He smiled. ‘It’s fine, thanks. I just had a coffee. Are you having a good time?’
‘Great, thanks.’ Steph seemed gleeful. ‘I hope you’re finding time to enjoy yourselves. You and Lottie.’
Oh God, Steph was subtle as a brick. ‘Oh, look. The brass band are starting up,’ Lottie said. ‘We can sing some carols.’
‘Can you sing?’ Myra asked Jay. ‘Mummy can’t. Auntie Lottie isn’t quite as bad.’
‘Thanks a lot, girls,’ Steph said with an eye-roll. ‘Actually, Lottie can sing though,’ she told Jay, who was clearly trying not to laugh.
‘No, I really can’t!’ Lottie protested.
‘Anyone can sing,’ Jay said. ‘It only takes practice.’
Steph snorted. ‘I could practise for a hundred years and still sound like a scalded cat. I’m tone deaf.’
Lottie was saved from having to reply by the band striking up their first carol, a cheery rendition of ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’. The twins listened for a few minutes, until they begged their mum to take them to the ‘living’ nativity scene in the old coach house, with its donkey and sheep. Steph had her work cut out making sure the girls didn’t spill hot chocolate as they danced off towards the coach house. ‘I’ll see you later,’ she said.
Jay stayed by Lottie’s side listening with her.
‘It came upon a midnight clear …’
The local choir belted out the carol, encouraging the visitors to gather round and join in with them. The brass band reminded Lottie of the Christmas fairs when she and Steph were younger and their parents had lived in the Lakes. Enthused by the atmosphere, she couldn’t help but join in the singing, in a quiet voice.
‘Good King Wenceslas looked out …’ the choir sang. ‘On the feast of Stephen, when the snow lay round about …’
‘Deep and crisp and even, like a Nutella pizza …’
Jay’s impro version at her side made Lottie burst out in giggles.
A few people gave them funny looks.
‘Brightly shone Rudolph’s nose that night …’ Jay sang close to Lottie’s ear. ‘Through the frost was crue-el. When a reindeer came in sight …’
Lottie joined in. ‘Gathering winter – er … M&Ms?’
They both dissolved into laughter. ‘You’re a very bad person,’ Lottie said when the carol ended.
‘So are you for laughing at me.’
She thought he’d never looked so attractive. His smile lit him up from the inside, and it gave her hope that he was more ready for a new relationship than she’d thought.
‘It’s OK for you,’ she said. ‘You have a great voice.’
‘Great? No way. My voice is – was – OK. But I’ve always been strictly backing vocals.’ A wry smile appeared. ‘Ben was the lead singer.’
She was intrigued at this new snippet of information. ‘Were you both in a band, then?’
‘Years back, but don’t be too impressed. Ben and I started it when we were in the sixth form. Nothing serious, we never expected to be famous or anything.’ He gave a wry smile. ‘We enjoyed ourselves, though, and even when I came home from uni we’d get together and do a few gigs in the vacations. Only the back room of the local pub and his rugby club type of thing.’
‘Sounds like fun. I’d love to have seen you.’
‘It was fun …’ His smile faded. ‘We grew out of it, as you do. I moved away to start my accountant course before I packed that in to retrain in forestry. Are you sure I wasn’t too loud?’
‘No. Not at all. I’m glad you can sing to drown my caterwauling.’
‘Steph’s right. You can sing,’ he shot back.
She laughed, embarrassed at his praise, which she really didn’t deserve. ‘No way – don’t tease me.’
‘You’re pretty much in tune,’ he said, amusing Lottie with his stark honesty. ‘Which is a huge plus, I can tell you, and you have a lovely soulful tone. You just need more confidence.’
‘Hmm.’ Growing uncomfortable at his praise, which she really didn’t believe, Lottie turned the subject to Jay’s past. ‘Did you used to play the guitar too? I noticed it in the cottage.’
‘Used to. I haven’t picked it up for a year.’
‘Did you stop because of the row with your brother?’
‘Yes. I don’t know why exactly. I’ve hardly been thinking straight … I guess I did associate my music with the old times with Ben.’
‘It sounds as if you’re punishing yourself,’ she said gently. ‘I wish you’d start again. It seems a shame to deny yourself something you really love.’
‘Maybe.’ He shrugged. ‘Actually, I thought you’d like to know – though I’m not sure why – that I’ve decided to go to my parents’ place for Christmas dinner.’
‘Whew. That sounds very promising.’
‘Mum and Dad are pleased but they’ve arranged for Ben, Nadia and Seb to go over in the morning and leave before I arrive so our paths don’t have to cross.’ He gave a grim smile. ‘Hardly sounds like an overdose of Christmas spirit, does it? Though until a few days ago, I’d decided I was staying at home with Trevor, a microwave meal, the TV unplugged to avoid anything remotely festive.’
She smiled. ‘Still feels like major progress to me.’
‘Well, I realised it isn’t fair to make my parents suffer any more, after the year we’ve put them through. They seemed so happy I was going for Christmas lunch. Mum nearly cried.’
Lottie had great trouble in not hugging Jay. However, she suspected he’d never been the hugging kind. She contented herself with a smile, and quiet hope that she’d had the tiniest hand in persuading him to be reconciled with his parents, at least.
‘Anyway, they’re stuck with me and Trevor now and I’m sure he’ll be delighted to partake of a turkey dinner, if my mum has her way … Oh, someone wants me on the radio. Sorry, I’ll have to take this.’
With that he left.
Lottie was kept busy for the next half an hour, dealing with one of Wilf Carman’s coach party who’d tripped over a tree stump while having a sneaky vape. It wasn’t
