The Christmas Spirit
By
Susan Buchanan
Christmas is coming, but not everyone is looking forward to it.
Rebecca has just been dumped and the prospect of spending the holiday period with her parents is less than appealing.
Eighty-two year old Stanley lost his beloved wife, Edie, to cancer. How will he cope with his first Christmas without her?
Jacob’s university degree hasn’t helped him get a job, and it looks like he’ll still be signing on come New Year.
Workaholic Meredith would rather spend December 25th at home alone with a ready meal and a DVD box set. Can anything make her embrace the spirit of the season?
The enigmatic Natalie Hope takes over the reins at the Sugar and Spice bakery and café in an attempt to spread some festive cheer and restore Christmas spirit, but will she succeed?
Fancy an excerpt?
Here it is!
(Meredith’s assistant Sophie has been ill, but now she has succumbed to it – and she wasn’t terribly sympathetic with Sophie)
‘Hi there, nice to see you again,’ the woman greeted Meredith warmly, as she entered the bakery. The smell of fresh pastries and just brewed coffee assailed her senses and Meredith breathed in deeply, before another coughing fit racked her body.
‘Oh dear, that sounds awful. You should get that seen to,’ the woman offered.
Thanks, Einstein, thought Meredith uncharitably. She gave the woman a tight smile, then said, ‘Do you have any Gluhwein?’
‘I’m afraid we don’t have a licence.’
‘Right. I see. Well, do you have any Christmas drinks, any specialties?’
‘We do have a cinnamon drink and also a cranberry tea, and I’ve made cranberry and white chocolate muffins in honour of the season,’ Natalie pronounced.
‘Yes, cranberry tea sounds good. Cranberry’s good for you when you’re not feeling great, isn’t it?’ Meredith asked.
‘That’s right; cranberries are high in antioxidants.’
‘Well in that case, I’ll have cranberry tea and the muffin, thanks. In fact, can you make that two muffins? Sophie will probably want one, too, although I don’t know whether she likes them or not,’ Meredith thought out loud.
Just then another fit of coughing came over Meredith. She withdrew a handkerchief from her coat pocket and coughed violently into it. But she didn’t stop. She kept coughing and coughing and then started wheezing and turned blue. The bakery patrons looked on in horror. She couldn’t seem to get a breath.
‘Let’s sit you down, dear,’ Natalie said, but just as she was coming around the counter to help her, Meredith’s legs gave way and she collapsed. A man sitting close by jumped up to try to catch her, but didn’t quite get there in time and Meredith fell, her head grazing a chair on the way down.
‘Jacob, get some water, please,’ Natalie called. ‘Stand back, please,’ she said to the customers, ‘I’m a first-aider.’
The shocked customers cleared a space around Meredith.
‘She’s awfully pale,’ one of them remarked.
Natalie checked Meredith’s airway wasn’t blocked. Her breathing was still raspy, but at least she was breathing. Her pulse was faint.
‘Jacob, call an ambulance,’ Natalie said, as she moved Meredith into the recovery position.
Jacob rushed around the counter and dialled 999.
The paramedics arrived within ten minutes. There was no change to Meredith’s condition; she was still unconscious. Whilst they were waiting for the ambulance, Natalie had kept an eye on her, but also asked if anyone knew where she worked. No-one in the café knew her and unfortunately they had no way of contacting Sophie. After a few minutes Natalie had the brainwave of checking for an ICE in her phone; hopefully she would have her emergency contact listed. Jacob searched through her bag, until he found an iPhone. Unfortunately it was locked and they had no way of knowing the password. Then Jacob came across a business card wallet. Withdrawing a card, he read Meredith Storm, Storm Communications. He dialled the number on the card and asked for Sophie.
As the paramedics put Meredith into the ambulance with the café clientele watching them and Natalie filling them in on what had happened, an out of breath Sophie appeared from round the corner.
‘Oh God, what happened?’
‘Are you her daughter?’ the paramedic asked.
‘No, she doesn’t have any children. I’m her assistant. Can I come with her?’
‘I suppose that would be all right. Get in.’
~ ~ ~
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About the author Susan Buchanan.
Susan Buchanan lives in Scotland with her husband and their two children. She is the author of four novels: Return of the Christmas Spirit, The Christmas Spirit, The Dating Game, and Sign of the Times. She is currently working on books five and six: The Proposal and Just One Day.
Susan is also a proofreader, editor and translator, and when not working, writing, or caring for her two delightful cherubs, loves reading, the theatre, quiz shows and eating out – not necessarily in that order!
