Chapter Eight
Forcing her eyes open, Merri rolled over and hit the snooze button silencing the blaring alarm. She'd have five more minutes of sleep before she got up to help Elsie with the mornings baking. Five more minutes.
She pulled the duvet over her head. After tossing and turning until the early hours, she’d finally accepted she wasn’t able to sleep and instead read until one int he morning before trying again.
Every time she closed her eyes all she could see was an image of her mum's necklace, the snowflake pendant glinting front the sun’s rays as it lay abandoned in a dingy corner somewhere.
She still couldn’t understand how she'd lost it. No, that wasn’t true, she'd known the clasp was dodgy, she should have gotten it fixed. It had been on her list of things to do for months now, but she'd never imagined it would give out completely. The clasp only usually failed when it was tugged. Although her first day back here in the bakery it had fallen, hadn’t it? Whether it had got caught on the neckline of her jumper or not didn’t matter, that could have happened again this time, when it had fallen and she'd lost it.
Taking a deep breath in, she threw the covers back and jumped out of bed before she could snooze off again.
She’d just have to get on with life today.
However many times Elsie insisted she didn’t expect her volunteers to help first thing in the morning, it wasn’t fair on Elsie if she didn’t and, besides, she needed to keep busy.
She needed to push losing the necklace to the back of her mind or she'd be mulling it over every second of eery day and that wouldn’t be good either.
AS SHE WIPED A VACATE table down, Merri fought back the urge to yawn. In a few minutes time she'd be going on her lunch break and the only place she was heading was up to the flat and straight to bed. Even if she could just grab a twenty-minute nap she knew she'd feel better.
'Mum, mum, that’s the lady who fixed my angel.'
Huh? Looking up, Merri grinned at Evie, the young girl whose willow angel she'd helped fix yesterday evening at the Christmas tree farm. 'Hello.'
Tugging on her mum's coat sleeve Evie pointed towards Merri. After paying for their purchases, both Evie and her mum, Hannah, walked over to where Merri was cleaning.
'Hello again, Evie wanted to come over and thank you again for helping yesterday.' Hannah smiled. 'She had Show and Tell this morning and everyone in class loved the angel, didn’t they Evie?'
Evie grinned as she stubbed the toe of her polished school shoe against the tiled floor. 'Yes.'
'Oh, that's lovely. I bet they all said how clever you were for making it.' Straightening her back, Merri folded the cloth and placed it on the table.
Nodding, Evie smiled.
'She told them all about the kind lady who had magically fixed her.' Hannah grinned. 'I'm glad we ran into you, I felt I rushed off last night without thanking you properly. you really did save us a lot of tears.'
'Aw, it was my pleasure. I'm glad it all worked out in the end.'
‘We're just on our way to a dentist's appointment hence buying lunch enroute as she'll be missing her lunch break.' Hannah held up a paper bag before slipping it into her handbag.
'I hope the dentists goes well. I bet you'll get a sticker to say how good you were there.
' Merri grinned. She remembered as a child how much a sticker had meant to her.
The tiny sticky bit of paper had had the power to make up for the pain of a filling or a scraped knee.
She just wished that was all it would take to eliminate how guilty and bereft she was feeling knowing her mum's necklace was lost forever.
Evie tilted her head back and looked up at the Christmas tree next to the coffee and cake counter. 'That's very pretty.'
'Thank you. My friend Brooke, over there, decorated it.' Merri nodded towards Brooke who was busy serving behind the bakery counter.
'And what's that?' Evie pointed to the shed-like structure Ian had put together in the corner at the back of the bakery next to the tree.
'Ah, that will be a grotto for Santa to come and visit on the day of the light parade. We need to decorate it before he comes though.'
'Ooh, I remember. I came to see him last year, didn’t I, Mum?' Evie glanced up at her mum.
'You did. I've brought you to see Santa here every year since you were a tiny baby.' Hannah ruffled Evie's hair.
'I've asked Santa for a real puppy this year.' Evie stated matter-of-factly unaware that her mum was grimacing at the very thought.
'Oh, have you?' What was she supposed to say to that? She couldn’t very well tell Evie that she was sure Santa would make her wish come true, not if Hannah's reaction was anything to go by.
'We have spoken about the fact Santa can't always bring live animals on the sleigh, though haven’t we, Evie?' Crossing her fingers, Hannah waited her daughter's reply.
