Grace shook her head. ‘You can do that after Christmas—for the rest of the house. The kitchen is fine. I can rehang the curtains in here, and I’m sure between us we can sort out the other two rooms. It’s just a bit of dust.’
It was more than a bit of dust. They both knew that. But Grace was determined to show Finlay that she wasn’t a princess. Last night had been a bit of a dream. Ending up at a castle made her seem like a princess. But emotions ran deep.
This was her first Christmas without her grandmother. It was always going to be tough. But Finlay had already made it a bit easier. The change of scenery. The fact that someone had actually thought about her, and considered her, meant a lot.
Today would be hard. Every Christmas aroma would bring back memories of her gran. She’d worked so hard up until now to try and push the reality of today into a place there wasn’t time to think about.
Past Christmases with her gran had also been a panacea for something else. It didn’t really matter what age you were—being ignored by your mother would always cut deep.
It didn’t matter that she’d reached adulthood intact and totally loved by her grandmother. The big gaping hole was always there. She could never escape the fact her mother had all but abandoned her to make a new life for herself. What kind of person did that?
In a way, it had strengthened the bond between her and her grandmother. Both of them trying to replace what the other had lost. But it also made it hard for her to form new relationships with other people. Grace struggled to make friends easily, because she struggled to trust. The girls from Maids in Chelsea were the closest friends she’d ever made. As for men? It was easy to blame her gran’s illness and juggling jobs to explain why she’d never had a truly lasting relationship. She could just say it was down to poor taste in men. But the truth was, she’d always found it hard to trust anyone, to believe that someone would love her enough not to abandon her. It was easier to keep her feelings cocooned. At least then they were safe.
But now? Her biggest problem was that every second she was around Finlay she became a little bit more attached. Saw another side of him that she liked, that she admired, that she might even love a little. But he was her boss. They lived completely different lives. Her heart didn’t even know where to start with feelings like these.
So why had they ended up here together?
Finlay’s fingers intertwined with hers as they looked at the snow together. The buzz was instant, straight up her arm to her heart. There was so much she could say right now. So many tumbling thoughts.
‘Let’s get dressed,’ said Finlay as he turned and walked away.
Grace folded her arms and smiled out at the untouched snow. This Christmas was shaping up to be completely different from what she’d ever imagined.
Her phone beeped and she pulled it from her bag. Sophie.
Where are you? I dropped by the flat.
Grace pressed buttons quickly, knowing exactly the response she’d get.
With my boss. In Scotland.
She smiled, added a quick, See you all at the Snowflake Ball, and tucked the phone into her bag, knowing it would probably buzz for the rest of the day.
* * *
It was like having someone with boundless energy next to you all day. Grace didn’t seem to know how to sit down. Five minutes at breakfast was her record. After that, she’d rehung the curtains, then started to power around the dining room.
Meanwhile he’d been in the place he clearly wasn’t destined for.
Finlay frowned at the instructions. They must have got a little wet in his pocket. They were a bit smudged. He’d found a suitable tray for the turkey and followed Alec’s instructions. But this basting thing looked complicated. Would he even get to leave the kitchen at all today?
Grace appeared with a smudge on her nose, laughing, watching him squint at the instructions. ‘How’s the turkey?’ She smiled with a hand on her hip.
He shook his head. It was too, too tempting. His thumb was up wiping the smudge from her nose instantly, the rest of his hand touching the bottom of her chin.
Whatever she’d opened her mouth to say next had been lost. She just stared at him with those big brown eyes. For a second, he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t inhale.
Every thought in his head was about kissing her. Tasting those lips. Running his fingers through her soft hair, tied back with a pink ribbon. She’d changed into a soft pink knit jumper and blue figure-hugging jeans. Her face was make-up-free, but, although she was as beautiful as ever, today she looked different. She looked happy. She was relaxed.
He could almost sense a peaceful aura buzzing around her. His stomach turned over. He’d done the right thing. He’d done the right thing bringing Grace here—both for him, and for her.