Page 108 of The Merry Christmas Project

‘In a minute,’ he said, ‘just let me do this one thing.’

He kissed me, gently at first and then with more heat until I thought I might burst into flames.

‘Just so you don’t forget about me.’ His eyes looked deep into mine.

‘As if.’

‘Merry Christmas, Merry Shaw.’

Chapter 32

Cole

24 DECEMBER

The following few hours flew by in a whirl. Never had Cole stepped so firmly out of his comfort zone as new plans and arrangements were made too quickly for him to worry about schedules or spreadsheets.

While Merry went back to Holly Cottage to grab some things, he drove home, phoning Hester on the way to let her know his plans. As soon as he pulled into their drive, Hester ran out, squealing for more details and then ran back in again to tidy up when she heard Merry was on her way. Cole slipped away and called Lydia, telling her what he proposed and asking her permission to visit them on Christmas Day – tomorrow. To his surprise she’d burst into tears, declaring that she couldn’t think of a more perfect way to spend the day. By the time he’d shoved some things in a bag and found his passport, Merry had arrived and Paul was helping Fred out of his car along with Astrid and Otto, who had accepted a last-minute invitation.

Hester had prepared supper for everyone : an array of tapas and canapés, dips and nibbles, which along with the bottle of champagne she’d insisted on opening, added an extra celebratory air to a night which was already buzzing.

Merry, who was driving, only allowed herself half a glass and by nine o’clock they were on the road bound for the airport.

‘You’re driving quite fast,’ Cole pointed out once they’d reached the motorway. He smiled at the gorgeous woman beside him, unable to believe his luck that she was his. ‘Can’t you wait to get rid of me ?’

She glanced sideways at him and laughed. ‘I can’t wait to get to the hotel so we can be alone.’

‘We’re alone now.’

‘We are,’ she agreed, drumming her thumbs on the steering wheel. ‘But what I want to do takes both hands.’

He gave a laugh of surprise. ‘Wow, in that case put your foot down.’

‘I can’t believe I just said that.’ She blushed and he thought his heart would burst with joy.

Moments later she pulled off at the next motorway services. Ahead of them, the main restaurant building had been decked out with the kitschiest Christmas decorations he’d ever seen : red and green lights were strung around every lamp post, a whole herd of inflatable reindeer covered the roof and a family of giant snowmen standing in a fake snowdrift guarded the entrance.

He glanced at her. ‘Do you need to stop ?’

‘Just for a moment.’

Her jaw was tense as she pulled into a parking space and stopped the car.

‘Cole, there’s something I need to tell you before we go any further.’ She looked at him, her big green eyes sparkling in the shimmer of the overhead lights.

His breath caught in his chest. Had she changed her mind ? Was she ill ? Was all of this : her, them, too good to be true ? ‘OK, I’m listening.’

She straightened her spine as if to draw courage and turned to looked directly at him.

‘You and me. I know we’re only just starting out and this is ridiculously premature, but I don’t want a casual thing, I want the real thing. I really like you. But I need to tell you that I want children. I want to be a mum, have a family.’

He let out the tense breath he’d been holding and reached for her hand ; he gazed at her beautiful face and thought that this was probably the happiest he’d felt since he’d waved his children goodbye at the airport in the summer. ‘Well,’ he began.

She dipped her head, interrupting him. ‘And you’ve already got children, so I understand that having more might not be on your agenda, but it is on mine, so I know I’m being incredibly forward and it’s a bit intense to be springing this on you while you’re trapped in a car with me, but …’

He silenced her with a kiss before she ran out of oxygen and then whispered in her ear, ‘I’d like more children.’

‘That’s all right then.’ She heaved a sigh and started the engine again.