Free The Mince Pie Mix-Up by Jennifer Joyce

after the game and I ordered a glass of red wine instead of your usual pint. So now they think you’re a great big sissy girl and have started to call you Gal-Vin.’
    Fantastic. Calvin would have to do some serious damage control when he got his body back.
    The family gathered around the table and, while it wasn’t the roast she felt she was owed, Judy was so ravenous she ate the sausages and chips without a word.
    ‘Did you get the baking done for Enid?’ Judy asked once everybody had eaten. Scott had gone for a final practice before his band’s debut gig and Charlie was occupied with her
Frozen
DVD. Again.
    The kitchen was either surprisingly or suspiciously clean.
    ‘Yep, it’s all done and packed in boxes ready to go.’ Calvin leaned back in his chair, emitting smugness into the air. ‘And I’ve cleaned up after myself and everything.’ Or rather Scott had, for a fee. ‘Are four dozen mince going to be enough? I could eat most of those on my own.’
    ‘Enid’s making some too and you can always knock out a few more batches if you start to run low,’ Judy said. ‘Did you manage to make the stained-glass snowmen?’
    ‘Whoa, wait a minute.’ Calvin held up his hands, palms out. ‘Nobody said I had to do anything fancy with glass.’
    Judy rolled her eyes. Even that movement hurt after her morning on the pitch. ‘They’re biscuits. I left the recipe for you and asked you to bake three batches. They were quite popular last year.’
    Calvin shook his head. ‘I forgot.’
    ‘You’d better get your apron back on then.’ Judy rose painfully to her feet. ‘I’m going for a bath. You’d better hurry up with those biscuits. We have to leave in a couple of hours. Besides. I can’t risk any baking. Just look at what happened with the last batch of pies I made!’
    Hauling herself upstairs, Judy peeled off her football kit, placing the muddy clothes in the laundry basket. Calvin didn’t own a dressing gown so she squeezed his body into her own and was about to head into the bathroom when she realised her mistake. Pulling the dirty kit from the basket, she dumped it on the floor and left it for Calvin to deal with.
    The warm bubble bath felt heavenly as Judy slipped underneath the water, allowing her aches and pains to be sluiced away with the grime. Her bones ached from the cold despite sitting in the warmth of the pub all afternoon but she finally began to thaw. She didn’t want to think about the fact that she’d have to repeat this process next week – she’d deal with that later. For now she would make the most of the peace and quiet while enjoying the knowledge that she didn’t have to work tonight. Maybe she would have felt guilty about Calvin taking over her role in The Green Teapot while she had fun with the kids, but that was before he tricked her into running around a freezing cold football pitch in a pair of shorts and a flimsy T-shirt.
    Judy emerged from the bath feeling like a completely new Calvin. This Calvin was refreshed and ready to face the challenges ahead. She dried herself off before folding the towel and placing it on the heated towel rail.
    ‘Silly me.’ Judy grabbed the towel and dumped it on the bathroom floor.
    Yes, the gloves were most certainly off. Let the games well and truly begin.

Chapter Nine:

It Isn’t (Christmas) Fair
    The village green was buzzing with excitement and anticipation as the residents waited for the annual Christmas lights switch-on. A prominent figure in the village was always chosen for the all-important switch-on, and this year it was Mrs Ephron, the headmistress from Charlie’s school, who had been given the honour. The headmistress had taken on celebrity status for the evening and was being treated accordingly by her fans. A sizeable group of children had gathered around the teacher, firing questions at her as they reached out to touch her bright red duffel coat.
    ‘Can I go and see Mrs Ephron? Can I go and see Mrs Ephron?’ Charlie was