‘Hmm, that’s a bit odd,’ Kara said thoughtfully. ‘Why can’t he come here?’

  ‘He doesn’t drive and it’s fine, I said I’d take it to him. It’s such a lovely piece, though I say it myself, and I can’t wait to see his face. Tegan is working for me today and tomorrow, so she can cover for me later. He said he’ll be there for midday prompt.’

  ‘Ah, OK. Fair enough. Christmas Eve tomorrow, I can’t believe it. It’s lovely to have Billy by my side this year.’

  ‘I bet.’ Star’s expression was wistful.

  ‘Sorry, there I go with my big size nines again.’

  ‘It’s fine. I’m used to being man-less at Christmas.’ Star brushed it off. ‘And there is a party at Mum’s static home park tonight, where we will be going in and out of everyone’s homes. They light a massive bonfire in a pit, with someone guarding it to keep everyone safe. It will be lovely. Mum has made a massive effort cooking and offering free readings. And then of course we are all coming to your dad’s on Christmas Day, which will be fun.’

  ‘My dad’s exactly,’ Kara stated. ‘When the madness of Christmas is over, I’d like to talk so much more about all that business with you.’

  ‘We can start at the graveyard tomorrow. I thought we could go early, before the madness starts down here.’

  An emotional Kara nodded. ‘I made a little Christmas wreath for him. No one need know who left it there.’

  ‘Aw, that’s nice.’ Star put her arm on her friend’s shoulder. ‘And we will be talking about it forever now or as long as we need to, don’t worry. OK, I’d better get on. So much to do before the customers start arriving,’ Star said.

  ‘Me too. I’ve got hotel flowers to deliver all over the place and I think we need to go and be nosy at Tasty Pasties tonight, don’t you?’

  ‘Hell, yeah!’ Star grinned mischievously.

  ‘Billy has been a bit weird about it. I’m sure he knows something, but won’t say.’

  ‘Well, we’ll all know later. I walked up there earlier and amongst the bashing about inside, behind the whited-out windows, there were some amazing cooking smells wafting out into the air.’

  ‘Yum! Right, I’m off. See you later.’ The wind chime signified Kara’s departure.

  Star walked through to her workroom and switched on the local radio. ‘It’s going to be a crisp, freezing cold but sunny day across the south-west coast today,’ said the weatherman’s voice. ‘Not looking like a white Christmas this year, I’m afraid, but hallelujah for no rain until the New Year, people.’

  ‘Yes, hallelujah,’ Star repeated sarcastically. As if ‘no rain’ was all she had to worry about. The enormity of bringing up a baby on her own had hit her again last night. She had lain awake for hours going over the reality of it all. Yes, she had been blasé about everything being all right, but she had a business to run and a crying, feeding, needy new baby to look after, a task that she knew would be all-consuming. Estelle could do her bit, but her mother was just finding her feet again, plus there was the big issue of who she could trust to run STAR Crystals & Jewellery for her. She could buy in some ready-made jewellery, but didn’t want the quality of her pieces to suffer. Tegan had said she’d love to help out in the holidays and could also cover market-day Saturdays, but Star knew she needed to get this all organised and in place before the baby came. There was so much to sort out.

  Checking the calendar for the hundredth time this month, she felt slightly calmer. There was all of January and February to go, and she could get a lot done in two months. She was a grafter, always had been. Hard work didn’t scare her.

  Convincing herself again that it would be OK, she lifted the beautiful aquamarine necklace she had made out of its pretty golden gift box and gave it a polish. Holding it up to herself, she admired the way it looked against her skin in the mirror. I would like you to create something that you yourself would love to own, Sid had requested. What a sweet and clever thing to say. It had made her put even more love and passion in than usual. The design was simple. The heart-shaped bluish-green stone sparkled as it hit the light. Star had encased the aquamarine within an elegant four-claw silver setting, which she had made into little hearts that sat around the stone, the pendant suspended from a delicate silver chain, which also glittered in certain lights. Aquamarine worked its powerful magic best when set right against the skin, so she had laid it flat just above her increasing cleavage to steal the effect before wrapping it.

