Page 51 of Christmas at Sturcombe Bay (Sturcombe Bay Romances #3)

Shelley smiled as she watched them. Tyler had stopped chasing himself round the car park and had come over to stand beside her. He leaned against her leg, and she stroked his big head fondly.

Several of the foster homes she had grown up in had had dogs, and she had always loved them — dogs never judged you or let you down.

And there was Alex, laughing as he helped build the snowman, every bit as enthusiastic as the children. He glanced across to her and smiled, and she felt her heart soar.

“Hello!” Vicky and Tom, with Debbie and little Amy, greeted them as they turned in through the entrance. “We came down to get some hot chocolate.”

“We did the same,” Julia called back. “But we got sidetracked!”

Amy had scampered over to join her friends. Tom had Rufus on his lead, and as soon as he let him off he barked joyfully, trying to run through the snow, though with his little legs he didn’t find it as easy as Tyler.

“Come and help with the snowman, Uncle Tom,” Ben pleaded. “We’re building the biggest one ever!”

Tom laughed. “It certainly looks like it.”

“Hey, I saw you building it.” Jess come down the steps from the hotel. “I’ve brought a few things you might need.”

“Great. Thank you, Auntie Jess!” Ben ran over and seized the offerings — a carrot for a nose, some Brussels sprouts to make eyes and buttons, and a long red scarf that one of the guests must have left behind.

“How did you get on?” Julia asked Debbie quietly.

“Great! Want to see the scan?”

“Do I!”

The women all huddled round as Debbie took an envelope from her bag and opened it, pulling out the black-and-white printout. Peering over her shoulder, all Shelley could see at first was a pattern of random blobs, but as she looked, they gradually resolved themselves into a recognisable shape.

A baby.

No. Don’t even start thinking about that. One day at a time . . .

“Does Amy know yet?” Cassie asked.

Debbie shook her head. “Not yet. We want to wait a little longer to tell her. Get the excitement of Christmas out of the way first.”

Over at the snowman, progress had been quick with so many helpers. A large ball had been made ready, and with all due ceremony was placed on its shoulders. The eyes and nose were added, and the buttons down his front.

“There!” Ben reached up to wrap the scarf round the snowman’s neck. “That’s the best snowman ever!”

Robyn was bouncing up and down. “He’s got to have a name. What’s he called?”

“Mr Forsythe!” Jess and Shelley chorused at once.

Everyone laughed. “Mr Forsythe it is.”

“Photos!” Julia insisted, pulling out her phone. “Everyone gather round.”

They all jumbled together around the snowman, grinning cheesily as she snapped off several photographs. Then Alex took the phone so that she could be in them too.

“Mr Forsythe, we don’t like you,” Jess declared, scooping up a handful of snow and compacting it tightly in her hands. “You’re a very nasty man.” Swinging her arm back, she threw the snowball hard and straight, smacking it squarely into the stolid white chest. “There! Serves you right!”

“Serves you right!” Ben echoed. “You’re a nasty man.” He made a snowball and threw it at the snowman’s head.

Robyn squealed with excitement. “Me too! Me too!”

Soon everyone was battering the snowman with snowballs until his nose fell off to loud cheers. Julia’s throw missed and hit Liam, who promptly retaliated. Julia laughed. “Hey, sis, let’s get him!”

“Whey hey!” Jess was more than willing, and the pair of them ganged up. Luke went to his brother’s aid, and Cassie joined in as snowballs flew in all directions.

“Hiya! Is this a private snowball fight or can anyone join in?”

It was Lisa and Ollie, with Kyra in her buggy. Noah had already raced over to join his friends.

“Get yourselves some snowballs!” Julia advised. “Women against men!”

“Hey, not fair!” Liam protested. “There’s more of you.”

“You can have the kids on your side.”

With battle-lines drawn, a full-scale snowball fight was launched. The children were racing around shrieking, Tyler and Rufus were bouncing and barking, trying to join in, the grown-ups were laughing and breathless.

Shelley couldn’t remember when she’d ever had stupid, crazy fun like this, dodging snowballs and hurling them back, laughing herself silly.

She caught Alex with a good hit on his shoulder, and he chased her round the car park, threatening to stuff snow down her collar. But when he caught her, he snatched her round the waist instead and swung her up in the air.

And when he lowered her to the ground, he kissed her. Right there in front of everyone. And she didn’t care who saw them.

“Phew!” At last Lisa puffed out a breath, her hands on her knees. “I’m done. Hot chocolate anyone?”

“Yes, please!” the children all chorused at once.

“Come on, then.”

Stamping their feet and brushing the snow from their coats they all piled into the hotel and into the lounge. In moments, big mugs of hot chocolate, topped with swirls of whipped cream and marshmallows, were conjured up. The children’s eyes grew wide, and the grown-ups were no less greedy.

“Ha, you’ve got a moustache!” Ben declared, pointing at Robyn, whose upper lip was streaked with cream.

“So have you!”

Everyone was laughing. It was cosy in the lounge, looking out onto the snow-covered garden. The coloured fairy lights on the Christmas tree were twinkling, the faint scent of pine lingered in the air, and the hot chocolate was sweet and delicious.

Shelley glanced around, feeling a warm glow inside her that wasn’t just due to the hot chocolate.

Christmas. It had never meant much to her before.

In the foster homes where she had grown up she had always felt like an outsider at the family gatherings, had always known that her Christmas presents had been paid for by Social Services.

But this Christmas, for the first time in her life, she felt the kind of warmth and excitement that everyone else seemed to feel. She was with friends.

And Alex.

They were snuggled up on the sofa, his arm around her shoulders, Tyler sprawled across their feet. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but she didn’t quite have the courage yet. Maybe one day — maybe soon.

But for now she was just content to be with him, and take one day at a time.