‘I’ve no idea.’ He strode over to the living room door, pulling it open. Alf barged through, offering another cursory bark as he and Zander made their way to the kitchen.
All was as they’d left it except for a stainless steel pan lid, spinning on the floor. Alf ran over to it, bringing it to a halt and giving it a thorough sniffing.
‘How on earth did that happen?’ Livvie looked puzzled. ‘There aren’t any ghosts here are there?’
Zander laughed. ‘Not that I’m aware of, though it does seem strange that the lid should just fall like that.’
At that moment, Livvie’s mobile phone started to vibrate with an incoming call, pushing itself around the work top where she’d left it.
‘Ah, I think we’ve found the phantom pan-lid pusher,’ he said. ‘And it looks like signal has been restored.’ He handed Livvie her phone, feeling strangely disappointed that they were back in touch with the rest of the world.
‘Thanks,’ she said. He could see she was reluctant to check the name of the caller. ‘Oh, why didn’t I turn the bloody thing off before?’
‘Are you worried it’s going to be your boyfriend?’ Zander gave her a sympathetic smile.
‘Ex-boyfriend. And kind of … yes. Or Bryony, worried because Donny’s been hounding her about my whereabouts. I haven’t told her anything yet; I’d intended to fill her in on all the details tomorrow. She’s been on a romantic date with her boyfriend and I didn’t want to spoil their night. Trust Donny not to give a damn though …’
Zander nodded, noting the shadow of anxiety in her eyes.
‘Listen, it can’t hurt to check who it is. If it’s the loser who treated you like shit, turn your phone off; if it’s your friend, just fire off a quick reply telling her you’re okay.’
He watched her expression change as she considered his suggestion. ‘Yes, I like the sound of that.’ She took a cautious glance at her phone and her face dropped. ‘Oh, no!’
Zander instantly regretted his suggestion. ‘The boyfriend, I mean ex-boyfriend?’
Livvie nodded. ‘And Bryony; there’s loads of missed calls and texts from both of them. I’m going to have to let her know I’m okay at the very least. I really didn’t fancy this tonight; I just wanted to push him to the back of my mind. Oh, God, what am I going to do?’
‘You still don’t have to ring her, you know. Like I said before, just send her a text, explaining there are problems with signal because of the weather – which is true – let her know you’re okay and that you’ll call her tomorrow.’
Livvie nodded and Zander wished he could take the worry away from those beautiful hazel eyes.
‘Yes, and I’ll tell her not to let Donny know I’ve been in touch; the last thing I want is for him to start pumping her for information.’
Livvie tapped out a brief text and, with a sigh of relief, pressed send. ‘There, done,’ she said. ‘And before I get any more messages, I’m going to turn my phone off.’
‘Good plan.’
The pair headed back to the living room with Alf trotting behind, his tail wagging as usual. He flumped down on the rug in front of the stove, sleep claiming him in an instant.
Livvie kicked off her slippers and sat on the sofa, curling her feet underneath her while Zander took the chair. He reached forward and picked up his wine glass. ‘It’s been quite a day,’ he said.
‘It has.’ Livvie yawned. ‘And I’m feeling suddenly very tired.’
‘That’s probably because it’s gone midnight and what you’ve been through has caught up with you.’ Her yawn triggered one in him.
‘From what you said earlier, I kind of get the feeling it’s the same for you, too.’
He nodded and rolled his eyes. ‘You could say. Anyway, you look absolutely shattered. I think you should get yourself to bed and get on the other side of a good sleep.’ He quickly pushed away thoughts of holding her in his arms, feeling her skin against his, pressing his lips against hers …
‘I am, but I’ll do the washing up first.’ She went to stand up.
‘The washing up can wait, I only intend to stack the dishwasher tonight; I’ll set it away in the morning.’
‘But, at least let me help—’
‘Nope, no argument, I can manage and there’s not that much. Go on, your bed is calling for you,’ he said.
‘Well, if you’re sure.’
‘Very sure.’
‘Thank you.’ She leaned across and kissed him on the cheek. ‘And thank you for a lovely evening; I wasn’t expecting to have such an enjoyable time when I set off from home.’
