The girls were allowed to water it but Steph said dinner was almost ready and it would be too late to stay up and decorate it afterwards.
They protested loudly. ‘It’ll be even more fun tomorrow,’ Jay said. ‘And your tree will be all the happier after it’s had a rest and a drink of water.’
‘Yes, it’s been a very long and exciting day,’ Lottie said. ‘Not only for the tree.’
Jay smiled. Actually, the first day of tree sales had turned out far more fun than he ever expected it to be. He’d been reminded that it might only be a job to him, but it was a highlight of the year for many families.
The girls went upstairs to wash their hands.
‘Will you stay for something to eat?’ Steph asked.
‘Thanks, but we’d planned on going into town for a pub meal,’ Lottie said quickly.
Jay felt good at hearing her say it. He was glad he’d found the nerve to ask her out, and the tree delivery had given him an excuse to keep things casual. Even so, he hadn’t been that confident she’d say yes. He’d been quite worried that he was overstepping the mark in offering to deliver the tree at all.
‘You’d be very welcome. We’re having a Christmas pizza night.’
‘I don’t know …’ Lottie said. She clearly felt it would be Jay’s worst nightmare. He also wondered if Steph was keen to vet him.
‘You won’t have enough for me,’ Jay said.
‘I can promise you we do. They’re pizza bases that I’ve topped with tomato sauce and I’ve made extra for the freezer.’
‘If you’re sure.’ He waited for Lottie to give permission. He didn’t know the family and he didn’t want to intrude.
‘Come on,’ Steph said. ‘Do you know what you’ve let yourself in for?’ she asked. ‘The girls can be very … inquisitive.’
‘Do they take after their mother?’ Lottie said, with an ironic eyebrow lift. She was now convinced that Steph’s invitation was purely so she could check Jay out.
Steph feigned innocence. ‘I’ve no idea what you mean.’
‘Hmm,’ Lottie said but Jay seemed OK with the idea.
He smiled. ‘Actually, I’m used to kids. I used to run outdoor courses for children. Not as young as the twins, mainly older primary and secondary school.’
‘I didn’t know that.’ Lottie sounded amazed. ‘Where was that?’
‘In my previous job at Greythwaite Hall. I enjoyed teaching adults and young people. I still have all the certificates. Outdoor pursuits instructor, forestry skills.’
‘Wow. That’s brilliant. Why don’t you suggest we do something like it at Firholme after Christmas?’
‘I’d thought about it but … life got in the way.’ The truth was he didn’t know if he could handle being around so many happy families. It was another avenue of enjoyment that he’d shut off because of his bitterness about Ben and Nadia – another door he’d slammed shut. A door that today had encouraged him to open, even if it was only a crack to peer inside at the possibilities. ‘With the new job and stuff, I’d put it on the back burner. Do you think Shayla might be interested?’
Lottie nodded enthusiastically and Jay wondered if he’d caught a tiny bit of her zest for making the most of life. ‘I’m sure she would,’ Lottie said. ‘If you have time once Christmas is over, maybe we could run a trial course for February half-term or Easter?’
‘That’s what I’d wondered.’ He nodded, feeling an unaccustomed spark of enthusiasm. ‘If you think it’s a possibility, I’ll definitely work up a plan and send it to her.’
‘We need to do all we can to bring in more visitors in the quiet months so I can’t see her being anything other than delighted.’
The girls ran back into the room and immediately started their interrogation of Jay.
‘Do you know any jokes?’ Myra said.
Jay racked his brains. ‘How does Good King Wenceslas like his pizza?’ he said.
The twins exchanged glances. ‘We don’t know,’ they trilled in unison.
‘Deep and crisp and even!’ Jay declared, with a big grin.
Jodie wrinkled her nose. ‘That’s silly.’
‘I like pineapples on my pizza,’ Myra stated.
Steph, who had been listening at the doorway, walked in. ‘I think you just died there, Jay.’
Myra’s face fell. ‘Jay isn’t going to die, is he?’
‘No. No. It’s only a figure of speech,’ Steph said.
‘What’s a figure of speech?’
