‘We both love you. Will you please be part of our family and spend Christmas with us? Love Freddie and Nick. What?’ Tears sprang to her eyes. She’d never dreamed this could happen so soon. She’d thought maybe one day, years down the line, she’d become part of their special day, but so soon? Her voice wavered as she spoke. ‘Really?’

They nodded, smiling broadly, and Freddie wrapped his arms around Bella’s waist. She was something to him now and the idea filled her with love.

‘Paige wants to come over in the morning,’ Nick said. ‘To see Freddie open his presents, but we were hoping you might come over in the afternoon and have dinner with us? Paige is off to see her parents.’

‘Dinner?’ In her mind she replayed the scene she’d created with Paige and Nick, only this time inserting herself into it. They’d pull crackers and wear stupid crowns and laugh at the bad jokes and play charades. It would be perfect.

‘And then later we could go and see your family for cheese and wine.’

‘Do you want to come?’ asked Freddie, looking up at her, his voice wavering with nerves.

A tear trickled down her face. ‘Yes, please.’

‘Yay!’ Freddie high-fived his dad. ‘Can I go and play on the climbing frame now?’

‘Go on,’ Nick said, laughing before he turned to Bella. ‘Sorry about that. They don’t know anything about meaningful moments. I hope he didn’t ruin it. The tag was actually his idea. He wanted to make sure someone got you something for Christmas too. We hoped it was a decent present.’

‘It’s the perfect Christmas present,’ Bella said, swallowing down more tears. ‘The most perfect Christmas present I could ever have wished for.’ Tiny, slight snowflakes began to fall from the pale grey sky overhead. ‘This is going to be the most perfect Christmas I’ve ever had.’

‘Us too,’ Nick said, moving closer. His arms wrapped around her waist and he kissed her again.

Releasing herself to the moment, Bella realised that out of all the residents of Meadowbank, the giving tree had given her the best Christmas gift of all.

THE END

Gripped by The Perfect Christmas Gift? Don’t miss Snowflakes at Mistletoe Cottage, another unputdownable novel from Katie Ginger. Available now!

Click here if you’re in the US

Click here if you’re in the UK

Turn the page now for a sneak peek!

Extract

Turn the page for an extract from Katie Ginger’s heartwarming Christmas romcom, Snowflakes at Mistletoe Cottage

Out now!

Chapter 1

London

Felicity Fenchurch primped and preened in front of the camera, brushing her honey-blonde curls back from her face. The director shouted, ‘Action,’ and she gave a longing smile, dipped down to pull a tray from the oven, and gazing at the camera from under false eyelashes, pouted.