let out a burst of laughter and spun back around. ‘Did you just say what I think you did?’
It had been a joke between them. A daft teenage saying that both had used years before. But it came totally out of the blue and instantly took her back thirteen years.
Callum’s shoulders were shaking. ‘Sorry, I couldn’t resist it.’
Jessica stuck her hand around the office door and pulled out her woollen coat. There was a flash of bright pink. ‘Think you can cope?’ she asked as she wound her purple scarf around her neck and fastened the buttons on the bright coat.
He just nodded. ‘You did warn me about the bright pink coat, and knowing you I wouldn’t have expected anything less. Do you have gloves?’
She stuck her hands in the coat pocket and pulled out a pair of purple leather gloves. ‘Sure. Why?’
‘It’s a nice night out there. Just a little dusting of snow. I’d like to walk instead of drive. Are you okay with that?’
She pulled out a woolly hat and stuck it on her head. ‘I’m game if you are. But you’ve got me curious now. Where are we going?’
He gestured towards the door. ‘Let’s find out.’
They walked quickly through the lightly falling snow. It was pitch dark already—darkness fell quickly in winter in Scotland. The streetlights cast a bright orange glow across the wet pavements.
‘So where are you taking me?’
Callum drew in a breath. He was still getting over the fact he’d asked her. It had been totally instinctive. He’d only made the decision once he’d set foot on the ward—particularly after what Pauline had said to him. The words had come out before he’d even had a chance to think about them. A signature would have meant he’d have no excuse to see Jesssica again. And he wasn’t quite ready for that.
Drew was at mini-kicker football tonight. He went every week with Julie and Blair’s son. One week Callum gave them dinner and took them, the next week Julie and Blair took them. Drew wouldn’t be home until after eight o’clock.
‘That would be a surprise.’
‘Hmm…a surprise. How do you know I still like surprises?’
He gave her a little smile. ‘It’s an educated guess. Some things are just part of us—like our DNA. I’m working on the premise that the fundamentals haven’t changed.’
They turned a corner and started walking along one of the main roads. It was busier now, the crowds jostling along all seeming to be headed in one direction.
The strains of Christmas music could be heard above the buzz of the crowds around them. Jess stopped a few times to look at the Christmas displays in some of the shop windows. Finally, he placed his hand in the small of her back as he guided her around the corner and into George Square.
‘Oh.’ He heard the little bit of shock in her voice as the recognition of where they were sank in. The square was bustling, packed with people here to see the annual switching on of the Christmas lights. A huge tree stood in the middle of the square, already decorated and just waiting for the lights to be lit. The Lord Provost already stood on the stage, talking into a microphone and trying to entertain the crowds.
‘You brought me here? I can’t believe you remembered.’ Her voice had gone quiet, almost whispered.
This had been one of their first dates, coming to see the annual switching on of the Christmas lights in George Square. He hadn’t planned this. He hadn’t even thought about it. But as he’d driven to the hospital tonight he’d heard the announcement on the radio about the switch-on. It had almost seemed like a sign—a message. He’d had to ask her to come along. If only to try and take a little of the sadness out of her eyes.
‘There’s so many families,’ she said as she looked around, dodging out of the way of a little girl with long blonde hair running straight for them.
‘Yeah, there always are.’ Lots of people brought their families to the turning on of the lights. It was entirely normal. But he couldn’t help catch the little edge of something else in her voice.
‘Over here.’ Callum put his hand on her back again and guided her over to one of the street-vendor stalls. The smells of cloves, mulled wine and roasted chestnuts were all around them. Callum bought two cups and handed one over to her.
‘Want to take a guess at what colour the tree lights will be this year?’
Jessica leaned against one of the barriers, sipping her mulled wine and watching the people around them. It was obvious that her brain was trying to take in their surroundings. ‘They were purple the first year that we came here.’
‘And they were silver the year after.’ He kept his voice steady.
‘And red the year after that.’
It was clear that they both remembered and for some reason it was really important to him that it was imprinted on Jess’s brain just as much as it was on his. Half of him had been sure she would know why he’d brought her here, while the other half had been in a mad panic in case she’d turned around with a blank expression on her face.
‘They were blue last year,’ he murmured, not really thinking.
Jess spun round, the mulled wine sloshing wildly in her cup. ‘You were here last year?’
Yes. He’d been here with Drew. But it had turned out Drew didn’t really like the turning on of the lights. It was almost as if there was a little flare of panic in Jess’s eyes. Did she think he’d been here with another woman?
Maybe this was it. Maybe this was time to tell her about Drew. It seemed natural. It was a reasonable explanation for what he’d just said. But the look in her eyes, that and the wistful tone in her voice when she’d remarked on the families, made him think twice.
‘I was here with some friends.’
‘Oh.’ She seemed satisfied with that answer and rested her forearms back on the barrier.
The crowd thickened around them, pushing them a little closer together as people jostled to get a better place at the barrier. Callum wound his arm around her waist, holding her firmly against him, to stop anyone coming between them. The countdown around them started. Ten, nine…
It was the smallest of movements. Jess rested her head on his shoulder then a few seconds later he felt her relax a little more and felt some of the weight of her body lean against him.
A grin spread across his face. It wasn’t like anyone could see it but it had been automatic and was plastered there for the world to see. Three, two, one.
‘Woah!’ The noise went around the crowd as the lights flickered on the tree, lighting up the square in a deluge of pink and silver.
‘Pink! It’s pink!’ Jess yelped, as the wine sloshed out of the cup and she turned to face him. Her eyes were sparkling, her excitement evident. It was the first time since he’d seen her again that she looked totally carefree. Totally back to normal.
Her face was right in front of his,
