I'm Glad I Found You This Christmas by CP Ward

Author:CP Ward
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: AMMFA Publishing

19

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‘It’s a Cordoba C10,’ Henry said, holding the guitar as gently as he might a new-born lamb. ‘Handmade. It cost a small fortune. I bought it in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, believe it or not. I was nineteen years old, backpacking around Europe during the summer. I always liked to stay off the beaten track, so I found myself wandering out to this old part of town, and I found this little music shop having a closing sale.’ He shrugged. ‘It was the only item not discounted. The owner said he’d rather keep it himself than give it away cheap.’

Maggie nodded. She knew nothing about guitars other than that her father had owned a beat-up acoustic which he brought out once a year to slaughter Happy Birthday in front of her shocked school friends. ‘It’s beautiful,’ she said. ‘How did you afford it?’

Henry grinned. ‘I was a gritty backpacker but I had a student credit card. Took a while to pay back, but it was worth it. Even then, the guy made me prove I could play it. Said he wouldn’t sell it to a faker.’

He turned it over in his hands and delicately picked the first notes of Walking in the Air. Up close, the sound was like soothing fingers massaging into Maggie’s neck. She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Henry was grinning.

‘Where did you learn to play like that?’

Henry shrugged. ‘It’s amazing how much time you have when you don’t spend half of it on social media,’ he said. ‘Growing up in Hollydell we didn’t have luxuries like the internet or Channel 5.’

‘You do know that it’s not cool to play classical guitar?’ Maggie said with a grin. ‘The kids that did it at school were all geeks.’

‘What makes you think I’m not a geek?’ Henry laughed, putting the guitar back on its stand. ‘At school I was practically the president of the geek club. I can name thirteen different varieties of snail.’

‘Because you’re so—’

Don’t say handsome. Maggie grimaced.

Say handsome! chirped Renee’s voice.

‘So, um, normal,’ she muttered, then rubbed her forehead to hide another blush.

‘Thanks, I think. Come on, the coffee’s getting cold. And that monstrosity of a cake you made … well, I restored it as best I could, but it could fall apart at any moment. Tasted good, though. It wouldn’t be safe for you to take it home, so I’m afraid you’re going to have to leave it here.’

He helped her back into the living room and onto the sofa, propping her leg up on a pillow again. She took an offered cup of coffee, which tasted perfectly brewed and sweetened with what was likely brown sugar. What man buys brown sugar? she wondered. Is this an elaborate set-up?

‘What do you think of Hollydell?’ Henry asked.

Maggie smiled. ‘It’s perfect.’

‘Not too remote? A lot of people love the Christmas season, but couldn’t handle it all year round.’

‘You came back, though, didn’t you? I mean, you said you were a vet near Edinburgh, but you’re now here.

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