Page 46 of All We Want for Christmas
‘See you later,’ he whispered, with a glint in his eye that almost trashed her resolve.
She answered with a nod, flitting out of the door, then gasping at the cold air and almost tripping over the boot scraper in her haste to get across the courtyard to her cottage.
A few seconds later she was safely inside, high on adrenaline, still not quite able to believe her daring. The spectres of the past: lost loves, superstitious fears, and future music to be faced had receded into the shadows. This bright new hope in her life – Flynn, moving forward, and leaving the past behind – was far more dazzling and joyful than any Christmas lights.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Flynn practically skipped down the steps from the castle after his late afternoon meeting and emerged into the courtyard.
He was almost tempted to whistle before realising how cheesy that was and also that it was so out of character that it would definitely arouse suspicion among his team. All that hearts and flowers stuff, red roses, etc. – he’d never been into it. He’d rarely had to do the running or wanted to do the running. Yet, with Lara, he was acting the opposite of cool, pursuing her and thinking about her all the time. Last night had been incredible and he was eager to repeat it as soon as possible.
The Spectacular was on the brink of opening for the evening. Generators hummed and the lights glittered through the trees and on the castle walls. As he walked along the light trail to check all was well before heading to the lighting contractors’ control room, he was caught up in the excitement of the evening as never before. Perhaps it was because he felt he had things under control, that he was finally able to relax a little and experience the trail from the visitors’ point of view.
Or maybe it was because he felt his life – his inner, fullest life – had been reignited again.
Families began to appear, kids shrieking and laughing, their parents pointing out the glowing figures and shimmering trees. Over the hum of chatter and generators, he could hear the classical music from the terraced gardens.
He bought a coffee, checking with the kiosk staff that all was well, then took a short cut to the Ice House grotto to make sure everything was in order, as its damp location had made it the most prone to glitches.
The Christmas tree entrance was ablaze with lights, the reindeer grazed peacefully on the Ice House roof, and a queue to meet Santa had already formed.
Flynn stopped, sipped his coffee, and watched as the helper elves crouched down by pushchairs and soothed the small children clutching their parents’ and grandparents’ hands.
‘Hi there …’
Flynn hadn’t noticed Molly appear at his side with Esme in her buggy.
‘Oh, hello. You’re back again?’ he said, surprised.
‘There was a half price discount for a second visit.’
‘Are you going to see Santa?’ he asked, smiling at the face peeping out of a furry hood, a rattle in her hand. ‘I mean, is the baby going?’
‘Esme?’ Molly laughed a little nervously. ‘Not this time. But my friend’s little boy is. That’s Kaden, there in the queue, second from the front?’
She pointed at a boy of around three-ish – Flynn was hopeless with kids’ ages – wearing a Gruffalo onesie and tiny wellies.
‘Lovely,’ Flynn said, having nothing else he could think of to say. ‘Um, have a lovely evening. I was on my way to the control centre. Just grabbing a quick coffee.’ He threw the cup in an adjacent bin to signal he was leaving.
‘Flynn …’ she said.
He turned back from the bin, surprised to hear her use his name. She must have overheard Lara using it in the café.
‘Yes?’
Her knuckles whitened on the handle of the buggy. ‘I – er – wanted to talk to you.’
‘To me?’ he asked, knowing he should be getting back to work but sensing that she needed him to stay. When she didn’t say anything, he asked, ‘Is everything OK?’
She shook her head. ‘Not really. I mean, it’s nothing awful but – oh God – I’ve wanted to say this for so long but now it feels so scary, I don’t know how to do it.’
Flynn’s skin prickled yet he had no idea why. He didn’t know this girl. He’d never seen her in his life until very recently. ‘I think you’d just better say it,’ he said, as gently as he could.
She put her hands over her face as if she’d lost courage, then blurted out, ‘You’re my dad. And Esme’s grandad.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
‘I kept waiting and waiting to see if you had any clue. Mum’s always said you didn’t know about me.’
