Page 39 of A Cornish Winter's Kiss

‘I’m really glad.’ He’d touched her arm, just briefly, but it had left her wanting more and she’d had to push her hands into the pockets of her coat to stop herself from responding. They’d gone to lunch after that, with two dogs who were suddenly much more well behaved, exhausted by their walk and sitting by Emily’s feet in front of a roaring log fire as yet more Christmas songs played in the background. They’d talked about Jude’s book, and how DCI McGuigan’s storyline might unfold. And had found themselves agreeing on the best way to approach it. Now they were headed back to Port Agnes, with just one more stop along the way.

‘This is my dad’s place.’ Jude turned to look at her as they pulled into the sweeping gravel driveway of an impressive Georgian house.

‘It’s beautiful.’ Emily had suspected it might be grand from what Jude had told her about his father, but what she hadn’t expected was the huge Christmas tree in the front garden, with a whole family of rattan reindeer outlined in white fairy lights. It didn’t look like the home of the man who Jude had described ascold and distant, and he must have seen the look of surprise on her face.

‘It is, but if you’re wondering about all the decorations, they’re down to Viv. She likes to make Christmas special for the grandchildren.’

‘I bet it’s an amazing place to spend Christmas.’

‘I hope they enjoy it, but I can’t say I’ve ever enjoyed a Christmas here since Mum died.’

‘Not even after your dad and Viv got together, and you had your stepsister to spend it with?’

‘Viv’s great, and so are Fiona and her family, but Dad’s still always around.’ Jude sighed. ‘I don’t know if it’s just because he reminds me of all the bad times after Mum died, especially once Sandra came into our lives, or whether it’s just that he and I are worlds apart, but it’s like I’ve forgotten how to be myself around him. If I’m honest, I think I forgot how to be myself around anyone for a long time. Probably because I spent most of it wishing I was someone else.’

‘Jude, I don’t think you realise how great—’ Emily’s response was cut off as someone rapped on the window of the car, and she almost jumped out of her skin.

‘Are you coming in, darling?’

‘It’s my stepmother,’ Jude said by way of explanation, and he lowered the window on Emily’s side. ‘Hi, Viv, this is my friend, Emily. I was just about to knock to pick up that box of Mum’s stuff you wanted me to take. I can come and grab it, but we won’t stop. We’ve got both the dogs in the car and they’re soaking wet from a run on the beach.’

It wasn’t true – the dogs had long since dried out by the fire – but it didn’t sound like Viv would have been concerned even if they’d come straight off the sand. ‘I’d never worry about that sort of thing. Come on in and I’ll make a nice hot toddy, or some ginger beer for you, Jude, if you’re driving.’

‘We’d love to, Viv, but Em’s got to get back for a family thing.’ It sounded like the kind of vague response you might give if you were making up a lie on the spot, which was exactly what Jude had done. Even so, Emily couldn’t deny the warm glow that came from him using the shortened version of her name for the first time.

‘That’s such a shame.’ Viv sounded genuinely disappointed, but then she turned to look at Emily, a broad smile on her face. ‘Hopefully we’ll get to meet you properly some other time. I know Charles would have loved to, but he’s in Truro, doing his Christmas shopping. Heaven help us all!’

Viv’s laugh was every bit as genuine as her smile, and Emily found herself wishing they could go inside.

‘If he’s anything like my dad, you’ll have to get your poker face ready so it doesn’t give away your disappointment. He bought me a tea cosy last year in the shape of a black sheep, because I once said I thought they were cuter than white ones.’

‘I think black sheep are often the best type too, even if they are sometimes misunderstood.’ Viv sounded serious for a moment and Emily couldn’t help wondering if the statement was aimed at Jude, but then she grinned. ‘Although if Charles gets me a tea cosy for Christmas, he’ll be wearing it as a hat until June.’

‘I wouldn’t put it past him.’ Jude rolled his eyes. ‘Shall I come in and grab the box?’

‘It’s actually an enormous suitcase, with lots of boxes and bags inside.’ Viv pushed her glasses up her nose as she spoke. ‘I haven’t been through it, but I was sorting stuff out after the leak and I realised it had lots of Ros’s things inside. I wanted to keep it safe, so I moved it out of the loft into one of the bedrooms. You can decide what you want to keep and then we can put it back up in the loft once the repairs to the roof are finished, or inone of the bedrooms. I just wanted you to have the chance to go through it first.’

‘Thank you, Viv, that was really kind of you. It’s lucky Sandra never found it, or it would have ended up in landfill years ago.’

‘Let’s hope that’s where Sandra is instead, eh, darling?’ Viv dropped a perfect wink, and Emily decided that she loved Jude’s stepmum.

‘We should be so lucky, Viv. Right, I’ll come and grab the suitcase so that I can get Emily home in time for her family thing.’ Jude got out of the car and was back within a couple of minutes, heaving an oversized suitcase into the boot, before getting back inside.

‘Viv seems lovely,’ Emily said as she waved goodbye to the woman now standing outside the front door of Jude’s family home, furiously blowing kisses at them.

‘She is. I just wish Dad had met her first instead of Sandra and then maybe I… Oh, I don’t know, maybe things might have been different.’

‘Some people would say it’s never too late to change them.’ Emily stole a glance in his direction, just in time to spot him shaking his head.

‘And sometimes you just have to accept that the moment has passed.’ The silence hung between them for an uncomfortable moment, and then Jude leant forward to turn up the radio. ‘Come on then, let’s hear some more of your best karaoke, and if you’re really lucky, I might even join in.’

It had surprised Emily when Jude had invited her to his place for dinner and she wasn’t sure he’d expected her to say yes. But her parents were going out to a Christmas get-together with somefriends and she’d said as long as she could bring Gary Barlow, she’d love to have dinner with him.

‘Thank God you invited me over, otherwise it would have been beans on toast in front of re-runs of theGavin and StaceyChristmas specials. Not that I don’t love them, but I’m starting to think it’s a bit embarrassing that I know all the lines off by heart. It suggests I might not have much of a social life.’ Emily wrinkled her nose. ‘Anyway, after tomorrow, Charlotte and her family will be coming down, then I’ll be on full-time auntie duty.’

‘I can offer you a takeaway and a rummage through a suitcase full of old stuff.’ Jude gave her a wry smile, but his words took her by surprise for a second time.

‘You want me to look through your mum’s stuff?’ She been certain he’d want to do that by himself.

---