Snowflakes and Cinnanmon Swirls at the Winter Wonderland Read online

  ‘Did you find everything you were looking for today?’ asked the cheery assistant when I eventually put my few purchases on the old glass-topped counter.

  The most exquisite fountain pens and blotters were displayed beneath it, along with the most expensive calligraphy equipment.

  ‘Yes,’ I replied wistfully, as I remembered how Mr Hardy would painstakingly polish the glass and regularly update the display, ‘thanks.’

  The next words to come out of my mouth were something of a surprise, but I simply couldn’t resist asking.

  ‘Does old Mr Hardy still come to work here?’

  ‘No,’ smiled the woman, ‘he’s retired now, but he does pop in every now and again to make sure the place isn’t falling apart. I’m his granddaughter, Francesca. I’ve recently taken the business on.’

  I was pleased the little empire looked set to continue to thrive in the hands of the very family who had established it. It would be a real tragedy to lose another independent store from the town. The last thing Wynbridge needed was a high street full of phone shops and betting stores, with the odd charity concession thrown in for good measure, like those in some towns I’d had the misfortune of visiting. Us residents, in this part of the Fens at least, prided ourselves on shopping local and supporting family businesses, whether that be out on the farms, in the busy market square, or in the shops that surrounded it.

  ‘Do you know my Grandad?’ asked Miss Hardy as she fired up the till.

  ‘Yes,’ I smiled, ‘yes I do. Well, I did,’ I added, my smile faltering because it had been a while. A long while. ‘I had my very first job here. I was the Saturday girl for a year or so. Your Grandad and I spent many a wet Saturday afternoon in here looking through new stock and trying to work out what the next Crayola fad would be.’

  ‘Are you an artist?’

  ‘No,’ I laughed. ‘More of a doodler really, but do please say hello to your Grandad for me. Ask him if he remembers Hayley Hurren.’

  ‘I’m sure he will,’ she smiled.

  She rang up my total and packed everything carefully into a large brown paper bag, insisting that I took the leaflet and card explaining about the loyalty scheme she was trying to get going.

  ‘I hope you’ll be a regular visitor,’ she beamed, rushing to open the door to let me out and another customer in. ‘It’s been lovely to meet you, Hayley.’

  ‘And you,’ I smiled back. ‘Perhaps I’ll see you again soon.’

  You certainly couldn’t fault her customer service, a skill no doubt passed on from her courteous relative. I hadn’t been sure how I was going to feel stepping back into the store, but picking out new supplies and visualising the magic I could potentially create with them had set my heart racing and enthusiasm bubbling to the surface. I hadn’t even been this excited when I started sketching over the summer. Apparently, the creative candle still burnt bright in my chest, despite the fact that I had been keeping the wick purposely trimmed for a very long time.

  ‘You’re looking pleased with yourself.’

  So caught up in the moment, I hadn’t noticed Gabe striding towards me with Bran at his heel and his arms weighed down by purchases of his own.

  ‘Are you done?’ he asked. ‘Have you finished or do you need a while longer?’

  ‘I think I’m sorted,’ I said, gripping the bag a little tighter and wondering how long I was going to feel awkward around him.

  I should never have pushed him to talk on the journey into town.

  ‘We can head back to Wynthorpe now if you like,’ I suggested.

  ‘There’s just one more thing I need,’ he said, nodding across the square. ‘And I’m hoping you’ll join me. I’m in need of a mid-morning sugar hit and that looks like just the place to find one.’

  ‘But we could get that back at the hall,’ I reminded him, rushing to keep up with his lengthy strides and wishing he would just take me back to my bolthole. ‘Dorothy’s bound to have baked, and besides, it’s nearer lunchtime now than brunch.’

  ‘We won’t stop for long,’ he promised.

  He didn’t sound flustered by the thought of being alone in my presence at all. I rather envied him for that.

  Given that we were now well into the month of November, Gabe, Bran and I had our pick of the tables, which were still set up outside the Cherry Tree Café.

  ‘Had I known about this place,’ said Gabe to Bran, as we installed ourselves in a spot sheltered from the worst of the Wynbridge breeze under a pretty little gazebo, ‘I would have left you at home in front of the log burner.’

