Sorrell stayed back from the small group that surrounded the singers, the rest of the choir joining in on the second verse. The snow drifted down slowly, covering the rooftops and putting a fresh coating over the pavements that had been walked on. It was the sort of scene you’d find on a Christmas card, only this one had the sweet sound of the girl’s voice leading the choir.
“Why are you crying?” Zack’s voice brought her back into reality, away from the picture before her.
“I didn’t know I was. It’s just so Christmassy,” she said. “Her voice…”
“Welcome to Severton,” he said simply.
She wrapped herself into him, suddenly not feeling the cold anymore.
Chapter 30
Third Day of Christmas
“How does it feel?” Alex said, pausing to pat Hans, the giant police dog who was never far from his side. Gretel, his other police dog, had stayed at the farm with a bone and a warm fire. Zack was definitely jealous of the fire.
“How does what feel?” Zack said, bracing himself. He’d been waiting for this since they’d set off this morning, climbing Bleak Low. It was an annual tradition for the four of them, plus their dads, to walk up to the top of Bleak Low the day after Boxing Day. There had been a time when their grandfather had been with them too, taking the annual walk just a couple of months before he’d died. He’d had prostate cancer, but told no one until it came to the very end. His parting words to his grandsons weremake sure you check your balls regularly. And if you can’t check ‘em, make sure you find a girl who will. He’d been the biggest character of them all.
“To be completely and utterly owned,” Jake said, picking up Hans’ tennis ball and lobbing it into a deep pile of snow into which Hans jumped like a puppy.
Zack looked to the grey skies. No god on duty. He’d just have to deal with this himself. “I’m guessing you’re talking about Sorrell,” he said.
“He’s definitely talking about Sorrell,” Scott said. “I like her. Brains, gorgeous, classy—so fuck knows what she’s doing with you. Where is she today?”
“Sales shopping in Manchester with Rayah and Keren,” Zack said. The bastards knew where she was, they were just laying the ground to wind him up.
“I bet she misses the city,” Alex said.
Zack rolled his eyes. They were as predictable as his alarm clock.
“Definitely,” Scott added. “I wonder if being back in civilisation will make her think about selling up and moving back. Rayah said that was Sorrell’s plan—once the hotel was up and running.”
“Dad said he’d consider buying it from her. Maybe I should remind him. Then she won’t have any ties here,” Jake said.
“What are your thoughts, Zack? You know, maybe she’s spoken to you about it, considering you’re having a bit of a casual fling,” Alex said, lobbing the ball that Hans had brought back.
They had spoken about it. She’d told him one night when they were in bed, after he’d come inside her for the second time and she’d been curled around him, sated and relaxed, that she’d thought about selling up in a few months, now that Mark wasn’t involved.
But she’d changed her mind.
Severton had won her over, as, he hoped, had he.
“She has no plans to leave Severton,” Zack said. “The hotel’s done better than she thought it would in the early days and she’s looking at continuing her therapy work here too.”
Jake ruffled his hair. “It’s a shame, cuz,” he said. “She doesn’t want to break your heart. But you know you have us to help you pick up the pieces. I can always set you up with a nice girl from Underwood who appreciates the small charms you have to offer.”
Zack shook his head.
“It’s just a shame to see you so whipped,” Alex continued. “Sorrell asks you to go round, you’re there breaking the speed limit. She’s hungry, you make her a five course meal. She’s cold, you…” Alex stopped, clearly having no idea what to say next.
“I get it. You have to take the piss out of me because I’m serious about a woman…”
There was a long, loud whoop. He’d fallen straight into their trap by confessing he was serious about her. It had been exactly what they were after.
Scott slapped him on the back. “We’re happy for you, seriously. She’s a good woman.”
“Just clearly with bad taste in Severton men,” Jake said. “Can’t believe she went for you. Especially seeing you were a complete nob with her when she stole your builders.” He went on to explain the first meeting Zack had with Sorrell, embellishing the detail and adding a few things in that clearly weren’t true.
He let it ride, thinking about Sorrell while Jake wittered on. They were spending more nights together than apart and it was becoming harder to not see her in the evenings. He’d asked her for twelve days, the twelve days of Christmas, to show her that she wasn’t just a fling, to persuade her that they could be more than a rebound affair for her.
