Page 51 of Christmas Ever After
I thought he’d gone quiet, and the arm lying across my lap had got heavy. His head is still on my shoulder and his breathing has turned shallow and I shift until I can see his peaceful face.
‘Aww.’ I let out a breath, scared of moving even a millimetre in case I wake him. I wish I had use of my right hand, solely so I could reach up and tuck his brown hair back where it’s fallen over his forehead, and I only realise I said the ‘aww’ out loud when I notice everyone’s staring at me.
‘He’s tired,’ I whisper by way of explanation. ‘He’s been doing his own jobandmine to get ready for the Christmas market and try to beat the council at their own game with this competition between us.’
‘The position you’re inishis fault,’ Erin says.
‘We were both at fault that day. The fingers were an unfortunate accident and he’s trying to make up for it by being a gentleman. Obviously raised well.’ I deliberately look between Trisha and Biddy, whispering so as not to wake him.
‘Aww, we already love you, Franca.’ Trisha smiles at me and whispers back. ‘You don’t have to butter us up even more.’
My cheeks go instantly red. They love me? Really? It’s kind of her to say but they don’t even know me. It thaws something inside me when she uses that word so freely, especially when love from my own family has always felt so conditional.
Silence falls for the rest of the Muppets film. Sofia turns the volume of the TV down so it doesn’t disturb Raff, and when it’s over, everyone makes a very quiet move to leave, and he still doesn’t stir.
Sofia looks like she wants to hug me goodbye but we just wave instead, and she whispers that she can’t wait for the Christmas market tomorrow, and hands me the remote so I can choose what to watch next because I have no intention of moving an inch for a while yet.
Trisha walks with Biddy to her part of the house and comes back after she’s helped her get ready for bed. ‘He won’t mind being woken up if you want to go home, lovely.’
‘No,’ I whisper. ‘We’ve pushed his trolley up and down that hill to the castle about thirty-thousand times today. He’s doing everything he can for me. He deserves to close his eyes without being disturbed for a while.’
‘Well, there’s an abundance of Christmas films on that box, so watch anything you fancy, and help yourself to anything youwant.’ She points towards the kitchen, despite the fact I couldn’t move without waking Raff.
She looks down at her sleeping son with a soft look on her face. ‘I’ve never seen him so comfortable with anyone. You’re a special girl, Franca.’
The words make me feel warm all over as Trisha gets a blanket from the back of the sofa, opens it out, and very gently settles it over us both, and then stands back and bites her lip as she looks down at us. ‘He needs you, you know. He’s one of the good ones but he needs someone to take care of him for a change. Goodnight, both.’ She gives me a wave as she disappears towards her bedroom.
My eyes slide to the side and I fight the urge to stroke through the mass of chocolate-brown hair resting on my shoulder. Different shades catch the Christmas lights, and as much as I want to run my fingers through it, I really don’t want to wake him. He’s been workingsohard for my benefit, as well as doing his own job, the least he deserves is to be allowed to sleep when he clearly needs to.
I point the remote at the TV, turn the volume down further, and look through the selection of Christmas movies, choosing one that sounds good and settling in for another watch, and somehow, I can’t think of any better way to spend a Friday night.
The film has nearly finished by the time Raff wakes up with a start. ‘Where am I?’
‘You’re fine. On your mum’s sofa. Asleep. On my shoulder.’
He blinks for a few moments, then lets out a contented sigh and the arm that’s still lying across my lap tightens as he stretches and then snuggles closer. ‘A position that has no right to be as comfortable as it is.’
I stroke his arm, letting my fingers trail up and down it underneath the blanket that’s covering us, and I can feel him getting his bearings, the way he looks around and realiseseveryone else has gone, squints at the blanket, trying to work out where it’s come from as he wasn’t covered last time he was awake, and I pretend to still be focusing on the movie, but all I can really think about is the gorgeous man beside me.
‘Why didn’t you wake me?’ he murmurs eventually, his deep voice even deeper than usual and thick with sleep.
Because you’re the most adorable sleeping man I’ve ever seen. Thankfully I stop myself from saying that out loud. ‘Because you’re exhausted. You’re spending all your days making nutcrackers for me, even more of your days dealing with your own business, and I’m pretty sure you’re spending most of your nights making snow globes too. There aren’t that many hoursina day. I wanted you to have a moment’s rest. And I found this great rom-com movie about a woman who’s accidentally bought a Christmas tree farm and is falling in love with her grumpy neighbour, and I was quite happy to watch it. You can go back to sleep if you want.’
I reach over with my left hand and tuck his hair back and his eyes drift closed again and he rests his head back on my shoulder. I keep doing it and he makes a little noise of contentment and snuggles in closer, and I can feel the heaviness of his body against mine as he drifts off again.
I turn until I can rub my chin against his hair and press the tiniest kiss to his forehead, but when I let my hand drop, he wakes back up and turns his face further into my shoulder with a long groan. ‘Why does nothing feel as good as sleep does when you’ve got to get up?’
The urge to slip my arms around him and hold him tight is unreal. I’m surprised and kind of honoured that this man, who I considered my arch-nemesis until three weeks ago, is so open and unguarded around me that he’d let himself fall asleep on my shoulder.
‘You don’t have to get up yet.’ I reach over and stroke through his hair again, and he makes that noise of contentment and snuggles in closer again, but only a couple of minutes pass before he forces himself to move.
‘Yes, I do, because it’s…’ He rolls his head off my shoulder and squints up at the clock on the wall. ‘It’s quarter to twelve and I’ve gotta drive you home. I’ve already kept you up past your bedtime when we have the market tomorrow. You need your beauty rest.’
I snort. ‘It’ll take more than a bit of rest to sort me out.’
‘Hey, you’re gorgeous.’ His hand slides up the left side of my face and turns me towards him, his thumb brushing along my jaw, and my breath catches at the intensity in his eyes and the sudden certainty that he’s going to kiss me.
He tilts my head towards him and his lowers towards me, and I close my eyes and my fingers curl into his T-shirt in anticipation because I’m suddenly absolutelydesperatefor his lips to touch mine, and then… he yanks his hand away and pushes himself upright. ‘Sorry, ignore me, I think I’m still in dreamland.’