  Bran huffed in apology and curled himself up as best he could, next to our chairs.

  ‘You can go inside to eat if you like,’ I told Gabe. ‘I don’t mind sitting out here with Bran.’

  I had seen, as we came through the gate, that the little café was as packed as ever, and I still wasn’t sure I much fancied facing the whispers and nudges that my appearance would inevitably set off, but I needn’t have worried because Gabe didn’t get the chance to force me through the door.

  ‘I thought it was you,’ said Lizzie, rushing out to take our order and pulling me up and into a hug. ‘I’ve been hoping to see you. Jemma and I can’t believe what happened. We’re both really sorry. Are you OK?’

  I hugged her harder, appreciative of the fact that she hadn’t skirted around the issue or wasted time working her way up to it. If only everyone was as straightforward as Lizzie Dixon, life would be a breeze.

  ‘Thank you,’ I said, sitting back down when she finally let me go. ‘Yes, I’m fine. Better to have found out now than when I’m walking up the aisle. Knowing my luck, I’d have caught him with his pants down in the vestry.’

  I caught sight of Gabe frowning as I retold the old gag. I knew he was weighing up my words and wondering whether I was making a joke because it was what the ‘old Hayley’ who acted on autopilot did, or whether I really meant it.

  ‘Anyway,’ I said, deciding I should drop the comedic comments, ‘I’m OK and no harm done.’

  ‘Unless of course you count the damage caused to the cake when Jim shoved Gavin’s face in it,’ Lizzie laughed.

  Gabe cleared his throat and she spun round.

  ‘Oh, hello,’ she beamed, her eyes speedily flicking to the hound under the table. ‘We haven’t met, but you’re Gabriel, aren’t you? The guy with the gigantic dog who’s moved in up at the hall.’

  ‘That’s right,’ he answered, looking a little nonplussed. ‘But most people call me Gabe.’

  ‘Well, Gabe,’ she carried on. ‘I’m Lizzie Dixon. I help run the Cherry Tree with my best friend, Jemma, who owns it.’

  ‘Pleased to meet you,’ he told her while looking over at me in puzzlement.

  I tried not to laugh as I felt my awkwardness around him melt away a little. I would have to explain to Gabe that he wouldn’t need to introduce himself to anyone in this town because they already knew who he was, and that he would have to behave himself if he didn’t want to fall foul of the gossips.

  ‘Right, then,’ said Lizzie, pulling out her order pad from her apron pocket, ‘do you guys need to see a menu or do you know what you want?’

  ‘Hot chocolate,’ Gabe and I said together.

  He grinned and unzipped his coat.

  ‘With the works, please, Lizzie,’ I added.

  ‘Anything to eat?’

  ‘Better not,’ I said wrinkling my nose. ‘Woe betide us if we get back and can’t manage Dorothy’s lunch.’

  ‘I think I’ll have something,’ said Gabe. ‘Could you please just bring me something sweet, Lizzie, and two forks?’

  I wasn’t going to let him rope me into eating more than my fill. Dorothy could hold a grudge for days.

  ‘You better come in and pick for yourself,’ Lizzie said temptingly to Gabe. ‘Jemma’s just loaded up the sweet trolley.’

  I patted Bran’s head knowing I wouldn’t see my companion for a few minutes now. Lizzie may have lured him inside on the pretence of choosing a
cake, but I knew she wanted to show him off. I didn’t blame her. It was quite a coup getting first dibs on showing off the newest hottie in town. Not that he was a hottie. Well, he was, but not one I was interested in. Not seriously anyway, especially now he told me he wasn’t looking for a relationship, be it casual or serious.

  Thankfully, he made his way back out to our table before my inner monologue tied me up in too many knots.

  ‘Had I known what you were ordering when you asked for hot chocolate with the works,’ he said, carefully lowering the two fully loaded mugs on to the table, ‘I would have held back on the cake.’

  ‘Oh, I’m sure a strapping lad like yourself will be able to manage it,’ said Angela, the other café assistant, who had followed him out with a tray. ‘You’ll make short work of this little lot, I’m sure.’

  Gabe’s ‘little lot’ was far from a light snack, and I laughed as the sweet treats just kept coming.

