The Christmas Wish by Jacquie Underdown

Author:Jacquie Underdown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mira
Published: 2020-09-24T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Poppy lined up before the counter at the local cupcake store, Love and Cupcakes. Luke stood beside her, watching his daughter’s eyes widen with amazement as she took in the myriad flavours of cupcakes, each coated with buttercream icing, chocolate or sticky drizzles. Since winning the voucher at the fete last weekend, she hadn’t stopped asking when she could come here.

‘How many cupcakes can I buy with this?’ Poppy asked the lady at the counter and handed over her gift card.

‘You can buy twelve. But you don’t have to use it all at once if you don’t want to.’

Poppy nodded, finger in her mouth as she thought. Then she looked up at Luke. ‘I want to buy six, so I can share them with you, Nan, Pop and Aunty Macie.’

Luke smiled. ‘I think that sounds like a great idea.’

She chose a combination of different flavoured cupcakes and the attendant boxed them up for her.

When they turned to leave, Luke jolted to see Brielle pushing through the door with her back, carrying a big serving platter in her arms. He raced to hold the door open for her.

‘Miss Lane!’ Poppy squealed.

Brielle turned and smiled at them. ‘Hello to you both. Didn’t I just see you at school, Poppy?’

Poppy nodded and grinned. ‘Yes, but Daddy said I could use my voucher to get some cupcakes. Are you getting cupcakes too?’

‘No, I’m returning a platter.’ She peered at the attendant and smiled. ‘You forgot this after the fete.’ She handed the platter over. ‘Thank you so much for helping fundraise this year. The cupcakes were a huge hit.’

‘Glad I could help.’

‘I’ll catch you later,’ Brielle said and started towards the door.

Luke and Poppy followed beside her.

‘We’re going to see the Christmas tree lights,’ Poppy said.

They walked outside into the warm evening air. ‘Me too. I’m meeting up with your Aunty Macie.’

‘So am I!’ Poppy squealed excitedly again.

Tonight was the Christmas tree lighting event. The entire town attended each year. Since the beginning of December, colourful blinking lights were strung up above Main Street. Power poles were wrapped in tinsel, and shop windows were filled with wonderful displays of gumnuts and eucalyptus leaves, Santas dressed in shorts and singlets, and kangaroos leading sleighs. Just walking past them this afternoon had left Poppy gasping with excitement.

Tonight’s ceremony would be a lovely treat for Poppy to mark the end of a long school year. And since Renee had dashed off, perhaps Luke was still trying hard to compensate for it.

‘Leave your car here,’ he said to Brielle. ‘There’ll be no parking spots left closer to the park. We’re going to walk down. You can join us if you like?’

She glanced at her car, parked a little way up the road, then back at him. ‘Sure. That’ll be fun.’

They started along the footpath towards the centre of town, past the pastel-coloured stores.

‘So the fete was a success?’ Luke asked.

‘A huge success. Thank goodness. Remind me never to volunteer to organise it again.’

‘I won’t have to. You’re

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