Page 3 of Mistletoe and Mulled Wine at the Christmas Campervan

‘So now I’ve got to go out and get fresh bread from the village shop too. Jeez, you are getting so high-maintenance.’

Lucy knew he was joking, and lay back on the soft pillows, grinning at his rant.

‘Right then, well I’d better keep this lady in the lifestyle she’s accustomed to. And go and face Devil Dog Daisy while I’m at it.’

Jack sprang out of bed, his late-twenties body firm and end-of-summer tanned. Totally unfazed at being naked in front his girlfriend, he reached for his discarded T-shirt and boxer shorts from the night before.

Wow, Lucy took in that gorgeously toned, manly view and pinched herself once again; Jack was really here, in her bed and in her life, after all the painful ups and downs she’d endured over the past few years. How fabulous was that body to wake up next to in the morning. To have him there beside her, and last night so very close against her … eek. Her skin tingled just remembering.

It felt almost too good to be true. But it was true. They’d become an item, for now at least. Jack was here in her bed, in her head … standing beside her right now, in fact, giving her his trademark broad grin. And that was in fact all he was wearing, hah. With his floppy blond fringe and surfer-style ruffled hair, a touch on the long side, he oozed a confident, happy-go-lucky beach-style vibe. She watched as he began to dress, then headed out of the doorway to make her breakfast. Lucy gave a contented smile as she rested back against plump pillows. If she could purr, she might well have found herself doing just that.

‘Hey, there … Dais.’ Jack had learned (the hard, heel-nipping way) that the best way to greet Dachshund Daisy of a morning was to let her know of his presence before he launched in through the kitchen door. She was probably just being protective of her owner, but Jack was sure there was a hint, well a big dollop, of jealousy in there too. And after seeing that bedside step, no wonder. He must have well and truly put her out – out of her cosy sleeping zone beside the lovely Lucy! Even as he pushed the door ajar, a barrage of barking exploded.

‘Hi, it’s only me. Okay, o-kay,’ he soothed. The smooth-haired black-and-tan dog eyed him suspiciously, still. He’d stayed over a dozen times now at least. ‘Hey, don’t you think it’s time we learned to rub along a little better, young lady?’ They were getting there, step by step, and paw by paw, but it had been slow progress over these past few months. ‘I’ll fetch your food then, shall I?’ As he approached the cupboard where her dog kibble was kept, the barking ceased. Well, some things were worth calming down for. But she lifted her long nose to give Jack one more big brown-eyed yet steely look. It was like she was telling him not to mess with her mistress’s heart.

‘I won’t, promise,’ he said out loud. What was he doing, talking to a dog?!

Blimey, the pair of them were definitely getting under his skin. And he’d be damned if there was anything he could do about it at this point. Best to give in, go with flow. Dish out the dog food, and go fetch the fresh bread and maybe some croissants too. He gave a smile, then he frowned ever-so-slightly. This was getting way too domesticated for a guy like Jack Anderson. He felt an unwelcome ripple of unease rifle through him. Was he getting in too deep?

Chapter Three

Jack was greeted by a glorious, if slightly chilly, October morning, as he stepped out of the door of Lucy’s terrace cottage. The fresh salty sea air swirled around him in a light breeze, and halfway along the street at a break between the houses opposite, he could see the pewter-grey tones of the North Sea.

The coastal village of Embleton was nestled a mile inland behind the dunes of a long and sweeping golden-sand bay. A typical Northumbrian settlement of traditional houses and cottages, with a primary school, two pubs, hotel, golf course, village shop and café, it was small and friendly and the place that Lucy had made her home just last year. That was, he’d learned, after some kind of relationship breakdown. It seemed to be a great little community. And now, a couple of months into their relationship, Jack was finding it was beginning to feel a little like home for him too. This was mighty strange and uncharted territory. He’d never stuck with a romantic relationship before in his life – well, not since an early and very sweet teenage crush. He’d been far too busy trying to avoid being tied down to any one person, or indeed pinned to one place. A month, two tops – well, mostly one or two nights, if he was being totally honest – and he was up and off, back enjoying his single life. That was until the thunderbolt of meeting Lucy at the start of this summer, which had shown him just how empty and hollow that single life had become.

He strolled along the street, giving a little whistle as he went. Said a cheery ‘hello’ to an old chap, who doffed his flat cap with a friendly smile. He’d evidently just called to collect his morning newspapers. The shop wasn’t far, only around the corner, and on the next street.

