“Are you kidding me?” I cry out as Glenn’s laughter fills the air. “You got me in the face!”
“I’m so sorry!” he says insincerely, already bending down for more.
“Oh, no; this is war now!” I declare, scooping up some ‘snow’ and throwing it at him, laughing as he cries out in surprise.
We continue our snowball fight as we fall and, unceremoniously, pick ourselves up again, all the while, laughing like a couple of kids, until the wind machine falls silent, the snow fluttering to the ground.
“Is that it?” I gasp, dropping to my knees and looking around.
Glenn looks at me, his hands still full of ‘snow’. “Do I detect disappointment in your voice?” he teases.
“Maybe,” I admit quietly, pulling off my hat.
“See, I told you you’d have fun,” he reminds me as he walks towards me.
Getting to my feet, I stop when Glenn dumps the snow he’s carrying onto my head. “Argh, that’s not fair!” I cry out, shaking the ‘snow’ from my head. He tries to move away but I’m too quick for him; grabbing his jacket, I pull him down, tossing ‘snow’ onto him until he cries out in surrender.
“Okay, okay; you win!” he declares. “I’m sorry!”
Pushing myself up, I look down at him as he props himself up onto his elbows. “I should think so, too,” I mutter victoriously. Getting to my feet, I add, “Never start something you can’t finish.” And, with that, I leave the globe, Glenn’s laughter following me out.
The night air is cool on my skin, especially when I remove the scarf and hand it back to the vendor. “Thanks,” I say, giving him a smile. “That was actually more fun than I thought it would be.”
“A lot of couples say that,” the man smiles, distracted momentarily by something on his computer.
“Oh, we’re not-” I start to protest.
But the guy isn’t listening. “I even had someone hire this so that he could propose to his girlfriend; very romantic.”
“Did she say yes?” Glenn asks, coming to stand beside me.
The man glanced at us. “I’ve yet to meet a girl who can say no to a romantic winter wonderland proposal.” He grins at Glenn, handing him a card. “Keep me in mind for the future,” he adds, nodding towards me.
“Oh, we’re not a couple,” Glenn says quickly.
The man shrugs, clearly disappointed he isn’t about to get any more business from us.
My phone buzzes in my pocket; pulling it out, I see Holly’s name on the screen. “Holly’s got us a space on the green,” I say to Glenn, when I finish reading her message.
“Great; we better go find her, then.” Smiling at the man, he says, “Thanks again; that was really fun,” before we head off, in search of Holly and the kids.
Chapter 17
“What happened to you?” Holly demands when we, finally, locate them.
Josh and Amy are happily stuffing their faces with burgers and chips, while their mum blows onto a hot chocolate.
“What are you talking about?” I ask, wondering how I was going to steal one of the kids’ chips.
“You have dandruff,” Josh announces to anyone who will listen.
I glare at him. “I don’t have dandruff,” I protest, reaching out to nab a chip.
“Hey!” Josh cries defensively, protectively turning away, putting himself between his precious chips and me.
“You kind of do,” Glenn agrees tentatively, reaching out and brushing my hair gently.
I gasp in horror, as I suddenly fight to ignore the goose bumps I get at his touch. Reaching up, I frantically run my fingers through my hair, watching as the ‘snow’ falls to the ground. “Thanks for telling me!” I growl at Glenn. “You just let me walk across the green like this.”
“Yeah… but it was funny,” Glenn retorts, catching Josh’s eye.
Josh laughs as they share the joke. I turn to Holly, hoping to get more sense from her.
“We went in the snow globe,” I explain.
“You didn’t!” Josh exclaims, shaking his head in shame. “Seriously, that’s so embarrassing!”
“Actually, it was kind of fun,” I say, sharing a smile with Glenn. “You should try it, sometime,” I add, turning back to Josh.
“Yeah, I don’t think so!” he scoffs, clearly too cool for anything like that.
Suddenly, our attention is drawn to the stage as the DJ interrupts the current song to ask the crowd if they’re having a good time.
“Yes!” everyone cries out in response (except for me, or course).
