Page 39 of The Day After Christmas
‘Don’t worry,’ Felicity said with a grin, ‘I know just the place.’
‘This one really is a keeper,’ said Andrea, during break time the next day.
Felicity couldn’t stop the smile that pulled at her lips. ‘He really is. What on earth did I do to deserve such a man?’
‘Thoughtful, kind, loves cats. Tick, tick, tick. Plus he’s damn sexy,’ said Andrea, stirring a third sugar into her coffee.
‘Stop that.’
‘What?’
‘That.’
‘Well, he is. What was it Adam called him again?’
Felicity’s face flushed with sudden heat. ‘A blond titan.’
‘Yup. That’s it in a nutshell. You must have done something pretty damn good in a former life, Miss Brooks.’
‘I know, I know.’
Andrea turned and smiled at her. ‘Or maybe the universe just decided it was finally your turn for a reward.’
‘Aw.’
‘I’m serious. You’ve had way more than your fair share of misery. You deserve it.’
Felicity didn’t know what to do with that.
‘I’m not used to you being sincere.’
‘Ha ha, don’t get used to it. The RSPCA inspector’s on his way, best get a wriggle on, miss.’
‘Yup, yup, I’m going,’ said Felicity, rinsing her cup, glad of the distraction.
But as she went through the paperwork with Tony the inspector for two new feline arrivals – Bill and Ben, a pair of adorable Siamese cats she knew would be super easy to rehome – Felicity just could not stop thinking about what she was going to do to James when she got home. She’d forgotten all about Charlie and his shenanigans. In fact, she hadn’t even asked Andrea where he was. It was only on her way home that she wondered if she should have told Andrea what he did.
When Thursday morning came around Felicity was almost apoplectic with excitement. She’d even been organised enough to pack her suitcase two days before, but then when it came to the morning they were due to go, she panicked that she couldn’t remember what she’d put in there. James came into the bedroom to find her empty cabin bag on the bed and clothes and other sundries covering practically the entire surface of the floor, Felicity sat cross-legged in the middle of it all, stroking Gennie, Holly’s mum, who had curled up on her legs the second she sat down.
‘What on earth happened in here?’ he said, pretending to be horrified, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Felicity bit her lip. ‘I’m really sorry, I couldn’t remember what I’d put in so I had to get it all out again and now I’m not sure if I’ve got the right stuff.’
James sat down beside her amidst the chaos and gave Gennie’s soft ears a scratch.
‘We’re only going for three nights,’ he said gently.
‘I know that, but what if we go out for dinner? Or go walking? Or what if it rains? Or snows?’
‘It’s June.’
‘I know that too.’ Felicity put her face in her hands. ‘I hate packing.’
James put his arm around her and pulled her to him. She inhaled his clean linen scent.
‘I know you do, Felicity, but the thing is, we have to leave in half an hour.’
Felicity let out a wail and James squeezed her tighter to him.
