Snowy Nights at the Lonely Hearts Hotel: A heart-warming feel-good romance

by Karen King

  ‘I think Toni would like to sit with Marta on the next table,’ Logan said easily. ‘Perhaps Ariane wouldn’t mind swapping seats.’

  ‘Of course not.’ Ariane immediately got up. ‘Come on, kids.’

  Okay, so something had gone on between Toni and Logan in the past. Had he slept with her? Saffy wondered as Ariane sat down, all smiles, next to Logan. She shrugged; it was none of her business and at least Ariane seemed happy to sit next to him.

  As the dinner progressed and the wine started to flow, everyone seemed to relax and get along well.

  ‘So how do you usually spend Christmas, Saffy?’ asked Ariane.

  ‘Oh you know, the usual single-without-kids stuff,’ she said with a shrug. ‘Lunch with friends, parties.’

  ‘Sounds like heaven,’ Ariane said. ‘And to think you gave that up for us.’

  Saffy smiled. ‘It’s a pleasure. This party means a lot to Hannah and Lee, they are both really upset that they can’t be here.’

  ‘How are the twins?’ asked Ariane.

  ‘Much better, they’re coming home tomorrow afternoon. So, I’ll be having another Christmas dinner on Friday, with Hannah and Lee, before I go home.’

  They chatted easily, about children, jobs, boyfriends, all the women on the table joining in, sharing anecdotes about their kids, their exes, their lives in general. Saffy was so pleased that she’d agreed to host the party for Hannah. Looking around and seeing how everyone was enjoying themselves made it all worthwhile.

  When the meal was over, several of the guests insisted on helping clear the table and load the dishwasher. ‘We always do it for Hannah,’ Marta said. Then Saffy took orders for dessert – Christmas pudding for those who wanted it, or mince pies or ice cream (or both) for those who didn’t. She, Robbie and Duncan dished up and handed it out, then crackers were pulled, and the kids collected all the joke slips, reading them out repeatedly. It was a noisy, jolly affair.

  When everyone had finished eating, Duncan tapped his glass with his spoon and stood up. ‘If I can have your attention please.’

  He was going to give a speech, Saffy thought with amusement as they all turned to look at him.

  ‘First of all, I’d like to say how lovely it is to spend Christmas with you all. Christmas is a time for everyone to get together and celebrate.’ He looked around and smiled at all the watching guests. ‘Robbie and I are delighted to help Saffy keep up Hannah and Lee’s tradition and host this dinner for you all.’ He raised his glass. ‘Merry Christmas, everyone!’

  ‘Merry Christmas!’ they all chorused, raising their glasses too.

  Logan stood up then. ‘Thank you. I’m sure we’d all like to thank Saffy for saving the day, Duncan for cooking such a marvellous dinner, and Robbie for “helping” Santa.’

  This was greeted with a big round of applause, more raising of glasses and cheers.

  Duncan stood up again. ‘Secondly’ – he paused for effect and looked slowly around the room to ensure he had everyone’s attention – ‘I would like to ask you all to join me and Robbie’ – he looked at Robbie, who immediately stood up, glass in hand – ‘in celebrating our engagement!’

  Cheers and claps greeted this announcement as Duncan and Robbie proudly held out their hands, wriggling their fingers so everyone could see the rings sparkling there.

  ‘How exciting! Let me have a look!’ Marta got up from her seat and dashed over to them. Others joined her and soon Robbie and Duncan were surrounded.

  Saffy smiled as she listened to the gasps of admiration and chit-chat. The ice was well and truly broken, thanks to Duncan and Robbie. She took a sip of her drink and started to relax as the warm liquid trickled down her throat.

  ‘It’s going well, isn’t it?’

  Saffy turned her head as Logan slipped into the seat beside her.

  ‘Yes, thanks to those two,’ she replied.

  ‘Rubbish, you’ve made just as much effort, but yes – no one can resist an engagement, especially at Christmas time.’ He was gazing seriously at her now. ‘Look, I wanted to apologise properly about earlier. You know, the falling off the roof thing. I shouldn’t have shouted so loud and startled you. I just sort of freaked out when I saw you up there.’

