Page 47 of The Twelve Dates of Christmas
Kate made herself a coffee and shook out her arms, turning her head from side to side to relieve the stiffness after such concentrated work. She leaned on the sink and looked out the window. The sky was blue for the first time in days, and already the warmth of the sun—scant though it was—was melting the snow on the grass. She’d opened the smallest window at the top a crack to stop the windows from steaming up, and through it she could hear the steady drip-drip-drip as the ice melted off the fascias.
•••••
Between the gritters and the sun, the hill to Blexford was clear enough for Kate to retrieve her car from the bottom and bring it back up to the village. She pulled up outside Matt’s cottage and beeped the horn. Sarah bounced out of the door and Matt followed, pulling her into an embrace and kissing her sweetly. Kate pretended to stick two fingers down her throat and Matt poked his tongue out at her.
“Put him down, Sarah!” she shouted. “You don’t know where he’s been!”
Sarah laughed and Matt stuck two fingers up at Kate, grinning.
Sarah ran gingerly down the icy path to the car, looking impossibly lovely even wrapped in a puffer jacket. And how did she get those delicate curls to caress her face like that? Kate’s hair was corkscrew or frizz with no in-between. When Kate’s curls fell about her face, which they did often, they looked like Medusa’s serpents after a spell in a wind tunnel.
“Hi!” said Sarah, as she bounced into the car. “You smell lovely.”
“Thanks,” said Kate. “How was work?”
“Busy,” she said. “It’s all Christmas play practice and party planning at the moment. And half of the old costumes are falling to pieces, so we’re spending all our lunchtimes sewing; it’s like a nativity stitch-’n’-bitch.”
“Why don’t I ask Evelyn if the Knitting Sex Kittens can help you out?” said Kate. “They can turn their hands to anything, they could probably rustle you up some new costumes too.”
“Oh my God. Would you?” said Sarah. “That would be amazing! We need all the help we can get. The kids have worked so hard, it would be a shame if their costumes let them down.”
Kate promised to speak to Evelyn in the morning, and theconversation continued to flow easily. Twenty minutes into the journey there was a lull; it wasn’t uncomfortable particularly, but they didn’t know each other well enough yet for it not to be a self-conscious quiet.
It was fully dark now, even though it was only seven o’clock. The snowbanks at the side of the road cast a dim glow into the car. Sarah fiddled absently with her ring finger, despite the absence of a ring. The old Mini engine seemed louder than usual.
“Can I ask you something?” said Sarah.
“Of course. Anything,” said Kate.
“You know Matt better than anyone,” Sarah said. “Would you say he’s serious about me?”
“Absolutely,” said Kate. “As serious as I’ve ever known him to be.”
She cast a glance at Sarah and smiled.
“Why do you ask?”
Sarah was quiet for a moment, as if choosing her words.
“It’s just that sometimes I don’t know where his head’s at,” said Sarah.
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that,” said Kate. “Nobody in the world knows how Matt’s head works.”
“You do,” said Sarah.
“I think you’re giving me more credit than I deserve,” said Kate.
“I don’t think I am,” said Sarah. “You seem to get him. You sort of cut through all his...”
“Bullshit?” Kate inserted helpfully.
“I was going to saylayers,” said Sarah.
“Layers?” Kate laughed. “I don’t think Matt’s got enough depth for layers.”
“Right there,” said Sarah. “That. That’s what I’m talking about. You have this way with each other.”
“I’m just taking the mickey,” said Kate. “It’s what we do. We grewup annoying each other. He’s like an irritating cousin... or a fungal infection you just can’t get rid of.”