He then passed a dog walker on the narrow flag-stoned pavement. A middle-aged man who bid him a friendly hello, and a ‘Lovely morning.’ The accompanying Labrador sniffed Jack’s ankles with interest. Perhaps ‘Eau du Dachshund’ was lingering there. Hah, he hoped to goodness the little devil dog hadn’t taken a revenge pee on his trainers that he’d left in the cottage hallway.

‘Good morning,’ Jack said, responding with a smile.

And it was. The sun was shining. Life was good … and precious … and could be swept away when you least expected it. And boy, he knew about that more than most. With everything that had happened to his brother, his family … Every damned moment was precious.

He pulled himself back to the here and now. He needed a positive hit today. It wasn’t the time to dwell on the past. It was a beautiful autumn day. He had a gorgeous girl waiting in a cottage by the sea for him. And all he needed to do was to buy some fresh bread and rustle up some tasty bacon sandwiches. The beach then beckoned for a stroll on the sands. He had a hand to hold, lips to kiss. A life to live. Today was going to be a good day.

As she lay in bed, now alone, Lucy’s happy glow was tinged with an odd feeling of unease. A sorrow, she realised. She had fallen hook, line and sinker for Jack, there was no denying that. And they were getting on really well. He made her smile, made her laugh, in fact, her confidence seemed to have soared since they’d got together. She loved that he’d managed to infuse her life with a spirit of adventure and fun, that she’d been missing for so long – she was learning to enjoy the moment.

But … and why was there always a damned ‘but’? Jack, many years ago now, had briefly dated her close friend Becky, and he had messed her about, seriously denting Becky’s heart and pride. Of course, that was all in the past. Lucy had tried to explain to her friend how Jack was a very different person these days, and that yes, he’d admitted he had been a bit of a player in his youth, trampling on a few girls’ hearts. He’d even sent a message to apologise to Becky directly, to try and clear the air, but Becky was having none of it. And sadly, over the past few weeks, the friendship between the two young women had become extremely frosty. This was devastating to Lucy. They had always been so close, right from being little girls at school together. It was hurting her – and no doubt Becky too – but Lucy knew she had to give her relationship with Jack a chance. Get to know him even more, prove that her instincts were right, and to somehow show Becky the truth of the man she had fallen for.

Words kept jumping back into her head from the argument they’d had only yesterday:

‘Hey, how’s it going?’ Lucy had asked her friend, clutching her phone to her ear.

‘Fine,’ Becky had responded coolly, which didn’t in fact sound fine at all. ‘So, you’re still seeing him then?’ she’d bit, launching right in.

There was no need to ask who Becky was referring to.

‘Yes.’

A frustrated blast had launched back at her: ‘You’re crazy, Luce. And I can’t believe you’re not listening to me. Don’t you get it? He’s toxic.’ A short pause and then she’d slammed back in with, ‘Well, don’t come running to me when it all goes tits up.’

Lucy hadn’t known how to respond and had floundered, feeling like piggy in the middle, not wanting to have to lose either of them. Dammit, could it really come to that? That losing one or the other was the only way? ‘Well, I’ll catch you soon. Take care, Becky,’ she’d ended up mumbling, before saying goodbye. Switching off the call with trembling fingertips and a heavy heart.

She understood that part of Becky’s frustration was rooted in the fear that Lucy would get hurt, but another big part was rooted in the vulnerability of her friend’s teenage past. Jack’s two-timing had come at a time when Becky’s parents were on the verge of splitting up. Lucy was sure this had something to do with why it had hit so hard. The million-dollar question was: would Becky be able to move past this? Could their friendship survive?

Lucy clung to the hope that it could, and she was determined to try everything in her power to save it. Although one thing she knew for sure was that she absolutely couldn’t toss Jack aside now – he meant far too much to her. She gave a slow sigh as she sunk back into pillows that had Jack’s salt-and-citrus scented cologne all over them. Time would tell, and she had to accept that not everything was in her control.

Well, for now, she’d better get up, take a quick shower, and get ready for the bacon butty breakfast that Jack would soon be making. It was unusual for her to lie in, but life had been all go these past few weeks. Having finally built her catering reputation, after setting up her new pizza business in the spring, she was now getting loads of new bookings, and she hadn’t dared turn any of them down. Which meant she’d been dashing across the coast and countryside of Northumberland with All Fired Up, her fabulous dove-grey-painted converted vintage horsebox, working like a trojan.