The Christmas Swap

by Sandy Barker

  Archer reached for her free hand. “As well as can be expected. There were tears—hers—and some shouting—also hers, but I was crystal clear with her. I told her it was definitely over.” Chloe let out the breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. “She protested even that, however …”

  “Oh.” Chloe’s jaw clenched. This conversation was wreaking more havoc on her insides than the merry-go-round.

  “But I assured her there was no chance of her and I reconciling, ever, because I have fallen in love with someone else.”

  Her eyes widened and her lips parted. It was not often that Chloe Sims was rendered speechless.

  “I told her that I love you, which as I’m saying it now, means that I told someone else—an ex, of all people—before I even told you and, bollocks, I’ve cocked this up, haven’t I? I’m so sorry.”

  A giggle erupted from Chloe. “You know, if we’re going to be together, you’re gonna have to stop all your over-the-top British apologising.”

  “I’m sor— Uh …”

  “Now,” she snaked her arms up around his neck, “can you please go back to the part—”

  “Where I say, ‘I love you’?” She nodded. “I do. I love you, Chloe.” Chloe blinked back tears. “It’s mad and it’s quick …”

  “It is,” she interjected breathlessly. The change in his expression told her that he was unsure how she felt, and her heart cracked a little at his vulnerability. “But I love you too,” she rushed to say. He broke into a grin and planted a hearty smack of a kiss onto her lips. “It was the floral rubber gloves, wasn’t it?”

  “I think it was you nearly dropping that plate of biscuits at the door and not letting me into my childhood home that did it for me,” he teased. Her mouth dropped open to form an O in mock-indignation and she swatted him playfully. “You thought I hadn’t noticed.” Chloe pinned him with a hard stare and quietly growled.

  Amusement danced across Archer’s face, then his expression softened, and Chloe’s breath caught. “I definitely noticed, Chloe. I’ve noticed everything about you since we met. You’re a wonder to me.” His eyes glossed with a sheen of tears.

  “I love you,” he said simply.

  “I love you too,” she replied.

  They skipped dinner out, instead nibbling from the cold plates of room-service food. Chloe couldn’t remember enjoying a meal more.

  Chapter 28

  Lucy

  The next morning’s eruption of activity reminded Lucy of the opening scene in Home Alone—the one where they’ve overslept and have to get two sets of parents and all those children to the airport in less than forty-five minutes. She tried to stay out of the way as seven family members packed up and got ready to depart the cabin, retreating to her room after breakfast to start working on her email to Angela.

  There was so much commotion, especially from the cousins as they gathered their belongings and Christmas presents from various corners of the cabin, that Lucy barely registered that Will was gone for most of the morning. He’d returned by the time Steph called her downstairs to say goodbye to Jackie and her brood.

  “I hope you don’t mind,” Bridget said to her quietly, “but I sent you a friend request on Facebook.” The hopeful look on her face sent a wave of affection through Lucy, but before she could reply, Bridget added, “But you don’t have to accept it or anything.”

  “Oh, I absolutely will.” They shared a smile and Lucy saw the colour creep up Bridget’s cheeks before she reached down to give her a hug. She wished that she’d had an older friend when she was Bridget’s age, someone who saw the world through a similar lens, someone who understood what it was like to be introverted and awkward.

  When the door closed behind Jackie, Bob and their three children, there was almost a collective sigh. “We’ll be out of your hair soon, too,” said Steph. Lucy wanted to protest that she was in no hurry for Steph and Joe to leave but worried it would come across as trite. Besides, it was only partially true.

  She returned to her room and opened up her laptop to read over her draft email to Angela. There was a gentle knock on the doorframe and when Lucy looked up, Will was filling most of it. His hair was messy as though he’d just pulled his beanie off. It made him look especially handsome, she thought.

  “Hey,” he said, “can I come in?”

  “Of course.” She closed the laptop and made room for him on the bed, clearing away a notepad and pen and smoothing the duvet.

  “What ya working on?” he asked, indicating her laptop.

