Page 17 of Hope and Hot Chocolate on Mistletoe Lane

I helped them until we heard Paul’s four-by-four on the gravel driveway. I went over and climbed in. ‘I really appreciate this,’ I said as I sat in the passenger seat.

‘It’s fine.’

‘Willow and Dylan had no idea you skate,’ I commented when we’d set off, driving through the open gate of Birch Tree Farm. It was a crisp day today; watery winter sunshine shone down on the car from a clear, blue sky.

‘I guess they wouldn’t,’ he replied, eyes on the road. ‘You were the only one at school who ever saw me so Willow couldn’t have known back then, and I don’t hang out with them now.’

‘You keep yourself to yourself.’

He shrugged. ‘Maybe. I have some mates I have a pint with but I don’t open up that easily. Sometimes, the town knowing everything you do can be a bit much. When I was with my girlfriend, I had daily questions about marriage and babies.’ He rolled his eyes. I couldn’t stop myself from instantly wondering what his ex had been like. ‘I know people just wanted me to be happy but I hated people getting so invested in our relationship. Especially when things became rocky between us.’

‘Oh. So, you’re not together now? Did I used to know her?’ I asked, trying to sound casual as we drove through Birchbrook High Street and out the other side. I hoped I didn’t sound overly interested even though I was dying to know who Paul had gone out with. I had no idea what his type might be.

‘No. She’s a couple of years younger than us; I don’t think you knew her. It’s all over between us.’

A small wave of relief washed over me. ‘I was surprised to see you were still in Birchbrook,’ I ventured then, hoping I didn’t sound judgemental. ‘A nice surprise,’ I quickly added.

Paul glanced at me once before looking back at the road. ‘I guess I’ve thought about leaving, but it’s never been the right time.’

‘I like that you help run the café.’

‘You do?’ He sounded surprised.

‘Sometimes, in the city, if I was in Starbucks or something or if I’d had a bad day, I’d think about the Birchbrook Café. It was always so comforting. I would imagine I was in there having my favourite hot chocolate and I’d feel a bit better.’ I turned away, my cheeks heating up. I had no idea why I’d just shared that with him. He must have thought I was pathetic. I was supposed to have this successful city life but now I’d confessed I wished I was back in his café at times.

There was such a long silence. ‘I didn’t think you thought about…’ Paul started, then he trailed off before clearing his throat… ‘Birchbrook, at all,’ he finished.

‘Of course I did,’ I replied.

14

PAUL

We drove the rest of the way to the ice rink in silence. I kept replaying Holly’s words the whole way, though. Thankfully, I’d driven to the ice rink so many times in my life, I could do it almost without thinking. The idea that Holly had thought about the café when she was in the city and having a bad day made me instantly wonder if I was included in those thoughts. I was both desperate to ask and desperate not to know the answer. If it was a yes, she had thought about me, then I might end up confessing how much I had thought about her too. But if she hadn’t thought about me then that would hurt. It was better to not know.

I pulled into the ice rink car park. I’d never brought anyone here since my teenage days when Holly used to come with me every Saturday. My parents stopped coming when I gave up ice hockey, and the few dates I’d had when I was younger seemed to hate it so I hadn’t even invited my ex, Rach, along. When Elliot and his husband, who owned the rink, came for a pint in the Birchbrook Arms, we talked about our businesses. No one in town realised that I still skated there once a month.

‘This brings back so many memories!’ Holly cried when we got out of my car and she looked at the place. Like so much in and around Birchbrook, it hadn’t changed much in the ten years she’d been away apart from a lick of paint added now and then. It was a low, long red-bricked building with a huge blue and white sign declaring it to be the Chill n Flow Rink. ‘The name is new,’ Holly said after we’d got out of the car and she gazed up at the sign with a polar bear wearing sunglasses ice skating next to the name of the rink. ‘What a terrible pun.’

I chuckled. ‘Yeah, I told Elliot and his husband Lewis exactly that when they took the place over a few years ago, but hey, they saved the place from closure after the council gave up on it, and they are good mates now.’

‘I’m looking forward to meeting them; I don’t know what kind of friends you have nowadays.’ Her eyes twinkled mischievously. I remembered how we used to tease each other growing up.

‘My friends stick around now,’ I threw back as I started towards the door.

‘That was a low blow!’ she called before hurrying after me. Her legs were almost as long as mine so she wasn’t far behind.

I held the door open for her then we walked in and headed for the café and bar that overlooked the rink, where a small group of people were currently having a skating lesson. I spotted Elliot and Lewis at the corner table with a man I didn’t know so we headed their way.

‘Hey,’ I said as Holly stood next to me. She smelled of spicy vanilla and her lips were glossy as she gave me a smile. I tried not to think about them. ‘This is Holly Wynter.’

‘Nice to meet you, Holly,’ Elliot said, jumping up to shake her hand. He clapped me on the back. ‘You okay, son?’

I rolled my eyes. Elliot and Lewis were ten years older than me and liked to pretend they were my older brothers and would often doll out advice I didn’t ask for. ‘I’ll be better after a coffee.’

‘I can’t persuade you to have a herbal tea?’ Lewis said as he stood up and also shook Holly’s hand, winking at me. ‘It would be better for you and they taste so good…’

I rolled my eyes. ‘Don’t start again about how much coffee I drink. Plus, your herbal teas taste like grass.’