The Best Christmas Ever: a feel-good festive romance to warm your heart this Christmas

by Karen King

  ‘And me,’ said Nell. ‘Some men are hopeless, but Ryan’s great at mucking in without even being asked.’ She raised her glass. ‘To well-brought-up sons.’ She and Sonia clinked glasses.

  ‘We were all raised to do that. Mum and Dad worked and we all had to muck in, but Ben’s mum waited on him hand and foot and he wasn’t great at doing stuff around the house,’ Lexi said. In fact, Ben had expected her to do everything, and a lot of the time she had; as she got home from work before him, it made sense to her to cook the dinner or do a bit of housework. She bit her lip, realising that their relationship had had flaws in it long before Rosa came on the scene.

  ‘It sounds like you’re well rid of him,’ Nell told her.

  Lexi nodded. ‘I think I am.’

  It was a fun, lively morning. Roars of laughter were coming from the men in the kitchen, and Sonia and Nell couldn’t resist poking their head around the door a couple of times, but they were immediately shooed away.

  ‘No women allowed!’ the men chorused every time the door was opened.

  Nell reported back that the table was covered with pastries, cakes, quiches and sandwiches. ‘They’re cooking enough to feed an army,’ she remarked.

  ‘They always do,’ Paula told her. ‘If there’s any left over, I’ll take it to the bakery tomorrow and let the customers in the tearoom eat it.’

  Lexi’s parents never opened the bakery on Boxing Day, believing that it was important family time, but everything went back to normal the next day until New Year’s Day, when the bakery was always closed again.

  The morning flew by, and before they knew it, Lloyd and Joel were ringing the doorbell.

  Lexi opened the front door. ‘Merry Christmas!’ she said.

  ‘Merry Christmas!’ they both chorused.

  Sweetie peeped her head out from the neck of Joel’s coat, which was wrapped around her. ‘Woof!’

  ‘Hello, girl!’ Lexi stroked her head. ‘Shall I take her?’

  ‘Thanks. We’ve walked here. Lloyd insisted – your gran bought him some new grippers for his boots – and Sweetie didn’t like getting her feet wet in the snow, so I had to carry her.’

  He passed the little dog to Lexi, then wiped the snowflakes off his shoulders. ‘I can’t believe all these decorations you have up outside. You certainly do Christmas in a big way, don’t you?’

  ‘We do. Wait until you see inside,’ Lexi told him, standing aside to let them both past, each of them carrying a bag of what she could see were wrapped Christmas presents. ‘And you really shouldn’t have bought all those presents. We didn’t expect it.’

  ‘It’s been nice to have someone to buy presents for, that’s one of the best parts of Christmas,’ Lloyd told her.

  ‘Thank you again for asking us,’ Joel said. He looked at the lights twinkling in the hall, then up the stairs. ‘I think I see what you mean about the decorations.’

  ‘You will when you go into the lounge. Even the bedrooms have a Christmas tree and lights.’

  ‘Really?’ Joel’s astonished expression made her giggle.

  She led the way into the lounge. ‘Joel and Lloyd are here,’ she announced, still cradling Sweetie in her arms.

  ‘Merry Christmas!’ everyone chorused.

  ‘Hello, Sweetie.’ Nell stroked the little dog, who instantly wriggled in Lexi’s arms.

  ‘Do you want to go down?’ Lexi put her on the floor and she ran around excitedly, from one person to the other.

  ‘I think she’s going to get thoroughly spoilt today,’ Lexi told Joel.

  Lloyd looked at everyone in their Christmas jumpers. ‘Oh, it looks like we should have worn a Christmas jumper.’

  ‘A Christmas jumper? I’ve never had one of those,’ Joel replied.

  ‘There’s a first time for everything.’ Lexi handed him his present.

  Joel took it gingerly. ‘It isn’t?’

  ‘It is,’ she told him.

  ‘And here’s one for you.’ Granny Mabe handed a parcel to Lloyd. ‘I thought you might not have one.’

  Lloyd’s face broke into a huge grin. ‘Thank you so much.’

  Joel had taken off his coat and was now pulling his sweatshirt off, to reveal a black top that hugged his perfectly toned body. Lexi realised that she was staring, and tore her eyes away, only to catch Nell giving her a wink before mock-fanning herself. She grinned. Obviously, she wasn’t the only one who thought that Joel had a very sexy body.

