Christmas at the Little Waffle Shack - Helen J. Rolfe Page 0,43

her equipment safely stowed away. ‘I want to see it in all its glory.’

‘Well, I suppose you did fit me in last minute, in time for opening night.’

‘Exactly. I’ll just go and grab my scarf and I’ll be right back with you.’ She’d already picked up a different coat, presumably so her grubby dungarees didn’t ruin her best one, and when she came back from upstairs, she picked up the bracket, he took the sign, and together they made their way to the waffle shack.

Lucy held the torch and Daniel positioned the stepladder he’d got from inside. He’d put it there yesterday in anticipation of this moment because the lamp wasn’t going to be switched on until opening night. With screwdriver in hand he climbed up and took the bracket from Lucy. He fixed it onto the pole of the lamp-post he’d had installed and when it was done she handed him the sign. ‘This is it,’ he said, almost to himself.

‘A moment not to be missed,’ she prompted, holding the torch in one hand and her phone in her other to record his moment of glory with a picture.

He slipped the holes in the two chains through the hooks on the bracket and let the sign hang down. ‘It looks even better out here than it did in the workshop.’ He turned around with a big smile. It wasn’t hard – he was completely over the moon.

‘I’ll send you the photos,’ Lucy grinned, flipping through those she’d taken on her phone. ‘You can put them on your social media.’

‘Thanks, appreciate it. A selfie never would’ve been the same and to be honest I wouldn’t have thought to take one. But I’m glad you captured it.’

‘It’s a proud moment, one you’ll want to remember. And it’s a moment that calls for a toast.’

‘I could get us some water,’ he suggested.

She had him hold the torch. ‘No need.’ And from the enormous pocket on a coat that could’ve been picked up in a jumble sale but didn’t detract from her beauty or her warm smile in the slightest, she pulled out a miniature bottle of sparkling wine.

‘Do you always carry beverages around with you?’ he laughed as she pulled a face opening the top. When it popped they both let out a cheer as a little bit of gas snaked into the air.

‘Of course not, but I grabbed this earlier when I went up to get my scarf. It’s nothing fancy, I had it in the fridge left over from when I had the girls round recently.’

‘I’ll get some glasses from the shack.’

‘Don’t worry about it,’ she shrugged. ‘More fun this way.’ She indicated she was about to take a swig. ‘I don’t mind sharing if you don’t.’

‘Go ahead.’ She did just that and with a smile handed him the bottle.

The bubbles went right up his nose. ‘Not used to fizzy stuff,’ he spluttered. ‘Thanks, Lucy. You’ve done me proud.’ This was a moment he’d treasure forever because of the significance, because of the company.

‘It’s my absolute pleasure. Would you mind if I included one of the photos on my website? Either with or without you in it, of course, whatever you’d prefer.’

‘Happy to be in it if you are.’

‘Of course.’

She set down the bottle and Daniel positioned the stepladder. He put the torch on the ground so its beam highlighted the sign. They each climbed up one side of the ladder, heads together, the phone on a timer on top, and posed for another picture – one Daniel knew he’d choose as the best one.

Photo shoot done, Lucy picked up the bottle again and insisted he have the last swig because it was his business they were celebrating.

He finished it off, set the bottle and ladder on the veranda and pushed his hands back into his pockets. He didn’t want tonight to be over. ‘It’s getting colder, wonder if it’ll snow.’

‘Hey, you could get snow for opening night.’

‘I doubt that. Maybe for Christmas if we’re lucky.’

‘Christmas,’ she smiled. ‘My first one in Heritage Cove.’

He was close enough to notice the tiny beauty spot she had above her top lip, to see the way naturally shaped eyebrows arched over cornflower-blue eyes. And he knew it wasn’t the moment or the season making him want her all the more. She was single, he was single. He was going to ask her out, it had taken all his willpower not to do it from the first time he saw her. He’d honestly never