A Kiss in the Snow - Rosie Green Page 0,2

only buy main presents for girls I’ve been sharing meals with for at least three months.’

‘So that includes me, then. A week on Saturday.’

He frowns. ‘A week on Saturday?’

I shrug. ‘A week on Saturday it’ll be exactly three months since we had our first night out at the autumn fair.’

He looks surprised. ‘Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun? I can’t believe it’s been almost three months.’ His mouth curves into a mischievous smile. ‘It seems a hell of a lot longer than that.’

‘You horror!’ I squeak, leaning over to whack him across the arm.

‘Ouch.’ He pretends to looks around for a waiter. ‘Help! This woman’s attacking me.’

We lock eyes and start to laugh, and he says, ‘I always feel so comfortable with you, Carrie. Why is that?’

‘Because I’m special. Obviously.’ I smile cheekily, as a feeling of pure happiness surges through me.

‘You are indeed.’ He studies me with such affection in his eyes, I feel myself blushing. ‘It’s good to be with someone you can just be yourself with, isn’t it? I mean, I’ve never been at my most relaxed around girls. I’ve always felt I have to keep up a constant flow of witty banter otherwise they’ll think I’m boring. But with you…’

I nod, as my insides dance around wildly. ‘You can be as boring as you like and you know I won’t mind because I love your company anyway?’

He grins. ‘Thanks. So you’re telling me I’m boring.’

I laugh, sounding a little hysterical. ‘Just sometimes. When you’re going on about football.’

I’m expecting him to banter back, but he just looks at me with his solemn face. ‘Actually, Carrie, there’s something I need to tell you.’

‘I’ve got food on my face?’

He smiles. ‘No, it’s more…serious than that.’ He sighs, running a hand distractedly through his hair. ‘Christ, I’ve just been saying how comfortable I am with you. But now I’m feeling as nervous as a vibrator salesman at airport security.’

I swallow hard.

Can I handle this? Whatever he’s about to say?

Stay calm, stay calm!

The waiter comes over and we both order the leek and potato soup, followed by a chicken and chorizo dish.

‘Come on, then,’ I prompt Adam. ‘What were you going to tell me.’

He laughs and shakes his head. ‘I had it all worked out, what I was going to say. But now…I’m scared of what your reaction will be.’

My heart is thumping like crazy. ‘So don’t think about it. Just spit it out.’

‘Actually…I’m just nipping to the little boys’ room. Won’t be a mo.’ He gets up and whisks off, his napkin landing on the floor, leaving me feeling more on edge than ever.

Maybe he’s going to tell me that our half-kiss the other evening was a complete mistake…

My mind drifts back to Wednesday night for the millionth time.

I’d stayed later than usual at Brambleberry Manor Café, where I work, icing cakes for the next day, and it was after six by the time I locked up and left. Adam was just emerging from his workshop next-door.

‘Fancy a drink before we head home?’ I asked him, feeling bold for once. ‘My shout.’

‘Sounds good to me.’

I followed him in my car back to Sunnybrook and we managed to park outside The Swan Hotel on the high street. The place was already full of people in their finery, presumably heading off to a Christmas party, but we managed to squeeze ourselves onto adjoining stools at the bar and Adam ordered a beer for himself and a gin and tonic for me.

He grinned at me. ‘Sorry, I should have asked what you wanted. I just assumed…’

‘You assumed correctly.’ I smiled back, raising my glass, loving the ease between us – and the fact he knew exactly what I wanted to drink without even having to ask me.

We’d intended it to be ‘just one drink’ but he started telling me all about his plans to design a website for his new wood carving business, and it felt so good, squashed together in our own little bubble, that when Adam suggested another one, I said yes, not wanting to leave. To be fair, I switched off half way through the technical details of how he’d set up his website. I was far more interested in gazing into those gorgeous blue eyes at such close quarters, and loving the way his knee was brushing against mine from time to time.

At one point, I was jolted sideways by a man wanting to get served, and I might have fallen off my stool if Adam hadn’t