The softness of her lips against his cheek and the gentle fragrance of her perfume sent Zander’s pulse racing and electricity buzzing up his spine. As she pulled back they briefly made eye contact; he knew she could feel it, too.
Zander lay in bed knowing that on the other side of the wattle and daub wall lay Livvie. Sweet, beautiful Livvie. He could hear the cast iron bed creak occasionally with her movements, and he imagined her curled up beneath the duvet, the rich auburn waves of her hair splayed out across the white of the pillow. How he wished he was lying beside her. He threw his arm above his head, wondering how a woman he’d only just met could arouse such intense feelings in him, feelings he’d never had before. Certainly not with Mel. Mel! The woman – his girlfriend! – whom he’d barely thought of the whole evening. He very much doubted that he’d crossed her mind either. Says a lot about our relationship. He turned his thoughts back to Livvie and the feelings she’d awoken in him; did she feel the same connection? Judging by the sparks that had been flying, he very much thought so.
15
Livvie
‘Oh, Zander … Zander, oh, yes …’ Livvie groaned in ecstasy. He was pressing hot, urgent kisses to her lips before dropping a trail of them down the length of her neck. She arched her back with pleasure. ‘Oh, Zander …’
‘Morning, Livvie.’ A voice broke through her thoughts. ‘I’ve brought you some tea.’
There was that bloody voice again, spoiling their moment, she wished it would bugger off.
Slowly, realisation dawned on her as sleep slipped away and she gradually became aware of her surroundings, the events of yesterday flooding back. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes to have her fears confirmed: standing beside the bed was Zander, armed with a cup of tea and an amused smile. Oh, bugger, bugger, bugger! She scrunched her eyes tight shut as she felt her cheeks burn crimson; she’d been dreaming, and she had the horrible feeling she’d been saying his name out loud. Arghh! She swallowed down her embarrassment and did her best to act as if the last few minutes hadn’t happened.
‘Morning.’ She could barely pluck up the courage to make eye contact with him. ‘Thank you.’ She pushed herself up, conscious that most of her hair had escaped from its plait, no doubt giving her an unattractive wild-woman look.
‘I wasn’t sure if you took sugar, so I erred on the side of you not.’
‘No, I don’t take sugar.’ She could still feel her face blazing.
‘Good to know I got it right.’ He handed her the steaming mug. ‘And did you sleep well?’
Oh, those clear blue eyes were making mischief in her insides. He looked so handsome with the dark stubble that peppered his chin, and his hair sticking up in tufts. She nodded. ‘Very well, thanks. I don’t think I’ve ever slept in such a comfy bed, and as for this duvet … it’s so snug.’
‘It’s Hungarian goose-down, known for its very cosy properties.’ He flashed another grin that made her heart flip.
‘Ah.’ She nodded shyly.
‘Right, well, I was going to do myself a bacon butty; you’re welcome to join me, if you like?’
‘Ooh, I like the sound of that.’
‘Great; give me ten minutes and everything should be ready.’
She watched him walk across the bedroom and disappear through the door. As soon as he’d gone, she clapped a hand over her eyes and cringed. ‘Oh, my God! ‘He heard me, oh no, he heard me! Ughh! How em
barrassing!’
‘Mmm. That smells so good.’ Livvie headed into the kitchen where Zander, still in his pyjamas, was standing over a skillet of sizzling bacon. His shoulders looked strong and broad, sending a tingle through her and making her wonder what it would feel like to run her hand across them. Push that thought right out of your mind; thinking that way has caused you enough embarrassment already this morning!
‘Hi.’ Zander turned and greeted her with a wide smile. ‘Take a pew, this’ll just be two minutes.’
Though she’d eaten well the night before, Livvie’s stomach rumbled at the mouth-watering aroma that filled the room. ‘Okay. You’re sure there’s nothing I can do?’
‘Nope, it’s all in hand.’
Alf tore himself away from eyeing up the bacon and trotted over to her as she pulled out a chair at the table. ‘Hi there, lovely boy.’ She bent and rubbed his head. ‘I bet this smell is driving you crazy.’
