I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day - Milly Johnson Page 0,32

and judging from the amount of times they were replacing their hoods as they walked, the wind was building too. The skies were a mass of ominous dark-grey cloud that no sun in its right mind would even try and penetrate.

Robin heaped logs on the fire in readiness for the wanderers’ return, as Bridge had phrased it.

‘Oh that’s blissful,’ said Charlie with delight as the flames blazed and quivered.

He felt the cold so much more these days, thought Robin. The central heating was always on full blast at home, it was hot enough to grow bananas in their parlour, wilting everything but Charlie. But he never mentioned it, just went along with agreeing that there was a need to turn up the thermostat, blaming their large old house for its draughts.

Mary opened the door for Jack and Luke who rushed in gratefully.

‘Here, let me help you,’ she said as Jack’s fingers were too frozen to grasp the tab of the zip. She had a sudden picture of herself reaching up to straighten his tie before they went out to some posh function as a couple. It was never going to happen. Not after all these years. The sand in her egg-timer was almost entirely at the bottom now.

Luke kicked off his boots then peeled his saturated socks away from his feet, surprised that his toes hadn’t come with them. His soaking wet trousers plastered themselves to his bare legs and he shuddered at the sensation.

‘I need to go upstairs and change,’ he said.

‘You’ll dry out in no time if you sit here,’ said Charlie, patting the armchair next to him. ‘Bring your boots over and set them down in front of the fire.’

‘Thank you, Charlie, but I really do need to change my trousers. Had there not been ladies present, I’d have gladly sat beside you, stripped to my pants to thaw out my legs,’ answered Luke.

‘Thank goodness we’re here then,’ said Bridge.

‘I wouldn’t want to excite you too much,’ Luke came back at her.

‘Be still my beating heart,’ Bridge replied to that in a monotone, tapping her chest with a very steady tattoo, the equivalent of a slow hand clap.

Jack was experiencing the same feeling of relief from taking off cold, soggy socks. He followed Luke upstairs to change too.

‘So there was no one over there after all?’ Bridge called after Luke, unable to resist.

‘Yes, but they were all asleep. I’ll go back later when they’ve stirred,’ he threw over his shoulder to her.

* * *

Ten minutes later, they were all sitting around the fire, nursing cups of coffee. Luke’s and Jack’s feet were encased in clean socks and their shoes were drying out by the fire.

‘I don’t think we are going to be anywhere other than here for Christmas Day,’ Bridge said, turning her head towards the window and seeing the snowflakes blowing so wildly outside it was as if the inn was sitting in a giant snowglobe.

‘That would be a total disaster,’ said Jack, lips contracted, clearly stressed at the thought.

‘Would it?’ asked Luke. ‘As disasters go is this really the worst? We’re warm, we’ve got food, shelter—’

‘Brandy,’ Charlie interrupted him with his own addition and laughed.

‘Yep, we have enough brandy to pickle ourselves in,’ carried on Luke. And his beautiful Carmen was at least with her family. They’d have a second Christmas when he got back. He had loads of presents hidden in his wardrobe to give to her. ‘And we have good company of course.’ He smiled, taking them all in with a slow sweep of his eyes.

‘And Radio Brian as well,’ said Mary. She liked Radio Brian. His lack of teeth gave his voice a soft and gentle quality that sat nicely with his pick of old records, the sort her dad always played on his old vinyl player.

‘It’s a bit of an inconvenience, but we are here and safe and there is nothing we can do about it,’ said Charlie. ‘Do you have children, Jack?’

‘No.’

‘Well, that’s one crisis averted at least. You and your partner can have your turkey another—’

‘I don’t have a partner either.’

‘Any dependants at all?’ asked Robin.

‘Not even a goldfish,’ said Jack.

‘So send your nerves and tensions away on holiday. Do as this very clued-up young lady says and embrace the snow,’ said Luke, rolling his hand towards Mary.

Bridge looked at him incredulously.

‘Are you on drugs?’ she asked. This was not the Luke she knew. Someone had stolen him, put a new soul in his body and pushed him back