‘But there’ll be loads. If everyone makes one each what will we do with what’s left?’
Nell shrugged. ‘I don’t know. You could sell them and donate the money to the care home? Tracey’s always going on about wanting to get the residents out and about a bit more, and I’m not that far from them. We can do it here in the dining room.’ She motioned around at the large redundant space they were sitting in. She really needed to get more use from it and what better way than to invite the older generation. Maybe she could convince the choir of St Herbert’s Primary School to stop by for a little carol singing practice. That would really put smiles on the residents faces.
Tom was nodding faster and faster the more she spoke. ‘And I tell you what,’ he replied, now as excited as she was. ‘I bet I could get our lovely mayor along. She owes me a favour after I heavily discounted her wreath for the town hall. It might raise your profile a bit locally and show the Langdon Mansion Hotel, and anyone else who didn’t know it already, that you’re not the type of person to put spiders in their soup.’
‘I like it,’ she replied, over her mug.
‘I’ll ring Tracey now and see when she’s free.’ Tom stood and found his mobile in the pocket of his coat. He dialled and leaned on the back of his chair as he spoke. From her place as spectator, the conversation seemed positive but there were some long silences where Nell couldn’t discern what Tracey was saying. Finally, Tom rang off. ‘Are we on?’ she asked, pressing her hands together in prayer.
The grin that gripped his face was mirrored on her own, but she still hung on until he said the words. ‘Yep. We’re definitely on.’
‘Yay!’ Nell jumped up and grabbed hold of Tom, pulling him into a tight embrace. For a second, she felt his cheek press into her own and a surge of affection shot through her body. The force with which she’d grabbed him knocked him a little off balance and she held on to his arms to stop herself falling too. Instinctively, his hands went around her waist. They righted themselves and for a fleeting moment she didn’t want him to let go. Then she remembered it was Tom and told herself not to be so stupid. Tom was blushing furiously too.
After ensuring her feet were both flat on the ground, Nell brushed her clothes down, feeling more self-conscious than she ever had before. Harry liked to remind her, she was British, and there was only one thing to do in embarrassing moments when you’re British. She cleared her throat. ‘More tea?’
Chapter 11
The clean, cold November air seeped into Tom’s bones no matter how many layers of clothes he had on. Under a pale, watery sun, it was the perfect day to decorate the care home and bring some warmth and festive spirit to the residents. They were generally a happy and congenial bunch aside from the one or two curmudgeons who liked a moan, but overall, the residents were always up for a bit of Christmas fun.
The care home, located in the middle of town, was equidistant from Tom’s house and Holly Lodge and he’d been able to roll out of bed as late as possible which he’d needed after another headache had come on last night. He’d gone to bed early and this morning, the pounding behind his eyes had faded and he was feeling much better.
Stepping out of his van, Tom shivered a little and pulled his coat tighter around him. He’d even worn a woolly hat and gloves; anything to keep him warm against the wind. As he began unpacking all the stuff for the care home – the spare decorations he had left over; tinsel, baubles and all the stuff from the shop he’d set aside – his mind wandered to the American staying at Holly Lodge.
How was a man like Tom supposed to compete in the world of women when there were men like that? Superhero lookalikes that if he stood next to them, he’d look like a weedy nerd. Nell’s eyes had sparkled when she’d seen him. A sparkle that he’d give absolutely anything to see in her beautiful round eyes, but a horrible sinking feeling told him that wasn’t ever going to happen. ‘You look so pretty today,’ he said to himself in a terrible American accent, then scoffed. He’d told Nell she looked pretty hundreds of times, but her eyes never lit up like that when he said it. And yet, when he’d caught her as they’d nearly fallen over, it felt so right to him – so perfect. Like his were the only arms capable of holding her as lovingly and carefully as she deserved. Nell was prone to flights of fancy and almost believed in the romcom movies she watched, but Tom had read enough true stories to know that sometimes, people did meet coincidentally and fell in love. As long as that didn’t happen with her handsome American guest, he thought. Tom shrugged a box forwards as Nell pulled up, parking next to him. The gravel crunched under the wheels of her car, then under her boots as she climbed out.
‘Good morning,’ she sang happily. It was wonderful to hear her so positive after the rough week she’d had. She’d always loved her life, but these bad reviews were making her restless. It was understandable, but he wished he could reassure her. Jealously, he suspected some of her good mood was due to the American. Under her giant Russian-style faux fur hat and with her flared jeans sticking out the bottom she looked like she’d stepped out of a 1970s fashion magazine. Her hair