  ‘Fancied sampling everything on the menu, did you?’ I teased.

  ‘Apparently,’ he said, when the tray was finally empty and Bran began to stir, no doubt roused by the smell of the sugary delights on offer, ‘I can resist everything but temptation.’

  Angela looked at me and raised her eyebrows. She didn’t say anything, but I knew exactly what she was thinking.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ she said, heading back inside before the breeze bit through to her bones, ‘if there’s so much as a crumb left, I’ll box it up for you.’

  ‘Just don’t let Dorothy see it if you do end up taking any away with you,’ I warned him after Angela had gone. ‘She loves the cakes from here as much as the rest of us, but she wouldn’t appreciate us eating them when she’s been slaving over the Aga preparing lunch all morning.’

  Gabe winked and sank his teeth into a cherry-topped cupcake, leaving a fine layer of frosting covering his upper lip and the end of his nose.

  ‘Oh my god,’ he groaned in ecstasy, the sound making me blush as I handed him a napkin. ‘That’s so good.’

  ‘Jemma certainly has a way with cake,’ I agreed, focusing my attention on spooning up my marshmallows. ‘And, hey,’ I added, the thought only just occurring, ‘I thought you told me you were avoiding stuff that made you happy.’

  He shrugged his shoulders and took another bite.

  ‘I also told you I needed to get better at practising the stuff I preached,’ he reminded me. ‘Consider this a very small bite of happiness.’

  We spent the next few minutes eating and drinking in silence, aside from the incredibly erotic yummy noises Gabe couldn’t resist making every time he bit into a brand-new bake and, to be honest, I was relieved when he pushed the plate away, the last cake left untouched.

  ‘I take it you enjoyed that little lot then?’ I asked, hoping he wasn’t going to subject my ears to an encore.

  ‘So much,’ he said, ‘too much. Thank god I don’t live in town. I’d be eating here every day and that would be no good for the old figure at all, would it?’

  From what I’d seen of his physique, he didn’t have anything to worry about, but the distance to the café was probably a blessing. I mean, it would be a shame to keep putting temptation in the way of perfection, wouldn’t it?

  ‘I think you’ll be OK,’ I told him. ‘You’d have to eat a lot of cake to add even a tiny layer of fat over the top of your muscle definition.’

  ‘Oh really,’ he nudged.

  ‘Not that I’ve noticed,’ I quickly added, which was a ridiculous thing to say because you couldn’t see a person half-naked and not take on board what they looked like. And I’d seen Gabe half-naked twice now.

  ‘Hey now, be careful,’ he taunted, ‘if you keep on blushing like that, I’ll start thinking I’m in the presence of the wrong Hayley.’

  ‘Oh, shut up,’ I snapped.

  ‘That’s better,’ he nudged. ‘Don’t let your guard down, whatever you do.’

  I had no intention of letting my guard down in front of him again. He really was the most infuriating man, but if I let him know how much he was getting to me, I was certain there’d be no end to it.

  ‘We really should be heading back,’ I said, determinedly changing the direction the conversation had been heading in.

  ‘What’s the rush?’ he asked. ‘Relax, for goodness sake. We’ve got plenty of time, we aren’t on a clock, you know.’

  ‘I thought you’d be going all out to impress your new boss,’ I bit back. ‘It doesn’t look good if you’re swanning about the town all morning when you should be working.’

  He looked at me and I shut up again. That was the thing about working at the hall – set hours didn’t really exist, but I hadn’t realised he’d worked that out quite so soon and, of course, Catherine had told us to take as long as we needed before we left. However, I couldn’t help thinking I was pushing my luck. My first proper trip into town had so far been without an embarrassing incident and I wanted to get out before my luck deserted me.

  ‘How are we getting on?’

  Angela was back and looking mightily impressed by the amount Gabe had polished off in such a short sitting.

  ‘The woman is a baking goddess,’ announced Gabe.

  I felt a little stab of jealousy to hear Jemma described in such a passionate tone.

  ‘I’ll tell her that,’ said Angela, filling her tray back up with the now-empty crockery, ‘and I’ll box this up for you, shall I?’ she added, picking up the one and only cupcake that hadn’t found its way into Gabe’s sugar-saturated stomach.

