The Best Little Christmas Shop

‘No. Not far at all.’

‘Oh! Sorry, I assumed you were down from London when you said that about it being different here from there.’ I handed him the card reader and he put the card in as he answered me.

‘We used to live there.’

‘Oh.’ Clearly he didn’t want to share any more so I stopped my questioning and tried to remember that not everyone was as chatty as the locals. ‘That’s not reading properly. Do you mind?’ He shook his head as I moved the reader around to face me and took the card out, switching it around so that the chip was in the machine. As I did so, he rolled his eyes at himself.

‘My fault distracting you,’ I said.

‘Hardly.’

I dropped my gaze to the readout and took the comment at face value. Fair enough. Even if it was a bit blunt.

‘I meant hardly in that it wasn’t your fault, not that you weren’t distracting. Not that I was …’ He trailed off and I lifted my gaze to his. ‘I think I’m just going to shut up now.’

I laughed. ‘OK. Do you want to enter your PIN?’

‘Very much so.’

I grinned, took the machine back off him, and waited for the receipt to chug out, which I then handed to him, along with his card. As I did, I noticed the name on it.

‘Cal Martin?’

‘That’s me.’

‘As in Xander’s boss, Cal?’

‘You know Xander?’

‘He and Giselle are my best friends. I didn’t realise you were The Cal.’ I needed to have words with my friend, Giselle. She’d mentioned that her husband’s boss was quite good-looking, but had left out the fact that he had eyes like a rainstorm, a mouth that suggested temptation and, from what I could see, a body that absolutely promised it.

‘The Cal?’ He laughed, a deep, throaty sound that he kept low in deference to his sleeping child. ‘That sounds like quite a lot to live up to.’

‘You know what I mean.’

‘I do. When you said your name was Lexi, it did cross my mind that I’d heard the name but …’ He hesitated. ‘I didn’t think you could be the same one because I was under the impression you were kind of a high flyer and didn’t live in the village. Don’t you work in Formula One or something?’

‘I used to, yes.’ I’d intended to leave my explanation at that for now, but I hadn’t banked on those eyes. When I lifted my gaze from where I had been fiddling with the credit card machine’s cable, they were focused on me and suddenly I felt like I was the only person in about a five-mile radius. A thought, uninvited, flashed through my brain as to what that focus might feel like in a more … intimate … setting. Oh wow, probably best not to go there! Almost instantaneously, my cheeks flamed as I gave my thoughts a firm shove.

‘I’m sorry.’ He stepped back. ‘I didn’t mean to embarrass you.’

‘Oh, no really. It’s fine. It’s not that at all.’ If only you knew … ‘I think I just got a little warm for a moment.’ I flapped my hand a bit for emphasis, which only succeeded in making me feel like an even bigger idiot so I shoved it back in my pocket again.

He smiled gently. ‘It is nice and cosy in here. Certainly seems to suit some people.’ We both looked over to where George was zonked out, Bear in one arm cuddled against him, the other flung out across the soft fur. ‘I’d better get him home.’

‘Oh wait. Don’t forget this.’ I placed one of the fresh wreaths I’d been making on top of one of the boxes. ‘Your son seemed to really like them.’

‘He did – you’re right,’ Cal agreed, reaching in his jacket for his wallet again.

I put my hand on his arm briefly to stop him.

‘It’s on the house.’

He frowned at me. ‘You can’t do that.’

‘Yes, I can. It’s my family’s business and it’s one wreath. Don’t worry. It’s not going to bankrupt us.’

‘So you’re Dan’s little sister?’

I laughed. ‘It’s a long time since I’ve been called anyone’s little sister, but I guess technically, yes.’

He gave a brief head tilt. ‘You are kind of little compared to your brothers.’

He had a point. I was.

Cal made an attempt to reach for his wallet again. ‘I really would feel happier if I paid for this, you know. You’ve already done too much for free.’ He nodded at his son’s toy.

I shook my head. ‘Honestly, it made a nice change to do something different for a few minutes. You two brightened up my day so take the wreath as payment for that, if you like.’

Cal studied me for a moment, that gaze enveloping me once more. ‘I’m not going to win on this, am I?’

I shook my head. ‘Nope.’

‘Xander did say you were a force to be reckoned with at times.’

‘You mustn’t believe everything Xander says.’

‘So I’m also not to believe that you head-butted a kid much bigger than you who was bullying Giselle at school.’

I cleared my throat. ‘I’d like to point out that we were seven and that I don’t condone violence. But we’d already tried reasoning with him. And have you ever seen Giselle cry? Even back then she was so feminine and delicate. It’s heartbreaking! I did what I had to.’

‘Fair enough. I also heard that the kid you nutted grew up to be the local policeman?’

I laughed. ‘Oh, you do know all the gossip, don’t you? Yes, he did. And he grew into a lovely man with a lovely family who totally agrees now that he was being a little … pain.’ I checked myself in time and received a grin in return that did nothing to help cool me in the slightest. ‘He says now that I was quite right to do what I did.’

‘So you don’t get speeding tickets even when you’re parked then, or anything like that?’

‘No. Thankfully!’

‘I’m glad to hear it.’

‘Right. I’d better get this little tyke home.’ Cal bent and lifted the boxes and then as he approached George started bending his knees.

‘You’re going to drop the lot in a minute,’ I said, coming up behind him. ‘Here, I’ve got plenty of practice ferrying sleeping nephews and nieces to cars. I’ll bring him for you.’

‘No.’ His reply was so sharp that I actually took a step back. Cal turned a little more. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean it come out like that.’

I pasted on a smile, or at least half a one, and shrugged. ‘No problem. I was just trying to help.’