he heard something too. A noise outside, faint; it sounded like someone singing ‘Jingle Bells’. He walked over to the window and peered out, then he leapt to open the door.
‘There’s someone there,’ he said. In the distance, he could make out a lumbering shape covered in snow. He ran out towards what looked like a snowman carrying an overnight bag and Robin followed to help. The pair of them took the weight of the exhausted figure and half-carried him to the inn.
‘Quick, let’s get him to the fire,’ said Jack, his words blowing back at him in the wind.
They bundled the shuddering man inside, pushed him into the chair nearest the fire. Jack stripped off his sodden suit jacket and pair of sheepskin mittens, Robin then draped one of the throws from over the armchairs around his shoulders. Bridge saw the shock of white-blond hair as Jack pulled off the man’s wet, white, furry hat, which had a cat’s face stitched on the front and wiry whiskers.
‘Hello, Bridge,’ said her husband, shivering out a smile. ‘Have I d-d-died and landed in hell?’
Chapter 7
‘This is Luke,’ said Bridge, as Mary pushed a mug of hot reviving coffee into the new arrival’s hand. As he sipped at the liquid, he could feel the warmth spread to his grateful insides.
‘You know each other?’ said Charlie. ‘What a strange coincidence.’
‘We should do, we’ve been married for fourteen years,’ said Luke.
Did he wink at Bridge or was she seeing things?
‘Fourteen very, very long years,’ she added to that.
‘I never thought I’d be so glad to see you, Bridge.’
The ‘likewise’ came to her lips too readily; she stopped herself just in time from saying it.
‘Car couldn’t go any further, there was a landslide of snow so I p-p-parked up,’ stuttered Luke, trying unsuccessfully to stop his teeth from chattering. ‘I waited, hoping for someone to pass, then, when no one did and the car was getting buried, I decided I should try to walk the rest of the way. Thank g-goodness I saw the sign for this place on the main road or I might have given up and become an ice mummy.’
‘You could have died, you idiot,’ said Bridge.
‘You know me, Bridge, l-luck of the devil,’ Luke said and grinned at her. ‘My trusty Timberlands, and the hat and mittens I found in the glove box, excuse the pun, all saved me from the jaws of frostbite. Well, my extremities, anyway.’
That stupid grin, thought Bridge. He’d be grinning if a Yeti had appeared and started ripping him limb from limb. All that would be left of him was a pile of bloody body parts and his lips curved into that perma-grin like a really annoying Cheshire Cat. The lips you once believed you would never tire of kissing, came a rogue thought that she batted away.
‘Thank goodness I found you,’ said Luke, settling into the delightful process of defrosting. ‘I was giving up the ghost when I saw the lights from a distance, but they didn’t seem to be getting any closer and I wondered if it was a mirage.’
‘I thought it was the abominable snowman out there for a minute,’ said Robin.
‘Definitely abominable,’ said Bridge, deliberately not under her breath.
‘Get the man a scotch,’ said Charlie.
‘I wouldn’t say no to that,’ Luke answered.
Mary bobbed behind the bar, returned with a large whisky in a glass. ‘I shan’t ask you if you want ice,’ she said with a little chuckle.
‘Alcohol has no restorative powers whatsoever, you know,’ said Bridge as Luke took a gulp, felt the fire trail down his throat.
‘My internal organs would be inclined to disagree with that,’ said Luke.
‘The place wasn’t open; we were very lucky that your wife broke in, otherwise goodness knows where we would all have ended up,’ said Charlie.
‘Did she now?’ said Luke with relish. ‘Why doesn’t that surprise me?’
Bridge’s hand twitched. She would love to wipe that smile off his face.
‘Are you hungry?’ asked Mary.
‘Absolutely ravenous,’ said Luke. ‘I was hoping to have a lovely romantic dinner for two tonight.’
He was being inflammatory by design, thought Bridge, who was determined not to let him show that he was needling her. He had always been able to get under her skin, he was an expert at it.
‘That’s a shame,’ said Robin. ‘But at least you’re together now.’
‘Together again,’ Luke tilted his head and sighed as if he’d just watched the ending of Bambi.
‘He’s jesting, of course,’ said Bridge, deciding that enough was enough. ‘We were meeting up