Chapter 50
50
The next few weeks spun past in a whirl, it seemed to Ethan. Like everything, the best things always seemed to rush by too fast.
The Christmas train was a huge success. The local television news on the first night had brought so much publicity that they had had to put on a train nearly every night to keep up with demand.
His dad and grandad were thrilled and, even better, Eddie seemed to thrive along with the Christmas train. He had more of a spring in his step with each day and had begun to take a daily walk with Philip to Cranbridge and back. He was even planning to join them in the driver’s cab for the Christmas Eve run.
Ethan knew how important that particular night, the very last night, of the Christmas train was to his grandad. It was the anniversary of the proposal to his late wife. The culmination of his grandad’s long-held dream. Ethan was keeping everything crossed that his grandad would be well enough for that journey.
The train was bringing much prosperity to Cranfield and Ethan was glad that everyone was benefitting. Platform 1 had had a huge bump in customers, thanks to the train passengers discovering both the cosy coffee shop and their delicious pizzas.
Harriet had never been busier in her lavender spa and had set up a stall selling her lavender products alongside Libby’s.
Libby’s temporary chocolate shop was also a success. She could barely keep up with the demand for her chocolate trains and so was using his kitchen every day, working to create even more of her delicious chocolate. His home now smelled of cocoa, sweet and welcoming, hitting him in the senses whenever he headed through the front door. But it wasn’t chocolate he was craving. It was Libby.
Her friends had given her an apron as a gift which said Kiss The Cook on the front. He was shocked by how much he wanted to do that exact thing. But he continued to hold back, deliberately keeping their conversations light and the length of the kitchen between them at all times.
It was better this way, he told himself, no matter how he longed to kiss her again and again.
His mother’s words that love would bring him no joy still weighed heavy on him. She had repeated the sentiment over and over and he had seen first hand how miserable both his parents had been in the marriage, despite declaring that they loved each other. Love would never have a place in his heart, he told himself.
But despite his feelings, he still couldn’t keep away from Libby. So on the morning of Christmas Eve, he found himself offering to walk along to Platform 1 with her for an early coffee.
‘I’ve got so much to do today, making sure I’ve got enough stock for tonight,’ Libby told him as they went down Railway Lane. ‘Did I tell you that I’ve got an order for ten boxes of truffles for a New Year’s party! I can’t believe how quickly business has taken off.’
Her blue eyes shone with the thrill of the success of her business and he found himself temporarily mesmerised until he almost walked into a lamppost.
‘Well, take the business whilst you can,’ said Ethan, dodging the lamppost at the last minute. ‘Tonight is the last of the Christmas train runs.’
‘Can you believe it’s gone so quickly?’ asked Libby.
Ethan shook his head.
‘But you’re staying on until the wedding at the end of January?’ she asked.
Ethan nodded. ‘Everyone seems so keen that the train keeps running that we’ll have a service each weekend, as so many people have requested it.’
‘That’s great,’ replied Libby. ‘Then you’ll be onto Valentine’s and then Easter too. I don’t know how I’m going to keep up with demand!’
But Ethan had realised that he wouldn’t be there for those times. He had already agreed another work contract and would be heading abroad after Harriet and Joe’s wedding.
He felt sad, having missed out on so many family occasions by being away so often. But he knew that it was his choice to leave, although this time it felt harder and less appealing than before.
In the meantime, he had to make sure that the Christmas Eve train was the biggest and best of them all.
Running through his to-do list, he followed Libby down the small passage between the main station and Harriet’s lavender spa. However, he almost bumped into her when she stopped abruptly in front of him when they reached the station platform.
Looking around, he could immediately see why. Whereas the remainder of Cranfield was coated in a frost after a cold winter’s night, the station appeared to be foot deep in snow!
‘What the…?’ Ethan’s voice trailed off as he stared around before he caught sight of an enormous industrial-sized snow machine. Then he roared, ‘Del!’
Libby burst into shocked laughter. ‘I don’t believe it,’ she said, giggling.
‘I do!’ snapped Ethan. ‘I’ll kill him!’
‘Why?’ she said, still laughing. ‘It looks wonderful!’
‘Yes, but he’s covered the railway tracks!’ Ethan told her, pointing down to where the snow had spilled over onto the line. ‘It’s going to take me all day to clear this so we can actually move the train later!’
‘Walking in a winter wonderland,’ she hummed, still smiling broadly as she picked up a handful of snow and threw it in his face.
Before she could shower him in more snow, he grabbed both her hands and drew her to him. There were snowflakes in her hair, her cheeks were bright pink in the cold and her eyes had never been more blue. If the snow didn’t take his breath away, her beauty at that moment did. And he bent forward to break every promise to himself that he would make sure they stayed as just friends. Because nothing was going to stop him from kissing her at that moment.
It was just as sweet as it had ever been and it took every strength of his will to pull away from her.
‘Why can’t you move on?’ she whispered, hanging onto the lapels of his coat and not letting go. ‘Your mum has. So has your dad with Maggie.’
‘I don’t know. I just can’t,’ he blurted out.
At that moment, they were interrupted by Ryan and Katy coming out to ooh and aah at the fake snow fall on the station.
Ethan took the opportunity to walk away from Libby, whilst he still could. Even though it felt so right to be kissing her. Even if he only felt complete when he was holding her in his arms.
The snow on Cranfield station might have been a Christmas miracle, but Ethan knew that they didn’t really exist in real life. Not for him anyway.