Page 101 of The Merry Christmas Project

Nell had divided the tree into sections so that everyone could decorate part of it in their own way. Max, who must have had a growth spurt since I last saw him because he towered over Nell, had a can of spray snow and was taking great delight in spraying snow graffiti on the back of people’s coats. Olek was hanging sparkly gold keys around the top branches. Mr and Mrs Dowmunt senior had a small hessian sack from which they produced some beautiful handmade baubles, which they hung reverently on their section of the tree. Mr Thornberry was doing exactly what his wife told him and Nell was threading baubles made from nuts onto ribbon.

‘Your tree is looking very …’ I fumbled for the right word. ‘Eclectic.’

Nell laughed. ‘Sounds about right. Mum brought along a load of decorations from Harvey Nics. I think she thinks it’s a competition. I keep telling her that throwing money at something doesn’t make it better. And the tree should symbolise what’s important to us.’

Nell’s mum approached at that moment with something under her coat as if she was hiding stolen goods. ‘Hello, Merry dear. Can we stick this thing at the back, darling ?’ Mrs Thornberry opened up her coat to reveal Max’s Liverpool FC bauble. ‘The red does rather clash with the rest.’

‘No, Mum,’ Nell said firmly, ‘this tree represents everyone in the family and we’re all just as important as each other. In fact, let’s put that red one right at the front, Max will love it.’

‘I don’t mind,’ Max said good-naturedly. ‘Gran can put her glittery one at the front if she wants.’ He looked hesitant. ‘Can I call you Gran ?’

Mrs Thornberry’s face lit up. ‘Yes, dear, I’d like that. Actually, I think there’s room for both at the front, what do you think, Max ?

Behind her mum’s back Nell and Olek high-fived each other, and smiling, I left them to it.

For the next hour I didn’t get a moment to myself. There was so much to do, so many small details to iron out, but gradually my vision of a winter wonderland came together and by four o’clock every tree was lit and the various stepladders and boxes and crates that people had brought along containing their decorations had been stashed away. It hadn’t really got light this afternoon, but now the sky was properly black and as the snow clouds moved away, a clear starry sky was revealed and the temperature had dropped to zero. I’d been too busy to feel the cold, but now as I climbed up on the stage and looked around at the scene we’d created, I realised that my face and fingers had gone numb and I couldn’t feel my toes anymore. But inside my chest, my heart glowed with warm pride.

My breath caught as I gazed around. Somehow, I, a person who’d always shied away from the fuss and furore of Christmas, had brought people together on Christmas Eve to create something magical. A well of unexpected emotion rushed through me. I looked out across the twink­ling lights and breathed in the evocative smell of pine trees and listened to the happy shrieks of the children who’d already built an army of little snowmen in the deserted street and hundreds of tiny memories flashed through my head. Of sipping hot chocolate in bed on Christmas Eve while Mum made up stories about Santa and the naughty reindeer. Of opening the presents in my stocking which had miraculously appeared during the night. And of my first Christmas without her, which had coloured every Christmas since.

Christmas meant so many things to so many people and for me it had always been a reminder of what I didn’t have. But now, looking around me, I felt an enormous sense of gratitude for what I did have : a home, a blossoming business, my friends who had become as dear to me as family. And, although it was early days, a new love too …

Chapter 31

Merry

24 DECEMBER

As I climbed down from the stage, a sixth sense made me turn around and my heart leapt as I saw Cole striding through the snow towards the old bank. He was holding his phone out in front of him, talking into it.

I waved and trudged over to him, blinking away the soft snowflakes as they landed on my eyelashes. We met by the front door. He mouthed an apology for being on the phone and wrapped an arm around my waist. I snuggled into him while I waited for him to end the call, glad of his warmth.

‘A gentleman’s agreement which has stood for thirty years is possibly even more outdated than the electricity supply in the building,’ Cole said, laughing softly. ‘I think it’s time for Wetherley Town Council to fund the electricity for its own tree.’

He paused while the person on the other end spoke.

‘I’m pleased to hear you think the same. The only trouble is that I was planning on rewiring the kitchen tomorrow, which will mean disconnecting the power,’ he said with a wince. ‘I don’t want to be responsible for extinguishing the tree lights and ruining everyone’s Christmas.’

He listened again and then nodded, looking pleased. ‘Within the hour ? That’s great, thank you ! And a Merry Christmas to you too.’ Cole ended the call and blew out a satisfied breath. ‘There’s a team of engineers in the area. They’re going to drop by and divert the power supply from the old bank.’

‘It won’t interfere with our Christmas trees in the market square will it ?’ I asked nervously.

He shook his head. ‘The council had already laid a network of cables for those, don’t worry.’

‘You’re very impressive when you’re in work-mode,’ I said, with a frisson of longing.

‘Why thank you.’ He looked at me properly then and smiled, his brown eyes crinkling at the corners. ‘And so are you. My dad doesn’t stop singing your praises and my sister is your new biggest fan ; she’s convinced your brand is going to go stratospheric, as she put it, next year.’

My heart soared ; I felt like the luckiest woman in the world to have found myself pulled into the embrace of the Robinson family.

‘And what about you ?’

He answered me with a kiss, pulling me tightly against him until I was breathless in his arms.

‘I’m sorry I didn’t make it back to you last night after you’d gone to the trouble of buying new gifts for the kids,’ he said, trailing a warm finger down my cheek. ‘Fliss and Cesca insisted on coming over to pay deposits on the two properties so that they knew the houses would definitely be theirs.’

I assured him that I hadn’t minded. The presents were all wrapped and ready to send and we’d agreed that the postal service would probably be more reliable after Christmas anyway. And it was just as well he hadn’t come over to the cottage after work because I’d been snoring in front of the fire by nine o’clock.

‘By the way, Hester sent me a message earlier, something about a surprise, do you know what it is ?’