‘Most people are having their worst year ever …’
‘It doesn’t have to be a financial contribution. Believe me, none of us can afford that. But if we can’t grant a wish, we could do something else, like put together little gift baskets with a festive plant from the florist and a box of chocolates from the chocolate shop and a decoration from you and a fun necklace or pair of reindeer antlers from me and Stacey. Something that no one has to make any extra effort for and the only outlay is something from stock … Why are you looking at me like that?’
‘Because you’re incredible.’
It’s such a simple compliment, but it makes butterfly wings start beating in my chest and my knees feel wobbly again. I swear, wobbly knees were never this much of an issue in my life before I met James. ‘It’s you. What you did today was lovely. That’s the true meaning of Christmas. You’re inspirational.’
‘I can honestly say no one’s ever thought that about me before.’ He looks down as he says it, kicking one boot against the paved floor, and his voice is so quiet that it makes me wonder about all the things he isn’t saying. He hasn’t said much about his life so far, nothing more than what he said in the storage room on that first night, about having to take over a Christmas cracker business when his father retires, and it makes me want to prod and wheedle and ask questions, but it doesn’t seem like the time or place.
‘What do you think?’ I ask as a way of distracting myself.
‘I don’t know, but you could suggest a trek to the North Pole to find the real Rudolph and then a swift naked roll in some pine needles and I’d agree. You’re very persuasive.’
I steadfastly ignore any ideas of James naked, with or without pine needles. ‘Good, because I was about to try persuading you into reindeer antlers or a Santa hat. We’ve got you into the Christmas jumpers; now we need to start accessorising too.’
He laughs and it slowly trails off when he realises I’m not joking. ‘I’ve already got a flashing bulb necklace. Isn’t that punishment enough?’
‘Oh, believe me, the flashing bulb necklace is just the beginning,’ I say, and he still can’t get the smile off his face.
Maybe, just maybe, he might not be such a Grinch after all.
Chapter 10
‘Come on, sing along.’ I nudge my elbow against his right arm as Christmas music plays from my phone on the counter.
‘Do you know how many people I’ve sung in front of in my life? You could count them on one hand. If you add “while sober” to the mix, you could count them on these two fingers.’ He holds up his thumb and forefinger to make a 0 shape. ‘I’m not singing along – I like you far too much to subject you to that.’
The idea that he likes me in any way makes heat rise up my body and pool in my chest.
Nutcracker Lane closed hours ago, but we’re in Starlight Rainbows, reassembling the handmade pallet shelving James brought the other day. It’s been leaning against a wall in the back room since then because we’ve been too busy with the nutcrackers to attempt putting it together yet.
‘Besides, I refuse to sing along to a song I’d never heard of a week ago, but I’ve now heard so many times that I unintentionally know every lyric off by heart. The music that plays over the main speakers in the lane is like torture. I’ve started having nightmares about Cliff Richard.’
‘It’s lovely.’ I try not to laugh. I doubt many people have got a phobia of “Mistletoe and Wine”. ‘And you don’t have to keep trying to prove you still hate Christmas. It’s like you have a threshold of how many nice things you can do before you suddenly remember your Grinch status and feel you have to prove it.’
It’s been another day of decorating Nutcracker Lane, and handing out boxes of the miniature nutcrackers holding flags and banners to shop owners, and getting their opinions on the wish-granting idea, which so far has been positive.
‘Don’t tell me you’re not enjoying it.’ I point a screw at him.
His brown eyes go distant as he thinks back to earlier. ‘You didn’t see that girl with the skateboard today.’ He starts telling me again about the teenager who told the magical nutcracker she wanted a skateboard because all her friends had them, and how the bloke from the coffee shop happened to have one in his car that had been sitting there for weeks, waiting to be taken to a charity shop, and as the girl and her family walked across the car park, he and James hid behind cars and rolled it between them so it went right across her path. ‘You should have seen her look of wonder when she picked it up. The way she glanced back through the doors towards the nutcracker.’
‘I know, you’ve told me three times already.’ I nudge my arm against his again. ‘Thought you didn’t believe in magic, Grinch.’
‘I believe in a heck of a lot of things since I met you, Nia.’
We stare into each other’s eyes and for a moment, I think he’s going to kiss me. I find myself drifting closer, pushing myself up on tiptoes, close enough that if I reached out I could touch his hand, until “One More Sleep” by Leona Lewis ends and the silence of the gap between songs fills the room.
‘I don’t.’ He steps away sharply. ‘But it was something so simple, literally something the guy’s son didn’t want anymore and it brought someone so
