Chapter 51
51
Libby could still feel Ethan’s lips on hers as he walked away from her on the snowy platform. She knew he cared for her. She knew it, deep in her heart. And yet she couldn’t seem to break through the protective shell that he had built around himself.
So she busied herself with another manic day trying to keep up with demand for her chocolate. She was absolutely thrilled with the success that the chocolate shop had brought her. Each evening, the passengers would gather around her stall, buying hot chocolate as well as her truffles. But the chocolate trains were her bestseller.
After readying the stall, she picked up a couple of coffees and took them back to her cottage as a treat for her and her dad. He was also enjoying a sort-of success as the stroke club had become a bi-weekly meeting due to its popularity. He was so much happier in himself and Libby was pleased by how much closer they had become.
‘I got us both a mince pie for later,’ she told him when she headed into the kitchen.
‘Well, what a treat,’ her dad replied, his eyes lighting up as she took the pastries out of the takeout bag.
Libby hesitated before she spoke again. ‘There was one other extra treat I had for you.’
Her dad raised his eyebrows in question. ‘Oh yes?’ he asked.
Libby nodded and headed over to one of the kitchen cupboards. She pulled out a box and placed it on the table. Her dad looked down and smiled at the Christmas ribbon that she had tied on the top.
‘More chocolates?’ he asked, sitting down at the table.
Libby sat down next to him. ‘Actually, they’re a special flavour,’ she told him.
He pulled on the ribbon and then lifted up the lid and took an appreciative breath. ‘Smells as wonderful as always.’
Libby bit her lip, feeling a little nervous, as she watched him pop one of the truffles in his mouth.
After he had finished eating, he looked at her with wide eyes.
‘It’s chocolate ginger,’ she told him. ‘Mum’s favourite.’
He nodded. ‘Yes,’ he said, his voice croaky with emotion. ‘It was.’
Then they were both hugging and sharing their tears.
‘I miss her,’ Libby murmured into her dad’s shoulder.
‘Me too, my darling girl,’ he replied.
Libby leant back, wiping her wet cheeks. ‘But she’d be getting cross at us crying at Christmas, wouldn’t she?’ she said.
Her dad gave her a teary smile. ‘Absolutely,’ he replied, nodding. But he took her hand in his good one and gave it a squeeze. ‘Well, we’d better have that coffee. We’ve both got a busy day ahead for the train run tonight.’
Her dad had volunteered to help out for the Christmas Eve run. Normally, Eddie would take people’s tickets as they came onto the platform, check them and then return them as souvenirs. But Ethan had planned an extra-special surprise for his grandad. Earlier that afternoon, he had delivered a present to Eddie, with instructions for it to be used that evening.
Just before the passengers began to arrive, all their friends and family gathered on the platform for the special arrival.
Finally, Bob came through the doors from Platform 1 and turned around to smile at his father as he walked out.
Eddie came out slowly, but with an extremely proud look on his face. He was wearing a brand new stationmaster’s uniform, an exact replica of the one that had been worn when the steam train had originally run. Everyone clapped and cheered as he took off his cap and doffed it to them all, smiling all the while.
His smile faltered as he looked around the station in wonder. Dodgy Del’s fake snow had lasted the day and so Eddie’s dream of seeing the steam engine in the snow had come true. He looked at Ethan with teary eyes and they both stepped forward at the same time to embrace.
‘It’s perfect,’ Libby heard him say to Ethan. ‘Just like I had imagined.’
Eddie spent the rest of the time before the train set off mingling with the passengers, sharing train trivia with those who asked. Libby thought what a tonic the train had been for him. He was not quite as mobile as he had once been, but he was much better and would keep improving. Perhaps he would never be quite the same, but he had a quality of life as did her own dad now and she was pleased for them both.
Eddie rode the train that evening, going up and down the corridor, revelling in the attention and even having his photograph taken.
As the train drew into the station one last time all dressed in its festive finery, everyone clapped and cheered.
Libby hugged and applauded along with everyone else once the passengers had finally gone home to wait for Father Christmas’s arrival. She watched with tears in her eyes as Eddie walked up to Ethan with tears of his own streaming down his face.
‘You did it, lad,’ said Eddie.
Ethan smiled, his face almost black with the soot and dust from the engine, but his blue eyes shone out.
‘I’m so proud of you,’ she heard Eddie carry on. ‘And your grandmother would have been too.’
Then they hugged and everyone cheered once more.
‘I have a further announcement,’ shouted Bob, checking the piece of paper that Ryan had just handed him. ‘As you know, the profits made from the Christmas train were all going to a local charity. And I’m thrilled to announce that we’ve decided to donate the money to our local stroke club.’
Libby and her dad exchanged delighted smiles.
‘How wonderful,’ said Philip, looking amazed. ‘And how generous. Thank you. I shall ensure that it benefits as many people as we can muster.’
‘Champagne inside to celebrate!’ announced Ryan and everyone began to head inside.
Libby found she was holding herself back, anxious to wait for Ethan. He was using a cloth to wipe his face and had unzipped his blue overalls so that he was wearing just his jumper and a pair of jeans.
‘Well, that was a great success,’ she said.
He nodded. ‘It was,’ he replied, stepping away from her.
‘Ethan,’ she said to his back. ‘Please look at me.’
She watched as he sighed before he finally turned around.
‘Don’t do this,’ he told her, shaking his head. ‘I’m no good for you. You deserve the best and I can’t be that person you want me to be. After all that stuff with Mum, I can’t believe in love.’
‘I know,’ she replied.
And she did. She knew all this because she knew him so well. She knew that he still had to leave, that he couldn’t stay in Cranfield forever. That he couldn’t love her the way that she wanted him to. And yet, she couldn’t go on like this either.
‘I still have to leave at the end of January,’ he said.
‘Then we’d better not waste any more time,’ she told him, reaching out to take his hand in hers. ‘Don’t think about anything. Just kiss me again.’
She had wondered whether he would pull away from her again, but as soon as her hand touched his, he groaned and pulled her to him.
‘Libby,’ he whispered, before he dropped his head down to kiss her.
And then there was nothing but him.