A Very Vintage Christmas: A Heartwarming Christmas Romance (An Unforgettable Christmas Book 1) by Tilly Tennant

Author:Tilly Tennant [Tennant, Tilly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2017-09-27T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Dodie was still in her pyjamas with her nose in a book about interior design, despite the fact it was gone midday, when the out-of-hours doorbell rang in the shop below. Ryan looked across at her as he lounged in his boxers and a sweatshirt watching catch-up TV.

‘Are you expecting someone?’

‘No,’ Dodie said, feeling vaguely alarmed. Her phone had been switched off for the remainder of the previous evening and she hadn’t turned it on this morning either. Partly because she was just sick of dealing with Ed’s tidal moods, and partly because she was terrified that Ryan would notice the texts coming in. But what if it was Ed at the door? It wouldn’t be the first time he’d turned up unannounced. ‘I’d better check the closed sign is actually up at the door,’ she added, vaulting from the sofa, ‘just in case it’s someone thinking we’re open.’

‘Why would they think that if the door’s locked?’ Ryan called after her, but Dodie had already crossed into the bedroom to pull a long coat over her pyjamas before she went downstairs.

Down in the shop, she frowned slightly as she hurried to let her gran in.

‘Everything OK?’ she asked, fear clenching her gut. Her phone had been off – what if something terrible had happened, an emergency, and she hadn’t been there to respond to it?

‘Oh yes,’ Gran said cheerfully. ‘I was just passing, you know, and I thought I’d pop by.’

‘But you rang the shop bell?’

‘I thought it was about time you were open; it’s ever so late, you know.’ Gran stepped in and Dodie locked the door again.

‘It’s Sunday. I’m not open on Sunday.’

Gran blinked at her. ‘Is it? I hadn’t realised. You do lose track of the days when you retire, you know, and with all the other shops open in the town it felt like Saturday…’

‘They’re open because the Christmas markets are on.’

‘Perhaps you ought to be open too?’

‘I don’t think I’d get enough business to warrant it and I already do six days,’ Dodie replied, suddenly wondering how on earth she’d come to be discussing her business strategy with her gran on a Sunday standing in the middle of her shop in her pyjamas.

Gran looked confused for a moment, but then she shook her head. ‘Oh, don’t mind me, I have some news for you.’

‘What’s that?’ Dodie asked, her vexation at her gran’s appearance suddenly lifted. ‘Something more about Margaret?'

‘Margaret?’ Gran shook her head. ‘No idea who you’re… Oh! You mean that woman who wrote the letter?’

‘She didn’t write the letter; George did…’ Dodie began, but then she stopped herself. ‘Never mind. What’s your news?’

Gran broke into a broad grin but didn’t reply. Dodie waited as Gran continued to grin like a loon.

‘Ryan’s here, Gran, so if you’ve got something to tell me you’d better—’

‘I’m getting married!’ Gran squeaked.

It was Dodie’s turn to stare like a loon, but she wasn’t grinning. ‘What!’ she spluttered.

‘I’m getting married!’ Gran repeated. ‘Isn’t it exciting? Bernard Truman asked me

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.