  ‘Thanks,’ he answered, ‘that would be great. A little something to look forward to before bedtime.’

  ‘And can I get you anything else?’

  I opened my mouth to ask for the bill but was cut off.

  ‘A pot of tea for two would be great,’ said Gabe, ‘and can we have it inside if there’s a free table?’

  ‘But what about Bran?’ I asked as Angela ducked back through the door. ‘I’ll stay out here with him if you like,’ I offered again.

  Gabe shook his head.

  ‘Lizzie told me she’s taking an early lunch break because she’s got a crafting session this afternoon.’

  I didn’t see how that made any difference.

  ‘She said if we were still here and wanted to move inside she’d take Bran upstairs into her flat for a little while.’

  ‘How kind,’ I said, smiling tightly as Lizzie chose that exact moment to appear around the side of the café and beckon to Gabe.

  ‘I’m going to take him through the back way,’ she said obligingly, ‘do you want to bring him up and settle him before you have your tea?’

  Had I been of a suspicious nature, I would have thought it was all some elaborate set-up to make me go inside.

  ‘You go and pour,’ Gabe instructed me, ‘and I’ll be there in a minute.’

  Lizzie looked at me and burst out laughing.

  ‘Gosh, you’re brave,’ she giggled.

  ‘What?’ shrugged Gabe.

  ‘Hayley doesn’t appreciate being ordered about,’ she told him, pointing out my scowl.

  ‘Oh, she’ll get used to it,’ he quipped, ducking out of sight under the gazebo and leaving me no chance to bite back and no choice but to go in.

  Not that I would have dreamt of telling Gabe, of course, but going inside had turned out to be the right thing to do. The customers sitting in the café, aside from one or two, took little notice of my arrival and it was much warmer inside than out.

  ‘So,’ said Jemma, during her one brief appearance from the kitchen as Gabe returned from settling Bran, ‘how are things at the hall shaping up for Christmas? Has Angus got anything exciting lined up for us locals yet?’

  ‘Oh, you know Angus,’ I reminded her, ‘he’s always got something spectacular tucked up his sleeve.’

  ‘You mean there is something,’ Lizzie tutted, ‘but you aren’t going to tell us?’

  ‘My lips are sealed,’ I told them both.

  Jemma turned her attention t
o Gabe.

  ‘Whatever she says,’ he said, pointing at me.

  Wise man.

  ‘Well,’ said Jemma, ‘I hope we’ll see you back in town for the switch-on and the Christmas tree auction, Gabe?’

  ‘Oh yes,’ added Lizzie, ‘we’re always on the lookout for some extra muscle the weekend of the tree auction, aren’t we, Hayley?’

  Once they had gone back to work, I explained to Gabe about the events that made up the town’s festive celebrations. Even just talking about the lights going on, the Christmas fair and how we all chipped in to gather the greenery from the hall woods to sell alongside the trees in town, made my pulse race. Add on the tree competition the hall was hosting and the posh party Anna was helping to organise, and I was in danger of overcooking my excitement long before Angus had dragged the advent calendar out from the loft. Fortunately, remembering the potential role I was going to play in setting up the Winter Wonderland was enough to temper my enthusiasm a little.

  ‘I thought you weren’t the outdoorsy type,’ Gabe reminded me, when I finally drew breath. ‘For a minute there you sounded quite taken with the idea of bunching up the holly and mistletoe.’

  ‘Yeah, well,’ I shrugged. ‘I am willing to get my hands dirty and make the occasional concession to get into the spirit of the season and all that.’

  ‘Excellent,’ he said, pulling a pile of books out of one of the bags he had been lugging about. ‘In that case, I shouldn’t have too much trouble making you change your mind about helping me with my contribution to the Winter Wonderland, should I?’

  ‘Shush,’ I warned him, ‘lower your voice. No one’s supposed to know.’

  ‘No one’s listening,’ he said, looking about him.

  ‘You’d be surprised,’ I whispered, before adding, ‘where on earth did you get all of those?’

  ‘From the library, of course,’ he said without looking up.

  My heart was suddenly beating far harder and faster than it had been when I let my Christmas excitement get the better of me.