Page 77 of Merrily Ever After
‘I know,’ she said, drinking in the look of surprise on his face.
He shook his head. ‘You’re amazing.’
She smiled at him, aware of a tug deep inside her, an unfurling of something she couldn’t quite name. The next second, she found herself wrapped in his arms, her feet on tiptoes as he pulled her in close and pressed a tender kiss to her cheek.
‘It was actually really straightforward,’ she replied, delighted at his response. ‘Merry has got a website and an Instagram account, which is how I found the shop, and there are loads of pictures of her with her fiancé and his kids. And you won’t believe this, but I’ve met her before. Twice, it turns out: once here in the market and once at the school gates because one of the kids is at the school where I work.’
‘And now the universe has decided to put you in touch.’ He tucked an arm around her waist. ‘You OK with all this?’
She exhaled. ‘I think so. All those years when I thought I didn’t have any family other than Mum and Dad, and I did.Merry and I have been living close to each other all along.’
In truth, Emily was absolutely thrilled, but she didn’t want to get too carried away. Not until she’d worked out what to do next.
The two of them walked across the street to peer through the window. The shop was closed, and all the main lights were off, but spotlights shone down on the window display. It was only a narrow shelf on the inside, a windowsill really, but the length of it was draped with swags of eucalyptus and fir, tiny copper fairy lights were woven through them, giving off a golden glow, and dotted through the display at various heights were the candles: Mistletoe Kiss, Midnight Forest, Winter Wonderland.
‘It’s beautiful,’ said Emily, a lump forming in her throat. ‘She’s a genius, I’m so proud of her.’
‘As she will be of you, I’m sure.’ Will squeezed her hand and for a long time neither of them said anything, they just stood side by side.
He was such easy company, she thought, allowing herself to lean against him ever so slightly, and he had a way of knowing just the right thing to say. Desire for him fluttered in her stomach. and she let out a shaky breath.
‘You OK?’ He looked at her with concern in his eyes.
Emily nodded, glad he couldn’t see how pink her face must be. ‘It’s just a lot. Being here, discovering all this, seeing Merry’s shop, knowing that this is her life— it’s mind-blowing.’
Tears pricked at her eyes, and she tried to blink them away.
‘Hey. It’s OK to cry.’ He peeled off his gloves and touched her cold face with his warm hand. ‘It’s just your body’s way of letting go of stress.’
She nodded, pressing her cheek into his hand. ‘I can’tbelieve I’m standing here, outside my sister’s shop.’
‘Thank you, Emily,’ he said, drawing his hand away.
She raised an enquiring eyebrow. ‘For what? Dragging you out in the cold and weeping on you?’
‘For letting me share this with you. This is a big day; one you’ll always remember. I’m honoured to be here.’
‘I can’t imagine anyone else I’d rather share it with than you.’
It was true. Somehow, over the last couple of weeks, despite being sure she wasn’t looking for another relationship, he’d got under her skin. His face was the one she saw as she closed her eyes at night, his words bringing a smile to her lips when she remembered something he’d said. His positive manner, his friendly smile, those beautiful, mesmerising blue eyes sparkling in the reflection of the lights …
‘Wow,’ he said with a grin. ‘Day made.’
She reached for his hand and turned to face him. All it would take was one more step and they’d be in kissing distance. She flicked her eyes upwards; they were almost underneath the mistletoe. She could feel her pulse thudding in her ears. Was he thinking what she was thinking?
‘So what’s next?’ he asked, holding her gaze. ‘Do you plan to get in touch?’
‘Um. I think so,’ she said briskly, brushing aside her romantic thoughts; his mind was clearly on a different path. ‘I might try to speak to Dad again. Check if he has any more photographs anywhere and then …’ She shrugged, trying to sound casual. ‘I guess I’ll attempt to make contact and hope she doesn’t reject my advances. Merry might not be as happy about this as I am.’
‘I can’t imagine anyone not being happy to meet you.’ He cleared his throat and took a step back. ‘Will you letme know how you get on? I’m fully invested now.’
‘Sure.’ Emily bit back her disappointment; his words felt like a dismissal. He was obviously ready for the evening to end. ‘I’d better let you go. You’ve had a long day and I’ve bombarded you with information about me and my family. You must think me very selfish: I haven’t let you get a word in about your life.’
‘That’s easily solved,’ he said with a grin. ‘Our second date can be all about me.’
Her heart started to race. ‘I’d like that.’
‘Result!’ he said, punching the air triumphantly. ‘And I hope you appreciate how gentlemanly I’ve been tonight. The temptation to kiss you under that mistletoe is—’
