A Scottish Christmas Hideaway: A heartwarming festive romance of second chances, snowy nights and the magic of coming home (Rowan Bay Book 1) by Ellie Henderson

Author:Ellie Henderson [Henderson, Ellie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Choc Lit Contemporary Romance: A Joffe Books Company
Published: 2025-10-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

The next morning, Jessica found a small table at the back of the Coffee Pot café and kept her eyes on the door for Gillian. She sat for a moment, enjoying the scent of coffee and listened to the whirring machine and the sound of the milk being steamed. It was another chilly morning, though at least it was dry, and she appreciated the warmth of the cosy shop. As she waited, she checked her emails and texts. She was relieved that, aside from a friendly checking-in message from Freda, the office was leaving her alone. Her stomach clenched when she saw the trail of texts that had been steadily arriving and which she had continued to ignore. And a tiny flicker of something inside reminded her that she would have to deal with this sooner rather than later. The thought of returning to work did not excite her in the least. It was strange to feel a bit displaced and uncertain about what would come next, but for the first time in her life she felt okay about it.

Her mind momentarily wandered to Reuben and Belinda. She noticed Reuben’s car hadn’t been there since yesterday afternoon, and in her mind she had him shacked up somewhere with Belinda in Glasgow. But then she pushed the unhelpful thoughts away. Instead, she focused on the positive day that yesterday had turned out to be with the sauna experience with her mum — they had already booked their next slot for later in the week — and then the afternoon of baking bread and cakes. Her dad’s eyes had almost popped out his head when she suggested he come into the kitchen and be her taster.

‘Delicious,’ he’d said as he chewed a slice of bread, fresh from the oven. She’d then cut him a square of date and walnut loaf and his reaction had been very positive. ‘You have a talent for baking, that’s for sure.’

Just then the café door opened and Gillian came in wearing a royal blue padded jacket and a bright red hat, which she pulled off her head, allowing her mass of red curls to escape.

‘I didn’t think I’d ever make it here. I need a coffee, pronto,’ she said without stopping to take a breath. ‘What a morning. What are you having?’

‘You sit down,’ said Jessica kindly. ‘Let me go and order. What kind of coffee would you like?’

‘A flat white please.’

‘Anything to eat?’

‘Um, yes, I’m starving. I haven’t eaten breakfast yet. Maybe just a croissant please. Or a scone. I don’t mind. Anything will do. But here,’ she said, reaching into her pocket. ‘Let me give you some money.’

Jessica dismissed her with a wave. ‘Don’t be daft. Let me treat you.’

She went over to the counter and placed her order and then went back and sat at the table. ‘A stressful start to the day then?’

Gillian nodded, the ghost of a smile on her face. ‘You could say that. I’ve had to deal with burning

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