‘I’ve known her for four days.Four.’
‘And since when has that ever mattered?’ Jean tutted. ‘Jim told me he was going to marry me on our first date. I thought he’d lost his mind. And married him anyway.’
‘You’ve told me this story before.’
‘And I’ll tell you a dozen more times until you get it into your noggin that time is irrelevant.’
Shaking her head at me, she fetched the thick golden threat and a fat needle, looping them together and signalling for me to hand the jumper over.
‘Can I help?’ I asked.
Jean looked up at me and smiled. ‘It’ll be quicker if I do it.’
‘But it’ll mean more if I help.’
Her eyes misted as she nodded. ‘Well, you’d best put on a pot of tea, lad. We’ll be here a while.’
It took a few tries for me to figure out the stitch she used to make the thick, raised lettering, but within half an hour, Ifigured it out, and painstakingly worked to make my stitches just as neat as Jean’s as I closed the top of the H.
‘You’ll be home for a bit after Christmas?’
‘Yeah, for a few days,’ I said.
‘Will you be back for Hogmanay?’
‘I’m not sure. Depends on what the Leadbetters need. And whether?—’
‘You’ll need to be back. Because Owen and Claire are surprising everyone with a wedding at the ceilidh.’
I dropped the needle and stared at her.
‘A wedding?’
Jean nodded.
‘They’re getting married. In a week?’
‘Decided it yesterday. We’re keeping it quiet. They want it small and without a fuss. Just cosy and sweet.’ She paused, then gave me a look. ‘And they want you there. And if you happen to have any garlands and lights left from the big fancy house, it would be wonderful if you could sneak them in before Hogmanay.’’
‘I’d be honoured,’ I said.
‘Good. And Amanda’s invited too.’
I rubbed the back of my neck, then picked up the needle and resumed stitching.
‘She’ll have left by then.’
‘So I heard. But I’m sure you can convince her to stay a few more days.’
‘It won’t be on her schedule.’
‘Then give her something worth staying for. Folks do crazy things for love.’
‘It’s not love.’
Jean cracked a cheeky smile.
‘They do even crazier things for lust.’
