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‘So you called it off?’ Jack asked

‘Well … no Not exactly,’ she admitted ‘But it’s been a few lad he left’

‘That’s good’ Jack nodded, uncoot the impression this wasn’t exactly the conversation he’d been planning on having with her, and he had no idea where to go with it next

She knew she should drop it She’d given hih infor he probably wanted was her be her past relationships But so out anyway

‘The thing is, it turned out he just wanted to ot this new job in Dubai and didn’t need me any more’

Jack’s expression changed at that, er? Holly wasn’t sure

‘That utter bastard,’ he said, each word hard and fierce

‘Yes,’ Holly agreed ‘He is So, like I say, much better off now I mean, he didn’t even like Christmas’

It took a second, but Jack’s face lightened at that, and he laughed ‘Really? How on earth did you two even get together? And who doesn’t like Christmas, anyway?’

‘Exactly what I said’ Holly motioned to her pile of crafts ‘I mean, what’s not to like?’

‘Well, that depends Did youclay?’

Holly giggled, and slapped hihtly on the wrist ‘No, I didn’t I don’t think he had the muscles, anyway’

Jack raised his eyebrows slightly, and Holly’s eyes widened Oh God, she’d just pointed out that she’d noticed his muscles! Well, she had wanted to make it obvious that she was interested …

‘What about your fa Christmas with them?’

Holly sighed Back to the subject of her festivemy parents,’ she explained ‘But this year … well, they’d saved all this , and then all of a sudden they didn’t need it The wedding cancellation insurance paid out pretty quickly, and they decided to spend it on a Christmas cruise’

‘Leaving you here on your own’

‘I told the Christmas with friends,’ Holly admitted ‘They deserved the holiday They’ve been brilliant this year, ith everything’

‘So why aren’t you spending it with friends?’ Jack asked

Because I don’t have any All my friends were Sebastian’s friends first It wasn’t quite the truth – she also had old university friends she hadn’t seen in years who lived ues locally with families of their own, but no one she felt she could call up and confess the depths of her loneliness to No one whose Christ So instead she said, ‘Well, I’ether to co for Kathleen’ Jack sht track But it did lead her to another question She frowned ‘But what about you? Don’t you have Christmas plans?’

Jack shook his head, shifting in his chair so he was leaning away froain She hadn’t even realised they’d leaned in, but as she sat up straighter too she realised they must have been pretty close ‘Not this year,’ he said, shortly

Well, if he thought he was getting aith that as an answer, he had another thing co Holly had just poured out all the misery of the past four months to him The least he could offer was a proper full sentence of explanation

‘No family?’ she pressed ‘Friends?’

‘My parents died when I enty-one,’ he said, and Holly winced

‘I’m so sorry I didn’t know’

He shrugged ‘No reason you should And my friends … they’re all still in the arether when most of you are on manoeuvres’

‘The army?’ Well, that explained a lot Like the muscles ‘You were a soldier?’

‘Until earlier this year,’ Jack confirmed ‘And now I’m a postman’

‘And is that better or worse?’ She couldn’t i in the ar where you ht be sent next She liked her home – her little house, her cat, her craft space

‘It’s different,’ Jack said ‘Lonelier, in a hich is odd I mean, I see hundreds of people every day, but …’