Page 4 of Christmas Joy at the Cornish Bakery

Sighing loudly, Jasper shook his head, his dark curls bouncing with the movement. Pulling his keys from his pocket, he turned towards his van. ‘I don’t have time for this.’

‘Good.’ Flaring her nostrils, she spun on her heels and pushed the bakery door open as she muttered, ‘And some people shouldn’t wear such stupid jumpers, either.’

‘Aw, did Dasher get off okay? I bet his owner was ever so grateful to you.’ Elsie swept past her, carrying two trays of freshly baked cookies towards the counter.

‘Something like that.’ Robyn forced a smile. The last thing she wanted was for Elsie to think she was trouble. She needed this escape from Christmas. She looked around the highly decorated bakery. Okay, she needed this break from Christmas at home. Besides, hopefully she’d never have to see that overly confident and entitled man again.

‘Oh good. One second and I’ll show you up to your room, love.’ Elsie disappeared behind the counter.

‘Thanks.’ Walking across to where her suitcase was still standing by the window, Robyn pulled it towards her. Spending a few minutes alone in her room sounded like bliss after the confrontation with Jasper. She needed to decompress and calm herself again before she began helping in the bakery.

Chapter Three

‘That’s great, thanks.’ After taking the money from her customer, Robyn slid the bag of doughnuts across the counter and dropped the coins in the till before turning back to the queue which had formed in front of the counter.

‘Can I put this up, please?’ A small girl’s face peeked above the edge of the counter as she held up a cardboard angel hanging from a piece of red ribbon.

‘On the Christmas tree? Of course you can.’ Robyn smiled as she took the angel, looking at it. ‘It’s very beautiful. Did you draw it yourself?’

The girl glanced up at her mum, who was standing beside her talking to Brooke, and nodded, her blond pigtails bobbing up and down. ‘Mummy helped me cut it out.’

‘You’re very talented. A super artist.’ Passing the angel back to the girl. Robyn walked around the other side of the counter. ‘Shall we go and find a spare branch you can hang it on? Is that okay with you, Mum?’

The girl’s mum looked across at them. ‘Yes, thank you. She’s been so excited to add to Elsie’s tree.’

‘No problem.’ Smiling, Robyn pointed to the tree. ‘Come on then, now where would you like to hang it?’

Standing in front of the large tree, the girl hopped from foot to foot. ‘Can I put it at the top, please?’

Robyn pointed to one of the top branches. ‘How about here?’

‘Ooh, yes. My angel can be flying right under the star on top of the tree.’ The girl grinned.

‘Great idea. Do you want me to hang it up there for you?’

Nodding, the girl passed her the angel.

Carefully looping the red ribbon over the dark green branch, Robyn stood back and smiled. ‘How perfect does that look?’

‘I like it there.’ The girl clapped her hands, a huge grin filling her face.

‘Oh, that looks lovely there, Jessie.’ Jessie’s mum joined them, a cake box in one hand and a paper bag in another. She turned to Robyn. ‘I love this idea of Elsie’s to let the children decorate the tree.’

‘It’s great, isn’t it? It’s nice for them to see the decorations they’ve made on display and equally great for everyone else who comes in and gets to see them.’

‘Yes, it is. It gives the place a really homely feel.’ Jessie’s mum turned to her daughter. ‘Right, we’d better get back and see what your dad and brother are up to. Say thank you to this nice lady.’

‘Thank you, nice lady.’ Jessie waved at her.

Laughing, Robyn smiled. ‘My name is Robyn and you’re very welcome.’

‘Thanks. See you.’ Jessie’s mum smiled before they made their way towards the door. ‘Pop your gloves on, Jessie, sweetheart. It’s cold out there.’

Turning back to the Christmas tree, Robyn frowned. Homely? That’s what Jessie’s mum had called the bakery. What did homely feel like? Cosy? Happy? She shrugged. It definitely didn’t feel like her experiences of Christmas, or home for that matter. No, her childhood home hadn’t felt cosy. Or happy for that matter and the flat she shared back in Bedford with her friend from work, Kelsy, and her boyfriend, Matty, was far from being cosy.

‘Robyn, coffee time.’ Brooke’s voice wafted across the bakery.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Robyn turned back to the bakery counter. Teresa, who served behind the coffee and cake counter, was standing at the end, balancing a tray on the counterin front of her and was passing steaming mugs to Diane and Brooke who were working at the bakery counter. Walking across to them, Robyn took a deep breath, the bitter aroma of coffee filling her lungs. ‘That smells so good.’

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