Page 27 of Christmas at Sturcombe Bay (Sturcombe Bay Romances #3)
“Well now, you two seem to be very busy.” Mike smiled at the two small girls sitting at a corner table, the drawing paper and coloured pencils strewn across it giving the clue to what was engaging their attention.
It was Saturday afternoon, but by this time of the year there were few customers — mostly locals, who greeted him cheerfully.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
Kate’s granddaughter Amy beamed up at him. “Writing to Santa.”
“Really? Isn’t it a little bit early for that?”
Robyn, Amy’s best friend, shook her blonde head. “You have to write them early,” she explained earnestly. “Because Santa lives a long way away at the North Pole, so letters take a long time to get there.”
“Ah — I see. And what are you asking Santa for?”
“First you have to tell him your name and where you live, or he won’t know where to go,” Amy insisted. “And that you’ve been good.”
He chuckled softly. “And have you been good?”
“Well . . . Mostly.” Her soft brown eyes, so like her grandmother’s, were slightly evasive. “I didn’t mean to let the kittens play with the toilet roll and unwrap it all. But they wanted to play with it and it ended up all over the sitting room floor.”
He had to stifle the bubble of laughter that sprang to his lips. “Oh dear.”
He glanced round as Kate came over, her pretty mouth curved into a shy smile.
“Hello Mike.”
“Hello.” He’d been worrying since Thursday evening how it would be, seeing her again. After that awkward sort-of-kiss would she be embarrassed? Would it make things uncomfortable between them?
But that smile told him that everything was going to be alright.
* * *
Kate suppressed a sigh of relief — at least she hadn’t scared him off with that clumsy kiss. Her little granddaughter beamed up at her. “Are you going to sit with us, Nanna? I need you to help me with my letter.”
“Of course, sweetie,” Kate responded, smiling. “Mike, I’ve brought your coffee, and I thought you might like to try one of these mince pies I’ve made.”
“I’d love to — thank you. Is it okay if I join you, girls?” he added solemnly to the children.
They giggled at the grown-up request. “Of course it is!”
“Thank you.”
He took the seat next to Robyn, and Kate the one next to Amy. She smiled across the table at him. “I’ve tried a new recipe for these — I hope you like them.”
“Can I have one, Nanna?” Amy asked politely.
“Of course. Do you want one, Robyn?”
“Yes please.”
“Help yourselves then. How are you getting on with your letters?”
“Do you think I should tell Santa that my Daddy’s getting married, and we’re coming to visit him on our honeymoon?” Robyn asked, a lilt of excitement in her voice.
Kate nodded. “That would be nice.”
Her small blonde head bent over her paper, deep in concentration. “How do you spell married?”
Kate watched as Mike patiently spelled out the letters for her, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “And what are you going to ask Santa to give you for Christmas?”
“I want a Skip Ball,” Amy said.
“What’s that?”
“It’s got a ball and a hoop and you put the hoop round your ankle and jump over the ball as it goes round.”
“Oh . . . right.”
“It’s not as complicated as it sounds,” Kate assured him.
“Ah. And what about you, Robyn?”
“I want a Singing Sammy and a jungle animals set. But that isn’t what I want most of all.”
“Oh? What do you want most of all?”
She cupped her hands to her mouth and leaned up to whisper in his ear — though loud enough for Kate to hear. “A baby sister.”
He was struggling to contain his laughter. “Well, um . . . I expect your Daddy and Auntie Cassie will have a good think about that.”
The little girl frowned. “Is that how you make babies?” she asked, wide-eyed. “With a good think?”
“Well, you certainly need to have a good think about it,” Kate chipped in, rescuing him. “Do you like your mince pie?”
“Yes! They’re scrummy!”
“Good.”
Across the table Mike’s smile was filled with warmth and humour, and she felt her heart skip. It was so nice sitting here with him, with the children. He was so easy and natural with them — he would have made a lovely grandpa.