‘A silly saying. It means nothing.’ Steph clapped her hands. ‘Look shall we actually eat some pizza? I ought to warn you though, the toppings are somewhat … unusual.’
‘Sounds intriguing,’ Jay said.
‘That’s one way of putting it,’ Steph said with a grin. ‘Would you mind laying the table, please? Mats, glasses and festive serviettes on the dresser. I’ll bring in the cutlery.’
While Steph extracted the pizzas from the oven, Lottie helped Jay set the table. Gales of laughter came from the kitchen and Lottie poked her head around the door.
‘You can’t look at these,’ the girls squealed. ‘They have top secret toppings.’
Dissolving into fits of giggles, they made Lottie and Jay wait at the table.
‘Why do I have a feeling that this is going to be like no pizza I’ve ever tried before …’ Jay said, as Lottie unfolded a serviette.
‘Well, you were warned,’ Lottie replied, still a little surprised he’d agreed to stay so readily although Steph had hardly given him much option.
Steph and the girls walked out, carrying plates covered in slices of pizza. Myra’s almost tipped over onto the carpet but they made it safely to the table. Jodie ran back into the kitchen and came back with a jar of Nutella and a spoon.
‘Um. What a feast!’ Lottie said when the plates had been put in the middle of the table and the girls were in their seats. ‘Pineapple, ham, mushroom – and what are those?’ Lottie peered at some of the slices, which were dotted with what looked like albino rabbit droppings, with the mysterious addition of bits of silver foil. The other slices were topped with chocolate gloop and pink bits, on top of the usual cheese.
‘These are white chocolate snowballs!’ Myra said proudly, dumping a slice onto Jay’s plate without him asking.
‘We tried to pick all the foil off,’ said Jodie.
‘But watch your teeth,’ Steph warned.
Jay poked at the slice with a fork. ‘I wondered what the shiny bits were …’
‘Try one, Auntie Lottie!’ Myra thrust the plate under Lottie’s nose. She took a slice. ‘Oh, yummy.’
‘And you can add more Nutella if you want to,’ Jodie said, spreading chocolate gloop from a jar onto her pizza.
‘Are the pink bits pink marshmallows?’ Lottie said.
‘No, silly. It’s pepperami!’ The twins fell about laughing. Myra literally slid off her chair, which made her laugh even more.
‘Please, can we eat these pizzas?’ Steph sounded frustrated.
Lottie nibbled the end of a slice. ‘Mm. Chocolate and spicy sausage. How delicious.’
‘It’s Mexican and Cumbrian fusion, is it?’ Jay said.
‘Exactly,’ said Steph with a grin. ‘Tuck in.’
After the pizzas, the girls quietened down a bit and sat on the sofa reading on their tablets. Lottie kissed them goodbye then she and Jay went to the door.
‘Enjoy the rest of your evening,’ Steph said. ‘Thanks again for all your help with the tree. Sorry about the cuisine.’
‘It was eclectic,’ Jay said.
Lottie laughed. ‘I’d call it experimental.’
‘No problem,’ Jay said.
‘Well, that wasn’t quite what I had in mind about having dinner in the pub,’ Lottie said as they walked back towards his van. ‘Thanks for staying. I’m sure the girls thought it was fun and Steph enjoyed the adult company.’
‘Adult?’ Jay laughed. ‘Not going by my jokes.’
Lottie laughed. ‘They still
loved having someone new to torment.’
‘I enjoyed it too,’ Jay said. ‘Is there still time for us to go for a drink?’ he asked, surprising himself at how much he wanted the answer to be ‘yes’.
Lottie smiled. ‘It’s only half-past eight, so definitely.’
They drove the short distance into the town. Keswick nestled in a bowl that had been scooped out by a glacier in the ice age, leaving a deep valley with its lake. Some of England’s highest mountains encircled it, and by the light of the full moon, you could make out the outlines of Blencathra and Skiddaw with snow glowing eerily on their flanks.
Christmas lights twinkled around Keswick’s market square when Jay and Lottie walked to one of the town’s traditional coaching inns. It was a bitterly cold night, but the windows of several of the pubs and restaurants gleamed as people gathered for early festive celebrations.
