Home for Christmas

Chapter 22

Jude was up with the lark and in a wonderful mood the next morning, which perversely made mine plummet. Whoever he’d spent some of the previous evening with seemed to have worked wonders on his state of mind, and I had to bite my tongue more than once to stop myself from asking who that was.

‘If you’ve got room for me,’ he said, as he whipped up his first hot chocolate of the day, ‘I’d love to come to the hall with you this morning.’

‘Oh,’ I said, taken aback.

‘But no worries, if not,’ he said, most likely assuming I hadn’t got space for him because of my response. ‘I daresay you’ve got tonnes to take again, haven’t you?’

‘No,’ I said, ‘pretty much everything I need is still at the hall, so I can easily squeeze you in. I’m just surprised you want to come.’

‘I don’t think I’ll manage to visit the fair itself,’ he admitted. ‘The last thing I want is to get bumped into by hordes of Christmas shoppers, but I wouldn’t mind seeing the family.’

‘You’ve changed your tune,’ I commented. ‘It wasn’t that many weeks ago that you couldn’t wait to get away from them.’

‘I know,’ he laughed. ‘But then, quite a lot has changed in those last few weeks, hasn’t it, Bella?’

He wasn’t wrong, and not all of it for the good, but I didn’t have time to succumb to thinking about the details of all that.

‘You might have to get someone else to run you back, though,’ I said instead. ‘Assuming I’ve got stock to bring home. Because it might be too much of a squash to get you in with all of the boxes, even with the seats down.’

‘I’m sure Jamie or Archie will oblige,’ he said, ‘or even Bear if he’s there with Holly.’

I swallowed down the question of whether it was one of those who had escorted him home from the film night or whether it had been the mystery woman from the party.

‘In that case,’ I said, determined not to get distracted, ‘let’s get going.’

The fair had been busy on Saturday, but it was nothing compared to the number of people who turned out on the Sunday. I didn’t see anything of Archie or Jamie at all, as they were both on car parking duty along with Mick, the hall handyman, and Gabe, who was Hayley’s partner. I didn’t see much of Angus, either, but I certainly heard his laughter echoing around the hall. He really could give Santa a run for his money when it came to ho-ho-ho-ing.

There was a brief lull in visitor numbers around lunchtime, and it was then that Jude put in an unexpected appearance. He carefully made his way around the hall, and I was intrigued to see that he picked up and paid for a few things, although I couldn’t see what they were.

‘Oh, Bella,’ he said, beaming, when he eventually made it to me, ‘this looks stunning!’

The stall was still holding up well. There were a couple of gaps I couldn’t refill because I didn’t have more stock, but I had strategically manoeuvred the sets of lights to cover those.

‘It is pretty, isn’t it?’ said a woman who had a child in each hand. They were twins, I quickly realized. ‘My two had to come and say hello once they’d had their copies of Tall Tales signed by Holly. Didn’t you, guys?’

‘Yes!’ they both rushed to say at once.

‘Well, I’m very pleased to see you both,’ I said with a smile.

They were silent for a second and then both began talking at once.

‘Is it true that you’re making a fairy that will be in the next book?’ asked one.

‘What’s it going to be called?’ asked the other.

‘Will they have superpowers?’ asked the first, picking up the baton while the second caught their breath.

‘Are those real wings?’

‘Yes, can you fly?’

Jude looked at me with the biggest smile on his face and, caught out by the sight of his wholly happy expression, I felt my heart lurch. Tabitha had been a total idiot to break Jude’s heart, especially for someone who then hadn’t gone the distance.

‘Most of that is top secret information,’ I whispered to the excited duo, when I could finally get a word in.

‘Of course it is,’ they gasped, giving each other a look. ‘We shouldn’t have asked.’

‘As you can’t share the secret details of what’s in the pipeline,’ said their accompanying adult with a wink, ‘maybe we could have a photo with you instead?’

‘Oh yes!’ the twins squealed, clapping, then bouncing up and down and shoving their books into her hands. ‘And you have to be in it, too, Mum. Come on!’

Jude kindly took at least a dozen photos with the woman’s phone, then waited to carry on our conversation while the pair picked out their favourite fairies. Their mum very firmly said that the chosen fairies would be fluttering away until Christmas, and they accepted that with almost good grace. I let out a breath once they’d gone, feeling thrilled to have made such an impact and extremely grateful that Holly had suggested our collab.

Given the success of her debut book, our joining forces had the potential to send my sales soaring even higher! I could imagine I was going to end up making a lot of fairies to accompany the book, but I wouldn’t compromise on the way they were made, and if demand outstripped supply, then I’d put people on a waiting list.

