11

What with her packing up, moving boxes to her new place, and him working eighteen hours a day, Carlyle felt as if he’d hardly seen Kristen in days. True they still chatted for an hour each night, and texted back and forth all day, but part of him wanted her full attention. Even when they chatted, she was packing containers of books or plates and glasses or making notes the entire time.

Yes, he admitted it. He was jealous. He couldn’t wait for her to move in across the road. The living rooms faced each other, so they could wave. Perhaps they could walk the dogs together. But what he really, really wanted, more than anything he couldn’t have. Not yet. Hand holding, arms around shoulders, touching of any kind had to wait. And then there was kissing… That really had to wait.

He’d finally repaired the damage to his kitchen and installed a new blind. He’d also finished his Christmas shopping. Everything was wrapped, delivered, or posted with the exception of Kristen’s present. He had no idea what to get her. OK, so he had an inkling, but she might not like it, so where would that leave him?

Max woofed.

“What?” Carlyle rubbed the collie’s ears. “You reckon I should? Fine, but where do I find one?” He grinned. “Of course. Only it’s Sunday, so not today. How about a walk, and then maybe see Kristen in church at the carol service later?”

Max scampered into the hall.

Carlyle followed and togged himself up before clipping on Max’s lead. He ruffled the dog’s ears. “Actually, I’ll have to order it today, or it won’t come in time. Give me two minutes.”

It took ten, before he’d chosen what he wanted and ordered the items. One to be gift wrapped and delivered to Kristen, the other to come to him. Amazingly, the online store promised next day delivery for hers, but the parcel coming to him would take a few days longer. It would be so much easier when they could shop properly, or when they lived across the road from each other.

Max pawed at him and barked.

“OK. I’m ready.” He opened the front door and made his way outside, Max at his heels. He locked up and headed to the park.

As soon as they were through the gates, however, Max went completely loopy. He began barking and tugging at his lead so hard, he broke free and galloped off.

“Max! Come back here. You bad dog.” Carlyle ran after him, broken lead clutched tightly in his hand. He followed the brown and white collie around the hill and then skidded to a halt, almost losing his balance on the icy ground.

Max was about a foot in front of him, playing with a black spaniel.

A familiar figure in a red coat and matching beret turned. “Hello. Figured you’d be close behind Max.”

Carlyle backed away, keeping his distance, even though he didn’t want to do so. “Oh, yeah.” He raised his voice. “Max! Get here now.”

Max turned and trudged over to his master, tail between his legs, ears drooping, with a whine.

Carlyle got down beside him and unclipped the broken lead. He gripped the dog’s collar and stroked him firmly. “Max, you need to behave and not run off like that. If we were on the road, you could have been killed. This isn’t a doggy romance, got it? You really need to behave. And now I have to buy a new lead.”

Max’s ears dropped farther, and he swiped a paw over his nose.

Carlyle hugged him and rubbed his ears. “But I love you anyway. Now go play.” He kissed his nose and let go. “Go on, play with Lucy. I know you want to.”

Max nudged him, and then yapped, running back to where Lucy sat waiting for him. He squatted beside her and the two dogs just nuzzled for a moment before running off together.

Carlyle stood a few feet away from Kristen, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I can’t believe he did that.”

“At least he didn’t go far. Lucy was going nuts when she saw him.” Kristen set her pack on the bench. “I brought hot chocolate and two cups, just in case we bumped into each other.”

“Great idea. I thought about it but didn’t get any further.” His breath hung in clouds on the frosty air.

“I sanitized everything before I put gloves on, so it’s all pandemic clean.” She poured the hot liquid and slid a cup over to him with a gloved finger. “Your turn next time.”

“Thank you.” He swallowed gratefully, feeling his insides begin to thaw. “I was thinking, when you move into Adam’s we can walk the dogs together.”

“Definitely. Once, if not twice a day.”

He nodded. “And you should be getting a parcel tomorrow. But no peeking until December the twenty-fifth.”

“Thank you. You shouldn’t have.”

He warmed his hands on the cup. “Yes, I most definitely should have. Do you have any furniture to move into Adam’s?”

“Bookcases mainly. And lots and lots of boxes. Never mind all the work stuff. I have the keys and am doing little bits, but some stuff I can’t move ’til the last minute.”