A fire blazed in the hearth as Jay ducked his head under the lintel between the bar and lounge. Although it was busy with people, they managed to find a table in a cosy corner. Lottie had a glass of mulled wine, but Jay stuck to an alcohol-free beer as he was driving. She asked him how the first day of sales had gone at the farm and then told him a little more about the twins, and how Steph had done a fantastic job bringing them up.
‘I wish Mum and Dad could be here,’ she said wistfully. ‘We haven’t seen them for a year. FaceTime isn’t the same.’
Jay sipped his beer. ‘Will you see them at Christmas?’
‘They’re planning to come over again in the spring but it would be so lovely for them to join in all the fun and excitement with the tree and Christmas itself.’ She paused. ‘Will you be going to see your parents?’
‘I – I’m not sure. It’s a bit awkward with Ben and Nadia and the baby.’
‘Mmm. I can understand that. Have you heard anything from him since the other night in the pub?’
‘Not from Ben. My mum called me last night.’ He sighed. ‘Ben had told her what happened at the pub, of course. She was pretty upset.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t be. It’s between me and Ben. Only we can sort it out.’
‘How old is Seb now?’ she asked.
‘Six months.’ Jay pictured Sebastian. He’d be asleep in his cot, wholly innocent and unsuspecting of the family turmoil surrounding him. Regret and guilt clogged Jay’s throat. ‘Would you like to see a photo?’
Lottie’s lips parted in surprise. God knows, Jay had surprised himself by offering.
‘Yes. I’d love to.’
‘Mum sends them to me from time to time on WhatsApp. I’m ashamed to say that I’ve deleted most of them and asked her not to send any more, but I did keep a couple of them. Christ, that all sounds so childish.’
‘Not childish. We all do impulsive things when we’re hurt and angry,’ she said.
‘I bet you don’t.’
She laughed. ‘Of course I do … you’ve no idea.’
He shook his head. ‘You’d never pick a fight in a pub with your brother?’
‘I don’t know what I’d do if Steph had done what Ben has. Not an actual fight, but …’ She shrugged. ‘Who knows? Come on, let’s see this photo.’
Scrolling through his messages, he found the latest picture he’d saved. It was of Sebastian on his own, and Jay had felt it was somehow wrong to delete it. He was propped up, gurgling at the camera, clutching a toy brick. Even seeing it again made his stomach tighten, but he also felt he wanted to share it with Lottie. She seemed to understand how he felt, and yet, she wasn’t connected with his family.
He handed her the phone. ‘Oh, he’s gorgeous. What a smile.’
‘Yes, he has Nadia’s eyes and dark hair …’ Jay said, thinking of the way he’d fallen instantly for Nadia when he’d met her at a rugby club dinner. She’d been on the committee and had known Ben even then. Perhaps, she even liked him that far back. He shook off the what-ifs that he’d gone over and over in his head.
‘Her dad is Jordanian,’ he went on, deciding not to say how hard he’d fallen for Nadia, how captivated by her he’d been … He’d gone on enough about his ex. ‘The smile is Ben’s though. He used to get away with murder with Mum and Dad – or anyone – with that smile.’
Jay took a gulp of his beer before realising that it wouldn’t make an ounce of difference to how he felt – even if it had had alcohol in it anyway. ‘He’s a bonny baby. I don’t hold anything against him – he’s innocent.’
Lottie put the phone on the table. ‘He’s your nephew,’ she said. ‘Like you told the twins earlier today.’
‘Yes … that’s the first time I’ve ever described Seb like that. I guess it’s a step forward to acknowledge it.’ He smiled. ‘But enough of my family dramas. How are you getting on with this last-minute wedding?’
‘Oh, it’s OK.’ She shrugged. ‘I’ve had worse.’
Jay thought she didn’t sound very convinced although Lottie seemed to take the events management in her stride generally, and he’d only heard great things about her organisational ability.
Lottie started to tell him some stories about weddings and events she’d organised and the time flew by until it was almost closing time.
It felt strange, but not in a bad way, to think that she would walk into the house next door to him after their night out. He’d thoroughly enjoyed the evening, from the excitement on the twins’ faces when he delivered the tree, to the pleasure of Lottie’s company. She’d had him laughing out loud at some of her tales.