‘My goodness, Bella,’ Jude laughed, ‘you’re a total hit.’

‘Oh,’ I said self-deprecatingly, ‘it’s not me, it’s my fairy persona. The wings make all the difference.’

I made them flutter to prove the point. They looked so pretty when they caught the light, and not for the first time I wished I could wear them all the time.

‘I don’t think it is,’ Jude said seriously. ‘The outfit might add a certain something, but actually the good stuff that comes along with them is all you.’

‘I don’t think—’

‘Well,’ he cut in, ‘I’m telling you. Look how you’ve started to bring me back around to celebrating Christmas for a start. No one else in the world could have done that.’

I couldn’t deny that I was thrilled about that and secretly very happy to take the credit for turning his frown upside down every time Noddy Holder’s dulcet tones rang out, which, in December, was a lot.

‘And you’ve also kickstarted my…’ he then began to say, intriguingly.

His words trailed off and I looked at him intently, willing him to finish that sentence. My heart was beating a tattoo, so I knew full well what it was that I wanted the next words to be, but my head didn’t think it was particularly likely that they would be the ones to fall out of Jude’s mouth.

‘What have I kickstarted?’ I asked softly when he didn’t say anything further.

His eyes searched mine, and I felt myself drawn to him by some invisible magnetic pull. The hall seemed to fall silent in spite of the number of people still in it, and it was just me and him again. Just like it had been on the drive before we kissed.

‘My passion for baking,’ he said, as I was about to take a step towards him. ‘You’ve got me in the mood to put my pinny back on and dig out all of my nan’s favourite recipes.’

Was that really what he had been going to say before he took a beat? I didn’t suppose I would ever find out, but I couldn’t help wishing that what he’d originally been poised to say were the words I had been hoping to hear.

Was it perhaps possible that Jude was still feeling something for me, in spite of the fact that he was convinced my being in favour of brief flings rendered me incapable of feeling anything where love and romance were concerned?

I would have dearly loved to delve deeper into that conversation and maybe even find the courage to tell him that, where he was concerned, a fling wasn’t what I wanted, but it wasn’t the time or the place. I was just about to suggest that we should continue to talk when we got home, knowing that by then I could have plucked up the courage to ask him who he’d kissed at the party, when Bear appeared and, forgetting the bruised state Jude was in, clapped him hard on the back.

‘Hello, mate!’ he boomed.

Jude looked at me with watering eyes and gritted his teeth.

‘Oh shit!’ Bear then immediately apologized as I moved to steady Jude, who looked poised to pass out. ‘I forgot. I’m so sorry.’

‘It’s fine,’ Jude said, trying to sound blasé. ‘No worries. You just set my recovery back about a fortnight, but that’s fine.’

‘Does that mean you’ll be two extra weeks under my roof now, then?’ I quipped, also trying to lighten the moment.

‘You wouldn’t mind that, would you, Bella?’ Bear grinned knowingly, and I wondered what Holly might have surmised and said.

‘If I throw up in your truck because of the pain, Bear, you only have yourself to blame,’ said Jude, as some of the colour returned to his cheeks, while mine flushed bright crimson.

I was relieved he hadn’t made anything of Bear’s teasing comment.

‘Are you heading home, then?’ I asked, my voice sounding rather squeaky.

We’d both brought door keys with us on the off-chance.

‘I am,’ said Jude. ‘Bear’s driving me back, but first we’re going to the garage to check out the state of my car.’

‘Are you sure you want to see it?’ I asked, stepping back around the stall as a couple wandered up and began looking through the few fairies I had left.

‘That’s what I said,’ said Bear. ‘There’s no need to see it, because the insurance company will just write it off and deal with it.’

‘Have you got one like this in silver?’ asked one of the browsers.

‘I don’t think so,’ I told them, ‘but I can certainly check for you.’

‘Yes, please.’

It was impossible to carry on the conversation with Jude and Bear then.

‘I’ll see you later,’ Jude said to me.

‘Sorry,’ Bear apologized to the couple. ‘We’re taking up far too much space. See you later, Bella.’

By the time I’d found the couple the perfect fairy, the guys had gone. I hoped Jude wasn’t going to regret seeing the wreck his car had ended up as, especially as he had been in the driving seat when it had been wrecked. That could be really triggering for him.

Visitor numbers picked up again in the afternoon, and by the end of the day, my stall was definitely displaying more lights and decorations than fairy folk. It was thrilling to think that so many of my fairy friends were heading off to new homes, and I hoped they would bring cheer to everyone they were destined for. As I tiredly packed the last few away, along with all my other bits and pieces, I told them not to feel sad. When their perfect person came along, they’d be ready to embrace them.

