The Best Little Christmas Shop

‘Cal doesn’t drink.’

‘Oh.’

‘Well … maybe …’

‘Maybe he likes you?’ Giselle tilted her head at me. ‘Ever think of that?’

I fiddled with the pompom on the end of my hat. ‘Honestly? No.’

Giselle gave Xander a glance.

‘Maybe it’s time you did think about it, Muppet. And you know I wouldn’t be telling you that if I didn’t think he was good enough for you.’

I nodded. ‘I know. But honestly, that’s the last thing I’m looking for. Especially right now. Plus he has a little boy.’

‘So? I would’ve thought you’d be the last person to be put off by that.’ Xander frowned at me.

‘I’m not put off. It’s just … it’s another consideration. I made a complete mess of my last relationship and I’m not about to launch into something else feet first again, even if Cal was interested. Which, by the way, I don’t think he is. Things get messy and painful and I’m certainly not going to involve a five-year-old in that!’

Xander gave me a quick squeeze around the shoulders. ‘You can’t think all relationships are going to end messily, you know.’

‘I don’t.’

‘Good.’

‘Just mine.’

Xander blew out a sigh and gave me a look. Giselle patted him on the arm.

‘We shall see,’ she said, enigmatically. ‘Now, we’re going to head off and do some pressie shopping. See you later.’ Giselle kissed me on my bright red cheek and they headed off towards to the warm glow of the little shops, all decorated for the season, their soft lights enticing shoppers in out of the cold.

Before I got a chance to think much more on the subject, another group of shoppers surrounded me, and the inevitable elf-selfie session ensued. As they moved to swap places, over the top of them I caught a glance of Cal. George was boosted up onto his hip, resting his head on his father’s shoulder with Bear cuddled into him. Opposite him was a tall, elegant woman. Her long, slim legs were encased in denim and finished off with boots that had a fur trim, as did the fitted jacket she wore. On her head she wore one of those big Russian-style fur hats. Her make-up was flawless and she looked – as did the young child whose hand she held – like she’d stepped from a magazine. Giselle was most definitely right about Cal and his play date popularity status.

I smiled at the camera for the group still surrounding me before letting my eyes wander again. The woman laughed at something Cal said, her hand resting briefly – but a touch longer than was necessary – on his arm. He smiled and dipped his head as he hoisted George a little higher.

The group of shoppers thanked me, and headed into the shop. Dan was right. The costumes definitely helped boost sales. I glanced at the woman and Cal and then down at my stripy legs, and the curly-toed shoes, which were now slowly wicking up dampness from the ground. I flicked the pompom on the end of my hat as it dangled in front of my nose. Sales it might boost; ego it most certainly did not.

Chapter Six (#ulink_551e9c14-b2d6-5b13-8405-1259a9ec9c9a)

The newly installed bell tinkled on the back of the door and from my position at the top of a ladder restocking the top shelf, I saw Cal and George enter the shop. I called out a greeting and received a smile and wave from Cal and an unusually half-hearted response from the little boy.

‘Be with you in a minute,’ I said as I descended the metal steps and then folded them up, carrying them quickly to the back stock room and leaning them up against the wall. ‘Hi!’ I said, emerging again.

‘Hello.’ George’s greeting was as lukewarm as his wave.

I glanced up at Cal.

‘George isn’t feeling too great and his friends are all playing snowballs but he’s not really up to it so I thought we’d stop in here and see if we couldn’t cheer him up a bit.’

‘Oh no! Well, obviously I’m very happy to see you but I’m not happy you’re feeling a bit under the weather.’ George looked above his head briefly in response to my terminology and Cal and I stifled a smile.

‘What’s feeling poorly then?’

George leant against his dad’s leg. ‘My tummy hurts.’

‘Oh dear. That’s not good, is it? I hope Bear’s looking after you.’

George let out a sigh and nodded.

I ran a hand gently over the little boy’s silky hair, being incredibly careful not to bump into his father’s thigh. If that happened, even if George didn’t have a temperature, I was pretty sure I might.

The doorbell tinkled and I glanced up, waving a hello to the Warner sisters, a couple of older ladies who had lived in the village for as long as I could remember. They were lovely, but it did pay to be careful what you mentioned to them as it had a way of soon becoming known by far more people than you’d originally intended.

‘He doesn’t feel warm but he does look a bit pale,’ I said, resting the back of my hand against George’s forehead.

‘Yeah. I’m going to take him home in a minute and get him into bed. I think he just overindulged in Christmas treats earlier. He was just keen on coming in to say hi and I thought it might take his mind off things for a minute.’

‘I’m glad you did. Is there anything I can do?’

George had now relinquished his hold on his dad’s leg and wandered across the shop. Cal glanced over to where his son was now talking to the ladies as they all looked at the individual crackers piled into a large, wide wicker basket threaded with red silk ribbon, their marbled paper making each one unique. His gaze moved from his son and landed squarely on me. The smile it brought with it made my insides go all flippy and warm.

Doing my best to ignore that, and deciding instead that I needed an immediate distraction, I began unpacking a box of handmade lollipops, sticking their handles in a large piece of florist’s foam I’d sprayed white earlier. One dome was for the gingerbread-flavoured ones, the other for peppermint.

‘No, I don’t think there’s anything you can do,’ Cal answered, ‘but thank you anyway.’

I nodded without looking at him and finished displaying the lollies. Reaching behind me, I grabbed a gingerbread man from the shelf. ‘Ginger’s good for the tummy. And if George doesn’t want it, you’ve already taste tested them so I assume you approve and you can just eat it as … support.’

Cal’s mouth quirked. ‘A support biscuit?’

I nodded my head at George. ‘If he’s anything like our lot when they don’t feel well, believe me, you’re going to need it.’

Cal brought out some change from his pocket but I pushed his hand away. ‘It’s on the house.’

‘You need to stop giving me stuff for free. Don’t you know anything about business?’ The quirk grew into a wider smile.

‘You’d be surprised what I know.’

George was now on his way back to us, the ladies completely enamoured with him, but not entirely missing the opportunity to give his dad a quick once-over with their eyes. One of them had clearly caught the end of our conversation. As I smiled at their approach, she gave a quick eyebrow raise at me and winked. Cal noticed the exchange and chuckled, shaking his head. I blushed, grinned, and studied my shoes for a moment.

‘I’m dreading what interpretation of that comment is going to be across the village by tomorrow,’ I whispered.

Cal smiled. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll reassure them it was all perfectly innocent if questioned.’

For some reason, this made me blush even more and I decided it was vitally urgent to get some gift bags ready for the next purchase and ducked my head under the desk, feeling my skin cool now I was no longer under Cal’s direct gaze.

‘Can I help you, ladies?’ I asked, as I popped back up, smiling and hoping to affect an immediate diversion of their thoughts.

They smiled and nodded and handed over the basket they’d filled between them.