Cosy Nights & Snowball Fights (Little Duck Pond Cafe #36)

CHAPTER TWO

I stared at the man in astonishment. I might have thought he was off to a wedding if it hadn’t been for the fact that the kilt was way too big for him and hanging comically low, and beneath the tartan waistcoat, he was wearing a bright pink sweatshirt.

I was about to toot my horn to alert him when a younger man came out of the café and saw me waiting there. Sizing up the situation, he shouted something to the dancing guy and held up his hand to me in apology. At which point, Mr Highland Fling nipped smartly out of the way and waved me through, a big grin on his face.

Chuckling to myself at the absurdity of it all, I quickly parked and got out, and by that time, the two men were in a car and driving out. The younger man, who was in the driving seat, lowered his window and gave a sort of grimace, although his green eyes were twinkling with amusement. ‘Sorry about that. My boss is a bit over-excited because his daughter’s getting married.’

Highland Fling man leaned round him from the passenger seat. ‘I must apologise. I’ve never danced in the street in my life. I blame the tartan. It had a weird effect on me.’

‘Ah, right.’ I smiled. ‘That explains it, then. I thought I was still in bed having some sort of weird nightmare when I saw the... er... dancing.’

The younger man chuckled. ‘Not surprised. Hope your day improves. No more shocks like that one,’ he joked, and they drove away.

Feeling a little flustered by the surprise encounter, I walked over to the café, wondering who they were and admiring anew the pretty pink frontage of Ellie’s Little Duck Pond Café and Bakery.

‘Laurel! What do you think?’ Ellie greeted me at the door, pulling it open with a cheery smile before I even got there.

I grinned. ‘What do I think of what?’

‘This!’ She ushered me in and turned proudly towards the sparkly monster that had appeared since yesterday and was now dominating the entire café.

My heart sank into my sensible black flats. I’d been comforting myself with the fact that the festive jollities wouldn’t get into gear until November.

But here I was, face to face with the biggest bloody Christmas tree I’d ever seen in my life. And it was still only September!