Page 41 of Christmas at the Little Cornish Bakery

December twenty-first, the day of the solstice, dawned clear and bright, as if the world was presenting Lola with a clean slate.

She stood on the still dark seafront, bundled up under her scarf, and inhaled, then exhaled, pulling the soft magic of the morning into her body, allowing it to spread through her on what she always felt was one of the most sacred days.

The winter solstice, the shortest day, the time when the veil between worlds was at its thinnest. The day after which the light would slowly return as the world rolled towards another spring.

Lola briefly wondered what spring would bring.

Everything this year had been brand new, her life totally reborn in Polcarrow.

She’d spent the spring decorating her café and setting up the boundaries of her new life.

Lola cast her mind back to those first few mornings, the sun warm with promise as it streamed through the café windows, Alf shuffling along to see how she was doing and checking up how long it’d be until he could sit with a cup of tea and watch the world go by.

Then there was Tristan, doing his local vicar duty, popping in to say hello as she painted her new chairs.

There was no denying now that something had been starting to brew between them even then.

Lola had convinced herself that she looked forward to him popping in because he was easy company, now she knew it was something more.

Tristan had always made her feel safe, equal, all the things she had struggled to find in her life.

For the first time she felt someone had her back.

Or at least she had until Anna had made her appearance.

That had only been two nights ago and Lola was rather frustrated by Tristan’s Mr Nice Guy approach to putting Anna off.

Why on earth Tristan couldn’t just tell her he had a new girlfriend, Lola didn’t know.

Unless, of course, they’d got their wires crossed somewhere.

Lola swallowed down the fear that they’d never had the exclusivity chat.

Could Tristan be seeing how things might pan out with Anna?

Was Anna going to slowly wear him down until he had no choice but to get back together with her?

Her little red Fiat had been pulled up along the seafront both days and Lola had had to bite her lip and smile through the pain as Anna came into the café for more extra-sugary treats.

‘I’m trying, Lola,’ Tristan said as he paid for his breakfast that morning, reaching out to take her hands in his. Lola pulled hers back. Shock flashed across his face.

‘She’s just not listening. She never listened in fact. I now think I got swept up in her enthusiasm and it was easier just to go with it. Oh gosh, does that make me sound bad? It does, doesn’t it? She means well . . .’

‘Stop apologising for her,’ Lola hissed, biting her tongue so as not to snap at him to just tell Anna where to go. Tristan’s sweet side had always been a balm after the scoundrels she’d previously dated but now she was finding it slightly irritating.

Tristan took a deep breath and warned Lola, ‘Anna wants to come to the solstice ritual, but she said she is bringing her sister. I tried to put her off, but it was like trying to stop a steamroller.’

Lola glared at him. ‘I need to do your toast.’ Reaching for the kitchen door, she glanced back. There was a look of confusion on his face, like he knew something was off-kilter but not how to put it right. Lola prayed Anna wouldn’t manage to steamroll her way back into Tristan’s heart.

After all the indecision about making a move on Tristan, about not wanting to ruin their friendship, the appearance of Anna made Lola regret not moving sooner.

Exhaling away the fear that Tristan might choose Anna, Lola put her palms together in semblance of prayer and asked for the ritual to be a success.

‘You ready for later?’ Alf asked as he stirred his tea when Lola brought toast out to him and Tristan.

Lola let out a harried puff of air. ‘No. Well, yes, but no, ugh, there’s been so much to do.’

‘Is there anything we can help with?’ Tristan asked.

Lola was about to say everything was fine, that she had it all under control, but instead she dropped onto the vacant chair between them.

She desperately needed a hand. ‘Actually, could you pick up some logs for the fire. I decided I can’t just hope people will bring along enough bits to burn.

I’ve got the logs on order and I was hoping to nip out, but . .?.’

‘I’ll do it.’ Tristan reached to put a hand over hers, but pulled back. Lola’s own hand suddenly yearned for his touch before remembering she was the one who’d drawn the barriers up between them.

‘Thank you, I’ll text you the details of where to collect them.

’ Lola stood up, her eyes darting all over Tristan looking for a sign, silently asking for everything to be OK between them.

Seeing her own pain echoed in his eyes, she opened her mouth to speak but the arrival of Sue and her brood, who were now on school holidays, put paid to that.

‘Morning! Bread’s gone stale so I thought it was a perfect opportunity to grab breakfast here before we go last-minute shopping,’ she said as she directed her kids to a table. ‘All set for later?’

‘Yes,’ Lola said as she passed them menus, ‘I think I am now.’ She might have imagined it, but on the horizon there was a flash of light, as if someone up in the heavens was giving their blessing.