With everyone suitably distracted, Holly moves closer to me, pulling me aside. “I’m glad you had some fun,” she says into my ear. “You deserve it.”
I look at her, seeing the sincerity in her eyes and realise that, for the first time in a long while, I may have actually enjoyed doing something Christmassy. Well, wonders will never cease…
“Well, that’s good because it’s time to switch on the Christmas lights!” the DJ continues enthusiastically.
The crowd roars in response as the Vicar steps up to press the switch. The DJ continues talking but I tune him out, turning to look at Holly and the kids, their eyes fixed on the stage, their excitement building. It’s nice to see them all enjoying themselves, seemingly, without a care in the world.
Looking across to Glenn, I find myself grinning like an idiot as he meets my gaze. Suddenly, he jerks his head towards the tree and I turn to a chorus of…
“Three… two… one!”
As one, a loud roar goes up as the tree is lit up, bathing us all in a warm, colourful glow, as the lights begin to change colour. Quite unexpectedly, I find myself swept up in the excitement, cheering and clapping along with the rest of those gathered.
I find myself glancing over at Glenn, again, his face reflecting the changing lights of the tree, and smile, glad that I’m spending this day with him, Holly and the kids. Clearly sensing my gaze on him once more, he looks over at me, leaning towards me.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he asks, nodding towards the tree.
I nod. “Yeah…” I agree, as the local primary school kids begin singing Silent Night.
I must admit, this may not be on the same scale as Regent or Oxford Street but, in some ways, it’s so much better. I can’t help letting my mind wander and find myself wishing that Dad were here, too; it would have been nice to share this moment with him. Suddenly (and very out of character for me), I find myself wanting to talk… about Dad, about Mum… about everything, really. Tapping Holly’s shoulder, I say, “I’ll head back to the tearooms; you stay here with the kids a little longer.”
“Are you sure?”
I nod. “Don’t worry; I’ll take Glenn with me,” I say, before realising I may have assumed too much. But, then again, I don’t think he’ll mind at all.
“Okay; we won’t be long, though,” she insists.
“That’s okay; take your time,” I reply, looking around. “Looks like everyone’s busy here for the moment, anyway.” That’s good; I reckon we’ll have some time to ourselves before the rush descends. Turning away from her, I tug Glenn’s arm, indicating for him to follow me. “Will you come back to the tearooms with me; help me set up?” I ask, trying hard to be heard above the singing.
He nods, smiling at me. “Sure.”
I smile, grateful he’s agreed to come but now I find myself wondering how to broach the subject but, worse still, I’m now wondering if I even should. But, I reason, I like him; I want him to know me… And, at the end of the day, I want him to understand what makes me tick. “You know you said that if I ever wanted to talk, I could talk to you?”
His head snaps round at this and he’s studying me intently. “Yeah…”
“Well… I want to talk.”
“Okay. What do you want to talk about?” he asks, frowning. “Though I have to warn you, if you’re about to talk politics, you might be better off finding someone else.”
I laugh, giving him a shove. “I’m ser
ious.”
“So am I!” he insists with a grin. “Sorry; go on.”
I take a moment, collecting my thoughts. “I want you to understand why I feel the way I do about Christmas,” I explain. “And, it isn’t because I’m a ‘Scrooge’,” I add, using air quotes.
“Hey, you know I was only kidding when I said that, don’t you?” he says, clearly eager to reassure me.
“Yes, I know.” I smile, wanting him to know I’m not annoyed with him. “Don’t worry about that,” I murmur, as we reach the tearooms. Unlocking the door, I step inside, holding it open for Glenn. “Can I get you a drink?” I ask, trying to sound normal, despite the storm brewing inside me. “Coffee?”
“Coffee would be great,” Glenn agrees, heading for a window seat with a view of the tree outside.
“Sit on the sofa, if you want,” I suggest, nodding towards the well-worn couch. “It’s more comfortable.”
He nods and heads over to the sofa.
