your niece?”
Camilla roamed her eyes over the rest of the toys. “Well she’s not much older than James but sometimes she seems like a teenager.”
“They grow up so quickly these days.” Tom shook his head and pursed his lips. It made his chin dimple more prominent and Camilla had a sudden urge to kiss it. “Are you okay?”
A Year at The Cosy Cottage Café_A heart-warming feel-good read about life, love, loss, friendship and second chances Page 29