‘Hah! Judging by the expressions on his face and how closely he watches my every move whenever I’m handling food, it’s utter torture for him.’
Livvie laughed. ‘Oh, poor Alf. I feel your pain; I love my food, too.’
‘Have you seen outside, by the way?’
‘Oh, no, not yet; I haven’t opened the curtains in my bedroom. Why?’
‘Take a look.’ Zander nodded to the low, wide mullioned window that over-looked Great Stangdale moor.
Livvie peered out, the light making her eyes ache. ‘Oh, wow!’ The snow had stopped falling and a hard frost had left everything sparkling in the low winter sunshine. She scanned the vista of the dale, which was now a vast expanse of white, the only relief offered by little farmsteads dotted in the distance, a coniferous wood on the other side of the dale, and the stark, naked branches of the hawthorn hedges that delineated the fields. It was the stuff of Christmas cards. ‘It’s so beautiful; like a winter wonderland. I’ve never seen anything like it.’
‘It’s a bit different out here when it comes to winter weather; it’s known to get a bit extreme.’
‘Do you know if any more snow’s forecast out here?’ She looked up at the sky which had glimpses of blue peering through thick white clouds.
‘It’s supposed to be fine today; bright skies and sunshine they said. Pretty much the same tomorrow and then after that it’s looking like more of what we had yesterday.’
‘Oh, right.’
He placed the bacon in fluffy bread buns and carried the plates over to the table. ‘Here you go, there’s ketchup if you fancy, or do you prefer brown sauce?’
‘Oh, ketchup all the way!’ She turned away from the window and took a seat at the table.
‘Me too.’
‘So, do you think the snow plough’s been out anymore through the night?’ she asked.
‘Well, I haven’t heard anything along here, but I dare say it’ll have been round the roads leading to the main ones. Having said that, unless the gritter’s been out, the roads will be pretty treacherous with packed ice, especially out here where we’re a bit higher up and more remote than the actual villages.’
Livvie nodded. ‘I can imagine, especially with everywhere being so hilly. I wouldn’t fancy driving down one; from the little I could see last night, I got the impression there were some pretty sheer drops out there.’
‘There are; some of them plunge straight into the river, which will be full at this time of year.’
‘Oh, blimey.’ Livvie chewed on her bacon sandwich for a moment, secretly hoping that the plough and the gritter would leave them alone up here. She glanced up at Zander to see him looking at her.
‘So are you sure you’re still okay with me staying here for another night?’ he asked.
Oh, bugger, he can read my thoughts! Livvie swallowed her mouthful and nodded. ‘Of course. I can hardly push you out of your own house in such dangerous conditions.’
He laughed. ‘Well, technically you could, but thanks.’
‘S’okay. And anyway, how could I refuse when you make such awesome bacon butties?’ She arched her eyebrows before taking another bite of her sandwich.
‘Ah, I knew my bacon butty skills would come in handy one day.’ His eyes twinkled back at her. ‘Though, I was rather hoping you’d say it was my captivating personality and awesome conversational skills that meant you’d want me to hang around for a bit longer.’
‘Well … maybe there’s that as well … a little bit. And, of course, there’s Alf.’ Oh, blimey, if only he knew how much I’d love him to stay, she thought.
‘Ah, good old Alf; he always wins the ladies over, don’t you?’
Alf responded with a sound wag of his tail, his eyes moving from Zander’s plate to Livvie’s.
With the bacon sandwiches devoured and the dishwasher gurgling and glugging away, Livvie asked, ‘Do you mind if I go and take a shower?’ She sniffed her plait and pulled a face. ‘My hair smells of last night’s dinner.’
Zander chuckled. ‘Be my guest. I’ll be sure to keep Alf downstairs so there’ll be no ambushes this time.’
‘Thanks.’ She laughed and ruffled Alf’s ears. ‘I won’t be long.’