  The morning flew by in a flurry of customers collecting orders and other customers searching desperately for last-minute gifts on the racks of earrings, rings and necklaces on display around the cluttered shop. Tegan worked hard, wrapping gifts in the beautiful Christmas tissue paper that Star had ordered specially, and as an extra incentive, the pretty hand-painted star and moon gift boxes were offered free for any spend of ten pounds or over.

  ‘So, you’re all OK with everything whilst I pop this order over to Penrigan?’ Leaving the girl on her own for an hour at this busy time felt a bit unfair.

  Tegan nodded enthusiastically. ‘Yes, I’m sure. I’ve sussed the till now properly and got the price list you gave me, so I’m all good.’

  ‘Call me anytime. I won’t be long.’

  Star layered herself up with scarf, hat and gloves and made her way outside to her car, where the bright midday sunshine had defrosted the windscreen. As she drove to Penrigan along the winding coastal road, she began to think of all that had happened throughout this year. One drama had followed another. Her emotions had been spun into a vortex like the famous Bermuda Triangle: down Hartmouth Head, along Penrigan Pier and fired right back out again.

  As she sped round a corner and caught sight of the long sandy beach and the familiar iconic structure of the pier, she relaxed. The world was a beautiful place full of exquisite nature and lessons. She now needed to stop wasting her emotions on could-have-beens like Jack Murray. Conor wasn’t the love of her life but was now a great friend, which was always a bonus. She and Jack had been – in his words – ‘the best one-day stand’ he’d ever had. That still hurt, but she must forget him now. Her priority had to be the little being growing inside her, a brother or sister for her beloved daughter Skye. Whether it had been love between her and Jack Murray she would never know and would just have to deal with it in the best way she could. He was going to be marrying his jealous little actress next month anyway.

  Star let out a whimper of despair. Who exactly was she trying to kid with all these rational thoughts? ‘Je ne regrette rien’ Edith Piaf had been singing at Auntie Flo’s the other day. Maybe the singer didn’t regret anything, but Star realised that she herself did. In fact, now that Jack was getting married, she would just have to live a life full of regret. Regret for not having had the courage to tell him that it was his baby she was carrying; for not having had the courage to tell him exactly how she felt about him, even before she knew that this baby was his.

  She pulled up at the Penrigan Beach car park at ten minutes past twelve. She was late.

  When she checked her phone, she saw there was a text from an unknown number. You’ll find me sitting on the fifth bench along on the left-hand side of the pier. Sid. Realising that was Molly and Ronnie’s bench, Star brightened up.

  Walking along the pier, she did her usual thing of looking out to sea and not down at her feet in order to avoid the dizzy terror of seeing through the slats and feeling as if she was about to fall through them into the dark waves below. The sun was shining brightly. Gulls were soaring on the wing in the light breeze, cawing in delight at this brief respite of winter warmth, which had brought out some walkers who might be carrying something to eat.

  As she approached the covered bench, Star could see a trendy pair of red trainers poking out, which was a surprise. Sid had seemed an older name to her, but she had obviously got that wrong, unless this person had a particularly young taste in footwear. As she approached the bench the man poked his head around, then stood up. Star was slightly taken aback by his appearance. He was wearing decent jeans and a navy ski jacket, but he had a blue beanie hat pulled right down to his designer sunglasses, plus he had a scarf draped round the bottom of his face and neck. He could easily have passed as some sort of gangster disguising himself for fear of being outed on one of those live crime investigation programmes on TV.

  He held out his gloved hand and said in a muffled Welsh accent, ‘I’m Sid. Have you got the necklace?’

  ‘Yes, here it is.’ Star handed him the little golden gift box and turned to leave. He was so strange she didn’t really want to spend one more minute here, let alone hang around to see him open the box and bask in his pleasure in the necklace.

  ‘Wait! One second, please.’ The man held his hand out.

  Star stopped and stared, bemused, as the man pulled a sticky label from his pocket, stuck it on the box then handed it back to her. She gazed at the handwritten message in disbelief, then feeling a tingle spread through her from the top of her head to the tip of her toes, she read aloud: ‘The heart has its reasons which reason knows not. My reason is you.’