  ‘It’s okay. I know you were only trying to help, and you did break my fall. I guess I freaked out too, when I saw the ground racing up towards me…’ She swallowed. ‘Anyway, I shouldn’t have been so rude.’

  His eyes were holding hers and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her again but Chloe tugged at his sleeve to ask for glass of water and the moment was gone.

  Then she remembered Logan’s Christmas cake; she should show it to everyone and thank him properly. She went to the kitchen to get it, where Oscar was now so happily chewing his Christmas bone he didn’t even get up to greet her, merely wagged his tail. When she returned to the dining room with the cake she put it down on the dresser and clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention.

  ‘Logan has kindly made us this gorgeous Christmas cake, which we’ll be cutting up later – although it seems a shame to spoil it.’ She held it up so everyone could see it. ‘Just look at this!’

  ‘That’s amazing!’ Ariane exclaimed. ‘Clever you, Logan!’

  ‘They say men make the best chefs,’ Geoff quipped and was good-humouredly shouted down.

  Everyone congratulated Logan, who looked a bit bashful, then Duncan took the cake back into the kitchen to be sliced up later, and made another tray of Christmas cocktails, while Saffy organised some games for the children in the lounge.

  There was a lot of laughter as the children played Saffy’s Pin the Tail on the Reindeer game. Some of the adults joined in too, and were in fits of giggles when Robbie pinned the tail to the reindeer’s mouth. Then Saffy got out the balloon pump and blew up an assortment of different coloured balloons for the children to play with. Several got accidentally popped but there were plenty more to ensure that each child could take one home. This was followed by Pass the Parcel for the younger children and board games for the older ones. It was so nice to see the parents sitting chatting while the children played happily together, Saffy thought as she watched them.

  ‘Come on, Saffy, play Twister with me and Daddy,’ Chloe urged, tugging at Saffy’s sleeve. ‘I’ll show you how to play it if you don’t know.’

  Saffy looked dubiously at the white mat with its big coloured circles spread out on the floor. It was one of her and Hannah’s favourite games when they were children and from what she remembered they often got twisted in all sorts of positions. She wasn’t sure her leather trousers were up to it. And Twister was one of those games that was often more fun to watch than to play. Not to mention that she was still a bit sore after this morning’s plunge from the kitchen roof.

  ‘I think it might be a bit too energetic for Saffy,’ Logan said, the challenge evident in his voice. ‘I’ll play with you.’

  Challenge accepted. Saffy stood up. ‘Not at all, we used to play Twister a lot when we were kids and I was the champ.’

  ‘Really?’ Chloe sounded very impressed. ‘Daddy’s hopeless at it,’ she confided.

  ‘I am not!’ Logan protested, pretending to be offended.

  Saffy grinned. This sounded like it might be fun.

  Robbie was the referee. One game had just ended so Chloe ran over and touched his arm to get his attention. ‘We’re next!’ she said excitedly.

  Robbie looked Saffy up and down. ‘In those trousers?’ he asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

  ‘They’re very stretchy,’ she replied, hoping they were.

  ‘Well, if you’re sure.’ It was obvious he wasn’t, which made Saffy even more determined.

  ‘I am.’

  ‘Right then, take off your shoes everyone, then Logan, you get this side of the mat, Saffy that side and Chloe, you’re in the middle. When I blow my whistle, I’ll start the spinner and the game begins. Right?’

  ‘Right,’ Saffy and Logan said in unison as they
faced each other, one foot on the blue and one foot on the yellow circle. Chloe placed her feet on the two red middle circles.

  Robbie blew the whistle then spun the spinner. ‘Left foot yellow!’

  And so it went on until Saffy and Logan ended up in a ridiculous position with Saffy bent over Chloe on all fours, like a crab, and Logan with one leg stretched out so far he wobbled and fell. Saffy won.

  ‘You’re right! You are the champion,’ Chloe said. ‘Can we have another game?

  ‘I want to play,’ a young lad said.

  Logan wiped the back of his forehead with his hand. ‘You can have my place. I need a drink.’ He pointed his thumb at Saffy, who was beaming. ‘See if you can beat the champ.’

