Page 94 of A Chef's Kiss for Christmas

“You weren’t awful,” he said, as though he genuinely believed that.

Pressing her phone to her shoulder, Selena lifted her chin to shout loudly as she walked towards the kitchen. “Mum! I think I’ll just drive home. Tamara can wake Joshie and bundle him into the car.”

“The roads are black ice!” Dennis’s voice boomed in response. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“No one is answering the phone,” Selena shouted to no one in particular. “Mum, did you get hold of anyone?”

“Your dad’s trying to get through to someone now,” Jen called from the direction of the kitchen.

“I wanted to have a bath!” Selena huffed, passing them to hurryupstairs.

Anna frowned at Warren as they headed for the kitchen. “What’s going on?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

“There you are!” Jen tilted her head and smiled at Anna. “You hardly ate anything at dinner, sweetie. I put a plate in the fridge for you. Help yourself, won’t you?”

Anna stared in disbelief. “Thank you,” she mumbled.

“Told you,” Warren said, disguising his words by clearing his throat.

Jen propped her hands on her hips. “I’m afraid we have a slight problem.”

“Selena’s run out of bubble bath?” Warren suggested dryly.

Jen didn’t acknowledge the joke. “The boiler has stopped working. We’ve got no heating or hot water.”

“I can’t find anyone who will come out and look at it tonight,” Selena grumbled, reappearing but not looking up from her phone. “It doesn’t matter how much money I offer, no one will come out until the morning. I really think I’ll drive home. Or go to a hotel.”

“Just put an extra jumper on,” Dennis said, shaking his head as he swirled whisky in his glass at the table. “I think we can manage one night.”

“I can’t even shower,” Selena complained. “And we’ll probably all freeze to death in our sleep. Poor Joshie. His teeth will be chattering.”

“I gave Tamara an extra blanket to put over him,” Jen said. “There are plenty of extra blankets. No one will freeze to death. Don’t be so dramatic.”

“I spoke to a local company, and the guy said he’ll come over tomorrow to look at it,” Dennis said. “I can’t find anyone who can come any sooner than that, so I’m afraid there’s not a lot we can do.”

“So much for a relaxing break,” Selena muttered, then wandered away with a comment about calling her husband.

“Did you have a good walk?” Dennis asked, looking at Anna.

She nodded dumbly. “Lovely, thank you.”

“Get Anna a hot drink,” Jen said, patting Warren’s arm. “She looks half frozen.”

“There’s food in the fridge, too,” Dennis added.

“We ate at the pub,” Anna told him, then followed Warren to the kitchen.

“Tea?” he asked as he filled the kettle.

“Please.” She leaned against the counter and whispered. “I’m not sure what just happened.”

“I mentioned that my family isn’t like yours. A bit of screaming over the dinner table isn’t unusual here, but when the heating has the audacity to break, it’s the end of the world.”

“It is a bit chilly,” Anna said, wrapping her arms around herself. “Selena was quite dramatic, though.” She paused and pressed her lips together. “I may not say that in the morning when I’m having a cold shower.”

“I reckon we’ll survive a night,” he said. “I’d probably recommend waiting and showering at home if there’s no hot water in the morning.”