“I’ll hire a van and help. And don’t tell me I don’t need to. I want to. You’ll have a load of cleaning to do before the house inspection. If we get everything out a couple of days before, bar the bedding, it’ll be easier.” He winked. “Or we just move you out properly a day or two before your lease is up then we can clean easier.”

“I was thinking that. Thank you.”

“What about Internet?”

“Adam already has it, but my annexe has a separate phone line, so I’ll have my own installed. I’m arranging transfer for January tenth. Officially, I move out on the sixteenth, but the sooner the better.”

“Then I’ll arrange the van for the tenth. Adam also said he’d help.” Carlyle finished his drink. He angled his head, gazing at her. “I was thinking about your work. Just put a note on the site saying orders received after the ninth will be dispatched after the sixteenth due to moving house. That way you have a few days to unpack, get sorted, set your new workspace up and so on, whilst keeping your customers happy. Gives you plenty of wriggle room as well.”

She took a sip of her chocolate. “Good idea. I’ll do that when I update the site with the new scents tomorrow. There’s more in the flask if you’d like. Help yourself.”

“Wouldn’t say no.” He refilled his cup.

“Are you streaming the service tonight? I love the carol service. It is one of my favourite nights of the year.”

Carlyle grinned. “Woman after my own heart. I was thinking, and feel free to say no, but how about we vidcon at the same time. That way we really are there together.”

“I’d like that.” She shot him a smile before glancing over to the two dogs. “What are you doing Christmas Day?”

“Family dinner at 1:00 PM via vidcon. We’re eating together, then opening presents, and ending just before the Queen’s Speech.” He paused. “How about we have one huge family dinner? Get your parents and sisters to come as well. That way they can all meet each other, and we don’t have to decide who we spend dinner with. Aside from each other, that is.”

“That is a brilliant idea. I shall ask them now.” Kristen pulled her phone from her bag.

“Send to all?”

“Kind of. We have a group chat on one of the messaging apps.” She tapped quickly, reading aloud as she typed. “Anyone up for a vidcon dinner at 1:00 PM on Christmas Day? Presents, crackers, bad jokes, and great company. Carlyle and I, and his famalam, will be there.”

“Famalam?” He frowned.

She laughed. “Emma invented the term, and we use it all the time now. Means family. No idea where she heard it.” She tucked her phone away. “I’ll keep you apprised and send you email addresses for those who want to come.”

“Thank you. I’ll pass them on to Dad. You know, I think we should set the table properly as well. And dress up for the occasion. Of course, wearing the crowns from Christmas Crackers is mandatory.” He finished the chocolate and set the cup on the bench.

“Of course. Do you have crackers?”

“No, I need to get some.”

Kristen shook her head. “I have a box of twelve, and I won’t need all of them. I can let you have some.”

It started to snow again, and Carlyle whistled. “Max. C’mon boy. Time to make tracks before we turn into snow people.”

“Literally make tracks.” She tucked the flask and cups in the backpack and slid into it.

He chuckled. “Yup. Max!”

Kristen looked at the frolicking dogs. “Lucy! Here now.” She sighed. “Are both dogs ignoring us?”

“Yup. I think we may have a problem. My dog has fallen in love with your dog.”

She held his gaze. “She gets that from her owner.”

Carlyle wasn’t sure how to take that one. “You’re in love with my dog as well as Lucy?”

She winked. “Oh, yeah. And I’m also quite fond of his owner. Very fond, actually.”

Carlyle’s heart double timed, and his breath caught in the frozen air. He took half a pace closer, then stopped. “Do you have any idea how much I want to pull you close and kiss you right now?”

She blinked slowly, her eyes glistening. “About as much as I want you to.”

“I guess we just have to pretend it’s the nineteenth century, and we’re not allowed to touch or kiss until after the wedding.”

Kristen faltered. “Wedding? Is that a proposal?”

His cheeks scorched. Had he really just said that? He’d been thinking about proposing for a day or so but hadn’t intended to just spurt it out. He’d always pictured somewhere romantic. Flowers, him on one knee, fireworks going off overhead… Not in a snowy park, with more snow falling, and in the middle of a lockdown where he had to keep six feet away.

He glanced over at the dogs who were now both sitting quietly watching them. What if she said no? Could he risk it? But if he took it back, then he’d be an idiot. “Umm, did I say wedding?”

