Page 84 of The Rescue

I end the call and lean back in my chair, my heart is racing but in a good way. That was the first positive conversation I’ve had with my mom in years. She made the effort to be supportive and not critical. I saw a few frowns a couple of times but she refrained from giving me unsolicited advice. I could scream with how happy and content I feel right now. Everything is falling into place for me. My relationship with my mama is on the mend, I’m enjoying my job and I’m falling in love, which I never allowed myself to think would be possible.

Rabbie is always thanking me for showing him that his demons aren’t as scary as he made them out to be, but I need to thank him for opening my eyes, and filling my heart. It feels like I have purpose again. My life might’ve looked great from the outside when I was living in Boston. Dating copious amounts of men, and going out to the fanciest bars with friends, but in truth I haven’t heard from a single person from Boston since I’ve been here, and it’s not bothered me once. That life was getting stagnant and unmeaningful to me.

Rabbie is never far from my thoughts, and I want to show him how much I appreciate him. I grab my jacket, and rush downstairs. Rabbie is rushed off his feet with lunchtime service, but he isn’t too busy to give me a quick smile. I quickly walk over to him and give him a hard kiss. He leans into me, and kisses me back. He wraps his arms around my waist, and pushes againstme. Whenever we kiss we forget the world around us, and it’s just us two in our little bubble. It pops when Nellie dings the bell for another food order for Rabbie to make, she leaves it on the order rack that is near the little opening to the kitchen.

A cheeky grin spreads across his face as he looks down at me.

“You’re distracting me,” he kisses me again.

“You’re the one who kissed me back,” I playfully argue with him.

“You kissed me first.”

Another ding coming from the front of the cafe, another food order.

“I better get back to work or I’ll have some very hungry customers on my hands.”

“Okay, I’ll be back soon. I need to pop out for a bit.” I try to act as unsuspicious as possible.

His soft smile creates creases around his big green eyes. He tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear, and gives me one last kiss. Every time he tucks my hair behind my ear it makes me weak at the knees. I never knew a little gesture like that could drive me crazy. I leave him to get back to work, and take one glance at him as I step outside, he gives me one more smile and a little wave before he’s focused again.

* * *

I knew trying to find Christmas decorations in a town as small as Crossmackie was going to be a challenge. I messaged Dylan and told her my plan, and asked her to meet me at Bits and Bobs. She told me she had some spare decorations at Thistle Downand that she would bring them with her. I remember Fiona mentioning that they were selling garlands, wreaths and some trees that were from Thistle Down Farm, I hope there’s some left for me to buy. I quickly rush off towards the shop and through the door, the little bell rings over the door.

Bits and Bobs is the only grocery store for the village, it’s stocked with most of the produce from Thistle Down Farm, Sweet Treats, and other local farmers. It has that farmers market vibe to it with crates of fresh fruit and vegetables on display, and a few aisles packed with jarred food such as pickles, relishes and jams. Out the front of the shop there’s usually a flower stall but because it’s close to winter the blooming flowers from summer have been replaced with wreaths of holly and Christmas trees of all sizes. I spotted a few left when I came in the door.

I wasn’t surprised to find Hamish in here standing at the counter talking to Fiona, he never leaves her side. I guess he has every right to be here anyways, because the MacTavish brothers own Bits and Bobs. I’ve watched them carefully over the couple of months that I’ve been here, and they’d be a great couple. Everyone can tell they both feel a certain way about each other. But I’m not one to get involved in something like that, hopefully it will happen for them eventually, one of them just has to make the first move which is the hardest part. They spot me as I walk through the door, and Hamish straightens up.

“Hey Crystal,” Fiona smiles.

“H-hey, here to buy more stuff for the launch party?” Hamish stutters.

“Actually, I’m here to buy the smallest tree you have and some decorations. Rabbie’s place is looking a little bare.”

They both look at me surprised with their eyebrows raised, and I start to wonder if decorating his flat is a bad idea. I don’t want to overstep. I shift uncomfortably.

Fiona can sense my uneasiness and offers me a warm smile. “That’s such a cute idea, he never decorates for Christmas.”

“A-aye, he’ll love it. I’ll leave you ladies to it,” Hamish winks at me and Fiona and walks out the shop with a wave over his head.

Now that I’m feeling more relaxed about the idea of decorating Rabbie’s flat, the giddiness to go nuts is bubbling to the surface. I remind myself that I need to rein it in because I don’t want to freak Rabbie by going crazy with the decorations. If it was up to me it would look like Christmas threw up in his flat, but I need to tone it down and not scare him off.

Christmas is my second favourite holiday. Thanksgiving tops it slightly, only because of pumpkin pie. I look around Bits and Bob whilst I wait for Dylan to get here. I fill a basket with some Christmas cookies, I’m not even going to attempt to bake them because that would turn out disastrous. I grab some ingredients to make mulled wine. Now that I can make, I know my mama’s recipe by heart. I can’t wait for Rabbie’s flat to smell like Christmas from the spices and the wine. I pick out a long garland to run along his mantle, and a small wreath to hang on the wall.

Fiona helps me carry all the stuff over to the counter with just as much excitement as me. “Och, Crystal, he’s going to love this.”

“I wanted to do something nice for him. He deserves it seeing how hard he works.”

The bell above the door dings, and Dylan comes in with two large bags full of fairy lights and small decorations. When she told me she had some extra decorations left, I thought she maybe had a bit of tinsel left, not enough to decorate another house. I eye her with amusement, because I thought I was a Christmas lover, but Dylan worships Christmas. She starts planning for the festive season well in advance, at least seven months to be exact. I shouldn’t be so surprised that she has this much extra.

She narrows her eyes at me. “What’s so funny?”

I try to hide my smirk, and grab the bags off her. “Nothing, I was waiting for you to help me pick out the tree.”

She claps her hands together and the excitement is too much for her to contain as she rushes me and Fiona out the door. The wind has started to pick up and it looks like it could snow later today which would make my plan even more special. The wind wraps around us, whipping my hair into a tangled mess. The trees at the front are way too big to fit into Rabbie’s flat, not to mention I don’t even know how I’m going to sneak all this past him.

I flick one of the spiky branches of a tree taller than me. “These are way too big. What’s the smallest one you have, Fi?”

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