Chapter 41
Beth yawned and rolled over to check her phone. It was seven o’clock on Christmas morning and she was at Maple Tree Lodge. She smiled to herself, thinking about the lovely festive day ahead with the family before stretching out under the covers.
However, as she pointed her toes, they hit something at the bottom of the bed and she looked up from her pillow to stare down the bed to see what it was. She saw a flash of red and, sitting bolt upright, stared down at the object on her covers in amazement. It was a Christmas stocking.
She looked around the room but there was no other evidence that anyone had been there.
Was it a mistake? Was it really hers? She shuffled down the bed and reached out to turn it over.
Immediately she saw the name Beth embroidered on the white felt.
It really belonged to her. Her first ever Christmas stocking.
With a whoop of glee, she shuffled back up, clutching onto the precious stocking. Leaning against the pillows, she took a slow and calm breath. She wanted to savour the moment and hug it to herself to recall whenever she felt low.
Reaching inside the opening, she picked out the first wrapped parcel and carefully revealed a pair of big thick socks. They were pink and purple striped and she giggled, thinking they suited her perfectly.
The next present she unwrapped was a pair of pink wool gloves, thick and warm enough even for the coldest of nights, along with a matching bobble hat. The colour was absolutely perfect.
Finally there was one more present in the bottom of the stocking. As she pulled it out, she realised that it was a lot heavier than the previous presents and couldn’t work out what it was at all.
She carefully unwrapped the present until the object was revealed.
It was a beautifully hand-carved set of stars, the smaller of which could fit inside the larger one.
They were 3D effect, the carving smooth as she ran her hand over the oak wood.
The grain on both pieces was beautiful and as she placed them on her bedside table, she realised that the bottom of each piece was flat so that they could be placed as an ornament on any surface to be admired.
Tears pricked her eyes. It was the most thoughtful, incredible gift she had ever been given. They could only have been made by someone with immense carpentry skills. And she instantly knew just who the stocking was from.
Beth leapt out of bed and rushed out of the room, grabbing a wrapped present nearby as she went.
She immediately turned right and knocked softly on the bedroom door. She hopped impatiently from foot to foot as she waited for it be opened.
Finally, the door swung open.
‘Good morning,’ said Noah, running a hand through messy hair. He was wearing a pair of sweatpants and pulling a jumper over his head. ‘You’re up early.’
‘Good morning and happy Christmas!’ cried Beth. She hesitated before stepping forward to give Noah the most enormous hug.
But she was a little too hasty and having only just revealed his head through the top of his jumper, Noah wasn’t braced for impact and they both fell down onto the ground.
‘Ooof,’ cried Noah, on impact with the thankfully soft carpet underneath them.
‘I’m so sorry,’ said Beth, leaning back to look at him as he lay beneath her.
‘But I just had to say thank you. A million times thank you. It’s the nicest, most thoughtful present that anyone has ever given me.
I woke up to a Christmas stocking and it was amazing.
Like Santa had been there himself! You must have been awfully quiet.
God, I hope I wasn’t snoring or anything dreadful like that.
Anyway, you’re just the sweetest person ever and I had to say thank you. ’
She couldn’t stop herself from throwing her arms around him once more. She felt Noah still before she felt his arm slide across her back.
‘You’re welcome,’ she heard him murmur, into her hair. ‘Although I don’t think anyone’s ever called me sweet before.’
‘Well, they should have,’ she said, pulling up to smile at his face which was now so near to hers.
She looked into his dark eyes for a moment, thinking how warm they were up close like now.
‘You must have your Christmas present from me now,’ she said, feeling around on the carpet next to them with her hand to pick up a somewhat messily wrapped present. ‘I hope we haven’t squished it.’
‘Perhaps we should sit down on a chair just in case,’ he said.
‘Of course,’ she replied, leaping off him. She had obviously just embarrassed him but for once, she didn’t mind what he thought of her. She was too eager to give him his Christmas present after the amazing one that he had gifted her.