  Lexi looked back at Joel and saw that he was now wearing the Christmas jumper which fitted him like a glove. He was the same height as Ben, but broader shouldered. The jumper would have been a bit looser on Ben.

  ‘It fits you perfectly,’ she said.

  Joel grinned. ‘It does and it’s the same pattern as your cardigan so I presume you must have knitted it yourself?’

  Of course! How stupid, she’d forgotten that! She was actually wearing her Christmas cardigan today, so now they both matched. ‘Yes, it’s my own design,’ she admitted.

  ‘It suits you,’ Nell said to Joel, admiringly.

  ‘Well it’s the first time I’ve ever worn a Christmas jumper, but it is a very nice one. Thank you, Lexi.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’

  Meanwhile, Lloyd had pulled on his Christmas jumper, too, a red one with a snowman on the front. ‘Well, this is very festive,’ he said with a grin. ‘Did you knit it, Mabe?’

  ‘No, I spotted it in the big supermarket yesterday and had a guess at your size. Looks like I made the right choice!’

  There were a couple of presents for Sweetie, too: another squeaky toy, which she loved, and a biscuit bone.

  Craig poked his head out of the kitchen door. ‘You’re just in time, the buffet’s ready.’ Then he whistled. ‘Great, you’ve come in Christmas jumpers. Brilliant. Someone give them a party hat, too.’

  Lexi picked up the two Christmas hats she’d put on the sideboard ready for them, and handed Lloyd and Joel one each. Her eyes met Joel’s in an unspoken challenge to wear it. He grinned and put it on.

  Joel gave Sweetie the biscuit bone, leaving her to chew it happily while they all piled into the kitchen, oohing and aahing at the laden table. Tiny quiches, pork pies, samosas, spring rolls, pasties, plates of assorted sandwiches, bowls of various salads, and, in the middle of the table, a cake stand with a selection of delicious cakes, as well as two bowls of trifle and a fruit flan. It was a scrumptious feast.

  ‘This reminds me of spending Christmas with my grandparents,’ Joel said. ‘Gran and Grandad always did a spread like this on Boxing Day.’

  ‘Tuck in, everyone, drinks are on the side here. Help yourself. Me and the lads are off duty now, and we’re going to celebrate.’ Craig beamed at everyone. ‘Anyone want a glass of my homemade wine?’

  Jay and Ryan both exchanged a grin. ‘No way, that stuff is lethal,’ Jay said.

  ‘I’ll try it. What sort is it?’ said Joel.

  Jay looked at Joel. ‘Seriously, mate, don’t touch it. One glass and you’ll be out of your head.’

  ‘That’s a bit harsh, lads,’ Craig said, putting his hand on his heart as if he was deeply wounded.

  ‘From what I remember of it, you lads drank a whole bottle . . . each! No wonder you both had a hangover,’ Paula chided them.

  ‘Well, I’d actually like to try it,’ Joel said. ‘Just a small glass.’

  Craig rewarded him with a beaming smile. ‘I’ve got rhubarb, elderberry or parsnip.’

  ‘I’ll go for elderberry, please.’

  Ryan patted Joel on the back. ‘Good luck, mate. You can kip on the sofa if you can’t manage the walk home.’

  Lexi grinned at Joel’s expression. ‘Ignore them, they like to tease – but I would stick to only one glass,’ she added, knowing first-hand how drunk some people had got after sampling too much of her father’s seemingly harmless but very potent home brews.

  ‘I think I’ll pass on it and just have a cup of tea,’ Lloyd said.

  ‘I was about to put the
kettle on,’ Granny Mabe told him. ‘I bet you like it strong.’ She tilted her head to one side. ‘One sugar. Am I right?’

  ‘Spot on.’ Lloyd rubbed his hands. ‘Well, I must say, this spread looks delightful. Mind if I tuck in?’

  ‘Please do. If this doesn’t get eaten today, we’ll be living off it all week!’ Paula jested.

  Sonia and Jay were already helping themselves. Lloyd picked up a plate from the pile on the end of the table and joined them.

  The afternoon passed by so quickly. Lloyd and Granny Mabe chatted away, sharing their experiences of a childhood spent in Jamaica. Lexi smiled as she watched them both talking. She could see a budding friendship there, that would probably do both of them good. Hopefully, Lloyd would be a steadying influence on her impulsive grandmother – unless she led him astray!

