If Every Day Was Christmas: A gorgeous and heart-warming Christmas romance by Donna Ashcroft

Author:Donna Ashcroft [Ashcroft, Donna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781838882150
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2020-10-08T23:00:00+00:00

Fifteen

Apple Cross Inn wasn’t open yet because it was early, but the kitchen was busy. Tom put a couple of leftover lemons from the pile he’d been chopping for the bar into the fridge and watched Johnny battle with a pile of carrots. They were perfectly diced and reminded Tom of the crazy shapes Meg had created when she’d been in his kitchen yesterday evening. He sighed as Lilith wafted in through the back door, bringing with her a rush of cold air. This was the third day she’d visited the kitchen since the flood.

‘It’s the talented Miss Tiramisu.’ Johnny barked his new nickname for her as footsteps echoed on the stairs and Davey appeared, his face flushed and his eyes sparkling bright blue.

‘Woah…’ He stopped dead when he saw Lilith. She’d dressed up in a pink silk shirt which set off her olive skin, and a pair of jeans that she must have needed a shoehorn to get into. Her heels were spiky and added a good few inches to the length of her legs. Tom wondered how on earth she’d made it to the pub from her car – not to mention why she looked so glamorous for a morning in the kitchen. ‘Wow.’ Davey gaped before shaking himself. ‘You look very… it’s…’

‘Are you here to make another spectacular dessert?’ Johnny jumped in, saving his brother from stuttering anymore.

‘Sì.’ Lilith nodded, her eyes sliding from Davey to the counter. ‘What are you cooking?’

Johnny tossed the carrots into a pan. ‘Cottage pie. It’s a pub favourite. Easy to make and popular with the customers – I might be the expert in the kitchen, but Davey has a few tricks up his sleeve, including a secret ingredient for this dish which he’ll add to the pan when I’m not here. It’ll make it taste even more…’ He kissed his fingers dramatically. ‘I might have to pay you to find out exactly what it is later.’ He gave her a teasing grin as he stirred the contents of the pan.

Lilith looked back and forth between the brothers. ‘You don’t share your recipes?’ She frowned. ‘I thought you shared everything. Isn’t that the way of things in Lockton – family and community above everything else?’

‘Not since Johnny stole my formula for the perfect custard to go with rhubarb crumble, and used it to steal the heart of the girl I’d fallen for,’ Davey joked, relaxing into easy banter as his tongue untangled itself.

‘You were in love?’ Lilith’s neat eyebrows met, lining her smooth forehead.

‘He was sixteen at the time,’ Johnny said dryly. ‘And the girl dumped me two days later for a boy who’d just passed his driving test. So all the subterfuge and heartache weren’t worth it.’ He thumped a hand over his heart. ‘I never got over it. I haven’t been able to eat custard since. Although the whole experience got me into cooking, so I suppose it was worth it in the end.’

‘I think you deserve a broken heart

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