Page 56 of Only for Christmas

‘Not in the least. I’m just trying to imagine you on horseback. You don’t seem like the rodeo type. More jock than cowboy.’

‘You’re right there.’ He swerved the car onto a slip road. ‘I played a bunch of sports in school.’

She glanced at the passing road signs, curious as to where they were headed. ‘Where did you go to school?’

‘Kiel High School. And then Columbia University, before completing my medical residency at the Mayo Clinic.’

She could imagine him as a kid. Sporty, handsome, straight As. ‘I bet you were one of the popular kids at school. Teacher’s pet.’

He lifted an eyebrow. ‘Why’d you say that?’

‘You’re very likeable. And positive. I can imagine people being drawn to you.’

He laughed. ‘You say it like it’s a bad thing. Doesn’t everyone want to be liked and fit in?’

‘Not everyone has your attributes,’ she said, watching the landscape become more rural. That was the thing about London: twenty minutes down the road and you were in the countryside. ‘You make Ted Lasso look like Ebenezer Scrooge.’

‘I’ve no idea whether that’s a compliment or an insult,’ he said, glancing over. He had such a warm smile. ‘How did you end up working in HR?’

‘There’s nothing exciting about my journey. I took a degree in business psychology, and human resources seemed like a good fit. It paid well and there were plenty of opportunities for women to move up the ladder. You can’t say that about many industries.’ She unzipped her coat; the heater was making her warm. ‘I worked in various positions within the NHS, before landing a payroll job at the Queen Adelaide. From there, I worked my way up. It’s taken me a long time to get where I am.’

‘Which is why you don’t want Stephen ruining it for you.’

‘Exactly. My career’s everything to me. It’s all I have.’

‘Correction, it’s all you had. Past tense. You’re planning to move on, right? Expand your world.’

‘Right.’

‘Say it like you mean it,’ he said, checking the satnav. ‘Give it more conviction. Believe, as Ted Lasso would say. You’re moving onwards and upwards, right?’

‘Right.’ She made a feeble attempt at punching the air. ‘Go me.’

‘Pathetic.’ He tutted. ‘You know, maybe it’s time to branch out and expand your horizons. Ever thought about moving to the States?’ They turned off onto a B-road.

‘Lucas, the thought of moving borough fills me with anxiety, let alone another country.’

He laughed at that. ‘Another example of being stuck, huh?’

‘I’m a loser – you don’t need to say it. A proper cliché.’

‘Hardly. You have more gumption than any girl I’ve met. There’s nothing you couldn’t do, you just need to—’

‘Believe. Yes, I hear you. And did you really just say I had gumption?’

‘I watched Mary Poppins the other night with my nephews. I’m practising the language.’

‘From the early 1900s.’ She smiled. ‘Next you’ll be calling people “guv” and “ducky”.’

A moment later, they pulled into a long driveway that was shrouded by enormous cedar trees. The cars ahead disappeared around a bend, and when they followed, a beautiful stately home came into view. It had a wide front, with grey stone walls and leaded windows.

‘Here we are.’ He pointed to a large sign situated on the immaculate front lawn.

The Spirit of Christmas.

Winter Art & Antiques Fair.

Her eyes grew wide. ‘Christmas?’

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