Page 58 of The Perfect Gift

There was one pressing question Ed still needed to ask. ‘What about Charlie? Do you want us to talk to him?’

Mrs Jenkins shook her head, her expression determined. ‘No, you leave that sneaky little toad to me.’

30

Frankie was relieved when Ed came over on Monday afternoon and updated her on the situation with Matt and the cottage. A part of her still felt sad for the fact she would have to leave, but knowing Matt was getting his home back made it easier.

The storm continued to rage outside, whipping the sea into a frenzy of white waves that dashed themselves higher and higher up the beach behind the cottage. Frankie had stood at the window in the back bedroom for a while, mesmerised by the ferocity and very thankful she was safe and warm inside. The wind howled around the cottage like it wanted to lift the roof off, but Ed had assured her everything would be fine. Still, she was glad he was there when she snuggled into his warm, strong body that night. Being tucked up under the covers made the storm seem less scary, or maybe that was just because she felt safe with Ed beside her. Either way, she drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face and the rain rattling against the window.

* * *

They woke up on Christmas Eve to more grim weather. The wind had dropped once the storm had blown through, but another rain front had settled over the area. Ed insisted he was happy to amuse himself so Frankie could spend a few hours working on her script. He made her toast covered in butter and the strawberry jam she’d bought in the farm shop at the garden centre and a huge mug of tea. Though the room wasn’t cold, when he asked if she wanted the fire lit she couldn’t resist the suggestion and he soon had a cosy blaze crackling. Finally done with his self-appointed chores, Ed sat down beside her on the sofa and turned on the TV. There was a quick blare of sound and then silence as he connected his earbuds to the set. Frankie watched out of the corner of one eye as he flicked through the menus on a couple of the entertainment apps she subscribed to before settling upon an action movie.

It wasn’t her thing so Frankie was able to focus on her script, and by the time the credits rolled a couple of hours later she felt like she was really starting to get to grips with her character and she had some great notes she knew she’d be able to develop further over the coming days and weeks. Tossing the script onto the spare chair, Frankie stood and stretched the kinks out of her neck.

‘Making progress?’ Ed asked as he removed his earbuds with a smile.

‘Yes. I didn’t get very far the other day, but I feel a lot better about where I am with everything.’ She glanced towards the window. It was still raining, but not more than a drizzle.

Ed’s gaze followed hers. ‘You want to get out for a bit?’

‘I wouldn’t mind some fresh air.’

He banked the fire then secured the guard around it while she fetched their coats and then they let themselves out of the back door. The garden was looking a little battered in the aftermath of the storm a few days earlier and Frankie paused to gather a few bits of broken stems and smaller branches that littered the back lawn. Thankfully that was the worst of the damage and she tossed them in the compost bin next to the shed then took Ed’s hand and let him lead her out of the back gate.

The sea had been impressive from the upstairs window, but there was nothing like being directly exposed to its majesty. Frankie sucked in a deep breath, tasting the salty spray on her lips. This was what she would miss the most about the cottage – apart from the cosy bed tucked under the eaves and the gorgeous claw-footed tub in the bathroom, of course. There was the fireplace too, and those lovely hand-varnished cupboards in the kitchen that were such a contrast to the sterile, shiny white ones in her ultra-modern set-up in her flat. She let out a laugh, earning a quizzical smile from Ed. ‘I was just thinking about all the things I’m going to miss when I leave,’ she told him as she turned back to admire the roiling waves.

‘Any chance I might have earned a place on that list?’

She pretended to give it serious consideration, ready to make a teasing joke. But as she went through her list of favourite things, she realised how often he cropped up. It was impossible to think about the bath without picturing the two of them lounging in the water as they soaked away the cold of their day spent at the fayre. Her bed had somehow become their bed in just a couple of days. It was Ed she saw in her mind’s eye making a fire for her that morning, or standing with his hands on her hips as she prepared something at the butcher’s block in the kitchen. Him lying on the sofa making those infuriating suggestions while she decorated the tree to her exact liking. Her holding his legs as he balanced on a stepladder to fasten the silvery dangling lights she’d bought to decorate the porch. She’d known him for all of twelve days and yet it felt like so much more.

It was fine, she tried to reassure herself. It was just the midpoint in their little Hallmark movie, the part of her fantasy holiday when she was allowed to pretend she was falling for him, and maybe hoping he was falling for her too. He was certainly looking at her like nothing else mattered and she realised she hadn’t given him an answer. She licked her lips, salt stinging the tip of her tongue. ‘You’re on the list.’

He grinned and swept her into his arms, spinning her around until she giggled and begged for him to put her down. When he bent his head, she rose on tiptoes, welcoming his kiss, the taste of him that was already so familiar. When he broke for air, he was beaming from ear to ear. ‘You’re on my list too, just in case you were wondering.’

‘I should hope so!’

He swooped down and claimed another kiss then took her by the hand and tugged her forward onto the sand. ‘Come on, let’s stretch those legs of yours and then get back in front of the fire.’

‘Sounds good to me.’ Everything sounded good as long as they were together. They strolled along, leaving a perfect trail of footprints in their wake. Deep down inside, Frankie knew she was getting in over her head with him, but she was too happy to care.

31

Ed woke early on Christmas Day, feeling as excited as he had when he was a kid. His parents had always gone out of their way to make it a special occasion and he knew how much they’d be looking forward to having all their boys under their roof again, even if it was only for a few hours. It would be the first time they’d all had a partner with them, Ed realised, although technically Frankie didn’t count, as theirs was only a temporary arrangement. That didn’t mean they couldn’t make the most of the day. For someone who’d said she wasn’t fussed about Christmas, she was certainly throwing herself into things. They’d agreed in the garden centre they wouldn’t get presents for each other, but he had a couple of little surprises for her hiding in his bag.

He glanced down at the lump beneath the duvet next to him and wondered if he could slip out of bed without disturbing her. Frankie was a burrower and whenever he woke to her grumbling in the night it was because the covers had shifted and something more than the top of her head was exposed. She woke up a lot, he’d come to realise in a short space of time. Not to full consciousness but enough to disturb a light sleeper like himself. Sharing a bed with someone always took a bit of getting used to, but he was already becoming attuned to her patterns and had discovered the easiest way to get her to settle was to spoon himself behind the little ball she curled herself into. His bladder decided to make itself known and the decision to get up was taken out of his hands. He managed to get out of bed without disturbing her and after using the bathroom and cleaning his teeth, Ed poked his head back into the room. The light from the landing gave him enough illumination to see she hadn’t moved, so he decided to head downstairs and put the kettle on.

Five minutes later he was back with two steaming mugs of coffee. Frankie preferred tea during the day but always had at least one cup of coffee to kickstart her mornings. He set them down on the bedside cabinet and had just eased under the covers when she stirred for the first time. ‘What time is it?’

‘It’s early,’ he assured her, bending down to kiss her cheek. ‘Go back to sleep if you want to, or I’ve made a coffee.’

‘You smell minty,’ she mumbled, still not fully awake.

He laughed. ‘That’s because I just cleaned my teeth.’

‘That’s cheating.’ Frankie wormed around in the bed until she was flat on her back, head on her pillow. ‘I’m awake.’

‘Are you sure about that?’