Flora's Travelling Christmas Shop by Rebecca Raisin

Author:Rebecca Raisin [Raisin, Rebecca]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2021-08-05T17:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

The next day there’s a quiet knock on the door. I open it to find Hanne standing there in the fresh, icy dawn. ‘Come in, come in,’ I say and hand her a freshly brewed mug of coffee, expecting her early morning visit.

‘You don’t know how much I need this, Flora.’ She accepts the cup and sips.

‘I think I do know. You’ve been run off your feet and you’ve got this foreigner making it even harder for you. But don’t worry, I have fresh Christmas bread for you from Tuomo, so sit for a minute and relax.’

‘You know how to speak my language.’

‘I’m fluent in food and coffee, you could say.’ I bring over the Christmas bread and an assortment of buttery, sugary goodness. ‘I got this from Tuomo at first light this morning. He’s the only other crazy one up as early as me and he’d already been dog-sledding with his huskies, over to deliver some bread to the families who live in cabins in the forest. He’s going to teach me how to control the dog sled myself tomorrow morning. Should I be scared?’

Hanne sits at the table, while I hastily move half-completed wreaths. ‘No, it’s the best fun! Just make sure you learn the commands and all will be well.’

She passes me a bag. ‘Here you go – the best I could do in a hurry.’

‘Thank you!’ I take out the brightly coloured elf suit and double over laughing. ‘He’s going to look amazing in this. Oh, Hanne, you are a genius.’

‘I’ll take that.’ She shakes her head. ‘You’ve got a way about you, Flora. Managing to convince Connor – that’s really something.’

‘Not sure it was me, exactly, Hanne. I think it was the mention of kids in hospitals that appealed to him. He’ll probably call himself “Recycle Elf” and lecture them all about the pitfalls of global warming.’

She laughs. ‘It’d just be white noise to me anyway, seeing him dressed in that suit. I know elves are meant to be cute and Christmassy, but somehow I think our man is going to make his elf suit look …’ She struggles to find the right word.

‘Sexy?’

‘I’m glad you said it! I’m too old for all this!’ We fall about laughing.

Only time will tell just how Connor will look and act in the suit but I know for certain, I’m keen to see for myself too!

*

It’s midday when Connor approaches the van. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so quiet. It can only mean bad things.’

I give him a wide smile. ‘Well, that depends what you mean by bad.’ Time to turn it on and make this guy believe! ‘I was picturing you wearing an elf suit. It’s got me musing about just how many lives you’re going to change today. You’re going to grant wishes, and make dreams come true. You’re going to turn their frowns into wide smiles. That must feel pretty amazing, Connor.’

Do I detect a blush creeping up his cheeks? ‘Yeah, right. A six-foot-something grown man wearing an elf suit.

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