He didn’t look up from his screen. “There’s always someone who needs answering.”
“It’s three days before Christmas,” she said, wiping her hands on a towel. “The only replies you’re going to get back are from the Grinch.”
“Or from an insanely gorgeous beach house off Southampton,” he said, flipping the laptop around for Eliza to see. He cracked his knuckles. “Enough commission off this bad boy to supply a lifetime of rolling pins.”
Eliza’s eyes widened. “Whoa. Thatisinsanely gorgeous.” She flipped through all the pictures of the beach house, noting the scenic view, the six bedrooms, and the price. Lachlan must do very well for himself. “Impressive. Carry on.” She slid it back around to him.
As if on cue, Puffcake fluttered over to the keyboard and stretched out across it like a cat. Lachlan swatted him away while Eliza laughed.
“He got icing all over my keys,” Lachlan muttered.
“You can’t win an argument against Puffcake. He lives for drama.” She braced herself against the counter with both of her wrists, throwing the hand towel over her shoulder. She studied Lachlan for a moment, unsure exactly how to proceed. “I thought your sister sent you here on a getaway mission tosaveyou from your work. Not just set aside more time to dive headlong into it.”
He looked up at Eliza, meeting her gaze. He was contemplating something, only Eliza wasn’t sure what until he closed his laptop softly and leaned back in his chair. “This is the first Christmas without my dad.” His voice came low, cracking a little at the last word.
Eliza set down the bowl of sugar, momentarily abandoning her work. She said nothing in response, only silently waited for more, if he was willing to offer.
“He’s still alive. Just with his new girlfriend on the Amalfi Coast. She was his secretary.” He gave a tight smile, drumming his fingers on the island nervously. “Mum’s visiting my sister in Brighton. I didn’t want to intrude. They never invited me, and I never asked. And honestly, I didn’t know if I could handle the wholematching-jim-jams-and-pretend-we’re-finefamily thing this year.”
Eliza met his gaze, her heart twisting. “So you came here.”
“So I came here,” he nodded. “I needed a break, and as far away as I could get. My sister knew that. Guess she didn’t read the fine print when she booked.” He rubbed the back of his neck, “And I guess I didn’t expect all this.” He waved his hand through the air.
Eliza raised her brow. “What? You didn’t expect a magical snowstorm, a feisty fire-breathing shortbread, or an antisocial baker? It was all in the fine print, Hollis.”
He let out a laugh, flexing a little in his seat. “Especially the baker.” His brown eyes locked on hers too long.
Puffcake snorted and batted his wings over to the hearth, clearly uncomfortable by the serious turn of conversation.
Eliza’s chest swelled with a feeling she couldn’t quite place. Was it pride? Satisfaction? “Well ... I’m glad you’re here,” she smiled genuinely.
“Me too.”
“You’re lucky I like you, or else you’d be confined to the living room—magical house rules or not,” she said, pushing the bowl of coarse sugar across the table to him. Their fingers brushed in the transfer. “Here, help me with topping off the scones.”
He grinned, already dusting the sugar onto the tops of the desserts. “And miss out on the opportunity to be your trustee Sous-Chef? That would be tragic.”
She took the pan of scones from the oven and bumped the door shut with her hip. “Well, if you’re going to stick around, you might as well make yourself useful.”
“Today’s my first day besides burning a frozen pizza and making a mediocre breakfast. Now you’re trusting me with a job so delicate?”
“Oh, hush. You’re sprinkling sugar on top of the pastries, not disabling an atomic bomb.”
“Okay, says the girl who bakes like it’s an Olympic sport,” Lachlan said behind his shoulder. “I’d better get half the spoil tomorrow for helping you out. How much is the contest for, anyway?”
“Five thousand pounds.”
Lachlan whistled. “That’s like a month’s supply of flour and sugar for you, Snow.”
“Yeah, or a down payment on a bakery.”
Their shoulders brushed as she came next to him and began whipping up another batch.
“Is that really what you’re going to spend the money on?” he asked.
Eliza immediately felt childish. She’d already failed once. What was Lachlan going to say to make her change her mind? It was probably foolish to try again, but she’d never know unless she did. She was never much of a risk-taker, but Gretel had already entered her in the contest. All she could do now was give it her all and aim for first place.
“Yes,” she nodded once.
