The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (158) Hanging the Greens

 

On Monday Conrad’s right knee still couldn’t bear his weight very well, it was the knee he had surgery on the previous year, and he thought it wise not to overdo it over the next few days, so he kept up with the painkillers and deep heat, and rested it as the weather wasn’t going to break until the end of the week, so they wouldn’t be leaving port until after the following weekend.

 

In Spaniards Creek, Danny Nightingale emailed the final chapters to his publisher Max Parsons so that meant that he and Molly could put all their efforts into enjoying Christmas to their fullest, and they intended to do just that.

 

Kingham’s Saddle and Tack makers, on Roman Road, were late putting up their Christmas decorations because of the weather but on Monday lunchtime Sarah Terrell delivered their Door Wreathes, Holly Boughs and Sprigs of Mistletoe to them.

Oliver Kingham had no problem finding willing hands to put the decorations up in the shape of Jacqueline Craig and Matt Stearnes who were apprentice saddle makers.

Jacqueline was the older of the two at 25 and was in the last few months of her apprenticeship while Matt was three years behind her in both.

Chestnut haired Jac was a diminutive figure at five foot four and she had carried a torch for Matt for three years and had waited patiently for him to make his move, and she was tired of waiting so she snaffled some mistletoe and slipped it into her pocket.

 

It only took the afternoon to get the decorations up, and when they just had the mistletoe left to do, the postman, Danilo Franzo, walked in and because he was a shy young man, Jac thought she’d have some fun with him before he left.

“Hey Danilo, you’re taller than us, can you hang this mistletoe over the door?” Jac asked

“Ok” he replied and reached up above the door, at which point Jac  stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek beneath the mistletoe, just a peck.

Danilo immediately turned beetroot red, dropped the mistletoe and rushed out the door without looking back.

Jac and Matt both fell about laughing at his reaction and then Matt stooped down to pick up the discarded sprig and when he stood up again Jac was holding another sprig of mistletoe above her head with her eyes closed and her lips puckered, so he kissed her, but unlike with Danilo it wasn’t just a peck, in fact it wasn’t a Christmas kiss, it wasn’t just a kiss, it was “the” kiss, a kiss to remember, a first of many kiss, a kiss full of love.