They sat down on the bed, their legs touching as they sat close to one another.
‘Go on,’ she urged him.
‘You’re just like a kid on Christmas morning,’ he said, smiling at her.
‘I’ve had my first ever Christmas stocking so yeah, I guess I have regressed a little,’ she told him. ‘Come on! I’m desperate for you to open yours now.’
He unwrapped the present and stared down at the battered leather box. She watched as he opened the lid to look down at the gold timepiece.
‘It’s a maritime compass,’ she told him in a proud tone. ‘From the 1920s. I saw it in an antique shop in Aldwych a fortnight ago and thought it would look perfect in your lovely boat and you could use it when you head out for your first ever voyage.’
Noah looked shocked and stared down at the compass for a moment, completely speechless.
‘It’s okay,’ she told him, reaching out to take his hand in hers. ‘I felt the same way about the stars you made me.’
He looked down at their hands entwined before looking up at her face.
‘Thank you,’ he said.
‘And thank you. Nobody’s ever given me anything like that before,’ she told him, looking at him with wide eyes.
‘Not an ex-boyfriend?’ he asked, reaching out to stroke her cheek and she felt her stomach clench as his fingers trailed down her skin.
‘Definitely not,’ she told him. ‘Normally if I were in a relationship at Christmas, my present would be some kind of underwear. Probably flammable.’
She heard Noah gulp.
‘You know, I love this secret side of you, making special presents for me.’ She grinned at him. ‘Don’t panic. I’m not asking for a proposal but I don’t think you’re the cold-hearted person I did when I met you.’
He was still studying her with his dark eyes. ‘You don’t?’
‘I think you’re guarded but there’s another side to you that you don’t show very often, sometimes only to me. And I like it.’ She laughed once more. ‘Don’t worry. I don’t love you.’
‘Good to know.’ He grinned.
‘Next time I’m in a relationship at Christmas, I’ll have to make sure I up my present request expectations,’ she carried on. ‘Although yours will be hard for any boyfriend to top.’
‘Glad to hear you’ll be aiming higher next time,’ he replied.
Beth nodded. ‘I will. But I’m beginning to realise that it doesn’t mean I have to be in a relationship to be happy. After all, I’m happy now.’
‘So am I.’
He said it so softly and yet she caught the heavy weight of his words.
She looked up at him and time stood still.
Slowly, he dipped his head towards her, his arm wrapping around her to draw her close.
It was inevitable that they would kiss in that moment.
She couldn’t stop her hands creeping around his shoulders until they were both embracing the other close and tight.
She felt dazed by his slow but thorough kiss.
Finally, and she had no idea how long they had kissed for, they both pulled back a little.
There was nothing but their heavy breaths in the silence as they stared at each other.
She understood now what her friends had been talking about a few nights ago. It was the magic that she had missed from every other relationship. The magic felt real with Noah.
‘What was that for?’ she asked, still feeling dazed and trying to make light of her growing feelings for him. ‘To keep our kissing game up in case Jeremy returns?’
He shook his head. ‘It was a kiss between friends.’
Friends. What friends ever kissed passionately like that? The word shook her out of her daze and she blinked back to life.
‘And there isn’t even any mistletoe nearby!’ she told him, fixing on a wide smile. ‘You know what? As a reward for giving me my first ever Christmas stocking, I’m going to make sure you get an extra portion of roast potatoes at lunchtime.’
She stood up, suddenly needing to get some distance between them. The kiss had been wonderful and she felt shaken to the core.
She looked down at Noah to see if he was feeling the same way. But his face was a mask as usual as he smiled up at her and said, ‘Happy Christmas, Beth.’
‘Happy Christmas, Noah,’ she replied before leaving the room.
She went back into her bedroom and leaned against the door after she had closed it. Just friends, that was what he thought of them.
She sighed heavily. The trouble was that she didn’t think of him at all like that. But if he didn’t think the same way then what future did they have?