Just for Christmas - Emily Harvale Page 0,58

his head, smiled wanly at Asher and Lottie and turned as if to leave, without even sitting down.

‘That’s the best thing you’ve said all day.’ Molly didn’t hide her sarcasm. ‘It’s lovely to see you again, Asher, and it’s great to meet you, Lottie. We must do this again soon. Only possibly, without beautiful Merry in tow.’

‘We could … achoo! … stay for one … a-ch-oo! … drink.’ Sarah croaked out the words between sneezes.

Molly snorted in derision. ‘You have got to be kidding me. Even if you sat at the other end of the pub, your eyes will be streaming in less than five minutes.’

Lottie leapt to her feet, a contrite expression on her pretty face. ‘I’m really sorry about this. I can ask my aunt … I mean, my mum, if she’ll look after Merry, if that helps. I know she won’t mind.’

Molly smiled at her. ‘That’s really kind of you to offer, but I think it’s too late. Please don’t feel bad about it though. It’s not your fault. I also inflicted a dog on Sarah a few days ago. It’s just one of those things.’

Sarah sneezed so loudly that everyone in the pub stopped chatting and stared at her. Her eyes were now streaming.

‘I’m so … sorry,’ she mumbled. ‘Sorry, Lottie. I’ve … got to go. I’ll be out … in the fresh … a-ch-oooo! … air.’ She glanced at Terry and waved goodbye to Asher and Lottie and trudged towards the door, sneezing loudly as she went.

‘Sorry mate,’ Terry said, his gaze darting to and fro from Sarah to Asher. ‘I’ll call you later. So sorry about this, Lottie. Hope to see you again soon. Perhaps you can both come round for dinner next week? Only without your dog.’

‘That’d be great,’ Asher said, giving his girlfriend Lottie a loving and supportive smile. ‘But speaking of dogs, Molly, and before you dash off, how’s Miracle doing? No one’s claimed him yet. And where’s he staying if not at Terry and Sarah’s?’

Molly opened her mouth to speak, but burst into tears instead, and left Terry to explain the situation as she hurried out after Sarah, into the glaring sunshine.

The rest of the day was a blur, with the assistance of several glasses of wine, a box of chocolates and copious amounts of tears. Molly thought her heart would break when she went in search of more chocolate, and remembered the two bars that Chance had given her.

Finally she’d fallen asleep, but even her dreams were of Chance.

Sunday was no better. Again, the sun burned into her swollen, puffy eyes from first thing in the morning, and she decided the best place to spend the day was tucked up beneath her covers.

Sarah and Terry let her sleep in, but they made her come downstairs for lunch and they even made her change out of her pyjamas.

‘I know your heart is breaking,’ Sarah said, ‘but you still need to get out of bed and go through the motions, however hard that might be.’

‘How can this be so painful? That’s what I don’t understand. I’ve had a broken heart before, but it’s never felt like this. I honestly think I might die.’

Sarah tutted and grabbed her arm. ‘That’s it. I’ve heard enough. Get in the shower, get dressed and come downstairs. Molly Ford isn’t a quitter. She isn’t a loser, either. Yes, this hurts like hell. And it probably will for months to come. The sooner you accept that and deal with it, the better you’ll feel in the end.’

Molly wasn’t convinced, but she knew Sarah was right. Wallowing wouldn’t help. It wouldn’t change the situation. And Molly had lived through worse than this. Her beloved dog Belter had died when she was twelve, followed a few months later by her parents. She survived all that. She could survive this.

She didn’t really have a choice.

Monday was a little better than Sunday. Today, Molly even appreciated how lovely it was to feel the sunshine on her face as she, Sarah and Terry went out for a short stroll. She had insisted they walked in the opposite direction of both Wishing Well Cottage and Vicky’s house, and they hadn’t stayed out for long. But at least it was a start.

Tuesday brought news.

Molly wasn’t sure at first if it was good or bad, but she was happy to see Vicky standing on Terry’s doorstep, although as Vicky had both Beauty and Miracle with her, she couldn’t invite Vicky in.

‘I know Sarah is allergic,’