Page 73 of A Scottish Christmas Hideaway
‘Whoopsie,’ said Catriona, shaking her head and laughing.
‘Anyway, Merry Christmas. Wishing you all happiness, health and love.’
Everyone else raised their glass. ‘Merry Christmas.’
‘And talking of love,’ said Catriona, looking over at Jessica and Reuben. ‘Will you two stop with the pretending?’
‘What do you mean?’ said Jessica, flustered.
Catriona chuckled. ‘Don’t think we haven’t noticed something is going on. I know you’re trying to act as though you’re just old friends but friends don’t look at each other in the way that you two do.’
Jessica didn’t dare look at Reuben.
‘You’re embarrassing them,’ said Angus. ‘But your mum is right.’ He paused to look at Reuben. ‘Even I’ve noticed it and you always say I can be a bit slow on the uptake.’
‘Calling her Jessie was a bit of a sign,’ said Murray drily as he turned to Reuben. ‘You’re like a big teenager. Trying to wind up the girl you fancy by doing the thing that annoys her most. Honestly.’ He chuckled loudly.
Jessica and Reuben tried to feign innocence but they, too, burst out laughing.
‘Apart from anything else,’ said Angus, ‘you’re holding hands under the table. That’s what me and your mum did when we were courting.’
Everyone started laughing and Lexi started banging her spoon against the table.
Reuben held up his hands in defeat. ‘I don’t think we’d make very good undercover agents, would we?’
‘No,’ scoffed Murray, ‘that’s safe to say.’ He smiled at them.
‘I think you guys are great together,’ said Carolyn, her eyes full of warmth.
Jessica turned to look at Reuben and reached for his hand. This time above the table so everyone could see. It was a Christmas that she would never forget and Reuben was the most wonderful and surprise gift.
Chapter Fifty
One Week Later
All too soon it was Hogmanay, the final day of the year. Lily and Gillian had both texted several times to make sure Jessica was coming to the New Year’s Eve party at the Rowan Bay Inn. She had reassured them she would be there, but hadn’t yet told them that Reuben would be her plus one. She thought she would leave that as a surprise. Though something told her Gillian would be anything but. She was sure Gillian knew exactly what had been going on. That was the gift of a friend who knew the real you.
That afternoon she and Reuben were curled up on the sofa at Primrose Cottage watching a movie. She still couldn’t believe how comfortable she felt wrapped in his arms and had to pinch herself as a reminder that this wasn’t a dream. As she looked up at him, his mouth curled into a smile. He cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her, his stubble grazing against her face. She didn’t think she would ever tire of being with him. Their connection was different to anything she had experienced before. As clichéd as it was, he felt like home. The days between Christmas and New Year seemed to slow down and Jessica felt as though it was only her and Reuben who were lost in this magical pocket of time. Murray, Carolyn and Lexi had gone to Edinburgh for a few days to visit family, and her dad had insisted that he would take over the caring duties for Catriona so Jessica could have a break and make the most of her time with Reuben. They had pretty much spent their time holed up at Primrose Cottage, making the most of each other’s company without any distractions. With the bakery also closed, Jessica was enjoying the slower pace of life, hiding away without any expectations or pressure. She had no idea what lay ahead but what she did know was that she felt hopeful and excited again about the future.
‘You look very thoughtful,’ he said huskily in her ear. ‘What are you thinking about?’
She squeezed his arms which were wrapped around her waist. ‘London,’ she said, turning to see the look of confusion on his face.
‘What about it?’ He untangled his arms from her and turned her round to look at him properly.
They had talked about how they would make things work between them. Reuben said he was happy to visit her in London but Jessica knew that wasn’t enough. She didn’t want to have a long-distance relationship with him. She was ready to come home for good. Even if Reuben hadn’t come onto the scene, life in London as she knew it was over. She didn’t want to go back to that way of being.
‘I’ve decided to resign.’
Reuben grabbed the remote control and paused the movie. ‘You’ve what?’ He shook his head incredulously.
She nodded and pressed her lips firmly together. ‘I’ve made my mind up.’
‘That’s a really big step, Jessie. I’d hate you to rush into anything.’ He stroked the hair away from her face, his eyes full of tenderness. ‘You need to do what’s right for you.’
‘Please don’t try and talk me out of it and don’t take this the wrong way, Reuben,’ she said with a chuckle, ‘but even if we weren’t seeing each other, I would still want to come home.’
‘Cheers,’ he said jokingly. His gaze roamed across her face. ‘What will you do though?’