She nodded. Her cheeks pinked, her eyes glowed, and she had a confused, almost incredulous look on her face as if she thought she’d imagined it.

He wasn’t backing down now. His heart thudded loudly. His pulse raced so fast he felt almost light-headed. “Then, yeah. Wedding. You, me, Max, Lucy.”

Kristen took half a pace towards him, a huge smile lighting her eyes. “Sounds good to me. I can wait. We can’t get married until at least March anyway. Well, six weeks after that because we can’t even register the banns until March.” She grinned hand half stretched towards him. “Plus I want a church wedding, long white dress, Mum in tears, Dad giving me away. Not a vidcon wedding.”

He chuckled. “So, we get married in church, they live stream the service on social media. Hymns can come from the church ‘juke box’ as Pastor Jack calls it, like on a Sunday. If we can have more than ten people there, good. If not, we can have a blessing later on. But a June wedding would be warmer.”

“June sounds good.” She paused as if she wanted to question whether he meant it, but didn’t.

“June sounds perfect. It’s a date.” He shivered. It was now bitterly cold. “Come on, Max. Dinner time.” He grabbed the dog’s collar and managed to loop the remains of the lead around it. “We’ll miss the carol service at this rate.”

Kristen fastened Lucy’s lead. “A couple more weeks and we can walk home together. See you in church.”

Carlyle beamed. “You will. I’ll call as soon as I get in.”

~*~

Kristen floated home on cloud nine.

Marriage?

Never in her wildest imaginings did she ever consider… Marriage? Had he really meant it? OK, it hadn’t been long, but she knew how she felt and… She tugged her phone from her pocket. Em, are you busy?

Less than a minute later, her phone rang. “Hello.”

“What’s up? I just replied and said yes to Christmas dinner. It’s a great idea.”

“I think Carlyle proposed.” Kristen yanked the phone away from her ear as Emma screamed.

“Seriously? How? When? What did he say?”

The snow fell harder, swirling white flakes covering the icy path, obscuring her vision. “We were walking the dogs and met in the park. We got to talking and he said he really wanted to kiss me, but he’d have to wait until after the wedding.”

“Ohhhh.”

“And when I queried it, he said yes, he’d said wedding. Me, him, and the dogs. In church, via a social media and vidcon live stream if need be. With a blessing in a garden later on. Or maybe a June wedding.”

“And? What did you say?”

“I don’t know. It was a conversation, not a proper proposal, but yeah, I would marry him. In a heartbeat.”

“So, tell him that.”

“When I get home.”

“You do that. Better go. Time to throw up again.” The call went dead.

Poor Em. She was having a rough time of it. Distracted, Kristen tried to put the phone away. At the same instant her right foot vanished beneath her and she fell, landing heavily in the snow. She closed her eyes, winded.

Lucy barked and licked her face.

Muffled footsteps thudded. “Kristen! Are you all right?”

She opened her eyes to find Carlyle kneeling in the snow beside her. “I’m fine. I think. How did? What are you doing here?”

“Max made a bolt for it after Lucy. I think he wanted to make sure you got home in one piece. Are you hurt?”

Kristen shook her head. “No. I’m fine. Just feel like a prized fool.”

He took her gloved hand in his and gently helped her up. “Are you sure?”

She didn’t want to let go. She had to let him know that she would marry him, if he’d been serious about it. She grasped his hand tightly, looking into his eyes. “I am. I will.”

His eyes twinkled. “You will?”

She nodded. “Yes, I will, uh, will be fine.”

He laughed. “Let’s get you home.” He squeezed her fingers, then let go. “C’mon Max. Let’s walk the ladies home, shall we?”

Max woofed his approval and nudged Lucy.

Kristen ignored the pain in her ankle as they walked back to her place together. She’d ice it when she got in and sit with it elevated whilst watching the carol service.

At the house, Carlyle escorted her to the front door, then retreated back down the path, stood by the gate, and blew her a kiss. “See you in church. You can sing, right?”

She grinned. “Of course. I usually sing alto.”

His beam matched hers. “Cool. I sing loud and off key, just to warn you. I’ll call you just before. Looking forward to it.”

She headed inside, ankle throbbing and hands tingling from his touch where he’d pulled her up. She glanced heavenwards. Thank you, Lord. Best Christmas ever.