I can feel his eyes on me as I fire up the machine and set about making the coffees. And, as if on cue, I feel my stomach churn. I’ve never done this before; everyone that knows anything about my situation, lived through it with me and I’ve never met anyone in London I felt I could confide in but Glenn… well, Glenn’s another story.
I keep reminding myself of that fact as I take the coffees over to him, returning his easy smile as he reaches for his cup.
“Thanks, Jess,” he mutters, before taking a sip.
“I still can’t believe you drink your coffee so hot.”
“Well, when you don’t know how long you’ve got until the next shout, you learn to do a lot of things quickly,” he says. “No time to waste in my job.”
And, with that thought, I’m reminded that I need to start talking if I want to do this without an audience. But how to start?
“Jess, if you don’t want to tell me-”
“No, it’s fine…”
But before I can even start, we hear voices outside and turn around to see Holly, Josh and Amy leading people to the tearooms. Glenn turns back to me, a sympathetic look on his face.
“Maybe we can talk later?” he asks hopefully.
I nod, getting up. “Yeah, sure. Save my place?”
He scoffs, getting to his feet. “Are you sure you’re even going to get a minute to yourself once this lot arrive?”
I smirk, knowing he’s right. Just then, the door opens behind me and Holly and the kids enter and make their way to the kitchen as the villagers follow them in.
“Hi, ya!” Holly calls to us.
“Hey,” I call back as my attention is drawn to the villagers coming through the door. “Find a seat, everyone; drinks are on the way,” I announce as I go to the counter and help Holly set out the mugs.
“Do you need a hand?” Glenn calls over, looking between us.
“You don’t have to-” Holly starts to protest.
Josh appears in the doorway to the kitchen. “You can help me,” he offers, “I’ve been given washing up duty.”
“And you look ecstatic about that,” I observe wryly.
Josh makes a face at me. “Oh, yeah; I am.”
Glenn smiles at him. “Right, well, consider me your helping hand for the night,” he says, rolling up the sleeves of his jumper and following Josh out to the kitchen.
Holly smiles at me. “He’s a nice guy, isn’t he?”
I nod, avoiding eye contact. “Yeah.” I feel her gaze still on me. “What?”
“You can admit you like him, you know,” she tells me matter-of-factly.
“I do like him,” I agree, “as a friend.”
“Four hot chocolates for Table Two,” Amy announces, as she arrives at the counter.
And, just like that, my feelings for Glenn are forgotten, for the moment, as our night begins.
“So, what were you two all cozy about when we got here?” Holly asks, now that we’ve, finally, closed.
I look at her, frowning. “We weren’t-”
“Don’t deny it; I saw you.”
“Well, I’m not sure what you think you saw but we were only talking.”
She nods slowly. “Just talking, eh?”
“Yes; just talking,” I agree firmly. I sigh. “I’m going to tell him about… Mum.”
She stares at me, clearly shocked. “You are?”
“I don’t know… what do you think?” I ask, my uncertainty returning.
Holly smiles at me, placing a hand on my arm. “I think that’s a good idea,” she says. “Glenn will understand.”
I nod; I suppose that’s my greatest fear in all this: that Glenn may see me differently after I tell him. He may judge me for running off to London and abandoning my dad in his hour of need; I’m not sure I’d blame him if he did. “Do you really think so?”
“I do.”
“I guess we’ll soon see,” I mutter.
She shakes her head and sighs in exasperation. “When are you going to learn to trust people?”
“Hey, I’m telling him, aren’t I?” I retort. “That’s a big deal for me.”
“I know,” she concedes, “but-”
“The washing up’s all finished,” Glenn announces as he comes out of the kitchen, the kids in tow.
“Right then, I guess we’d better be getting off ourselves,” Holly says going to collect their coats. “Some of us have homework to finish,” she says pointedly, looking at her son.
Josh groans. “But I thought today was a day off!”
Holly frowns, pulling on her coat. “I’m not sure where you got that idea from, young man, but you couldn’t be more wrong.” He groans again, snatching he’s coat from his mum who smiles over at Glenn and I. “See you later,” she calls, ushering her kids out ahead of her.
Outside, Amy waves and calls through the window… “Night, Auntie Jess; night, Glenn.”