I didn’t say any of that out loud, of course, because the other stallholders, who were also packing up their depleted stock, would think I was even further away with the fairies than they had already guessed!

I realized there was a bit of a lump in my throat as I stacked my boxes next to the now empty table. My perfect person had come along, but I hadn’t found the courage to embrace him, and as a result I still didn’t know if he felt the same way about me.

‘You are staying for the buffet and debrief, aren’t you, Bella?’ Anna asked, as she began gathering together the chairs behind each of the tables. ‘Dorothy has created a spread big enough to feed every visitor as well as every stallholder.’

‘In that case,’ I said, because I had previously put my name down and could hardly duck out now even though I wasn’t in the mood, ‘how can I resist?’

It was impossible to believe that when I’d signed up for the post-fair food and chat with the family about how the weekend had gone, I hadn’t even known Jude existed, let alone fallen for him, talked myself out of falling for him and tripped back into him again. He’d only been in my life for about five weeks, but in that time he’d got me more emotionally stirred up than I’d been in the whole of my adult life.

So where did that leave me now?

More muddled than ever. I had thought I could handle having him living back in the house, but the look on his face earlier and the words he’d hinted at but hadn’t spoken had thrown me into the maelstrom again…

‘Bella!’

The tone of voice which accompanied my name being called suggested that it wasn’t the first time it had been uttered.

‘Coming!’ I responded, as I realized I was the last person left in the hall and that I was developing a bit of a habit of tuning out. ‘I’ll just take my wings off and I’ll be right with you.’

It was time I got a grip and rejoined the real world, even if it was currently confusing the heck out of me.

It was unanimously agreed that the Wynthorpe Hall Festive Fair had been a huge success, and the Connelly clan – not just Angus – very kindly agreed that it should become a permanent feature in the Wynbridge winter calendar.

Everyone who had a stall put their names forward to be invited back the following year, and not for the first time I thought that I had never known a family who gave so much and yet asked for so little in return. The extended Connelly family didn’t get only a little in return, of course, because everyone thought the world of them and were always willing to come to their aid should the need arise. Though in reality, it was often the other way around.

I knew Jude was home when I eventually arrived back, stuffed full of fabulous food and with a bulging bag of leftovers packed by Dorothy for him, because his coat and boots were in the hall, but his bedroom door was firmly closed, and I assumed he must be sleeping off the exertions of the day. At least, that was what I was hoping he was doing, rather than fretting over the state he’d found his formerly lovely car in.

I had planned to spend the evening looking over the ideas Holly had given me for the fairy destined to join her doggy duo, but by the time I’d had a shower and then sat on the bed for a moment, I knew the only thing I was really good for was a few hours of undisturbed sleep. With Tink similarly worn out from her time at the hall, but for different reasons, we dozed off together and I don’t think either of us moved during the entire night.

It was quite possible that I could have overslept the next morning, not that it would have mattered, because I was gifting myself a couple of lazier days after the long working hours over the weekend, but clattering from the kitchen roused me just before seven.

‘Need a hand with that?’ I yawned from the foot of the stairs.

‘Shit, Bella,’ Jude groaned. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.’

‘It’s okay.’ I shrugged. ‘I should have been up by now anyway,’ I added generously, because he did look genuinely remorseful.

‘Rubbish,’ he shot back. ‘I know for a fact that you were going to sleep until you woke this morning, because you told me so the other night.’

‘Well, in that case,’ I said with a smile, as I came further into the room, then realized Tink was waiting to be let out, ‘what the heck are you doing banging about in my kitchen?’

‘Looking for something that will take my mind off the crumpled state of my car,’ he said gruffly. ‘I mean, my old car.’

‘I knew you shouldn’t have gone to look at it…’ I started to say, but the look on his face was indication enough that the last thing he needed from me, or anyone, was an ‘I told you so’ moment.

He delved further into the cupboard. Well, as far as he could with his still-stiff gait and aching chest.

‘What about waffles?’ I suggested. ‘Do you fancy making me waffles for breakfast? I have streaky bacon and maple syrup, so we could go all-out.’

‘Why not?’ he said, shrugging, sounding less enthused than I would have liked.

We’d barely sat down to eat when his phone pinged, and when he read whatever it was that had landed, a dazzling smile immediately replaced his frown.

‘Good news?’ I asked with a nod to the phone as I piled more bacon onto my plate, even though I wasn’t now sure that I wanted it.

‘Hopefully,’ he said, putting the phone down again. ‘I’m going to head out in a bit.’

‘Will you need a lift?’

‘No, thanks,’ he said, but frustratingly he again didn’t elaborate.

‘Just as well.’ I smiled tightly. ‘Because I’m really too tired to drive anywhere today.’