  “I’m taking an excruciatingly long time to write a very brief email to my manager, Angela.”

  “Ah, yes, the whole ‘Mark Twain’ thing.”

  “I’m not sure I follow.”

  “There’s this famous quote from Mark Twain about that. I think it’s, ‘I apologise for the length of this letter; I didn’t have time to write a short one’. Something like that anyway.”

  “That sounds spot on.”

  “I could take a look, if you like?”

  “Oh, absolutely.” Lucy opened up her laptop and spun it around so Will could read her draft. It wouldn’t take him long as she hadn’t got very far. Still, she wasn’t sure if it was a good sign when he bit his bottom lip.

  “It’s not bad. I think this part may be laying it on a bit thick, though.” He pointed to a line about how much she admired Angela. She’d gone back and forth on that part.

  “Hmm. I thought as much.”

  “I mean, it could be okay. Do you admire her?”

  Lucy giggled. “No, not especially. But as your mum pointed out, quite rightly, I could learn from her. Maybe I’ll grow to admire her.”

  “It could come across as disingenuous, though, especially as she must know how you feel about her.”

  “How so?”

  “Lucy, you have to know that your face is an open book.” Lucy’s eyes widened, horrified that she’d somehow conveyed her disdain for Angela without saying a word. “See? Right there, just like that.” Her hands flew to her mouth, as though to stop it, even though she hadn’t said anything. Will reached for one hand, prying it away from her face and lacing his fingers through hers.

  “Hey, it’s okay. Even if she knows how you feel about her—actually, especially if she knows—you can use it to your advantage. I think my mom was right. She sounds insecure, like she’s still trying to find her place in the firm. You reaching out like this gives her a chance to redeem herself. I think she’ll respect the hell out of you for it.”

  “Really?”

  He didn’t answer right away and regarded her intensely. “You have no idea, do you?” he said.

  “I don’t know. Possibly. What do you mean?” It was as though her question had proven him right and he seemed amused. Even so, Lucy sensed that he wasn’t belittling her or being cruel.

  “What I mean,” he said, leaning over to place a soft kiss on her lips, “is that you have no idea how formidable you can be.”

  “Formidable” was hardly a word Lucy would use to describe herself. She’d spent most of her life feeling timid, often terrified of upsetting the apple cart. Still, it was clear that Will saw something different in her, and she wanted to know why. “How so?”

  “You are clearly smart, and I’m guessing from everything we’ve talked about that you are awesome at your job.” Well, that part was true. She gave him a tentative nod, reluctant to come across as conceited. “And you’re a genuinely good person. You’re not the kind of person who would treat others badly to get ahead.” Also true—Lucy wouldn’t dream of doing that to someone. It was one of the reasons she disliked Angela so much. She acknowledged Will’s point with a small shrug.

  “And you’re super-hot.” Well, that was just silly. Even if it were true, how would that make her formidable? She shook her head as if to shake all the pieces of Will’s argument into place.

  “Hey.” She met Will’s eyes, confused. “I mean it. You add up your intelligence, your good heart, and your looks, and you
could intimidate the hell out of someone, especially if they’re insecure.” Lucy believed Will meant what he was saying, and she swapped out her frown for a shy smile. “I mean, you gotta know that it took some serious courage on my part to kiss you, even though it was obvious that you wanted me to.”

  She tutted and swatted him gently on the chest. “You are so full of yourself, Will Reinhardt.”

  He grinned. “Yup,” he replied, laughing. His laughter trailed off as his eyes dropped to her mouth. “Hey, come ’ere,” he said softly before kissing her again.

  There was an, “Ahem,” from the doorway and they leapt apart. Steph looked at them apologetically. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt, but Joe and I are heading out.”

  “Oh, right.” Lucy jumped up so quickly that the top of her head caught Will under his chin, the collision causing both to emit a loud “ow”.

  “Oh, my god, are you two okay?” Steph rushed into the room, looking from one to the other in concern.

