Page 12 of Christmas Ever After
‘You hate it. I’m sorry, I should’ve known it was a mistake. I was stupid to think you’d want?—’
‘It’s beautiful,’ I cut him off. ‘Did you really make this?’
I could ask him about the movement. Ishouldask him, but it’s what I thought about yesterday – if he’s doing something dodgy, he’s not going to admit it. The last thing I want to do is let him think he’s fooled me too. I’ve made enough of a fool of myself in front of Raff for one day, I’m certainly not going to let him think that this nonsense has taken me in too. He will have a field day if he knows that one of his snow globes has got to me. I’ve now seen a Dardenne snow globe in action… I just need to figure outwhatthat action actually was, because there’s no way it was any kind of soulmate magic.
‘It doesn’t go any way towards making up for what I’ve done to you, but…’ His cheeks have gone red, and he seems uneasy, like he was genuinely nervous about giving it to me.
‘It’s beautiful, Raff. You’re…’ I trail my fingertips over the smooth glass dome, trying to see past everything else, because it’s an absolutely outstanding snow globe, even I can’t deny that. ‘You’re incredibly talented.’
‘So are you. These nutcrackers… woodturning?’ He’s wandered away and picked up a pastel pink nutcracker with a cupcake for a hat, and he runs his fingers over the smooth finish.
I nod. ‘My lathe is out the back.’
‘They’re so clever. I can’t believe I’ve never even been in here before.’ He puts the nutcracker on the shelf and comes back to the counter. ‘Do you think we’ve entered some parallel universe where you and I say nice things to each other? Maybe I shouldn’t point it out in case it breaks the spell. It was nice to meet this version of you that doesn’t despise me.’
‘Oh, I despise you fully and wholeheartedly,’ I assure him, even though it sounds a little less wholehearted than it would have in previous days.
‘Because I’m bollocks, right?’ He gives me a mischievous grin.
‘Yes. You’re a bollocks person in general, Raff.’
‘I know.’ He collects Minnie in her container and winks at me. ‘You know that sounds like a compliment, right?’
I make a noise of frustration at the ceiling as he saunters out. Raff Dardenne has got a lot to answer for.
‘Hey.’ In the middle of my noise, he pops his head back round the door. ‘Seriously, if you need any help, withanything, give me a shout, okay? Anything at all. From daring rescues from mice-infested buildings to… I don’t know, a ride home from work or someone to grab lunch for you, I’ll be there.’
He’s gone before I have a chance to get out the ‘thank you’ that’s caught in my throat.
I pick the snow globe up again and shake it. The snow falls but it doesn’t move.
I don’t know if I’ve just been conned… Or proved wrong in my assumptions about Raphael Dardenne after all these months.
4
Since the moment I started working on Christmas Ever After, I’ve tried to spend as little time as possible thinking about Love Is All A-Round and Dardenne Snow Globes, but I’ve spent most of today like a Kylie song – I can’t get Raff Dardenne out of my head.
The way he helped me this morning without a second thought. The way he was kind, funny, good-natured. He didn’t mock me or try to make me feel stupid. He was even nice to the mouse.
Cleo comes over mid-morning with a cup of tea and a box containing some baked goods she and Bram have made, and Marnie from the Tale As Old As Time bookshop brings me a book she’s chosen for me, and Sadie from The Cinderella Shop stops in to see if I need anything, which warms my heart, especially when Mrs Bloom comes in at lunchtime with a sandwich and a cuppa she’s made for me.
‘Did he apologise?’ She shakes a fist at the door in the vague direction of where Love Is All A-Round is up the street. ‘I’ll give him a piece of my mind if he didn’t.’
‘How did you…?’
‘Nothing gets past me, especiallyinterestingcomings and goings like that. That boy will have a clip round the ear if he caused you any more trouble.’
I’m thirty-eight and Raff is easily my age, if not older. The thought of him being scolded by Mrs Bloom is too much for me, and I laugh so hard that I have to lean on the counter to stay upright.
She looks at me like she wants to find the paracetamol box and double check that thereisn’tanything stronger lurking in there.
‘It was fine,’ I say quickly. ‘He actually un-caused some trouble. Most days, Raff Dardenne deserves a clip round the ear – today isn’t one of them.’
‘I knew you’d get on if you actually spoke!’
‘We don’t?—’
‘And look at this!’ She grabs the snow globe that’s still on the counter and shakes it. ‘You didn’t see it move, did you?’
