Page 4 of Mistletoe Kisses at Cwtch Cove

‘Not yet, Fifi.’ Ruth shook her head. ‘You can have some after when Daddy carves it to put it in the pasta bake.’

Fifi barked as if understanding exactly what her mum had said then trotted to her basket, picked up her favourite teddy bear and gave it a shake.

‘Yep. Energy to burn.’ Jack laughed. ‘I’ll definitely take her out later.’

His dad poured wine into three glasses, and they took them through to the lounge. He sat on one sofa and his parents took the other. The lounge was bright and airy with two sofas at right angles in front of the sash windows, a large fireplace with a solid oak mantelpiece and a fifty-inch flatscreen TV above it. The other walls were decorated with photographs that his mum, a keen amateur photographer, had taken over the years. Some were of Jack and his dad and others were of wildlife and Cwtch Cove. She’d sold some of her photos of Cwtch Cove and the coastal path in the village gallery and had some of them featured several times in local press. She was retired now but had been a medical secretary at the local GP surgery for forty years, although Jack knew she’d have loved to have been a photographer instead.

Jack’s eyes wandered to the oak coffee table, admiring his dad’s craftmanship as he always did. Sadly, he hadn’t inherited his dad’s talents despite carpenter Euan trying to show him how to make things when he was younger. His dad had owned his own carpentry business and at one point, when Euan was about eight, he’d wanted to work with him, but as he’d got older it had become clear that he lacked the skill to become Euan’s apprentice. Instead, he’d developed a keen interest in science at school and joined the local St John Ambulance brigade. This had fed into his decision to study to become a paramedic and it was a career he loved. It was even where he’d met his first and only love, Kelly Thomas. The thought of her and how losing her had felt made his stomach drop to the floor.

‘Jack, darling,’ his mum placed her wine on the coffee table, ‘I have a question to ask you.’

Jack took a sip of wine as he had a feeling he knew where this was going. His mum had a whole group of friends who often asked her to speak to Jack about their medical issues. As an experienced paramedic, he had a broad knowledge and had picked up a lot of information over the years, but even so, he usually told her to refer them to their GP. That didn’t deter her from asking though and he knew it was because she was proud of him.

‘My friend, Cynthia, has this mole.’ His mum glanced at his dad as if not wanting him to overhear but his dad was rubbing at something on the table with a frown on his face. ‘It’s… down there.’ His mum pointed at her lap, her eyes wide as if to convey her meaning.

Jack listened to the rest of her explanation and gave her a few suggestions then finished by advising that Cynthia see her GP as soon as possible. It was, he told her, always better to get these things checked.

When Jack looked at his dad, he could see that he was biting his lip as he tried not to laugh and Jack had to do the same. He knew he’d never tire of their company and treasured every moment he had with them. In his job, he saw so much joy but also so much loss and grief, and he was well aware of how precious time with loved ones was. Not everyone had a good relationship with their parents, and he was lucky to get on so well with his. The only regret he had was that he hadn’t been able to give them the grandchildren he knew they craved. At sixty-eight, they were both still young, and he knew they’d be amazing grandparents. At one point, it had seemed like he might marry and become a father, but then things had shifted and that vision of his future had drifted away like mist on the sea breeze. Now, he was happy to simply spend time with them and he hoped that they felt the same. Their family might be small, but it was, in his opinion, perfect.

CHAPTER3

‘Mmmm. I love that smell.’ Lucy closed her eyes for a moment and breathed in. A week and a day after her arrival, she was settling into Ellen’s routine. They’d come to the supermarket to do the weekly shop and they’d headed straight for the baby products aisle. In the past, they’d have gone to the bakery, but this time, baby products had won.

‘Me too.’ Ellen rubbed her bump. ‘It’s crazy to think that this little one will be here in about five weeks.’

‘You’re going to be a mum.’ Lucy shook her head.

‘I know.’ Ellen’s eyes widened and she chewed her bottom lip. ‘Me!’

Lucy stepped forwards and hugged her sister, trying to reassure her. Parenthood was a huge thing and although Ellen had wanted to be a mum for quite some time, it was natural to feel nervous. Lucy knew that she would feel exactly the same. Her last relationship had ended abruptly eleven months ago and left her with a sour taste in her mouth. During the five months she’d been with Heston Puglisi, she’d wondered if they might be headed towards a commitment and possibly a future, then she’d found out what she had and known that she could never trust another man again.

‘What is it?’ Ellen leant back and peered at Lucy. ‘You stiffened then as if you’d seen someone you didn’t like.’

‘Notseen, exactly. Something popped into my mind, but it’s gone now.’

‘Not about…Heston?’ Ellen frowned.

Lucy waved a hand dismissively. ‘It was just the baby talk and my mind jumped to thinking about… what I’d hoped for with him and… Look, it really doesn’t matter. He’s history so let’s forget him.’

Ellen squeezed Lucy’s arm and nodded but there was doubt in her eyes. ‘I’m sorry you got hurt and I wish he’d been different. You deserve so much better.’

‘I should’ve known that his behaviour was suspicious but I chose not to see it. However, it will never happen again so… please can we talk about something else. Ooohh… look at this new mum pampering kit.’ She reached for the pretty pink box with its bottles and tubs of lotions and potions, and ran a finger over the clear plastic front. ‘It says it has everything you need to pamper mum after baby’s arrival… from gentle bubble bath to cooling nipple cream and soothing pads you can put in the freezer to ease any swelling of your… downstairs.’ She put the box in the trolley. ‘I’m getting that for you.’

‘Lucy, you don’t have to do that.’

‘Yes, I do. I came here to help you out and to look after you and that’s what I’m going to do.’

Ellen sniffed and dabbed a knuckle at the corners of her eyes. ‘Here come the waterworks again!’

Lucy giggled. ‘Bloody hormones, eh?’

She wrapped an arm around Ellen’s shoulders and they continued their walk along the aisle, selecting a variety of nappies, gentle shampoos and small white bibs that they thought would be good to put away for when the baby arrived.

‘I’m so glad you’re here,’ Ellen said as she put a pack of new-born nappies into the trolley. ‘I know I’ve said it before, but I’ve missed having you around.’

‘I’ve missed this too and I’m going to be here for a while so we’ll have plenty of fun times.’

Lucy blinked hard because although she didn’t want to admit it to her sister, she was feeling rather emotional too.

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