  Lucy started to giggle as she rubbed her forehead. “I’m so sorry, Will. Are you all right?” He touched a finger to the end of his tongue, which was bleeding. Lucy stopped laughing. “Oh, I’m so clumsy,” she chastised herself.

  “It’s all good.” He stood, towering over both Steph and Lucy. “I’ll help Joe load up the car,” he said before jogging out of the room. Lucy could hear his footfalls on the staircase.

  “You’re okay?” asked Steph.

  “Just embarrassed.” Steph waved her comment away. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter,” Lucy said, even though she was still cross with herself. Why was she always so ungainly? “I’ve been working on my email to Angela, like you said. I showed Will, and he thinks I’m close to a draft worth sending.”

  “Oh, that’s great, honey.”

  “I wanted to thank you. For, well, everything, really. You’ve been wonderful and I’ve had the best time.”

  Steph took both Lucy’s hands in hers. “We’ve so loved having you here. I’m kind of sad we’re leaving so soon. I wish we’d had more time together, just you and me, but Joe’s back at work tomorrow. You’ll have to come see us again, and soon.”

  “I absolutely will,” said Lucy, the words popping out of her mouth before she could unpack the magnitude of what they might mean.

  “Enjoy the rest of the rest your stay,” said Steph. She pulled Lucy into a tight hug and when Steph released her, she could only smile, not trusting her voice.

  “Hey, babe?” Joe’s voice called from downstairs.

  “Come on. Come wave us off. Coming, hon!”

  Minutes later, it was just Will and Lucy alone in the giant cabin, Nate having driven into Breckenridge to go to the hardware shop.

  “How’s your chin and your tongue?” Lucy asked, giving Will her complete attention.

  He waved off her concern, a playful smile on his face. “I’ll live.”

  Lucy reached up and ran her fingertips along the edge of his jawline, then traced his lips. They parted slightly and she could hear his intake of breath. “Will …” They were all alone.

  She rose on tiptoes, her hands finding Will’s chest to steady herself, then snaking up around his neck and nestling in his hair. He seemed mesmerised, his playful smile evaporating as his eyes rivetted to hers. She was gentle with her kiss at first, not wanting to hurt him, but in moments, his soft lips responded, and their mouths joined with a fervour that echoed her sole thought. We’re all alone. His tongue touched to hers and tasted faintly metallic. His arms encircled her, one hand flat against the small of her back, the other cupping her head, pulling her into the kiss.

  It was impossible to know how much time passed and Lucy would have very happily retired to any of the rooms—upstairs or down—to take advantage of their solitude, but Will broke the kiss, panting slightly, and pressed his forehead to hers.

  Had she done something wrong? Lucy stiffened, still caught in Will’s embrace, but unsure what to do next. What was the right thing to do after a kiss like that? From the recesses of her mind came a realisation. She had no idea how to answer that, because she’d never had a kiss like that before. No, she realised with some disdain, she’d got to the age of thirty-three without having any kind of true passion in her life. No wonder Will was backing away. Clearly, he was overwhelmed by how needy she was.

  “Lucy, god, I want you so much …” Or not! “But … we’ve got that snowmobiling and snowshoeing thing.” Was he serious? He wanted to forgo making love to her to go bloody snowshoeing?

  She pulled out of the embrace and smoothed down her hair. “Oh, quite right.” Will looked crestfallen, but how was she supposed to act? She’d thought that her sexy fantasy was about to come to fruition. Instead, she would be donning the giant eggplant snowsuit, possibly the least attractive article of clothing ever invented, and going out into the snow. The snow that she had travelled across the world to see. She bit her lip, cross with herself for being so petulant. There was definitely an unease between them now.

  “Well …” Will shook his head, a bit like a cartoon character trying to set his mind right. “As soon as we’re ready, we’ll head out.” He gave her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes and Lucy instantly decided to enjoy every ounce of their snowy excursion. It was obviously important to him.

  She reached out and squeezed Will’s hand. “I’ll go and get ready.” She ran up the stairs without waiting for him to reply.