  Joel got on well with everyone. They were fascinated by his job as a tree surgeon, and he was particularly interested in hearing about Jay and Sonia’s life in Canada. As Lexi watched him talking to Jay, sipping a glass of her dad’s homemade wine, sporting the jumper she had knitted, she thought she had never seen him so relaxed. And for a man who didn’t like Christmas, he certainly seemed to be enjoying himself.

  ‘Time for the games now,’ Craig suggested when everyone had eaten, drunk and chatted for a while. ‘Shall we start with charades?’

  Ryan jumped to his feet. ‘Bags I go first.’

  Lexi chuckled as she saw the expression on Joel’s face. He evidently wasn’t used to a noisy Christmas like this one. But he joined in eagerly when it was his turn, choosing to act out a film. Lexi guessed it straight away, when he hilariously opened his mouth wide and pointed inside. ‘Jaws!’

  It was her turn next. She chose a book, The Kite Runner, which Lloyd guessed – to everyone’s surprise.

  ‘I’ve got a copy, it’s a good read,’ he said.

  Everyone had a turn, even Toby, who mimed driving a car. ‘Cars!’ They all shouted, and he beamed in delight.

  After a couple more games, Toby was so exhausted he fell asleep and Sonia took him up to bed. With Toby now fast asleep, and Sonia assuring everyone he would sleep through anything, the fun got even more raucous, ending with a game of Balloon Body Pop. Everyone got into pairs, Granny Mabe with Lloyd, and Lexi with Joel, as the others were coupled up. A blown-up balloon was given to each pair, and they had to work together to burst it using just the pressure of their two bodies. As everyone was rather tipsy by now, it was hilarious. Joel and Lexi stood back to back, pressing the balloon between them, then Joel lost his balance and fell, and Lexi fell on top of him, and the balloon popped with a loud bang. Everyone clapped and cheered.

  As they both scrambled to their feet, triumphant, Joel gave Lexi a spontaneous hug. ‘We make a great team!’

  His sexy green eyes looked into hers and she felt herself drown in the deepness of them. Then he was holding her closer, his lips brushing her cheeks, and she felt a tingle run down her spine. She pulled away, feeling her cheeks flush, conscious that the others were watching them. What was all that about?

  Joel was looking awkward now. ‘Well, it’s been great, everyone. I’ve really enjoyed myself, but I’d better be off and sleep off this wine. If you’re okay with leaving now, Lloyd?’ He grinned at Jay and Ryan. ‘You’re right, it is toxic!’

  ‘Fine by me,’ Lloyd said. ‘It’s getting late now.’

  ‘Don’t walk home, get yourselves a taxi,’ Lexi said, suddenly worried at the thought of the two men walking home in the snow. Joel looked unsteady on his feet.

  ‘I’ll phone one for you, we’ve got the number of someone very reliable.’ Paula picked up her phone and dialled for a taxi. It arrived a little while later, and Lexi and Ryan walked out with them to make sure no one slipped.

  ‘Bye, Lexi. Thank you for a lovely day,’ Joel slurred. He held out his arms and wrapped Lexi in a big hug, then kissed her soundly on the lips.

  And for a moment, she kissed him back, then realised Ryan and Lloyd were watching, and stepped back.

  Joel’s eyes gazed into hers, and her stomach fluttered as if a butterfly was trapped inside it. Then he waved and got into the back of the taxi.

  As Lexi lay in her bed that night, her thoughts drifted to Joel, the way he’d looked at her, how his lips had felt when he’d kissed her. How she had wanted to stay there in his arms and kiss him back.

  It was the wine, she reminded herself. Her father’s wine always was toxic. Joel would be embarrassed about it in the morning. Like she’d been after she’d spontaneously kissed him for saving the carol service.

  It’s Christmas, everyone is full of goodwill at Christmas, she told herself as she finally drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter Thirty

  Monday, the day after Boxing Day

  When Lexi woke up the next morning, it was all quiet and she went downstairs to find the house almost deserted apart from Granny Mabe in the kitchen making tea and toast.

  ‘Want some?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes, please. And some paracetamol.’ Lexi sat down and massaged her temples. ‘That was quite a night,’ she said with a groan.

  Granny Mabe grinned at her. ‘It sure was. I can’t believe that you got into a drinking challenge with Ryan and Jay. You know what your dad’s wine is like.’