'I know.' Looking down, Evie sighed before lifting her head again and grinned widely. 'But he might eb able to. Especially if it doesn't snow!'
Holding her hand over her mouth, Merri coughed to hide the laughter which was trying to escape. She wasn’t sure what the weather forecast for over Christmas was, but she'd bet Hannah was hoping for snow. And lots of it.
'Right, we'd better get going before we miss your appointment, Evie. And we'd best let Merri get on too.' Hannah held her hand out for her daughter.
Slipping her in her mum's, Evie nodded. 'Yep. I need to get my sticker to show my friends. Kelsey got one in the shape of a whole tooth last time she went.'
'Bye, Merri. And thank you again for helping us yesterday.' Hannah turned and headed towards the door.
After watching them leave, Merri smiled.
She never had people coming over and talking to her just like that back home.
There was definitely a close sense of community here that the big towns generally lacked.
She glanced towards the clock. Ten minutes to go and she' could curl up in bed for a few minutes. Just ten minutes.
Turning, she headed into the kitchen, throwing the cloth onto the counter as she passed. Helpfully Elsie had taken the shortbread out of the oven in time and she could replenish the stock. they'd been popular today.
She let the kitchen door swing shut behind her before talking. 'Hi, do you have any more of that shortbread yet please?'
'Oh, yes, love. Sorry, I'd planned to bring it out.' Carrying a tray of freshly baked cupcakes to the cooling rack, Elsie placed it down before turning and picking up a tray brimming with shortbread squares. 'I'm not really sure whether I'm coming or going today, to be honest.'
'It's okay. I can take them.' Holding out her hands, she took he tray from Elsie. 'is everything okay?'
Nodding, Elsie smiled. 'Yes, it will be, love. Just feeling a bit rushed off my feet but Ian has the day off from helping at Daisy and Ollie's restaurant tomorrow so that'll help make things easier here.'
'That's good then.' During her last visit, Ian had been on hand to help cover breaks or help out during busy periods both behind the bakery counter and with the baking in the kitchen. 'Is he...?'
She turned as the kitchen door swung open behind her and Diane peered into the kitchen. 'There's someone asking for you, Merri.'
'For me?' Holding her hand against her chest. Merri frowned. She didn’t really know many people her in the bay. At least not anyone who would come by the bakery to see her.
'Yep, Felix from Nicks' place.'
'Felix.' Despite how tired and low she was feeling, a grin spread across her face as she felt the fluttering of anticipation in the pit of her stomach.
She just hoped he'd popped in to reschedule their date rather than cancel it all together.
Not that she'd blame him after she cried at him yesterday whilst they were looking for her necklace.
'You might as well go on your break now, Merri. Tilly's just got back now so I'll jump on the coffee and cake counter.' Holding her hand out, Diane waited for Merri to pass the shortbread across before turning and disappearing again.
'Go on, love. Don't keep him waiting. He's a good lad, Felix is.' Walking across to the door, Elsie held it open for her, swooshing her out.
'Okay, I'm going.' Hurrying out onto the bakery floor, Merri looked around, searching between the customers enjoying their coffees and cakes and the queue of people waiting to be served at the bakery counter. Where was he? Had he seen she wasn’t here and left?
'He's taking a call outside.' Walking past her carrying a tray of used crockery, Diane nudged her with her elbow and nodded towards the window.
Following Diane's gaze, Merri felt her shoulders relax as she spotted him. 'I thought he'd gone then.'
'Nope.' Diane placed the tray onto the counter before holding out her hand. 'Give me your apron and go out and see him.'
'Okay, thanks.' After pulling her apron over her head and passing it to Diane, Merri made her way outside just as Felix ended his call and put his mobile in his pocket.
'Hi.' Walking towards her, he grinned.
'Hi. sorry, I was just out the back int he kitchen.' She waved her hand behind her indicating the bakery.
'No worries. I just thought I'd pop and was hoping I could take a few minutes of your time.'
'I'm on my lunchbreak now, so...' Merri shrugged. She wasn’t quite sure how to end that sentence. She didn’t want to sound presumptuous and as though she were expecting him to want to give up what free time he had to spend it with her, or to appear to expect him to have any spare time.
For all she knew he'd popped into Penworth Bay to pick something up and had to rush back.
