Page 58 of I’ll Be Home for Christmas

Fred

Ryan held her hand as they wandered down through the Christmas market, and Fred felt like she’d won the lottery. She wanted to stop people as they hurried past and point to their joined hands, and say, “Look, Ryan Frost is holding my hand.” But she managed to muster some self-control.

“What’s that dopey smile for?” Ryan asked, bringing their linked hands to his lips to kiss her knuckles.

“Nothing,” she said, still smiling. “I was just thinking about Mum.”

“Blimey, things have changed,” he teased. “Bella causing you to smile, I never thought I’d see the day.”

“I have evolved,” she said, haughtily. “It’s called personal growth; you should try it.”

He let go of her hand, grabbing her around the waist from behind and pulling her to him. He buried his face in her neck, growling as he kissed her. “I caveman. You my woman.”

She laughed. “Get off!” She wriggled, giggling in his embrace.

He released her and took her hand again and they continued to walk. People waved at them and shouted hellos. It was the exact opposite to the reception she’d received this time last week, and she counted her blessings that Pine Bluff was the kind of place that gave second chances.

As they passed Smoke and Soul, Cherry came barreling out of the restaurant and threw her arms around Fred.

“I’m so glad I caught you,” she said, breathlessly.

“I wanted to tell you that we’re booked up till March.

The phone’s been ringing off the hook.” She pulled her jacket around her against the cold.

“I can’t believe it. Winter’s normally a fight just to keep the lights on until the tourist season starts again. ”

“Cherry, I’m so pleased,” Fred replied, a little embarrassed but also enjoying the glow that spread through her at having played some part in making things better for a small business in her community.

“Anyway, I’ve got to go before Dad starts hollering.” Cherry gestured back to the steamy windows of the full restaurant. “I just wanted to say thank you.”

“I didn’t do much,” said Fred, smiling. “Your food speaks for itself.”

“Didn’t do much, she says!” Cherry laughed as she turned and ran back toward Smoke and Soul. “Do me a favor, Ryan!” she called back. “Don’t let her leave town!”

“Don’t worry,” Ryan replied, giving Fred’s hand a gentle squeeze, “I’m not stupid enough to lose her twice.”

They continued on along and down the winding high street. From a distance Fred could see that the queue at Hallow-Hart Crackers snaked back a long way, past the roasted chestnut seller and the Christmas pet treats stall, all the way to the hand-painted pottery hut.

“Blimey, that twenty percent discount worked a treat, didn’t it?” said Ryan.

“We’d better go and see if Mum needs some help.”

They hurried toward the stall, managing to avoid being walloped by bags as shoppers doggedly barged past them on a mission to complete their Christmas to-do lists. As they reached the roasted chestnut cart, she heard her mum’s voice ring out.

“That’s it, folks, I’m afraid! I just sold the last box!”

A wave of disappointed groans rippled back through the crowd.

Fred had a sudden burst of inspiration. “Wait, wait, wait!” she shouted, letting go of Ryan’s hand and rushing to the front of the hut.

“I’m sorry you’re disappointed but if you’d take a moment to leave your names and email addresses, I will add you to our mailing list so that you get sneak previews and early access to next year’s Christmas Crackers, and we’ll gift each of you here an exclusive twenty-five percent off your order, only for you here today, as a special thank-you for supporting our business.

” She held her breath as she watched the disappointed shoppers mull over her offer.

After a tense moment, the grumbles changed to noises of assent and the queue stayed where it was as Bella scrambled to grab her sketchbook to take down names.

Fred entered the hut through the side door and shouted to Ryan that he should come and help too. She didn’t want to keep next year’s customers waiting and risk them losing interest.

Bella tore out two sheets from her sketchbook and handed them each a pen, and between the three of them they managed to get down everyone’s names in super quick time.

“I can’t believe you sold everything!” said Fred, looking around the empty hut.

“It’s never happened before,” said Bella, scratching her head. “I usually have leftovers that I discount online in January. They’ve wiped out my entire stock. I could’ve sold three times as much.”

“That’s what happens when you have a marketing guru on the team,” said Ryan.

Fred guffawed. “Hardly!” But she enjoyed the warmth of his praise all the same.