  The man took off the glasses, then pulled away the beanie hat and scarf to reveal the familiar bearded face she had been longing so badly to see again.

  ‘You frightened the shit out of me then, you bastard,’ she said shakily. ‘And I’ve never heard such a rubbish Welsh accent.’

  ‘I thought it would be romantic.’

  Star laughed then burst into tears. ‘Oh, Jack.’

  ‘We’re not very good at this, are we?’ he said, and guided her to sit next to him on the bench. He cradled her into him. ‘Let me explain, OK?’ Star nodded.

  ‘I don’t care that you’re pregnant with another man’s child. I don’t care that you are in a relationship. I care about you. In fact, Star Lilian Bligh, crazy as it sounds, I am in love with you.’

  ‘But you’re getting married?’

  ‘No, I’m not. I found the message that conniving little bitch Riley sent you. We had already split. I was working out the best way to contact you and then, when I saw that spiteful message, I knew I had to come and see you face to face, because if I had received something like that, I would never have spoken to you or trusted you again. Look, Star, I know you’re with Conor and you have a whole new life ahead of you with your baby, but I had to tell you how I felt. I would never have found peace within if I hadn’t done so. You are a beautiful, gifted, kind and generous person, and if I can work that out after spending just a few hours with you, then that must mean you are one special human being.’

  ‘I’m not with Conor.’ The statement was short and factual.

  Jack pulled away from her, his hazel eyes wide. ‘He left you and you’re pregnant? No, no, that’s so wrong.’

  ‘I think you had better be ready for the next surprise. We split because I’m pregnant with somebody else’s baby. And I’m in love with the father.’

  ‘Oh.’ Jack felt his throat tightening with emotion.

  Star got ready to pull the pin on the grenade, which was her heart. ‘It’s your baby, Jack,’ she whispered, her voice barely audible.

  ‘My baby?’ he echoed.

  Star nodded. ‘I didn’t know I was pregnant for ages. I’d met Conor by then, and assumed it was his, but the midwife examined me and I learned that I was a lot further on than I’d thought. This baby can only be yours, Jack.’

  Speechless, full of joy and excitement, Jack leaned forward and put his lips on hers. The bristles of his beard scratched against her soft cheeks as she gripped his head firmly, as if to keep him from escaping. Breathless and passionate, loving and meaningful all in one glorious toe-curling moment of joyous togetherness. They kissed.

  ‘Star Bligh, I need to make love to you, right now!’

  ‘Yes,’ Star replied just as feverishly, ‘but not here. Where are you staying?’

  He pointed up at the Penrigan View Hotel.

  ‘Are you sure it’s safe for the baby, having that much sex in one go?’ Jack propped himself up on one arm and stared down at a very flushed Star.

  ‘It’s a bit late to worry about that now. God, that was so good.’ She lay back and did a mad snow angel effect under the covers. ‘Why call yourself Sid, by the way? That’s such a random name to come up with.’

  Jack laughed. ‘It just came into my mind – and then I realised why. It was the name of Kara’s terrapin, Sid Vicious, do you remember? He wasn’t there this time around.’

  ‘Of course I remember,’ Star told him, ‘and it’s not a name to bring up in conversation. You see, he suffered a very sad demise in the jaws of James Bond.’

  ‘Oh no,’ Jack snorted. ‘That is quite funny though.’

  ‘On a serious note,’ Star went on, ‘I’ve just given you the news that you’re going to be a father and you have taken it so bloody well. You don’t have to stay with me, you know. Just for the sake of the baby.’

  Jack shook his head. ‘You need to stop this. I really, really want to be with you, Star Bligh. Nobody else, just you. The baby is the icing on an already delicious cake. Are you hearing those words loud and clear, madam, because I mean them.’