“Night, see you tomorrow,” we call back.
And now it’s just us.
“So…” Glenn says.
“So,” I echo. “Look-”
“If you’re too tired to talk tonight, I get it,” he says, trying to anticipate my train of thought. “We can do it another night; maybe over dinner?”
I shake my head. “No,” I say but, seeing the disappointment on his face, add, “Actually, I was going to suggest you come up to the flat; we can talk there.”
“Oh. Okay… yeah,” he agrees, his surprise evident.
“Okay, I’ll just lock up.”
After a quick check of the kitchen, I turn off the lights and lead Glenn outside, locking the door behind us. “Sorry for the state of the place,” I apologise, suddenly aware that he’s about to see my ‘home’ for the first time.
“I’m sure it’s not that bad,” he assures me.
“Well, it’s a bit…” I pause, searching for the right word as I open the door and ascend the stairs. “It used to be a bit more ‘lived in’,” I explain as we enter, “but, being in London these past few years…” I shrug. “There just doesn’t seem to be much point.”
Looking around, he says, “Well, this is nothing compared to my place. I mean: I live with a huge dog that molts and slobbers everywhere.”
“Well, when you put it like that…” I laugh. “Can I get you a drink?”
“No, I’m okay, thanks,” he says.
Okay, well, that’s all the time-wasting excuses I have in my arsenal out of the way. Sitting down, I wait for Glen to sit beside me and then I begin. “This is really hard,” I tell him, focusing on my hands, rather than him. “I’ve never spoken about this before; to anyone,” I add, for good measure.
“Then, I’m glad you feel you can talk to me about it.”
I smile, lifting my gaze to meet his. “My mum passed away five years ago,” I begin, quietly. “Two days before Christmas.”
“Oh, Jess; I’m so sorry.” He drops his head into his hands. “I feel so bad now about the whole Scrooge thing.”
“You weren’t to know,” I assure him quickly.
“Yeah, but still… I feel terrible.”
I smile. “Don’t; it’s not your fault.”
“It must have been so hard for you and your family.”
I shake my head. “Yeah, it was. She had cancer,” I continue. “She discovered it a few years after Holly and I had set up the tearooms. She did have treatment but it was too late; a year later, she lost her fight.” I swipe at the tears falling freely now. Glenn takes my free hand in both of his, squeezing it supportively; he doesn’t say anything, just allows me whatever time I need, waiting patiently until I’m ready to continue. “I’m just so glad she got to see us set up the tearooms.”
“I’m sure she was proud of you,” Glenn says softly.
I smile wistfully; that’s one thing I’ve always been sure of. “Yeah, she was. She came up with the name, you know.” We share a smile and, looking into his eyes, I suddenly realise how easy it is to talk to him.
“So, that’s why you left, is it?” he asks. “I suppose living in a small village after something like that was hard.”
I shake my head. “No; everyone was great, especially Holly and Sofia’s family. I don’t know what I would have done without them,” I admit. “But, after Mum, things became strained between me and Dad; he couldn’t cope with losing her and retreated into himself, away from me.”
Glenn tightens his grip on my hand. “It must have been so hard for you both.”
I take a breath, bracing myself. “It was,” I acknowledge. “I tried to help him, I really did; I tried to be there for him, but he just kept pushing me away. It felt like I was losing another parent. I ended up turning to drink to get me through each day,” I continue, “but all I ended up doing was feeling sorry for myself and hating the world; Jackie helped me get off it, in the end, and now-”
“You don’t touch it,” Glenn finishes for me.
“Exactly.”
“It was around that time my friend phoned from London; it gave me the chance to get away. It wasn’t an easy decision but, in the end, Holly suggested maybe it was the best thing for me. It would give me the chance to clear my head and give my dad space.”
“And did it?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know; I mean, I’m learning to accept what’s happened but my dad…? I’m not sure he ever will. Last week was the first time I’d spoken to him in three years,” I admit.
All I Want For Christmas (A Sweet, Contemporary Romance) (Romance In The Lakes Book 1) Page 9