The shower kicked out deliciously hot jets of water. Livvie let it pour over her head and trickle down her face as she tried to make sense of the unusual set of circumstances she’d found herself in. This time yesterday, she’d been planning on getting her failing relationship with Donny back on track. But in the cold light of the morning, she wondered why the hell she’d even considered that. She dolloped shampoo into her hand and lathered it into her hair, scrubbing vigorously. It was so obvious that they were going nowhere; that Donny was just using her until something better came along. She hated to think it, but she only had herself to blame; she’d been warned by several people. He had a track record as long as her arm. But, pathetically, she’d let his cheeky-chappy banter talk her into first one date, then another and before she knew it they were living together. She’d always known Bryony hadn’t been keen on him and had sensed she’d been careful with what she said for fear of spoiling their friendship but, foolishly, Livvie had allowed herself to be passively carried along on Donny’s tidal wave of bullshit – there really was no better way of putting it. ‘What a fool I’ve been!’ Crossly, she stuck her head back under the warm water and rinsed the shampoo out of her hair and with it, any more thoughts of Donny.
Once showered, Livvie dug out a woollen tunic dress she’d made in shades of russet and a pair of contrasting bottle green and russet striped tights. She quickly dried her hair, twisting the sides and pinning them back, and applied a quick flick of mascara, then padded downstairs in her rabbit slippers.
While she’d been in the shower, Zander had lit the wood burner and flames danced merrily behind the glass. It was a comforting sight, she thought. The rich tones of Andrea Bocelli singing Christmas carols in Italian emanated from the sound system. Livvie loved his festive album and regularly played it at home, much to Donny’s disgust.
She followed the sound of Zander’s voice to the kitchen. He was sitting at the table, his mobile phone pressed to his ear. He waved when he spotted her but he was wearing a troubled expression and she didn’t want to intrude, so she made her way back into the living room, quickly followed by Alf, who flopped down on the rug and started soaking up the warmth from the stove and the underfloor heating.
On the table was a book of photography – local images by all accounts. Livvie picked it up, plonked herself down on the sofa and started flicking through it, gasping at the stunning images. The villages of Lytell Stangdale, Danskelfe and Arkleby were achingly beautiful with their heavily thatched cottages and gardens brimming with a riot of summer blooms; they were even stunning when they were piled high with snow and frost was clinging onto the branches of the trees. They were in stark contrast to the bleak images of the stone markers and moorland crosses that stood, weary and isolated, bearing the brunt of whatever the North Yorkshire weather threw at them. There was a bird’s eye view that showed just
how steep the riggs were that loomed over the verdant valleys, scooped out in the last ice-age. But her favourite was a photograph of the moors swathed in rich purple heather; the image was so vivid, she could almost smell the blooms’ sweet, honey fragrance. How wonderful it must be to grow up in a place like this, she thought.
Just then, Zander walked in. ‘Sorry about that, it was just my big sister giving me an ear-bashing for not telling her of my change of plans.’
‘Oh?’
‘Ah, right, yes, I’ve just realised, I haven’t told you, have I?’ He rubbed his hand across the stubble of his chin.
‘Told me what?’
‘The reason I’m here and not in Carcassonne.’
‘Carcassonne? Oh … er, no.’
‘I think this calls for a fresh cup of coffee; fancy one?’
‘Please.’ Livvie followed him through to the kitchen, sitting down at the table while Zander fixed a couple of coffees from the machine.
‘Wow,’ she said when he’d finished sharing what had happened with Mel. ‘So we’re both running away from our partners.’
‘So it would seem.’
‘And have you heard from Mel since she left?’
‘Nope.’ He shook his head.
‘Oh, right.’
‘And have you heard anything more from Donny?’
‘I haven’t dared turn my phone on this morning, though I’m sure there’ll be more; he can be fairly persistent when he wants to be. And I really must ring Bryony; she’ll be worried sick. Actually, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll go and do that now.’
Zander splayed his palms. ‘That’s absolutely fine with me. I’ll just jump in the shower while you do that.’
Livvie could feel his eyes on her as she left the room. She made her way to her bedroom and picked up her phone, eyeing it nervously as she turned it on. As she expected, another flood of missed calls and texts landed, all but one of them from Donny. Her heart lurched up to her throat, anxiety making her stomach twist into a tight, uncomfortable knot. ‘Here goes,’ she said, taking a deep breath and tapping on the first of his texts.
A Christmas Kiss Page 10