  Chapter Twenty

  The party had gone much better than he’d expected, Logan thought, as he watched Chloe playing Twister with the lad and Saffy. Saffy looked so incredibly sexy in those black leather trousers that clung seductively to her – especially when she stretched out her legs like that. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her as she stood, legs open wide, trying to reach her next circle. An image of her bending over him, her sexy leather-trouser-enclothed crotch just centimetres from his eyes flashed across his mind. No wonder he needed a drink! Seriously, those trousers were so tight you’d have thought she’d been poured into them. He hoped they were stitched up securely.

  There again…

  ‘Gorgeous, isn’t she?’ Duncan sat down beside him. ‘And one of the kindest people you’d ever meet. If I was into women she’d be the one I’d go for.’

  ‘No boyfriend in the frame then?’ Logan asked casually. Saffy had told him she had no intention of settling down and having a family but he presumed she had boyfriends.

  ‘In between them at the moment. She’s left a lot of broken hearts in her wake, has our Saff. She doesn’t do serious. Married to her career.’

  Like Jade.

  Duncan turned to him. ‘At least until someone comes along and makes her realise that there’s more to life than work.’ He got back up. ‘Okay everyone, let’s have a bit of dancing music, shall we?’

  He’d been playing jolly Christmas songs but now switched to a more current playlist.

  Everyone looked like they were having a good time. Geoff and Ariane were chatting, heads close together, with plenty of eye contact and laughter. Logan hoped this was the start of something special with them; they were both lovely, kind people but Ariane was rather shy and had taken some persuading to come to the party. It would be great to see them both together. Marta and Toni seemed to be hitting it off too. If Toni made another friend she might finally forgive him for Sonja leaving.

  Saffy sat down by him. ‘I know Hannah usually ends the party about now but everyone is having such a good time, I was wondering if I should rustle up a buffet. There’s a couple of loaves in the freezer – they won’t take long to defrost – and I’m sure I could find something to put on them. What do you think?’

  ‘Good idea, do you want me to help you?’ he offered.

  ‘If you don’t mind. We can leave Duncan and Robbie to entertain everyone, they’re enjoying themselves.’

  Logan grinned. ‘They do tend to take over a bit, don’t they?’

  They slipped off to the kitchen, and soon Saffy had located and defrosted two loaves, which Logan set to buttering while she sliced some cheese and ham.

  ‘Need any help?’ Marta sauntered in and placed her arm loosely around Logan’s waist. He gently eased himself away on the pretext of getting some more butter out of the fridge.

  ‘We’re all covered in here, thanks, but it would be really helpful if you carried the plates through into the dining room. I’ve pushed a couple of tables against the back wall ready.’ He handed her a plate of ham sandwiches. ‘Thanks.’

  Marta looked disappointed but walked off with the plate.

  ‘She’s got the hots for you, hasn’t she?’ Saffy said. ‘Don’t mind me if you want to go and hang out with her.’

  ‘No. She’s nice enough and Chloe adores her but there’s no spark there, not for me anyway.’ He took a beaker out of the cupboard and turned on the tap. ‘The trouble is I kissed her at the last Christmas party, nothing heavy, a Merry Christmas kiss under the mistletoe, but she took it for more than that and has been virtually throwing herself at me ever since.’

  ‘And Toni? Did you kiss her under the mistletoe too?’

  ‘No, I made the mistake of going out with her friend, Sonja, who wanted more of a permanent relationship than I did. She was pretty cut up when I ended it and she moved out of the village. Toni has never forgiven me for driving her best friend away.’

  ‘Been there, got the T-shirt, guys don’t take rejection any easier than women.’ She thought of an ex who had hounded her for weeks, begging her to go back out with him.

  ‘You’ve no one serious in your life then?’ Logan asked.

  ‘No.’ Not since Joe. Joe, who told her he had loved her then spent the whole six months of their relationship trying to change her before dumping her when he found out she couldn’t have children. ‘And that’s the way I want it to stay. How about you? Have you ever thought of getting married again?’

  ‘I’ve never been married. Jade and I lived together.’ He picked up a glass and filled it with water. ‘And no. I have no intention of getting married. Chloe is my number one priority and I’m not bringing another woman into her life for her to be abandoned again.’

  She wanted to ask him what had gone wrong, why Jade had walked out and left Chloe behind, but it wasn’t really the topic for a jolly Christmas Day.

