A Kiss in the Snow - Rosie Green Page 0,58

all my fault.

I’d made a little progress. Reenie was starting to open up to me. But then I ruined everything by walking into the cottage and reacting to the smell in her kitchen. I could see the shame in her face. If she’s been living like that for months, not putting out the rubbish, she’s probably grown accustomed to the pong and hasn’t realised quite how strong it is.

I sigh gloomily as I let myself into Snowdrop Cottage.

I’ve probably set her back weeks now…

*****

Worry about Reenie leads me to the kitchen and soon, the glorious smell of flapjacks is wafting through the cottage. Ronan was out when I got back from seeing Anita, but hopefully, he’ll be back soon. I know flapjacks are his favourite biscuits.

While they’re in the oven, I run the mop over the hallway floor, then I nip round to see if the cat treats have gone from next-door’s step – and they have. I decide I’ll take some flapjacks round to Reenie when they’re ready. If I can just let her know that someone cares, maybe she’ll start to realise the world isn’t such a bad place, after all.

‘Got a surprise for you!’ Ronan calls when he returns later.

‘Really?’ I transfer the last flapjack to the cooling tray, throw the tea towel on the bench and hurry through to the hall, where he’s taking off his boots. ‘But it’s not Christmas yet.’

‘It will be when you see this monster.’

He opens the front door wide, and the scent of pine reaches my nose a second before I see it. A huge fir tree in a net bag.

‘We have a real tree?’ I squeak, full of excitement.

Ronan’s dragging it over the threshold, looking pretty pleased with himself. It’s leaving mud and other greenery on my newly-mopped hall floor, but I really don’t care.

We have a real Christmas tree!

‘Where on earth did you get it?’

He gets some scissors from the kitchen and starts cutting away the netting. ‘From the farm. I noticed a sign when I went to borrow the snowmobile from Len. Christmas trees for sale.’ He smiles at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and a funny little shiver runs through me. ‘You said you’d never had a real tree when you were a kid but you’d always wanted one, so…’ He shrugs. ‘Better late than never.’

I beam at him in delight. ‘Thank you so much. What about decorations?’

‘There’s some in the hall cupboard.’

We go to investigate, and sure enough, there’s a cardboard box filled with tinsel and baubles from festive seasons gone by. There’s even a pretty silver angel for the top of the tree.

‘I guess Maddy and her family must spend Christmas in the cottage sometimes,’ I say, pulling out more decorations. ‘Look, there’s even one of those tree-stands at the bottom of the box.’

‘Any fairy lights?’

‘Yes! Three strings. But guess what? They’re all tangled up.’

He grins. ‘There’s a surprise. I suppose that’s my job?’

‘If you’re offering. But we’d better get the tree in the stand first.’ I laugh with the sheer joy of it, clapping my hands and feeling like a kid at Christmas all over again. Except this time, I’m a kid with a real tree!

We stand back to admire the tree, once it’s standing in the living room window. It’s getting dark, so I close the curtains and switch on the lamps, which cast a lovely rosy glow over everything. I can feel my heart glowing just like the lamps. Decorating the tree with Ronan, bantering about how long he’s taking untangling the fairy lights, and picking out the best place to hang each bauble is proving to be a joy I hadn’t anticipated. I’m so glad I texted Krystle to say I wouldn’t be able to make it back to Sunnybrook today…

At last the tree is decorated, although we’ve still to find out if the lights will work.

‘Mince pie?’ I offer, bringing a plate through. ‘You have to have a mince pie when you’re doing the big switch on.’

He leans forward from the sofa, where he’s lounging admiring the tree, and takes one. ‘It’s a tradition, is it?’

‘If it isn’t, it definitely should be.’ I bite through the rich golden short-crust pastry to the gloriously plump boozy fruit within. ‘Okay. Ready?’

‘Ready,’ he says solemnly, finishing off the mince pie and rubbing his hands together - and I love him at that moment for playing along with one of my all-time favourite scenarios.

I flick off the lamps and position myself by