‘Thanks, I enjoyed tonight,’ he said on her doorstep.
‘Me too.’
He dithered, unsure what to say next or whether to ask her in for coffee. In the end he couldn’t think of any way of phrasing the invitation that didn’t sound as if coffee wasn’t the only thing on offer. ‘See you around?’ he offered.
Lottie laughed. ‘You can hardly avoid it.’
‘Oh yes. I mean … see you around, but not at Firholme again?’
‘Yes …’ She hesitated. ‘You’ll come to the ball, then? We do need to know pretty much straightaway. It’s a full sit-down Christmas meal, you see.’
The smile on her face alone was worth him saying ‘yes’ to the invitation.
However, before he could say any more, her phone pinged and she glanced at it. Her smile vanished instantly. ‘Sorry, I have to go,’ she murmured.
‘Anything wrong?’ Jay said.
She shook her head. ‘No. No. Only the usual stuff to do with this secret wedding. Nothing I can’t handle. See you at the Edwardian evening meeting tomorrow. I’d better get some sleep. Early start in the morning.’
‘Yes,’ Jay said and Lottie left, without pressing him on the ball invitation again.
He stood in the hall for a few moments after closing the door behind her. The text and her reaction to it had bothered him. It was late to receive a text about work business but he guessed that working with bridal couples could be intense. Whatever the message, it had ended her bubbly mood in an instant.
Chapter Fifteen
On Monday morning, Lottie joined Jay, Shayla, Lukasz, and a number of the other key staff for a final meeting about the Edwardian-themed event on the Thursday evening. She was still buzzing about the night out with Jay, but to say that families were complex was an understatement. They came in as many different shapes and sizes as the moods of the lake. She really liked Jay, and thought they were growing close, but he was carrying a lot of baggage.
It could well be a burden too far for her unless he had a change of heart over Ben and his ex … Lottie suspected he hadn’t got over her yet and wondered if that was the real source of his anger and hurt – was he still in love with Nadia?
At the same time, she’d had a lovely time, and thought he was much more relaxed. Then Connor’s mysterious text had floored her.
It had read:
Have to see you. DON’T call me, text.
C
The last person she expected to hear from was Connor – and
especially in such a bizarre way. She was at a loss as to what he could have to say to her that Keegan couldn’t hear. Unless, of course, he was planning a surprise for his bride, like the fireworks Keegan had ordered for him?
That must be it, although a phone call to the office or an email to her work address would have done the trick.
Should she ignore it completely? No, that wasn’t an option, she reminded herself, he was her client and it would be unprofessional to let her personal feelings get in the way of the job.
Ha, she thought to herself, realising she’d already done that. She had to respond soon – but how? Putting it to the back of her mind, she focused her attention on the meeting. She was both excited and nervous about the Edwardian evening. It was the biggest public event they’d held and the estate was banking on the revenue as well as the publicity, so Lottie was determined it would run smoothly.
The house would be lit by candles and firelight, with the tables set with a full Christmas Eve banquet to show how it would have looked in its heyday. Lottie had booked a troupe of Edwardian acrobats and a fire-eater, a brass band and local carol singers. There would be traditional stalls selling roast chestnuts and mulled wine, a traditional fairground organ and carousel.
After the meeting broke up, Lottie was surprised when Jay came up to her on the terrace outside the café instead of heading straight back to the forest centre.
‘Hope I didn’t keep you up too late?’ he said.
‘Not at all. I enjoyed myself.’ She smiled encouragingly.
Had it been a date? she wondered. She supposed it must have been, but what would happen next? They saw each other nearly every day but they were both so busy – would there be chance for another one?
‘Good …’ he said, hesitating again. ‘Would you still like your own tree for the Bothy? I checked it was OK with Shayla this morning before the meeting.’
‘A tree? Oh, yes, please, although I gave mine to Steph so I can’t really have two free of charge. I’ll pay for it.’
A Surprise Christmas Wedding: from the best selling author of A Perfect Cornish Christmas comes one of the most feel-good winter romance books of 2020 Page 13