Late that afternoon, Lucy, Will, and the cousins had been kicked out of the cabin and sent into town. Steph had claimed it was to get “the kids” out of their hair while she and Jackie made Christmas dinner, but Lucy suspected she was nudging Lucy in Will’s direction.

“Hey, you guys,” called Bridget, “check this out!” She was standing next to a barricade surrounding a small patch of snow and a dozen snow sculptures, all Christmas themed.

“I’ve never seen anything quite like this,” said Lucy. She studied the sculptures, taking in the intricacies of each design. “Unbelievable,” she added to herself.

“Oh yeah?” Will leant in closer. “It’s a competition. I swear, every year they get more impressive.”

“How cool is that?” squealed Briony. “Look! Someone’s made Will Ferrell’s head, you know, from Elf.”

“I love that movie. We’re watching it tonight, right?” Bradley directed his question to the group.

“Duh. We watch it every year.” Apparently, Bridget was less of a fan.

“What’s your favourite, then? Christmas film, I mean?” Lucy asked her.

Bridget seemed to take the question seriously, as though she’d never been asked before.

“Little Women,” she replied after a considerable pause. Lucy should have guessed, as it had featured heavily in their book discussion earlier, but Bradley groaned. Regardless, Bridget forged ahead. “The Winona Ryder one. Although, I do like the newer one, with Saoirse Ronan, but I think Christian Bale was a better Teddy.” She’d clearly given this a lot of thought.

“It’s not even a Christmas movie!” Bradley had, too, apparently.

“It is, Brad,” Briony interjected.

“Nah-uh.”

“Just because you don’t like it. You think Die Hard is a Christmas movie!” Another point for Bridget.

“Die Hard is a Christmas movie!”

“Hey, guys?” Big Cousin Will waded into the fray. “They’re all Christmas movies, okay. Any movie that takes place at Christmas, or has a Christmas scene, or even remotely mentions Christmas is a Christmas movie.”

The three cousins gawped at him, then Lucy saw Briony’s mouth twitch. As the eldest sister, she’d probably heard this exact argument between her siblings a hundred times.

Bradley’s head dropped in defeat and Will rubbed it good-naturedly. “Two against one, hey bud?” Bradley nodded, a smile appearing. “Sometimes, it’s just easier to let them have their way,” Lucy heard him add quietly.

Lucy wasn’t quite sure what to make of Will’s advice to his young cousin and turned her attention back to the snow sculptures. “Which one’s your favourite?” Why did his voice in her ear have such an effect on her?

“Are we talking films or sculptures, now?”

“Either.”

“The Holiday for film, and that one for sculpture.” She pointed to a giant gingerbread house.

“Good choice … on the sculpture anyway.”

The cousins wandered around the snow sculpture display to the other side and Lucy could still hear their squabbling, but there was something in Will’s voice that rooted her to the spot.

“So, you’re not a fan of The Holiday?” It was no big deal if he wasn’t, she told herself. It was the ultimate chick flick after all. Will puffed his cheeks and blew out a long slow breath. What? What does that mean? she wondered. They were just talking about a film, right? “Will?”