Page 47 of A Cornish Winter’s Kiss

On the morning of Christmas Eve, the sky was a strange mix of dove-grey clouds and streaks of pink that hung around long after sunrise.

‘Do you think it might snow?’ Emily turned to Jude as they climbed the coastal path towards the cliffs that looked down over Port Agnes.

She couldn’t keep the note of hopefulness out of her voice.

She knew the kids would love it if there was snow, but she wanted it too.

She wanted that magical Christmas moment featured in so many of the romance novels she adored, but which in truth so rarely happened, especially on the west coast of Cornwall.

‘The sky does look like it’s promising something. Can you imagine what it would be like in Puffin’s Rest, looking out of those full-length windows as the world gets slowly blanketed by soft white snow?’

‘Oh, Jude, I don’t know what I’ve done to you, but I think I might have made my favourite crime writer into a romance author instead.’ She shook her head in mock concern, and he raised his eyebrows.

‘Your favourite crime writer? I know you’ve read the McGuigan books, but I didn’t think it was your genre?’

‘It wasn’t, but when we met, I wanted to understand you. That’s why I started to read the rest of your books too, because there’s one thing I’ve learned about authors since I started working with so many of them.’

‘Is it that we’re all mad?’ He was deadpan, but she couldn’t help laughing.

‘Well, maybe a bit, but in a good way. That wasn’t what I was getting at though. I was going to say that the more authors I’ve worked with, the more I’ve realised you all reveal a part of who you are in every book you write.’

‘Should it concern me what you’ve discovered about me?’

‘Not at all.’ Emily adopted a deliberately neutral expression, looking ahead of them to where Rufus and Gary Barlow were racing one another up the path.

‘Can I at least ask what your conclusion was about me?’

‘When I read the first book, we’d only met once. I could tell from the story that you were a complicated person, but I also knew I’d like you, if you let me get to know you.’ Emily reached for his hand. ‘And thankfully you did.’

‘I’m not sure I let you.’ Jude hesitated for a moment before continuing. ‘You found your own way into my life, and I’m really glad you did. As for what you’ve done to me… I’m not sure that I’ll ever make it as a romance writer, but you have changed me.’

‘For the better?’ Emily’s teasing tone was back.

‘I hope so.’

‘And what makes you think you won’t just change back again, the moment you get home to London?

’ Emily kept her tone light, but his answer mattered far more than she was letting on.

She had strong feelings for Jude and they were deepening all the time.

If this new version of him only existed in the here and now she wanted to know.

‘Because I don’t want to let you down.’ Jude kissed her before she could respond.

She’d wanted to tell him this wasn’t about her and that her attempts to convince him that love existed had been for his sake, not hers, but she couldn’t think straight when he was kissing her.

Before Emily could even try to pull away and get her head together enough to explain that to him, her phone started to ring.

‘Sorry, it’s Dad, I better get this.’ Answering the call, she expected to hear her father’s usual upbeat tone, but he sounded breathless and panicked.

‘Em, your mum’s had a fall. She’s okay I think, just a bit bruised, but I can’t get her up. It’s my back.’

‘I’m on my way. I’ll be there in five minutes, ten at the most.’

‘Okay, sweetheart, I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t be sorry, just please don’t hurt yourself trying to help Mum. Wait until I get there. I’ll see you soon.’ Ending the call, Emily looked at Jude, his face already a picture of concern.

‘What’s happened?’

‘Mum’s had a fall and Dad can’t help her up, his back’s too bad. Charlotte and Jake have taken the kids to the soft play in Port Tremellien. I need to get back home.’

‘I’ll come with you.’ Jude was already turning back towards the harbour, whistling to get the dogs’ attention.

‘You don’t have to.’

‘I know I don’t have to, but I want to. And the last thing your mum and dad need is you hurting yourself trying to help out on your own.’

‘Thank you.’ Some of the tension in Emily’s spine eased. She wasn’t used to having someone to lean on and it scared her a bit, but right now she wanted to lean on Jude, and for once in her life she wasn’t going to overthink it.

Patsy was still lying on the kitchen floor when Jude and Emily got to Lowenna Close.

‘I feel like such a fool. I knocked the dog’s bowl with my foot and then slipped in the water.

