A Kiss in the Snow - Rosie Green Page 0,59

the socket, ready to switch the fairy lights on.

And then the doorbell rings.

I look at Ronan, puzzled, wondering who it can be. ‘Maybe it’s Reenie.’

He nods, getting up.

‘I’ll go,’ I say quickly. If it is Reenie, she might be more comfortable just seeing me. I walk quickly along the hallway and pull open the door.

And my mouth drops open with shock.

‘Adam?’

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

‘What are you having?’ Adam smiles down at me.

‘The usual?’ I’m sitting by a roaring log fire in the pub in the next village, feeling…well, I’m not exactly sure what I’m feeling. Stunned? Confused? Excited?

‘What’s your usual?’ he asks.

I glance up at him. He’s forgotten. ‘Gin and tonic?’

‘Okay. Coming up.’ He goes to the bar and while he waits to be served, leaning on the counter, he keeps looking back at me and grinning.

I smile back, curious to know what’s on his mind.

My heart sinks as a thought occurs. Maybe he’s here to ask me to plead his case with Krystle. To persuade her to start dating him. If so, it would be a repeat of the last time we went out – that glorious evening (not) when I believed I was on our first date, only to discover Adam had designs on Krystle, not me.

I bet I’m right and that’s why he’s here.

I frown, waiting for the horrible gut-twisting nausea to start; that feeling of devastation; and the sudden urge to flee the place as fast as my legs can carry me.

Like last time…

He smiles over at me and I smile back. And something surprising occurs to me.

I don’t think I’d be bothered this time…

I sit back, stunned at this revelation.

I’d be irritated that he’s dragged me away from decorating that gorgeous Christmas tree for purely selfish reasons. But heart-broken like I was that last time? No. Definitely not.

Does this mean that I’m over him?

He brings the drinks and sits down, and we slip into our old familiar easy banter. He starts telling me about a weird customer who came into his workshop and I’m laughing so much at the way he describes the scenario, I manage to knock my drink over.

I’ve missed this, I think to myself, watching him go to the bar to get me another. Adam and I get on so well…we always have.

When he returns, he’s bought himself another drink as well.

‘We can get a taxi back, can’t we?’ he says, when he sees me looking puzzled because he’s supposed to be driving.

‘You can’t get a taxi all the way back to Sunnybrook!’ I splutter.

‘No, I meant back to yours.’ He shrugs a little sheepishly. ‘I could collect the car tomorrow.’

‘You want to stay over?’ I look at him uncertainly.

He gives me a nervous little smile. ‘Only if you’d like me to.’

I swallow hard. Only if I’d like him to? Does that mean…?

He gets up and comes to sit next to me. I shuffle along to give him space but he grabs my hand. ‘I’ve missed you, Carrie.’

My heart lurches. ‘You have?’

‘Yes. And I don’t just mean the friendship, although that’s part of it obviously.’ He sighs. ‘It probably sounds corny, but I guess I didn’t realise how great you are, Carrie, until you were gone.’

‘Oh.’ He’s finally saying the words I’ve longed to hear, and in spite of everything, my heart is pounding. ‘I haven’t gone, though. I’ll be back soon.’

He looks confused for a second. (I’m a bit confused myself, to be fair.)

‘I know that,’ he says. ‘I just mean it took you going away for me to realise that…well, I want to be with you. Properly. Not just friends.’

‘Oh.’ This is all too much. Things like this don’t happen to ordinary girls like me. Am I suddenly living in a movie? Because that’s how unreal this feels…

‘You do like me, don’t you? Please don’t tell me I’m wrong, Carrie.’ He gazes at me anxiously.

‘Of course I like you.’

His shoulders relax. ‘Good. You know, looking back, I always thought there was a bit of a spark between us. But I thought, you know, “friends zone”, so I never went there. But sometimes you have to take a risk, don’t you? And anyway, I think even if it doesn’t work out between us, we’d always remain friends. Don’t you think?’

‘Er, yes. Probably.’ My head is spinning and to steady my nerves, I take a big gulp of my gin and tonic.

‘Another?’ He indicates my half-empty glass.

‘No!’ I laugh nervously. ‘Are you trying to get me drunk?’

He grins. ‘Not drunk. Just relaxed.’ He moves