  ‘My mum was the same, she refused to even date until I was in my teens. She’s remarried again now though. She lives in France.’ Saffy opened the fridge and took out a large pork pie.

  ‘Hannah told me your father walked out when you were only four. That must have been tough,’ Logan said sympathetically.

  ‘It wasn’t easy. Mum held down three jobs just to keep it all together and was constantly apologising for not spending enough time with us. Hannah was like a substitute mum to me.’

  ‘And that’s why you’ve given up your Christmas to help her?’

  ‘Well to be honest, Hannah guilt-tripped me, but I’m so glad I did. Everyone seems to be having such a good time. Christmas can be lonely when you’re a single parent.’

  ‘It sure can.’

  The tone of his voice made her turn and look at him. The blue eyes were clouded now, as if he too was remembering. It must be tough for him to bring up Chloe alone, Saffy thought. Tough for every parent here. And Hannah, with her big heart, brought them all together on Christmas Day. That was the true Christmas spirit. Maybe some of the parents here have made lifelong friends. Maybe there has even been a wedding.

  She asked Logan if there had been but he shook his head. ‘I think Hannah would love that to happen though. You know your sister, she’s a romantic. Shall I cut up the cake?’

  ‘Go ahead, you made it.’ Saffy was now slicing cheese into cubes and popping it onto cocktail sticks.

  Logan opened the top cupboard by the sink and took out the large cake knife.

  ‘How did you know the knife lived there?’ Saffy asked. ‘I was looking for it for ages earlier.’

  ‘I have been here quite a few times, you know,’ he joked. ‘And your sister is pretty safety conscious, she always keeps knives and anything dangerous away from the twins.’ He deftly sliced the cake in half, then half again, and again, until he had lots of small slices. One chunk he left uncut. ‘That’s for Hannah and Lee,’ he said, taking a plastic food container out of the cupboard and putting the cake in it. ‘I’m guessing you haven’t been down here for a while?’

  ‘Not since the twins’ christening.’ She shrugged. ‘You know how it is when you’re working.’ She opened a large tin of pineapple chunks and started to place each chunk on top of the cheese on the cocktail sticks.

  Yes he did, he was busy with his career himself and hadn’t seen his own pa
rents, who lived in Scotland, for ages. Work and looking after Chloe seemed to take up all his time. Saffy didn’t have a child though so it seemed a shame she couldn’t spare the odd weekend to come down to Cornwall and visit her sister and nephew and niece.

  * * *

  After the buffet, Saffy sat the children around the table and got out the craft things she’d bought, hoping it would wind them all down before they went home. The children loved making the Santa hands, which involved drawing around their hands then covering the fingers with cotton buds, and colouring in the hand to make a Santa’s face, before adding a red tissue hat with a cotton ball pompom. Then they made pompom Christmas trees too and some sparkly masks, which they all immediately put on. Several parents joined in, and some of the masks were very flamboyant, with feathers, sequins and glitter all over them. Laughter filled the room.

  ‘Well done, babe, you’ve totally nailed the Lonely Hearts Christmas Party,’ Robbie told her. ‘Your sister will be proud of you.’

  ‘Well, that’ll be a first,’ Saffy replied. ‘But I couldn’t have done it without yours and Duncan’s help.’ She was so pleased that the party was a success, though.

  It was gone eight before the guests started to leave, the children clutching the things they’d made and their Santa gifts, all hugging Saffy, Duncan and Robbie goodbye, thanking them and saying what a wonderful time they’d had.

  Logan was the last to go. He helped tidy up a bit and then gathered together his things.

  ‘It’s been fantastic,’ he told them. ‘Thank you all for saving Christmas for us.’ He held out his hand and shook Robbie’s and Duncan’s hands in turn. Then he leaned forward and kissed Saffy lightly on the cheek. ‘Look, if you want to pop over for a nightcap later, you’re all welcome. Chloe is exhausted and will be fast asleep in half an hour.’

  Robbie and Duncan exchanged glances. ‘Thanks, but we’re travelling home really early in the morning and would like to spend the rest of the evening together,’ Robbie said. ‘But I’m sure Saffy will keep you company.’