It’s only my ego that’s hurt really, but I can’t seem to get myself back up and it nearly finished Richard trying.

’ She looked up at Jude. ‘Sorry, I bet this is the last way you wanted to spend Christmas Eve, hauling some old girl off the floor.’ Jude smiled, relieved that Emily’s mother still had her sense of humour and that the fall wasn’t as bad as he’d feared.

‘Your wonderful daughter has spent the last two months trying to teach me how to write about romance and, from what I remember, fairytale romances always involve rescuing beautiful damsels in distress.’

‘There you were, expecting Sleeping Beauty, and instead you got Flat-Out Patsy.’ She laughed again and this time Richard joined in, but not even that completely lifted the pained expression from his face.

‘The big question is, what’s the best way to get Flat-Out Patsy off the floor?’ Emily looked to her father for an answer.

‘You can’t just haul her up, there’s too much of a risk of injury.

That’s why I suggested calling the paramedics, but your mother won’t hear of it.

’ Richard shook his head, and Jude could see how tired he was.

It was the same kind of look his father had worn in the forty-eight hours after his mother’s skiing accident, when she’d been in a coma and Jude had desperately hoped she might somehow cling to life.

With the benefit of hindsight, he could imagine the toll it had taken on his father to feel so powerless when someone he loved was gravely ill.

Patsy was coping with her illness the best way she could, but there was no denying that Richard had taken on a new role in their relationship and that caring for someone you loved could be completely exhausting.

It was written all over his face. The least Jude could do was offer what little help he was able to.

‘I know how to do it.’ The certainty in Jude’s tone must have taken Emily by surprise, because her head shot up in response.

She clearly hadn’t expected him to know anything about first aid.

‘We need to move two of the chairs from the kitchen table and put one by your head, Patsy, and the other by your feet.’

‘Are you going to try and levitate me? If so, I hope you know a magic spell. I’m heavier than I look.’ Patsy grimaced. ‘And I look quite heavy!’

‘No levitation involved, I promise. I did some first aid training when I was still at school as part of the Duke of Edinburgh scheme.’ Jude looked at Emily, another wave of surprise washing over her face.

‘I know that probably makes me sound like a total nerd, but after Mum’s accident I wanted to be prepared if I was ever around when someone got hurt.

I remember people out on the ski slope trying to help Mum when she had her accident and I just wanted to be able to do the same thing. ’

‘She’d have been so proud of you and I’m very thankful you’re here.’ Patsy blew him a kiss, but she’d been on the floor for far too long already and he just wanted to get her up safely.

‘I hope she would, but she’d have wanted to make sure I wasn’t all talk and no action.

Do you think you’re ready?’ When Patsy nodded, Jude talked her through the process of getting up off the floor safely.

It involved helping her into a kneeling position, and then getting her to support her weight with her arms braced on the chair in front of her, and finally using that as leverage to help Patsy into the chair behind her.

It meant that Jude wouldn’t have to lift her off the floor, even though he could probably have done so relatively easily.

He wanted Richard and Emily to see that it was something they could do in the future, if they had to, and that it was the best way of avoiding accidentally hurting Patsy in the process.

‘Thank you so much, Jude. Do you fancy moving in?’ Patsy smiled and patted his cheek once she was comfortably in the chair. ‘We could do with you around full time.’

‘You’d soon get sick of me.’ Despite everything that had happened lately, there was still a part of Jude that suspected it was true.

He couldn’t help wondering if Emily might eventually feel that way too.

Having spent so long convinced he was unlovable, it was impossible to undo that mindset overnight.

The words that Sandra had said to him about no one wanting him were deeply ingrained and the impact they’d had on him couldn’t just be washed away.

He’d never wanted a long-term relationship before, so it had never mattered to him this much whether someone would want him around for the long haul.

But right now this wasn’t about him, it was about making sure Patsy was okay and he didn’t plan on going anywhere until he was certain she was.

‘Are you happy staying here or would you like us to help you through to the lounge?’

‘Oh yes please, Jude.’ Patsy patted his hand this time. ‘Otherwise I’ll be in the way out here when Emily starts doing the preparation for tomorrow’s dinner, and Richard was going to put It’s a Wonderful Life on for us, before we all watch The Muppet Christmas Carol together later on.’