everyone was in fine spirits as they sat around the big kitchen table, talking about their festive plans and how Luke’s Winterfest was making them view the season with fresh eyes. The expression on his face told me that he was well-pleased and Graham, who joined us to check the log basket and stoke the fire, looked equally happy. I knew he was loving Winterfest too, but it was his time helping me in the garden which had really given him a sense of purpose.
‘You’ve got a visitor,’ he said, as he drew level with me.
I followed his gaze and spotted Finn in the doorway, holding a big bunch of eucalyptus. It was so noisy in the kitchen that I hadn’t heard him come in. Chloe spotted him at the same time and went to stand up.
‘I’ll take it,’ I told her, meaning the extra greenery, ‘you finish your lunch.’
She gave me a knowing smile, which I pretended not to see.
‘I didn’t get to eat much the day I worked with Lisa, and I felt a bit grim as a result,’ I quickly added, more to justify my rush to spend a moment with Finn than in concern for her blood sugar level.
‘Of course,’ she grinned, turning her attention back to the lady sitting next to her.
Finn followed me into the dining room, set the stems down on the table and quickly pulled me into his arms. I was delighted that he was as keen to see me as I was to see him.
‘And there was me thinking that you turning up here was purely to bolster supplies,’ I laughed, once we had kissed a very warm hello.
It was a truly wonderful, if risky greeting. Anyone could have walked in, but with eyes only for each other, we hadn’t thought to close the door.
‘I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, Freya,’ he said huskily, which had the effect of weakening my knees again so he had to hold me tighter, ‘and I’m not just talking about after last night either. You really have been in my head from the moment I first set eyes on you.’
‘Shouted at me you mean,’ I cheekily reminded him, and he kissed me again. ‘You’ve been on my mind a bit too.’
‘A bit,’ he laughed, letting me go.
‘A lot then,’ I admitted. ‘And I was hoping I’d see you today.’
‘How about I come over to yours tonight, when you’ve finished up here, and we have a takeaway or something,’ he suggested.
I didn’t know about the takeaway, but I was already looking forward to the something.
‘There’s something I want to talk to you about,’ he then said, which rather took the wind out of my sails. ‘It’s important.’
That didn’t sound like the sort of something I’d had in mind.
‘All right,’ I swallowed, hoping it wasn’t another complication which would call a halt to our romantic progress. ‘I’ll see you tonight.’
‘Don’t look so worried,’ he grinned, ‘it’s nothing bad.’
That was a relief.
‘Promise,’ I whispered.
‘Scout’s honour,’ he laughed. ‘And if you give me your keys, I’ll pop over and check on Nell if you like. Let her out in the garden for a bit if you haven’t got time.’
‘Thanks,’ I said, reaching for my coat, ‘I am almost out of time so I’d appreciate that.’
I knew Nell still wasn’t all that struck on Finn so this might be an ideal bonding opportunity for the pair without me hovering about and fussing.
‘Oh, and I almost forgot,’ said Finn, pulling my phone out of his pocket, ‘you left this in the flat.’
The sound of someone clearing their throat caught our attention and I nearly dropped the phone as he handed it over and we sprang apart.
‘Windburn, my arse,’ Chloe laughed, looking from one of us to the other.
* * *
In spite of my preoccupation with how Finn and Nell were getting on and what it was that he wanted to talk to me about, I did still manage to be of some use to Chloe and produce a very pretty wreath for my front door.
Everyone was delighted with their day’s work and left happily weighed down with wreaths which they promised to photograph once they were in situ and share online, tagging Luke and Winterfest, which made him very happy indeed.
‘There’s not as much left as I thought there’d be,’ I said to Chloe as we swept and tidied. ‘I thought you’d got far too much stuff, but you hadn’t, had you?’
‘No,’ she said, ‘thank goodness. I didn’t