Page 43 of Merry & Bright

Confident, unshakeable Nick Foster—uncertain? That was about as a crazy an idea as the one about Sam being perfect. But then, sometimes how people looked on the outside didn’t always match how they felt on the inside.

“Okay,” Sam said softly. “Let’s give this a go. Let’s... try us out.”

Nick’s smile was huge. “You’ve just given me the best Christmas present.”

“What, a Mr Perfect?” Sam grinned. “Nah. I did one better than you. I got a Wonder Boy.”

Nick chuckled, leaning in for a kiss.

“Merry Christmas, Mr Perfect,” he murmured against Sam’s lips.

“Merry Christmas, Wonder Boy.”

**

The End

Rest and Be Thankful

Chapter One

Monday, 29th December

“You’re going to have to replace it, I’m afraid.”

Cam stared at the back of the plumber’s head, glad the man’s attention was still on the ancient boiler. Glad he wasn’t watching as Cam visibly swallowed against the hard lump that had materialised in his throat at this news.

“How much’ll that cost?” Cam asked.

He’d waited three days before he’d called Alan Glenn, a near neighbour and the only plumber for miles around, hoping beyond hope the heating might spontaneously come on again. It was only with this unexpected cold snap that he’d finally given in, worried by the prospect of burst pipes.

Alan looked at Cam over his shoulder. He was one of those men whose hair went white early, but his skin was smooth and unlined and his bushy eyebrows were black, making his age difficult to judge. Those startling eyebrows drew closer together as he totted up the cost in his head. “It’s an old system,” he said at last. “I reckon you’re looking at fourteen, fifteen hundred, all in.”

Cam pressed his lips together and gave a short nod. He’d been praying the problem would turn out to be something minor and cheap to fix. No such luck.

Luck wasn’t something he’d had much of lately.