Chapter 34
‘Watch out!’ Rowan pulled Scarlett behind the greenhouse at the bottom of the garden as a huge snowball hurtled past her ear.
Falling into his arms, Scarlett laughed as she scooped up a handful of snow before peering around the greenhouse and aiming her snowball netball-style towards Seb.
‘Haha, that was a miss then.’ Scarlett grinned as she ducked again and watched Rowan roll a large snowball in his hands. ‘Who’s that one for? It’s almost as big as little Seb and Finn.’
Rowan chuckled as he peeped around the greenhouse. ‘This one’s for Bill.’
‘Ooh, good idea. A bit of payback for the one he flung at me.’ Scarlett brushed a little more snow from the sleeve of her coat, the remnants of Bill’s throw.
‘Yep.’ Running out from their hiding place, Rowan threw the snowball, which landed smack in the centre of Bill’s chest, before leaping towards the willow tree, skidding to a stop behind the trunk.
Bending over, Scarlett guffawed. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had this much fun.
Everyone was outside in the snow, including Sheila and Keith who had sensibly decided against partaking in the snowball fight and were instead busy constructing a snowdog at the bottom of the steps leading up to the decking whilst keeping an eye on the jacket potatoes cooking on the BBQ.
That had been Rowan’s genius idea. Barbequed jacket potatoes might not be everyone’s idea of a decent Christmas dinner but today, they would be perfect.
‘Hey, Scarlett!’ Calling from behind the willow, Rowan waved his hand towards her, indicating her to join him.
Glancing out across the garden, Scarlett shielded her eyes from the low winter sun as she tried to work out where each of the O’Sullivans were hiding.
She spotted Finn’s blue bobble hat behind the wooden picnic bench.
She could see Seb’s orange coat and his mum’s pink woollen hat dipping back and forth from the corner of Pennycress, and Bill ducking behind the wall surrounding the small car park. Could she make it?
Probably not, but who cared? She was enjoying herself and so was everyone else.
What was a little more snow? Quickly grabbing a handful of snow, she made it into a misshapen ball before pushing herself to standing.
Taking a deep breath, she began running across the garden, throwing the snowball in the general direction of Zoe and Seb before launching herself into Rowan’s arms.
As he pulled her down towards him, he wrapped his arms around her and turned his back towards an oncoming onslaught of snowballs. ‘I think we may have lost.’
‘I think you’re right.’ Scarlett grinned as she twisted in his arms to face him. Leaning forward, she felt his lips against hers.
‘Look! Look! Quick! Santa’s coming!’ Seb jumped out from his hiding place and ran into the garden before sprinting through the car park towards the front of Pennycress.
‘What on earth?’ Pulling out of Rowan’s arms, Scarlett took his hand as they followed Seb through the small car park and out into the front garden.
‘Is it really him? Is Santa coming?’ Finn grabbed his dad’s hand as he ran to join his brother.
Pausing in the front garden, Scarlett lowered her hood, instantly feeling the cold of snowflakes against her cheeks. A huge green tractor slowed to a halt outside the wrought-iron gate, pulling a trailer behind it.
‘It’s not Santa, Seb.’ Tugging his brother’s coat sleeve, Finn and Seb ran towards the gate, gripping the cold metal with their gloved hands as they watched Charlie, sporting a red Santa’s hat, jump from the cab of the tractor.
Walking towards the gate, Scarlett leaned her back against Rowan as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
‘Merry Christmas, everyone!’ Charlie called as he made his way towards the trailer and helped Nicola down to the snow-covered path, or what Scarlett imagined would be the path beneath the mounds of white.
‘Nicola! Charlie! You made it. I didn’t think you’d be able to come.’ Waiting until Seb and Finn had opened the gate, Scarlett ran out into the street and hugged each of them in turn. ‘Merry Christmas!’
‘Did you really think a little bit of snow would keep us away?’ Nicola grinned as she turned back towards the trailer. ‘And we’re not alone either.’
With her jaw dropping, Scarlett watched as Nicola’s mother Vivienne clambered down from the trailer with Charlie’s help, shortly followed by two couples Scarlett hadn’t yet met. ‘Hi, Vivienne.’
‘Merry Christmas, dear.’ Vivienne straightened her woollen coat and chuckled. ‘This will definitely be the talking point of my bridge club next week. They won’t believe I came to Christmas dinner in a tractor.’
‘Haha, it’s quite some entrance.’ Walking across to Scarlett, Rowan wrapped his arm around her waist.
‘Ooh, you two?’ Nicola raised her eyebrows and pointed between the two of them.
‘Yes, he struggled through the snow this morning to come and see me.’ Scarlett grinned.
‘Aw, well, I’m so pleased for you both. You make a wonderful couple.’ Stepping towards them, Nicola wrapped her arms around them both before stepping back and indicating the others from the trailer. ‘Scarlett, I don’t think you’ve met Polly and Zac, and Ellie and Murray.’
‘Hi, lovely to meet you all.’ Scarlett smiled as hugs were given and Merry Christmases were said.
Keith cleared his throat before speaking. ‘I don’t mean to break up the party, but I think the jacket potatoes are done.’
‘Jackets? How have you managed that? I thought the gas was out across the village.’ Nicola widened her eyes. ‘Please tell me it’s back up and running.’
‘Haha, afraid not, but yes, we do have jacket potatoes. Cooked on the BBQ too.’ Scarlett glanced toward Rowan. ‘Rowan came to the rescue for Christmas dinner.’
‘Oh fab! They’ll be great then.’ Nicola indicated a picnic basket Charlie was carrying. ‘We’ve brought a few things too so hopefully between us we’ll end up with quite the feast!’
‘Thank you.’ Scarlett looked around the group. ‘Come on round the back, we’ll set out all the food in the kitchen and then we can either stay outside and I’ll grab some blankets, or we can huddle around the fire in the sitting room.’
‘Sounds perfect.’ Nicola grinned as she led the way through the car park around the back of the inn.
‘Scarlett?’ Waiting until they were alone in the front garden, Rowan gently twisted her in his arms to face him.
‘Yes?’ Reaching out, she brushed her hand across his hair, the snowflakes melting as new ones landed.
‘Thank you for taking me back. I really am sorry for not giving you the opportunity to explain everything.’ With his arms around her waist still, Rowan looked into her eyes. ‘And I know it’s early days, but I really do feel as though we’ve got something special between us.’
Bringing her hand down to cup his cheek, Scarlett smiled. She couldn’t have worded it better. ‘So do I.’