Page 69 of Winter Magic on Railway Lane

‘So did I,’ she said. ‘Why do you think I was a flight attendant? I couldn’t wait to get away.’ She shook her head. ‘All those wasted years,’ she said, thinking back to the pain that they had both suffered.

‘I know,’ he said. ‘But we were always a pair of idiots.’

She giggled. Despite everything, he always knew how to make her smile.

‘But we were always friends too,’ he added. ‘And hopefully friends again now.’

As he looked into her eyes, she found her breath caught at the intensity that was there.

‘Just friends?’ she whispered.

Ethan stared down at her, his eyes unreadable in the darkness of the night.

But she knew. She knew him so well, almost as well as she knew herself.

They came together instantly in an embrace, stepping forward so that their lips met at the exact moment that their arms wrapped around each other.

Libby moaned against his mouth at the feel of his lips on hers. It was the same as it had been in Las Vegas. She had waited for this for so long.

She knew he felt the connection too. She knew from the way his lips covered hers, the way he was holding her against him. This was everything.

Finally, they broke apart, both breathless and wide-eyed as they stared at each other. Her lips were still bruised from their passionate kiss. And yet, she could feel him holding back from her and deep down she knew why. His mum had broken his trust in all relationships and he still didn’t believe in them. At least she now understood but it didn’t make her feel any better.

Her self-defence mechanism kicked in. ‘Well, I’ll have a chat with Dad about the narration,’ she told him, reaching for her front door key in her handbag. ‘Talking of which, I’d better get inside and make sure he’s okay.’

She felt him watch her go down the short front path.

‘Goodnight, Libby,’ she heard him say as she opened the front door.

‘Goodnight,’ she replied before walking inside and closing the door behind her.

Nothing had changed in the years since their secret wedding. Her feelings for Ethan were exactly the same. Just friends? She shook her head. Nothing could be further from the truth, as far as she was concerned. And yet, sensing Ethan holding back from her, she wondered whether they could ever be anything but friends, despite her yearning for so much more.

41

Despite her confused personal feelings for Ethan, Libby was still feeling excited about her idea for the theme for the Christmas train over breakfast the following morning.

‘So the meeting went well last night?’ asked her dad.

She nodded, as she took a sip of her coffee, trying to dismiss the thought of Ethan’s lips on hers when they had kissed. Something she had tried and failed to do all night. ‘There’s lots to do, but we’ve all promised to help come up with ideas for the decorations. But I came up with the theme!’

Her dad looked impressed. ‘And what have you decided upon?’ he asked.

‘The Nutcracker,’ she told him. Suddenly, she hesitated. It was another memory linked with her mother. Perhaps it was too painful a reminder. ‘You see,’ she stumbled on. ‘We used to go to the ballet when I was younger and?—’

‘I remember.’ Thankfully, rather than looking upset, her dad was smiling as if to himself. ‘You know, it was me you have to thank for that.’

‘Why?’ asked Libby, surprised.

‘Because your mother used to hear me playing Tchaikovsky’s marvellous music and wanted to know what the story was behind it,’ he told her. ‘So I explained the story and she immediately got the both of you tickets to see the ballet.’

‘And it became a Christmas tradition,’ said Libby, heartened by the reminder of their happy marriage. ‘I had no idea you loved it too.’

‘Indeed.’ Her dad nodded. ‘I must say, it’s been many years since I’ve heard the music. I must bring out that CD of mine.’

‘Actually, you may need to dust it off a bit quicker than that,’ said Libby, suddenly feeling nervous.

‘Elizabeth,’ said her dad, inclining his head to one side as he studied her. ‘You have that exact same look you had when you told me that you had reversed the family car into a bollard.’