'You are? That’s great. Well...' He glanced around before pointing towards the beach. 'We could grab some chips from the chip van and take a walk on the beach. that's if you don’t have anything else to do and if you want to, of course.'
She nodded quickly, hoping he matched her enthusiasm. She thought he did. 'That sounds nice. I'm starving.'
'Great. before we get our lunch though, I’ve got something to give you.' Felix shifted position.
'You have?' What could he have for her? Had he picked up something from the Christmas tree farm? Some additional bits to pop on the wreath maybe?
'Yes.' He pulled a small jewellery box from his pocket and held it between them. 'I hope this is okay.'
'What is?' She was super confused now. Had he bought her a necklace to replace the one she'd lost?
It would be a sweet gesture if he had but they hardly knew each other.
She watched as he slowly pulled the lid of the box back on its hinges before she gasped.
there it was. Her snowflake pendant, sitting on a bed of soft maroon fabric.
Reaching out, she turned it carefully over, the tiny diamonds catching the winter sunlight.
Yes, it was hers. the small scar etched into the silver casing on the back only confirmed it was.
A dent in the silver casing her mum had created when she'd worn it. 'You found it.'
'It dropped out of one of the wreaths this morning as I picked it up to pass to a customer.' He smiled.
'Wow, it was so close being lost forever. If it hadn’t dropped out and they'd taken it home...' She shook the thoughts away. There was no point in worrying over what-ifs. it had dropped out and he had noticed it. 'We searched high and low all over that stall.'
'I know. I don’t know how we missed it.' He shrugged before rubbing his palm across his face. 'I would have brought it over earlier but, I hope you don’t mind, I popped into Trestow and got a new chain. the old one is underneath it. I wasn’t sure if that too had sentimental value, so I made sure the jewellers gave me that back. '
'You did?' Catching his eye, she could feel her own filling with tears. He'd not only found her necklace, but he'd got the chain replaced too.
He shrugged. 'They couldn’t fix the old chain so I thought it best to replace it. That way hopefully it won't get lost again.'
Reaching out, she placed her hand on his forearm. 'I really don’t know what to say. Thank you. A million thank yous!'
'You're very welcome.' Carefully taking the necklace from its small box, he indicated her to turn around before he fastened it securely around her neck.
Looking down, she held the pendant between her finger and thumb. 'This is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me.'
'Ahh, I'm just glad it's back where it belongs.' He slipped the box back into his pocket.
Letting the pendant lay against her jumper, she looked at him. 'Seriously, thank you.'
'You're welcome.'
Searching his eyes, she frowned. She could almost feel the spark between them, the connection she felt towards him when she looked into his eyes wasn't something she'd come across before. Without thinking, She leaned forward, her lips millimetres away from his and passed, suddenly unsure. Pulling back, she shook her head, the fierce glow of embarrassment flushing across her cheeks. Just because he’d done this for her and just because he'd asked her on a date they'd not yet gone on, didn’t mean. ..
Bringing his hand to her face, he gently cupped her cheek. 'May I?'
Nodding, she closed her eyes as she felt his lips against hers. He did feel the same. He did feel the connection. As she pulled back, she grinned at him. 'Shall we grab those chips now?'
'One minute.' Shrugging out of his thick coat, Felix gently draped it over Merri's shoulders. 'You must be freezing.'
'I can go and grab my coat from the bakery. You'll end of freezing otherwise.' With the surprise of him shaving had her necklace fixed and then the kiss, she hadn’t felt the cold until now that he'd mentioned it.
Scrunching up his nose, he nodded towards the bakery door where a long queue snaked outside, and groups of people clustered around the window peering inside at the cakes and pasties on display.
'I have a feeling if you pop back in there someone will expect you to serve them.
besides, I'm fine. I've been hauling trees around all morning before popping into town, whereas you've been inside a warm bakery all morning. You’ll feel the cold more than me. '
'Okay, thank you.' He was probably right.
If she slipped back inside to get her coat as soon as one of the regulars saw her they'd immediately assume she was working and she likely wouldn’t have the heart to correct them.
Slipping her arms inside his thick coat, she wrapped it around herself, his wrath from where he'd been wearing it a few moments ago warming her instantly.
Linking her arm through his, they made their way towards the chip van idling a little further up the road.