Page 45 of Yule Party on Sunflower Street

As he drove through country lanes, something landed on the windscreen. Seth frowned as he watched it disappear then another landed on the glass and another.

He gasped. ‘It’s snowing!’

He turned to Tara, but she was sleeping, her head turned towards him, her lips slightly parted and her eyelashes fluttering on her cheeks.

Smiling, he turned back to the road and watched as the snowflakes thickened, and he had to turn the wipers on to keep the windscreen clear.

The first snow of the year and it had happened while he was with Tara. Was it a sign? He wasn’t normally a believer in things like that, but his mum would tell him that it meant something. How often did he have women in his van or take them to shop at vintage places? When was the last time he’d been out for coffee with a woman let alone had lunch? And now, here he was in his van listening to Christmas music and watching as snow fell.

It was all a bit romantic really but he didn’t mind at all. In fact, he really liked it. Really liked having Tara in his van and really liked the way he was changing inside. Or perhaps this side of him had always been there but frozen, and Tara was the one person with the power to thaw the ice.

Wow! He was getting mushy in his old age.

He shrugged at himself and then sang along with Mariah Carey.

When they reached Wisteria Hollow, he drove slowly, not wanting the day to end. He parked outside Tinsel and Twine and cut the engine. Tara was fast asleep and he didn’t want to wake her, but he also knew that if he didn’t, the van would soon grow cold.

‘Hey, sleepy head,’ he said softly.

She stirred and opened her eyes. ‘Hey…’ She smiled sleepily. Then her eyes shot wide open. ‘Oh no! Did I fall asleep?’

‘You did.’ He smiled. ‘We’re home.’

‘Home?’ she said.

‘Well, at your home, I mean.’

Tara sat up straight and looked out of the van. ‘It’s snowing!’

‘It has been for some time.’

‘I love the snow.’ She unclipped her seatbelt.

‘I thought you would.’ He watched as she gazed out of the windscreen, her eyes wide with delight. ‘Thanks for a great day.’

‘Thank you. And sorry I dropped off. I was just so warm and comfortable and… I hope I didn’t snore.’

‘Just a bit.’ He laughed as horror crossed her face. ‘I’m teasing. You slept like an angel.’

Tara’s cheeks flushed. ‘Like an angel?’

‘Yeah.’ He broke eye contact, the urge to kiss her overwhelming. He turned his attention to the pretty village covered with snow. The roads were still clear, but snow had covered the buildings, the grass and the cars. Contrasting with the twinkling lights, it was very festive. ‘It looks beautiful.’

‘Magical,’ Tara said softly.

‘We’d better get you and your purchases inside,’ he said. ‘Just in case it gets deeper.’

‘Good plan,’ she said.

They unloaded everything into the shop and Seth helped Tara take it through to the stockroom.

‘Do you want a hand getting it out of the boxes?’ he asked.

‘No, it’s fine. I’ll do it tomorrow with Sadie,’ she said.

‘OK then.’ Seth went back out to the shop floor. It was closed for the day but the lights on the trees in the window glowed and the shop was warm and cosy.

‘Thanks again, Seth.’ Tara stepped closer to him then went onto her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.