Page 26 of Mistletoe Kisses at Cwtch Cove

A woman arrived carrying a tray of hot chocolates with a bottle of brandy on it. ‘Help yourselves,’ she said.

Ruth asked who wanted brandy then did the honours and soon, Lucy was sipping the most delicious hot chocolate she’d ever had.

‘How did you find that?’ Ruth asked from across the fire. Lucy noted how Euan had one arm around his wife, holding her close as if she was the most precious thing in the world to him. And she probably was.

‘Invigorating!’ Lucy laughed. ‘Probably one of the most incredible things I’ve ever done.’

Jack leant closer to her and whispered, ‘There are plenty more experiences like that to be had if you stay in Cwtch Cove.’

Her eyes strayed to his mouth. She didn’t know if it was the brandy, the exhilaration at what she’d just done or how damned attracted she was to him, but desire overpowered her and before she knew it, she’d pressed a kiss to his lips. His eyes widened but he was smiling and her heart opened to him like the petals of a flower unfolding to the sun.

‘You do know my parents are watching?’ He waggled his eyebrows.

‘Blame the brandy and the cold,’ she said. ‘Or say I was trying to warm you up.’

‘You’ve certainly done that.’ His voice was husky as he brushed her cheek softly with his hand and she closed her eyes, overwhelmed by her feelings and wanting to preserve this perfect moment in her memory.

When she opened them, Jack took her hand and she stepped closer to him, then the carols began again. Emotion swelled in Lucy’s chest at the Christmas magic filling the air at the beach at Cwtch Cove.

CHAPTER12

Lucy opened her eyes. Her bedroom was dark and she had no idea what time it was although she had a feeling it was Monday.

She reached for her phone. ‘Ugh… 3 a.m.’

Something had woken her and she wasn’t sure what. Pushing the duvet away, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. Perhaps it had come from outside. Ellen and Billy’s house was detached, with gardens front and back, and surrounded by trees. It could have been an owl or a fox or some other creature that had made the noise.

There it was again. A soft moaning.

She leapt to her feet.

‘Ellen!’

Grabbing her dressing gown, she pulled it on over her pyjamas, rushed to the door and out onto the landing. Tilting her head, she listened. The noise was coming from downstairs.

She padded quickly down the stairs and into the lounge.

‘Ellen?’

Her sister was sitting cross legged in front of the fireplace. She’d clearly added more logs to the fire and stoked it up and the room was warm and orange with the glow from the fire. The lights on the Christmas tree they’d decorated the previous day twinkled in the corner of the room.

‘Oh… Sorry. Did I wake you?’ Ellen turned her head but not her body.

‘I heard moaning.’

‘I tried to be quiet but… something’s happening.’

Lucy crossed the room and knelt next to her sister. ‘Where?’ she asked, though she already knew.

Elle rubbed a hand over her belly. ‘It keeps tightening.’ She took Lucy’s hand and placed it on her belly over her stretchy vest top. It felt hot and full.

They waited for a moment then Ellen’s belly seemed to push outwards and grow hard, as if it her bellybutton was rising to a point, then it slowly relaxed again. Ellen let out a soft moan as the wave passed.

‘Oh shit! Are you in labour?’

Ellen’s eyes were wide but she seemed calm. ‘I don’t know. I think it could be practice contractions. They’re uncomfortable and a bit sore but not terrible.’

‘What should we do? Phone the midwife?’

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