  ‘I know but we’d already had a few drinks then Ryan challenged us all to see who could drink a glass of dad’s wine the fastest . . . and well it seemed a good idea at the time.’ God her head was thudding. How many glasses had they drunk before she finally won? She took the glass of water and tablets that her gran offered her. ‘Thanks.’ She swallowed them down, then asked. ‘Where is everyone? Surely I’m not the only one that’s overslept?’

  ‘Nope, they’re all in bed fast asleep, apart from your mum and dad who are in the bakery.’

  Of course, the bakery was open until midday. ‘I’ll go and give them a hand as soon as I’ve had breakfast and a shower,’ Lexi said. ‘I’m sure they’re both tired, too.’

  ‘We all went to bed and left you younger folk to it, once Joel and Lloyd went home. Let you all have a catch up.’

  Lexi picked up the piece of toast her gran had made her, and took a bite, chewing it slowly. She couldn’t remember much after Joel and Lloyd had gone home. A few snatches of conversation with her brothers. Talking to Ben.

  Her eyes widened. When did she talk to Ben?

  ‘Morning, or is it afternoon?’ Ryan stumbled into the kitchen, hair standing on end, still looking half asleep. ‘What a night!’ He rubbed his hand through his hair. ‘I’ve come to get a cup of coffee for me and Nell.’

  ‘Sit yourself down and I’ll make it,’ Granny Mabe told him.

  ‘Thanks, Gran.’ He sat down by Lexi. ‘How’s your head?’

  ‘Thumping,’ she admitted. ‘I can’t believe I drank so much. I’ve never been one for drinking a lot.’

  ‘You were on a mission, after that call with your ex . . .’

  So she really had spoken to Ben. Lexi searched through her memory for some recollection of the conversation. ‘Please tell me that I didn’t call him.’

  ‘Nope, he called you, don’t you remember?’

  ‘I remember talking to him, but I can’t remember the conversation. My head is like fog.’

  ‘Dad’s wine!’ they both said together.

  ‘Can you remember what I said? Did I tell you what he said?’ she asked.

  ‘Not much.’ Ryan frowned. ‘You said something about having a new boyfriend called Joel.’

  ‘I didn’t!’

  ‘Yup. Then you ended the call and put your phone in your bag. I think he was asking you to give him another chance. But don’t worry, Joel had gone by then.’

  ‘Thank God for that.’ Lexi sunk her head into her hands. Ryan’s words had flicked the memory switch in her brain and now the fog was clearing. Ben had messaged her a few times that evening, she recalled, and she had ignored him. Then he’d phoned. She didn’t know what had made her answer, the wine
probably. He’d been whispering, as if he didn’t want Rosa to hear, telling her he was sorry and wanted her back. She remembered telling him that she didn’t want him back, she’d moved on, got herself a new boyfriend. Had she really said his name was Joel? How embarrassing. Still, if it kept Ben from pestering her, and Joel hadn’t been there to hear it, there was no harm done.

  ‘Be careful with these, they’re hot,’ Granny Mabe said, passing two mugs of steaming coffee to Ryan.

  ‘Thanks, Gran, I will.’ Ryan nodded at Lexi. ‘I thought there was something between you two, but I didn’t realise you were an item. Good on you.’

  ‘There’s nothing between us. I was just trying to stop Ben from pestering me, and Joel was probably the first name that came into my head.’

  ‘What? The way you two were gazing at each other all evening – and that kiss – there’s definitely something brewing between the two of you, even it if hasn’t actually taken off yet.’

  He walked out of the room with the coffee, leaving Lexi to gaze after him, speechless.

  ‘He’s right, there was definitely a connection between you and Joel,’ Granny Mabe told her. She wiped her hands on her apron. ‘Right, I’m off now. People to see.’

  ‘Not more yarn-bombing?’ Lexi asked.

  ‘Not today.’ Granny Mabe winked. ‘Just a coffee and chat with friends.’

  Lexi finished her tea and toast, then went up to shower. She looked around for her bag, found it under the chair by the bed, where she must have put it last night, and checked her messages. There were several from Ben, telling her how much he loved her and begging for another chance, then a five-minute phone call, then another message.

  I can’t believe that you’ve moved on so quickly. Didn’t you love me at all?

  Lexi felt anger rising in her as she read the message. Who did he think he was? He’d been cheating on her for months, then he had the cheek to accuse her of not loving him because she’d moved on? Not that she had, but Ben didn’t know that. And she was going to keep it that way. At least then he would leave her alone. She put the phone back into her bag, then went for a shower.