  *

  There was no way Lucy could have known just how perfect Will’s plans would be. After she’d bundled herself up in that wretched snowsuit and all the other cold-weather accoutrements, she’d met him outside where he stood next to a giant red and black snowmobile. She realised that she’d only ever seen one in films. It looked a little terrifying, as though a motorcycle had eaten a tractor.

  Her open book of a face must have revealed her terror, because Will laughed. “It’s completely safe, I promise. And I’ve been riding one of these since I was twelve.”

  “All right. I believe you.”

  He climbed on and patted the seat behind him, and she clambered aboard the motorised beast.

  “Here.” He handed her a hefty black helmet, before lowering his own onto his head and fastening the strap. Lucy fumbled with her helmet and had to take her gloves off to secure it. “Okay?” Will asked swivelling to get a look at her. His eyes dipped to the fastener as though to check it and he smiled before lowering his face shield. She lowered hers, just as he started the engine. “Hold on to my waist,” Will called out above the engine. She did. “Ready?” he called. She didn’t know if he’d be able to hear her, so she squeezed his waist tightly and then they were off.

  It was thrilling to fly along the narrow trails, a plume of snow following them, the rev of the engine beneath them, and Lucy laughed gleefully almost nonstop as they rode deep into the woods. It was the most fun she’d ever had outside—even better than skiing.

  Will was a good driver, too, and despite the proximity of the trees to the trail, she never felt scared, trusting him completely. As they rounded bends, she leant when Will did, all the while clasping his waist tightly. When he came to a stop, she was breathless from laughing and a little disappointed.

  He turned off the engine and flipped up the visor on his helmet. Lucy reluctantly let go of him and climbed off the snowmobile to make it easier for Will to do the same. “Was that you laughing the whole time?” he teased. She nodded, her head still ensconced in the helmet. She flipped up her own visor. “Yes,” she replied, still catching her breath, “it was just brilliant.” They grinned at each other.

  “Awesome. That means, you won’t dread the return journey then.”

  “Hardly.”

  “So, are you ready for the next part of our excursion?” He pulled off his helmet and placed it right side up on the seat of the snowmobile, and Lucy did the same with hers. Will had strapped the snowshoes to the side of the snowmobile with bungee cords which he released with a snap. He helped her put on her snowshoes and while
he was outfitting himself, she walked about trying them out. They were less cumbersome than flippers, although she did have to walk with her feet further apart than normal. It certainly wasn’t the most elegant way to get about.

  “Ready?” he asked, as he slung a backpack over his shoulder. Lucy nodded and Will took off down a small trail she hadn’t yet noticed. She followed closely, loving how still and silent the forest was around them, the only sound the light crunching of their snowshoes against the snow.

  “How deep is it here?” she asked after a few minutes, her voice low and quiet in reverence of their surroundings.

  “The snow?” Will asked, turning back towards her.

  “Yes.”

  He stopped walking and looked around. He regarded the nearest tree, looking up at the trunk, then glanced at the other trees next to the trail. “Hmm, best guess is about four or five feet.” Lucy’s eyes widened in disbelief. Even when it did snow in Oxfordshire—or London for that matter—it usually melted before it could accumulate. In London, a few inches would be considered heavy snow fall. Five feet was mostly unheard of in England, except maybe in the north after a particularly bad storm.

  Will grinned at her. “That’s why the snowshoes. Otherwise, we’d just sink into the snow.” The thought gave her the willies and she shivered. “Come on, it’s not far to where we’re going.”

  “Oh, I thought we were just going for a walk.”

  “No, I have a destination in mind.” He raised his eyebrows at her a couple of times and started off down the trail again. Lucy stuck close to him, intrigued and abandoning her grim thoughts about suffocating in a snow drift.

  There was a burst of movement in the periphery of her vision, and she swivelled in that direction. There between the trees was a doe, standing stock still and watching them. “Will,” Lucy whispered. The sound of her voice carried, and Will stopped then followed the line of her gaze. “She’s gorgeous.”