The Christmas Bookshop(53)

‘Do you want to sleep in the spare room?’

‘No, thank you,’ said Carmen carefully. ‘I already stained the downstairs sink with hair dye.’

Sofia heaved herself up with a sigh.

‘Need a hand?’

‘No, I’m okay, thanks.’

‘She’d better be back in the morning,’ said Carmen, slugging more water. ‘I’m not getting up for the kids.’

‘And I won’t be able to,’ agreed Sofia.





It was actually worse than that. Skylar was back by the time Carmen got up, feeding the children porridge and natural honey at the table and looking as fresh as a daisy.

‘Morning,’ she trilled. ‘Oh, Carmen, thank you so much for introducing me to your friend Blair! He’s just amazing.’

‘Carmen was kissing him!’ offered Phoebe.

‘I was not!’ said Carmen. ‘They are completely mistaken.’

‘Oh, it’s okay,’ said Skylar. ‘I know.’

She smiled beatifically.

‘He said he might stop back in Edinburgh on his way back from LA! He’s heading to Amsterdam and said he has to stop somewhere! Then he might take me with him.’

Carmen couldn’t help it. That stung. Not because of Blair, he was an idiot. But … but … It was a little more than sleeping in your sister’s basement and having a temp job.

‘Well, that’s nice,’ she said, trying to sound pleased for Skylar and not making a particularly good job of it. ‘Why is there never any blooming white bread in this house?’

‘Because it’s poison?’ said Skylar. ‘Anyway. Blair was saying he feels he has a real mission? To travel, even though it’s not wonderful for the environment – he plants ten trees every time he goes anywhere, isn’t that amazing?’

Amazing bollocks he does, Carmen thought.

‘ … and he says it’s just so important to spread a model of positivity throughout the world, don’t you agree, children?’

‘Through kissing?’ said Phoebe.

‘Well, no,’ said Skylar. ‘Although, kindness is always good.’

‘Were you very kind to him?’ said Carmen, not caring that she’d promised Sofia not to upset Skylar. And it didn’t even matter; it bounced off.

‘Oh, I had such a wonderful night,’ she said. ‘What a great day! Come on, everyone! Shall we do our sun salutations before school?’

‘There isn’t any sun,’ Phoebe pointed out, looking sad as Carmen departed for work.



The snow wasn’t so magical today. It was slushy and getting tired-looking. There were puddles everywhere which were tricky to avoid if, like Carmen, you were staring fiercely at your phone and feeling thick with regrets.

You’d have been feeling worse if you’d slept with him, she kept telling herself. Dating someone she didn’t actually like … Although that cold hand firm on her back … No.

The magic shop several doors down from Mr McCredie’s was bustling that day, and Carmen paused to glance in. A large woman with very long orange hair popped her head out.

‘HELLO!’ she boomed. ‘You’re young Mr McCredie’s girl, aren’t you?’

Carmen nodded.

‘Quite the difference you’re making up there. Now I’ve told him, but he never listens. You must come to our party on Thursday!’

‘Of course – you’re having a party.’

‘Of course. All the shops on this street have one. Except for yours of course. You should change that.’

Carmen wasn’t remotely in the mood for any type of party but promised faithfully to look in and bring the copy of The Winter Almanac to Bronagh, the magic shop’s proprietor. It had been sitting on the front desk for a month.

‘We have a book you ordered.’

Blair was on a plane, she told herself. It was a really long flight to LA, with a change in Amsterdam so you had to go the wrong way before you went the right way. Not that she’d checked (she’d checked).

Anyway, what was he going to say? ‘Oh, I made a terrible mistake sleeping with someone else after you turned me down when it was my total right to do so?’

He’s a bad man, Carmen told herself for the millionth time.

Her phone rang and she grabbed it. It was Idra.

‘Hey!’ said Idra. ‘What’s up?’

‘Um,’ said Carmen, reluctant to explain. But actually it turned out that Idra calling and saying ‘what’s up’ was a way to tell her her news, which was all amazing, as it happened. Someone had come in to eat lunch there every day and she hadn’t thought anything of it, then on about the fifth day he’d begged her to go out with him as otherwise he was going to get unbelievably fat and then he really wouldn’t have a chance with her and she had laughed and agreed – nobody ever asked you out in the hats and accessories department – and he turned out to be super-lovely and some kind of software engineer who made a fortune and was taking her away skiing after Christmas!

‘You’ve never been skiing,’ said Carmen.

‘I know,’ said Idra. ‘I am going to lie and say I have an injury from other skiing and have to sit on the sun deck and drink mulled wine all day.’