“Well, if this is a sign of things to come, I’d better get next year’s designs finalized. It’s going to be a busy crackering year.”

Fred could sense that, as pleased as her mum was at the prospect of improved sales, she was feeling a bit overwhelmed.

“I’ll be here, remember,” she said kindly.

“And the aunts will chip in; they can’t help themselves, even if they are supposed to be retired.

If you take care of the designs, I’ll do the rest. Take some time, travel with Liam. I’ve got this.”

Bella smiled. “Thanks, love. I don’t know about taking time off, but I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too.”

“Well, since you’ve sold all your wares, you might as well join us down at the hardware store for the Christmas Face-off,” said Ryan. “It’s been a close-run thing this year.”

“As long you don’t mind your old mum tagging along?” Bella addressed Fred.

“I’d love it,” Fred declared. “We can swing by and steal Liam on the way.”

—

As far back as anyone could remember, the face-off had always resulted in jollity triumphing over devilment, and Krampus being sent back to his lair for another year.

A crowd had built, and while they waited for the two opposing forces of Christmas to arrive, the Pine Bluff Choir sang Christmas carols. Fred stood on tiptoes and craned her neck to see over the heads of the people in front of her.

“Are you trying to see the Naughty List?” Ryan asked, his face split with a grin.

“Obviously,” she returned.

“Okay then,” Ryan said in a strained voice as he bent to wrap his arms around her hips and lifted her off the floor.

She squealed and laughed, feeling as though she was going to tumble forward into the people in front of her, but then he steadied his hold on her, and she was able to see the board.

Relief swept over her. The Naughty List had been wiped clean; not even a trace of her name remained.

“Happy?” Ryan groaned.

“Very,” she replied. “Thank you. You may put me down.”

With an “ oomph ” he lowered her to the ground. “I think you’ve given me a hernia.”

“Stop accusing me of breaking your body,” she scolded, but she leaned in and rewarded him with a kiss for his troubles.

It was only two o’ clock but already the light was fading as dark mink-colored clouds unfurled themselves across the sky, shutting out the sun. When the snow arrived, it fell like thick white feathers, settling on shoulders and in hair.

Liam stood with his arm around Bella’s shoulders, and she crossed her arm over her heart to hold his hand.

They radiated contentment and Fred was filled with love for them both.

Though the sun had been banished, and the moon was yet to rise, Fred harnessed her gratitude and manifested on the snowflakes as they drifted down from the sky, asking the universe for her and Ryan to share the same fierce bravery and endurance in their love for each other that her mother had always shown her.

The door to Frost Hardware opened and Martha as Mrs. Christmas stepped out. A cheer went up and then quietened.

“Welcome, everyone, to the annual Krampus versus Christmas Face-Off!”

The crowd whooped.

“This year has been a close-run thing. The Naughty List has been fuller than it has been for years,” Martha went on.

“That’s what you get when Freddie Hallow-Hart comes back to town,” someone shouted, and those in the know laughed.

Fred scanned the faces in the crowd and saw people patting Mr. McCalister on the back. She rolled her eyes. “Of course it was him,” she said, throwing her arms up in the air. “I am never going to live those pigs down, am I?”

“They say that on a clear night you can still hear the ones that got away squealing for joy in the forest,” shouted Ryan. “They’ve taunted Mr. McCalister from that day to this.”

Fred’s mouth dropped open, and she laughed.

“You traitor!” The crowd laughed too but she didn’t care, she had no regrets; she liked to think those pigs she’d helped escape the abattoir were out there somewhere, living their best piggy lives.

It was the least she could have done, given how much bacon her family ate between them.

Martha, meanwhile, chuckled and said, “But we love her for all her tricksy ways.”

“Hear, hear!” shouted Ryan, and Fred felt ridiculously pleased.

“You may be a little biased, son of mine,” Martha continued, smiling. “But I think we can all agree that after a rocky start, she’s come good in the end.”

“I’ll second that!” Mr. Bishop called from his place in the choir.

“I’ll third, fourth and fifth it!” piped up Mrs. Doukas near the front of the crowd.

Fred smiled but shifted awkwardly, feeling suddenly exposed; being ridiculed she could handle, but being singled out for good things made her fold in on herself with embarrassment.