Page 34 of The Perfect Gift

There was no point in staying for Christmas now, no point in pretending she fitted in here. She’d pack her bags and think up an excuse. Send a text once she was safely on the train. It would be the best thing for everyone.

17

Even after the reunion with his brothers in the pub, Ed was up bright and early on Friday morning. His head was clear, not a hint of a hangover, which made a pleasant change. When Liam had said he was going to switch to non-alcoholic beer after the first couple of pints, the others were happy to do the same, so Ed had gone along with it. After a couple of sips he hadn’t noticed the difference and it had been nice to sit and chat without the volume increasing or the conversation veering off into nonsense. He’d missed his brothers and he was keen to find out how they’d been getting on while he was away. Though they’d all taken on extra responsibilities since the start of the year – both professionally and personally – it sat lightly on their shoulders. He wasn’t the only one who’d done some growing up in the past few months.

Ed edged the side of the blind over his window aside and was pleased to see the sky was as clear as his head. Perfect weather for a little bit of Christmas shopping. He jumped out of bed and pulled on a pair of jogging bottoms over his boxers and padded out into the hall. The flat held that odd kind of silence that told him he was alone. Ed checked his watch. It wasn’t even half past seven and he wondered where the others were. Following the scent of coffee, he entered the kitchen to find the pot freshly brewed and a note from Kat letting him know they were next door in the cookery school prepping for the fayre tomorrow.

Ed sighed. He’d promised Rick he would lend a hand where he could, but his arrangement with Frankie came first. If they set out early, they could be back home before lunch. He could leave Frankie to decorate her tree in peace and still be present. Plan made, he poured himself a coffee and headed straight to the bathroom. He needed to get a move on if he was going to pick up his dad’s car and get to Frankie’s at a decent hour.

* * *

Ed hurried up the path to knock on Frankie’s door. There was no answer so he knocked again. When there was still no response, he tilted his head to stare at the upper-floor window. Was she still asleep? He knocked a third time, a little harder this time. Moments later a noise came from above him and he glanced up to see Frankie wrestling with the sash window. She leaned out and glared down at him. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘We were supposed to be going shopping for a Christmas tree, remember?’

She stared blankly at him for a moment as if it had completely slipped her mind. ‘Oh, that. Look, I’m sorry to mess you around but I’ve decided to head back to London like I originally planned.’

Ed frowned. ‘Did something happen?’

‘No, nothing’s happened. I’ve just changed my mind, that’s all.’

There was something evasive about the way she looked away from him that convinced him there was more to the story, but he was wary about sticking his nose in unwanted. He knew her well enough to know it took her a while to open up, so he decided to stick around and give her the chance to talk if she wanted. ‘Well, that’s a shame, but if you’re sure that’s what you want then I won’t stand in your way.’ He gestured back towards the car. ‘I’ve got this for the morning so I might as well give you a lift to the station. Why don’t you let me in and I’ll give you a hand to carry your bags down?’

She narrowed her eyes at him. ‘This better not be some ploy to try and make me change my mind, because I’m not going to.’

Ed held his hands up. ‘If you want to go, I’m not going to stop you.’

When she continued to scowl down at him, Ed wondered if she’d tell him to sling his hook anyway. She finally reached a decision and her expression softened slightly. ‘Give me a minute.’ She ducked her head back inside and wrestled the sash window closed.

A few moments later the front door opened and she gestured for him to come in. ‘It’s a bit of a mess, I’m afraid.’

Ed eyed the splayed-open suitcases in the middle of the floor and the piles of clothes everywhere. She’d obviously decided to bring everything downstairs to pack rather than try and lug heavy cases around after she’d filled them. It made sense given the size of her and the narrowness of the old staircase. He cast about the room for a spot where he wouldn’t be in the way and quickly gave up. ‘I’ll put the kettle on and make a brew, shall I? What time’s your train?’

Frankie hesitated, a faint hint of colour heating her cheeks. ‘I’m not sure. I was going to buy a ticket when I get there.’

Okay, something was definitely going on. ‘I can have a look at the timetable while I’m making us a drink,’ he offered, keeping his tone casual.

‘Thanks, that would be very helpful.’ She turned as if to head back upstairs then stopped as her phone began to ring. With a sigh she picked it up off the coffee table, jabbed the screen then tossed the now silent phone back down. She disappeared up the stairs without a word.

Ed eyed the phone on the table. Curiosity burned inside him, but he would not violate her privacy by looking. Instead he headed into the kitchen and made himself busy making them a drink. When he opened the fridge it was full of food, another indicator if he needed one that Frankie’s decision to leave was a last-minute one. He leaned his back against the counter and searched on his phone for departure times to London from Port Petroc. He screenshotted the best couple of options then returned to the front room when he heard Frankie on the stairs. ‘The best connection for London doesn’t leave for another hour and a half so plenty of time for you to get sorted. Did you want tea or coffee?’

She paused with an armful of clothes and frowned at him. ‘There’s nothing sooner?’

Ed shrugged. ‘There’s one in about forty minutes but by the time you’re ready…’ He turned his gaze to the wardrobe disaster zone that had taken over the room. ‘Plus the fridge needs emptying and I assume you need to drop the keys off somewhere?’

Frankie’s expression crumpled. ‘I hadn’t thought about the fridge.’ She glanced down at the armful of clothes. ‘Or the keys.’

It was clear she hadn’t thought about much at all. ‘There are plenty of trains this afternoon, or if you don’t need to rush off immediately you could take the weekend and give yourself a chance to pack up properly.’

Her head jerked up and she fixed him with a suspicious glare. ‘Did they send you here to try and talk me into staying?’

Now they were getting somewhere. Ed folded his arms and rested his shoulder against the doorframe. ‘Who’s they?’

‘Forget about it.’ Frankie shook her head, her expression making it clear she wished she’d never said anything.

Ed straightened up and walked slowly towards her. ‘Nobody put me up to anything, Frankie, I promise. I came here expecting to take you Christmas-tree shopping and I find you in complete disarray.’ He reached for the bundle of clothes in her arms and set it aside when she didn’t resist him. ‘Take a break for five minutes and come and have a cup of tea. We can make a list of what you need to sort out and figure out the best train for you to catch afterwards.’

He turned and headed back into the kitchen. Either she’d follow him or she wouldn’t. Either she’d talk to him or she wouldn’t. He’d just finished making their tea when he heard a chair scraping and he glanced over his shoulder to see Frankie sitting at the table. He carried over the mugs and placed them on opposite sides then fetched a carton of milk from the fridge. He added what he wanted to his mug then offered it to her.