Eighteen
The snow had melted enough for us all to go outside by around three-thirty, but it was still deep, although the handlebars of Sam’s bike were just visible, poking through the snow like dark snowdrops, or crocuses.
The top bar of the handrail on the wooden bridge was also visible although the bridge itself was still buried, as was Midwinter Brook, but a wide dip that followed the course of the brook showed where it ran.
The clouds were heavy, threatening more snow to come and the air was cold, clear and crisp but it wouldn’t be that long until it was dark.
I’d brought my winter coat as well as my jacket, so I wore that now and we went outside to build snow people with Melody, and the rest of our neighbours.
We teamed up. Men against women. Naturally the men cheated, but we women still won, building our snow person first.
‘There were four of you,’ Sam grumbled, but he was laughing.
‘Three and a half,’ said Melody, ‘Because I’m much smaller than you and I could only just reach to put the snow person’s hat on his head.’
‘Don’t be a bad loser as well as a cheat,’ I said.
I threw a snowball at Sam, which caused a male against female snowball fight. We won that too, although this time we were the ones who cheated, by pretending that Noelle was hurt, and then pelting the guys with all the snowballs Adele, Melody and I had secretly made while they were tending to Noelle’s ‘injuries’. None of which she had.
After that, we played, jumping the brook. Well the men did. We women sat on the garden chairs that Marcus and Alec, with Sam’s help, had brought around from their gardens, and we drank hot chocolate, sitting in front of the firepit that Marcus and the guys had also dragged around to the common ground between the cottages and the brook. Adele brought out the chocolate brownies she, Noelle and Melody had made that morning, and we stuffed our faces while the men did ‘manly’ stuff. Otherwise known as doing the most ridiculous and possibly dangerous things they could whilst competing against one another.
‘Remember we’re snowed in up here, and the hospital is miles away,’ I said, when Sam caught his foot on the rail of the bridge while leaping over it. He almost fell on his face but he managed to safe himself and landed on his feet to everyone’s surprise, including his. The others didn’t attempt it, so Sam won that particular, trial.
‘Don’t you just love all these testosterone-driven antics?’ said Noelle.
‘I love some of them,’ I said, thinking about last night and this morning.
‘Me too,’ said Adele.
‘What’s testerone?’ Melody asked, mispronouncing it.
‘Testosterone,’ Noelle corrected, giving a small cough. ‘Ask your dad. He’ll explain it far better than we could.’
‘Are you getting cold?’ Sam asked, suddenly dashing over, crouching in front of me, and planting a quick kiss on my lips.
I’m not sure who was most surprised. Him, me, or the neighbours.
‘Sorry,’ he said, standing up abruptly. ‘I think the cold is getting to me.’
‘That’s fine,’ I said, grinning as I could see from the corner of my eye that Noelle was mouthing the word, ‘testosterone’. ‘But it is getting chilly. It’s so nice out here though, I don’t want to go inside just yet.’
‘We’ve got blankets, said Adele.
‘And throws,’ said Noelle.
‘We’ll get them,’ Alec, Marcus, and even Sam, offered.
A few minutes later, the men had dragged more chairs around, made two large flasks of hot chocolate, brought out a bottle of brandy, a pile of blankets and several throws, and more wood for the firepit.
We all sat drinking, chatting, and laughing until the sun, that had made a brief appearance just before it set, finally disappeared, and the streetlamps burst into life, just as the temperature seemed to plummet.
‘It’s freezing,’ Noelle said. ‘I think we should take this inside.’
‘Good idea,’ said Adele.
‘We need to eat,’ said Sam. ‘We … missed lunch.’
All eyes turned to us as we all stood up.
‘I can cook,’ Marcus offered.
‘Do you want a medal?’ Alec teased.
‘I meant, I’ll cook supper for us all, if you like.’
Sam met my eyes and I smiled and nodded. He nodded too.
‘That sounds great, Marcus,’ Sam said. ‘If you’re sure you don’t mind.’
‘Not at all.’
‘Marcus loves to cook,’ said Adele.
‘Alec and I will take the furniture back,’ said Sam.
‘We’ll leave the firepit to cool though,’ suggested Alec.
‘I can help prep veg,’ I said. ‘Or help with anything else. Oh. But I do need to give my best friend, Erin a quick call, if that’s okay. She texted me earlier and I haven’t got back to her.’
Sam gave me an odd look but then he smiled and piled up the chairs.
‘We’ll see you when you’ve done that,’ said Adele. ‘Don’t bother with the bell. We’ll leave the door on the latch.’
They all headed towards End Cottage, Melody skipping through the snow and then dropping on the ground to make a snow angel, while I went to Far Cottage, poured myself a quick glass of wine, and phoned Erin.
‘So you’re still alive then? I was about to phone the murder squad. Although I don’t think Fairlight Bay has one.’ She laughed.
‘Sorry! Oh Erin, I’ve got so much to tell you, I don’t know where to start.’
I filled her in on everything. The way Sam had turned up unexpectedly, the great sex, the cuddles, the lovely little gestures that made me believe Sam might have feelings for me, however deeply they might be hidden, and the blizzard.
‘It’s been snowing here too,’ she said. ‘Not as bad as there, but it’s settled. So does that mean he’s staying until it thaws?’
‘He’s staying another night. We’re going to have supper at End Cottage. That’s where Adele and Marcus live. After that, who knows? But I hope he stays all week. I can’t get enough of him, Erin. And I know I said I would try to stay cool, but I’m already half in love with him again.’
‘Tell me something I don’t know.’ She let out a sigh. ‘I just hope you can get over him this time.’
‘Me too,’ I said. ‘I wish I lived in Fairlight Bay.’
‘I’m glad you don’t. I’d miss you.’
‘There’s a police force here too. And the sea air would do you good.’
She laughed loudly. ‘Are you seriously trying to convince me that we should both move down to the seaside? What about your mum and Chris?’
‘It’s only about sixty miles or so. They could come and visit and I could nip back home every other week or so.’
‘So that’s a yes then?’
‘Would it … would it be such a bad idea?’
‘If Sam doesn’t want a relationship with you, yes it would. A horrible idea. Your worst idea ever.’
‘But what if he does? I mean, if I lived here and he still wanted me as much as he seems to want me, then surely…?’
‘Oh don’t ask me, Lucy! You need to ask him how he’d feel about that. Because believe me. It’s much, much harder to get over someone when there’s a chance you’ll see them every day. And it’s taken you ten years without seeing him, so imagine the hell it’d be to see him with other women. I can’t believe you’re considering this.’
‘I’m not! Not really. At least, I wasn’t. The idea has only just come to me. But you’re right. It’s dumb. And although I could design wedding dresses from anywhere, Mum needs help at the shop. Sorry. Forget I said anything about moving down to Fairlight Bay.’
‘It would be good to see the place,’ she said. ‘But as for moving. I don’t think so, do you? Okay. Let’s change the subject.’
‘What have you been up to?’ I asked.
‘Working. Making the streets safe. Eating my own bodyweight in food from the staff canteen. My life is so exciting I can hardly bear it. And I’m on shift again soon. Call me when you can. I need updates.’
‘Will do. Stay safe.’
‘Always. Love you.’
‘Love you too.’
I rang off and sat on the sofa staring out at the garden still covered in a blanket of snow.
Would moving to Fairlight Bay really be such a dumb idea?