Christmas at Hope Cottage: A Magical Feel-Good Romance Novel(39)

Emma agreed, despite Gretchen and Maggie’s sniggers; she didn’t quite know how to say no politely. When the song finished, she felt someone touch her shoulder. It was Jack.

‘Let’s go outside,’ he said.

She blinked, surprised, but nodded.

It was freezing outside; she’d left her coat in the hall. He shrugged out of his jacket and gave it to her.

‘Who was that?’ he asked.

She shrugged. ‘No idea, he just asked me to dance.’

‘So you said yes?’

She grinned at him, and then looked away. They were walking down the cobbled path towards the Brimbles’ store, now closed for the evening. Just the shadowy moon lit their path.

‘Why? Were you jealous?’

He stopped, his face serious. ‘Yes,’ he admitted.

She looked up at him from beneath her lashes. ‘Good.’

Before she knew it, he was leaning over and kissing her. His lips were warm, his breath scented slightly with rum. Her head started to spin and her heart to thrum. She’d waited for so long for this moment.

It was her first ever kiss, and when they finally tore apart to breathe, she thought she might never be this happy ever again.

His breath was warm on her neck. ‘So, that’s what it’s like to kiss Emma Halloway,’ he said with a grin.

She felt her stomach flip as she looked into his eyes. ‘Did you wonder about it?’

He grinned. ‘Always.’

Suddenly a pair of strong hands wrenched her away from Jack. She gasped in horror as she saw Neil Allen, Jack’s father, standing across from them, a stony expression on his face. A face, she realised, that looked so very similar to Jack’s, only older, and far angrier than she’d ever seen Jack look.

‘Dad—’ Jack started, his eyes widening.

His father’s face grew harder still. ‘You’re drunk – I can smell it from here. At least that explains this stupidity. In front of the whole town too.’

Emma’s eyes widened. She could see Janet Allen marching towards them, her face livid. She left behind her Stella Lea, whose mouth, like that of many of her schoolmates, was hanging open at the sight of Jack Allen and Emma Halloway kissing in the moonlight.

‘I’m not drunk,’ protested Jack. ‘Dad, this is ridiculous, Emma and I are friends.’

‘Friends?’ said Mrs Allen, nearing, her eyes snapping to Emma’s, a look of pure loathing on her face, as if being friends with a Halloway was far worse than finding her son drinking. ‘I thought I told you to stay away from my son,’ she said, pushing Emma away from Jack.

‘Mam—’

Suddenly there were thunderous footsteps, and a cold voice behind hissed, ‘Touch my grandchild again, Janet Allen, and I’ll make whatever stupid curse you think we put on your family, seem like a joke,’ growled Evie, her voice low, and deadly.

There were several gasps all around.

Evie’s blue eyes were wide, her dark mantle of shaggy grey hair fairly snapping with electricity and, for just one heart-stopping moment, there wasn’t a person watching who didn’t wonder if the rumours about them were true. Even Emma.

‘Come,’ she said to her granddaughter.

Emma hesitated for just a moment, her eyes meeting Jack’s. How had what until then had been the most special night of her life turned into one of the worst?



* * *



‘I don’t care what you say!’ shouted Emma, later that night. ‘I love him.’

Dot’s eyes were anxious as she tried to intervene. ‘Evie—’

Evie shot her a silencing look. Dot and Aggie had come over quickly when they’d heard the news. Uncle Joe had made himself scarce in the living room, telling them to, ‘Go easy on the child.’

‘You love him?’ she repeated. ‘You’re sixteen, for goodness’ sake.’

‘So?’

‘So, you don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘Evie, is that helpful—’ began Dot.

‘What?’ spluttered Evie, rounding on her sister, her eyes blazing.

‘Come on, love, it’s not like it’s a surprise – we’ve all known she’s felt this way for years,’ said Aggie with a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Emma looked at her aunt gratefully and dashed away a tear.

Evie sighed, her anger starting to ebb. When Janet Allen had touched Emma, she had looked as if she could have cheerfully murdered her, but suddenly, all the fight seemed to go out of her. ‘Oh lass, he’s an Allen, I just don’t want you to get hurt and I just don’t see how else this is going to end.’

Emma looked up. ‘B-but he feels the same way.’ She looked back down at her feet. ‘I’m sure he does.’

‘Maybe, lass, I’m just not sure that’s going to make such a difference.’

‘You’d like that, wouldn’t you!’

‘No, actually I’d very much like to be wrong.’

Emma’s lip wobbled as she turned on her heel, marched upstairs and slammed the door, hoping to drown out Evie’s words with the sound of it shuddering closed.



* * *



When she saw Jack the next day, fear grabbed hold of her heart at the look on his face. It was like a wall had formed in the space between them.