  ‘But what about your job? And do you want to live with me straight away? And—’

  Jack put his finger to her lips. ‘We will work it out. I had no idea that this was going to happen. I assumed you were with Conor, so I’m booked in the hotel here until Boxing Day, when I promised to go and see my parents and sisters for a couple of days – and then I’m all yours, if you’ll have me? My job can be overseen from the London office, which basically means I can work from home anywhere I want to. They offer paternity leave too, so I will be able to help you when the baby comes. We both know my dream is to write, and that could be worked around joint parenting too, I’m sure.’

  He kissed his happy girl on her forehead. ‘There’s always a solution, always. I am yours. I’ve left New York now. My plan was to come and say my bit to you, then retreat to my parents’ house in Bristol until I worked out where I wanted to live.’

  ‘Hmm. I know of a beautiful estuary town called Hartmouth.’

  ‘Ah, well, that’s a consideration. And I’ve heard a gorgeous pregnant blonde girl lives there who is looking for her knight in shining armour?’

  ‘Just the red trainers will do.’ Star smirked. ‘By the way, I love the necklace I made for myself.’ She fingered it on her neck. ‘Aquamarine works so well for me – for us, in fact, in its message of love. And then for you to add that Blaise Pascal note, well yes, I’ll give you that, that part was romantic.’

  ‘Tick.’ Jack grinned.

  ‘The heart certainly has its reasons which reason knows not, but our hearts are at last together and now there is a third little heartbeat in the mix, it’s just perfect.’

  Jack gently put his hand on her ever-growing bump. ‘Do you know the sex?’

  ‘No, I wanted a surprise.’

  ‘You’re good at firing those off.’ Jack kissed her on the lips. ‘Any names yet?’ He then gave a groan. ‘Oh no, they are going to be way out like Star and Skye, aren’t they?’

  Star laughed. ‘I do quite like Storm for a boy.’

  Jack made a face. ‘Let’s discuss it when he or she comes out, shall we? They say a name suits a face and we will just know, I’m sure. Drink?’ He got up and walked naked over to the minibar.

  ‘Fizzy water, please, and then I really have to go back to Tegan at the shop. She was fine when I texted her, but I need to get back to cash up with her, at least.’

  Jack put the drinks on the side and got back into bed. ‘I don’t know why on earth I didn’t tell you what was going on in my head the last time I was here. I suppose I decided there was no point because of Conor and the baby. But then, when you showed me Molly and Ronnie’s inscription – There’s never an end to the sea, so why for you and me? – it stuck with me. Actually, who am I kidding. I never stopped thinking about you from the moment I met you, Star, I really didn’t. I’m so sorry that I hurt you, my angel.’

  ‘It was as much me as you. I should have had the courage to come out with it and tell you what I thought, but I assumed you would reject me. I wasn’t confident enough to think you would love me back, especially as you were living with Riley. Old Blaise Pascal must have been shouting down at us, saying “bloody sort it out, you two”.’

  They both started laughing.

  ‘What do you think your parents will say?’ she asked.

  ‘I’m thirty-seven, Star, there’s not much they can say apart from “Congratulations”, I hope, and no doubt they will be relieved that I won’t be moving back in with them. Look, don’t worry, I just know they will be thrilled to hear that I have finally become a father. They will be grandparents again. My mum will be over the moon.’

  They stared at each other pillow to pillow.

  ‘We are going to be parents.’ Jack put his finger gently on Star’s nose. ‘How mad and brilliant is that?’

  ‘It won’t be plain sailing.’

  ‘But there will be nobody jumping ship and I promise you that with my whole heart.’

  ‘If you do not love too much, you do not love enough,’ Star suddenly quoted, then whispered, ‘I understand that now.’

  Jack pulled her towards him. ‘And so do I.’

  Chapter 63

  As Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby’s silky tones began to flood down across Ferry Lane Market, stallholders, customers and locals alike looked around wondering where the music was coming from. The two old crooners sang together, dreaming of a white Christmas. And then, right on cue, there was snow! Lots of magical white flakes were pouring from a large snow machine behind the back of Tasty Pasties, and for those who didn’t realise, it really did look like the real, wondrous thing. Skye and Tegan rushed out of their respective shops and hugged in the street. The Christmas lights twinkled, and the excited chatter of intrigued folk filled the air.