Page 78 of The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop

‘Will do.’

‘And your son too; does he have a girlfriend? The more the merrier.’ Emma smiled. She just wanted to thank everyone who had helped, and hopefully spread the word about her venue too.

‘I’ll certainly mention it to him.’

She suddenly wondered how exactly she was going to fit everyone into the little shop – there could be up to forty people, maybe more. Ah well, if it was dry weather, they could spill out into the back courtyard or the pavement out front. It would all work out somehow.

After Ron had gone, Emma began creating her window display. She loved doing this – marking the seasons with her chocolate themes, hoping it might just catch the eye of a passer-by to draw them in. She set her iPhone to her cheesiest Christmas tracks and soon found herself humming along to George Michael’s ‘Last Christmas’.

At the base of each window she created a bed of fake snow, then she began hanging wooden-painted stars and silver baubles so they dangled halfway down the windows, along with some of her handmade chocolate stars, which had a dusting of sparkly sugar sprinkles on.

A face appeared on the other side of the glass, which made Emma jump out of her skin. When she focussed, she realised it was Holly, standing there laughing.

Em went to the door. ‘Jeez, Holly. You frightened the life out of me. What are you doing here?’

‘Well, you said you were going to do the Christmas window displays tonight and I love doing all that stuff, so I thought I’d come along to help!’

‘Aw, thanks. Come on in, then.’ With that Em turned the music up a notch, and handed Holly some baubles and stars to help dress the other window.

In one window, they set out an old red wooden toy train that had been James’s when he was little and filled all the carriages with colourful bags of truffles, fudge, and mini Christmas-pudding chocolates. In the second window, they stood a row of mini Christmas trees alongside a selection of chocolate figures, including a Father Christmas, chocolate reindeer, and snowmen. It was like a festive chocoholic forest.

‘Brilliant. I love it,’ said Holly as the two of them looked down the back of the window seats, admiring their work.

‘Hang on, I’ll go outside and check.’ Emma stood outside, then motioned for Holly to move a couple of the mini trees, and then gave a grin and a thumbs-up sign.

When she came back in, Em found two red Christmas stockings with appliqué stars on that would look nice pinned to the counter front at each side of Chloe’s bunting. All they needed to do now was to string up the white, twinkly fairy lights along the shelving at the back of the counter area and they’d be all set.

‘It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas,’ chanted Holly, as Emma switched the pretty white lights on.

Suddenly, Mariah Carey came blasting out from the iPhone, and the pair of them began dancing around the shop together. As they sang ‘All I want for Christmas is you’ at the tops of their voices, they pointed at all the chocolates, giggling.

‘Can’t wait for Christmas now,’ Holly grinned.

‘Me too. Love this time of year.’ And she really did, despite the painful memories it sometimes brought back.

‘It’s going to look great here for the launch night, Em. You have done such an amazing job.’

‘Aw, thanks, Hols. And thanks for all your help tonight.’

‘Hey, I’ve had a ball doing it. This isn’t like work at all.’

‘Right, well I’ll get these spare decorations put away.’ And she ought to let Alfie out into the back yard. In fact, she might even take him out for a quick stroll down to the harbour and back. The fresh air and a stretch of her legs might do her good.

‘I’m going to take Alfie out in a minute, Hols. Shall I walk you back?’

‘If you want. Yeah, that’d be nice.’

They soon set off, the girls chatting away, Alfie trotting on his lead by their side. It was only a five-minute stroll to Holly’s house on the other side of the village.

‘Night, Hols. Thanks again.’

‘Night, Em. And I really enjoyed myself tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow night for the launch, then.’

‘Yes, exciting, hey. I just hope it goes off well.’

‘It will do. It’ll be brilliant, I’m telling you.’

They shared a hug, and Holly went in to her family.