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‘I need a willing volunteer to try out my new blind date with a book, if you’re interested? Though just to clarify, it doesn’t include a date with me. It’s the book you spend quality time with – though I’ll be around. It’s basically a new stand of books, each wrapped in brown paper, so you don’t know what’s inside other than a few clues I’ve stuck on the front.’

Noémi had artfully wrapped them, each tied with twine or pretty ribbon, the paper secured with a golden wax seal. She’d loved every moment. The stand would go out when her chief tester had tried the first one – if she could manage to persuade him.

She put a hand on his arm. ‘Look, I know I said you owed it to me to sit with a book and a nice Christmas cookie. But now I get why you might not want to do that. There’s no pressure. As long as you continue to discover a new story or two, I’ll have done my bit. You’re welcome to pace the shop while you read again. Hell, I’ll even let you bring in those dreadful avocado cookies.’

He pulled a face. ‘They were shocking. I must have got the recipe wrong.’

‘Whatever you want to do or eat, I respect that. But for what it’s worth, I’m learning that balance can be a good thing. It’s great that you’re staying active and you’re well again. But if we don’t know how to rest, do we risk burning out?’ She let the words settle and he seemed to be taking them in. ‘Asking for a friend.’ She gave his arm a squeeze.

Noémi took off her helmet and ran her fingers through her awkwardly flattened fringe. He took his off too.

‘Thank you for this.’ She pointed towards the snowtubing. ‘Honestly. You’ve pulled me out of my comfort zone, and I needed it. I’ve enjoyed every minute.’ And not just because of the silly outfits and unexpected roll in the snow. ‘Any time you want me to return the favour and bring you adventures in books, you know where I am.’

She leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek.

He turned his head a little in surprise and their noses brushed – his painted-on heart smudging against her lip-pencilled carrot. She touched her hand to her face, embarrassed.

‘Erm, I’d better go.’ Before she got any more weird ideas about touching noses.

He nodded. ‘And thank you too. For listening. I’ve enjoyed this. More than you know.’

As Noémi walked away, wondering if he was still watching her, she couldn’t resist turning back. She had one more question on her mind.

‘Have I imagined it, or do you sometimes smell of chocolate?’

‘You’ve been sniffing me.’ He looked quietly pleased at that.

‘Only when you throw yourself on top of me.’

‘Fair.’ His shoulders rose and fell. ‘It’s raw cacao. I sprinkle it on my breakfast with cinnamon, for its health benefits.’

Noémi knew cacao in its raw, bitter form was high in vitamins and antioxidants and said to be good for all sorts of things. That was her excuse for indulging in a good chocolate cookie, even if that surely wasn’t what the experts had envisaged.

‘Some studies say cacao could lower the risk of heart disease. Something about the flavanols.’

Nobody could accuse Shay of being bitter – though that didn’t stop Noémi absently wondering if she could be the sprinkle of sugar he needed.

‘Cacao for breakfast,’ she mused. ‘I knew you had potential.’

It was just as well that she had some in the cupboard. Not that he would ever be staying until the morning.

Chapter 38

12 days until Christmas

Noémi buzzed through the next few days as though she was powered by fairy lights. There was nothing real going on between her and Shay, even if Daniel kept saying ‘jump his bones’, and Tommaso’s view was ‘who cares if he’s leaving?’

It was almost as though she was contented enough with the fantasy of him. Watching Shay through the shop window as he instructed his customers up and down the hill with snow tubes or funny snowshoes, or whatever he was up to that day. Feeling her heart soar as he threw her a smile or a wave. Wondering if he might pop in to order those books he’d mentioned or making excuses to nip out and see if he needed one of his protein shakes from Chai’s van. She wasn’t sure if he’d come and try her blind date with a book or sit still for long enough to read with her, though he promised he was reading the odd page of his festive novel on the run.

Though she wasn’t meant to share such details, she might have gushed to Fantasy Man that she was getting on surprisingly well with her neighbour and that he’d offered to take her ice-skating a little farther afield. He’d told her to go for it, so long as she felt safe.

Yes, she would feel safe. Though would her heart be? Because avoiding broken hearts was another thing they had in common – even if Shay’s needed protecting in the more literal sense. Anyway, she was surely too busy with new tasks for The Cosy Cookie Bookshop to be galivanting off with flighty men.

‘Earth to lovesick bookshop owner,’ said Daniel, waving a hand in front of Noémi’s face.

‘What? I was dusting!’

Noémi pointed to the feather duster that was hanging limply in her hand as she hovered in the shop’s bay window, definitely not wondering when Shay might appear over the brow of the hill dressed as a chocolate Yule log. She’d had to have words with her staff earlier when Tommaso said he wanted to ‘gobble him up’ and Daniel had pretended to go in search of the brandy cream. Felix was better off playing sprout bingo at Happy Hedges.