Page 19 of A Cornish Winter's Kiss

‘No, I promise.’ Her father gave her a watery smile, and her chest ached at how tired he was suddenly looking. He was only sixty-two, but his once bright ginger hair had long since washed out to a very faded mix of auburn and grey. There were grooves etched along the skin on his forehead which looked new, and a deep crease between his eyebrows. The last few years had been tough. Emily’s mother had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease two years after the car accident. At first the symptoms had been mild and the doctors had been confident that the medication would ensure the progress remained slow, and that Patsy would have the same life expectancy as everyone else. But then the medication had stopped working as well, and Patsy’s symptoms had begun to get worse as she moved from stage one through to stage three, and now, it seemed, it was worse still. ‘It’s so lovely to have you home, darling, and your mum is going to be really thrilled to see you.’

‘I know. I’m so happy to be home with you guys too.’ Emily hugged her father again, meaning every word. She knew howlucky she was to have parents who adored her, and a sister who might have been her best friend if they weren’t related. Not everyone had a family like that, and she couldn’t help thinking of Jude in that moment. He’d looked horrified at the thought of going back to Cornwall to spend time with his family, and she had a feeling that explained a lot about him. She still hadn’t got to see many of the chinks in his armour, but what she had seen suggested that his mother’s death was at the heart of everything. Emily was determined to do what she could to help Jude get past that so that he could finish his book, and she wouldn’t have to feel guilty about just how much money he’d paid her. But for now there was only one mother on her mind – her own – and she was about to give Patsy the kind of hug reserved especially for her. And just like when Charlotte had hugged her goodbye, Emily wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to let go.

9

Emily had been home for two days without venturing outside again for anything more than a dog walk. She’d missed her parents so much and it had been really lovely just to hang out together and not have any plans. But today she was meeting up with an old friend from school.

‘You look lovely, darling. Give my love to Rosie.’ Emily’s mother looked up at her from the armchair next to the wood-burning stove in the kitchen. Gary Barlow was lying by her feet, snoring softly.

‘I will, Mum, and thank you.’ Emily leant down and kissed her mother’s cheek. She’d always appreciated how lucky she was to have the parents she did, but ever since she’d started working with Jude, that feeling had been heightened. He’d lost his mother at an early age and hinted at a difficult upbringing, which she was certain had affected his decision not to let anyone get close to him. The easiest way to do that was to write off love as a concept altogether.

‘Thank you for what?’ Patsy gave her a questioning look.

‘For being such a lovely mum. Sometimes I forget how lucky I am.’

Her mother caught hold of her hand. ‘I’m the lucky one. Having you, Charlotte, and your dad.’

At that precise moment the dog opened its eyes and lifted its head. ‘Oh, and Gary Barlow of course! I can’t forget you, can I, sweetheart? You’d never let me.’

‘I can take him for a walk when I get back if you like, before we go to the hospital.’ Her mother’s appointment wasn’t until four o’clock, and she’d arranged to meet her friend, Rosie, for breakfast, before she started her shift. Rosie had just begun working at the Port Agnes Midwifery Unit, after previously having worked in Truro. It meant she was back living with her parents until she found somewhere to rent, and she’d told Emily she needed to get out of the house before she and her mother had another row. Emily couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have a relationship like that with her mum. Despite all the health challenges she’d faced, Patsy had always been easy to be around.

‘It’s okay, darling, Dad is going to take him when he gets the papers. Just have a nice time with Rosie.’

‘Okay, see you later. Love you.’ Emily blew her mother a second kiss and turned towards the door, still thinking about how different her life would have been if she’d had a different sort of relationship with her parents, and trying not to think about why Jude Cavendish’s life was occupying so many of her thoughts.

Port Agnes was beautiful all year round, but she loved the way the village was decorated at this time of year. There was a huge Christmas tree in the main square, and rows and rows of festoon lights strung between the houses on the narrow streets. A second tree had been constructed by the harbour from lobsterpots. It might not have had the glitz and glamour of some of the decorations in London, but as far as Emily was concerned, it still beat the big city hands down. Her old school friend was already waiting by the make-shift Christmas tree when she arrived.

‘Am I late?’ Emily hugged Rosie as she reached her.

‘No, I was here a bit early, just hanging around hoping to spot a handsome fisherman looking to land the catch of the day.’ Rosie grinned.

‘I thought you were off men after Ollie?’ Emily had heard many times how Rosie would never trust a man again after discovering her husband of two years, who was a paramedic, had been sleeping with his crewmate since before they were even engaged. Admittedly, the last time she’d seen Rosie face to face had been months ago, but she’d been just as adamant then as she’d been when they first broke up.

‘I’m not off men. I’d be up for a casual fling. As Ollie so kindly demonstrated, human biology doesn’t support monogamy. I was fighting a losing battle all along, so it’s just long-term relationships I’m done with.’

‘You sound just like…’ Emily shook her head, trying to get Jude out of it at least for a little while. ‘Like a lot of people who seem to be saying the same sort of thing lately.’

‘But not you eh, Em?’ Rosie grinned and linked her arm through Emily’s in a companionable way. ‘We can still rely on you to believe in love and romance, while the rest of us turn into bitter old cynics.’

‘I hope so, although God knows why. It’s not like the relationships I’ve had have encouraged that belief, but growing up with parents like mine makes it hard not to believe it’s true.’

‘Ah, yes, Patsy and Richard, the couple who give us all hope.’ Rosie squeezed Emily’s arm. ‘How’s your mum doing?’

‘Her symptoms have definitely got more severe, but hopefully she just needs a change of medication to stabilise things again. We’re going to see her consultant this afternoon.’

‘Give her my love, won’t you?’

‘I will, and she said the same to you.’ Emily could smell freshly baked bread drifting on the air from Mehenick’s, a bakery with its own café. Sometimes, Emily would lie in bed on a weekend in London and dream about toast made with one of their farmhouse loaves, or their giant cinnamon swirls that were big enough for two but which no one wanted to share. She turned to look at Rosie, silently praying that the smell of the bread would be enough to lure her friend too. ‘Have you got anywhere particular in mind for breakfast?’

‘Mehenick’s? I’m starting my shift at the unit at eleven and I need to do some serious carb loading first.’

‘Sounds perfect.’ Emily stopped to let Rosie go ahead of her as they reached the door. It was busy inside, and her friend weaved quickly through the tables to find a vacant spot. It was only after Rosie had grabbed the last table that Emily realised someone she knew was sitting on the table behind. And that someone was Jude.

‘Should I be worried that you’re stalking me?’ He gave her a slow smile, and she didn’t know whether to laugh or be annoyed. He had that effect on her, and bumping into him had been the last way she’d expected to start her day.

‘Oh, I’m sure you’re used to being followed by fans all the time.’

‘I can’t walk down the street without being mobbed.’ He smiled again, and this time she couldn’t help joining in. There was something very attractive about someone so successful who didn’t take themselves too seriously, but she needed to go carefully with Jude. And the more she got to like him, the more careful she needed to be.

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