Page 3 of Hope and Hot Chocolate on Mistletoe Lane

‘Oh. You’re booked up with Christmas events? Shit, I was worried you would be; you must be so successful. I knew it was a long shot…’

‘Well. Not exactly booked up…’ I reluctantly admitted.

Georgia kicked me under the table. I jumped and looked at her in shock.

She was writing something on her notebook. Then she held it up for me to read.

Don’t turn down work FFS!!!

I put my head in my hands. ‘I haven’t been back at Birchbrook in ten years,’ I told Willow, also reminding my best friend who seemed to be forgetting that fact in her stern note.

‘Well, what’s more magical than Birchbrook at Christmas? Perfect time to come back. Plus you can show everyone how amazing your events are!’ Willow said enthusiastically. ‘And I will promote the hell out of your company. You can have space on our website, social media, a sign up, whatever you need… and I’ll pay double what you’d usually charge.’ She let out a shriek then, making me hold the phone away from my ear. ‘Shh, Dylan, we can afford it,’ she hissed. ‘What about the cottage guests? You promised them a winter wonderland!’ She came back onto the phone. ‘Sorry, Holly, you still there?’

‘Yes,’ I said weakly. I shook my head. ‘You’d really pay double?’

Georgia gave two thumbs up at me, practically jumping out of her chair with glee.

I couldn’t get excited, though. Yes, I needed the money desperately. And the publicity for my business. This would mean I could keep it going. But returning to Birchbrook felt like too much of a downside to agree.

‘Yes, and give you half right away if it gets you to Birchbrook fast. This could be huge for both of us! I need you, Holly. Please say you’ll at least come and have a look at the farm and talk about what we could do then decide if it’s a yes or a no. What do you think? Could you come tomorrow? Please!’

I sensed Willow was so determined, I might not be able to say no. I really didn’t have a choice if I wanted to save my business anyway, but my heart raced at the thought of going back to my hometown again.

‘Ugh,’ I said aloud. ‘Okay, I’ll come to the farm and we’ll go from there.’

‘Yay!’ Georgia said, clapping her hands. I gave her a withering look so she stopped.

‘You have no idea what a lifesaver you are!’ Willow cried. ‘See you at the farm whenever you can get here.’ She hung up before I could say anything else.

I put my phone back on the table, my head swimming. ‘What just happened? Did I just agree to go back to Birchbrook and talk about putting on a winter wonderland at the farm there?’

‘All I heard was she’s going to pay you double.’

‘And publicise my business. She sounded desperate – she’s already sold tickets even though she hasn’t started work on it, and needs it to open on the first of December. This is madness.’

‘You’ll be brilliant at it!’

I bit my lip. ‘But it means I have to go home.’ I thought about my mum there, the people that used to know me, the scandal my dad created and left us to wade through, and how once I escaped, I hadn’t been able to face going back again. Then my thoughts fell on one particular person I had left behind there. ‘What the hell have I just agreed to?’

Georgia reached over to squeeze my hand. ‘I know this will be hard but you don’t have a choice if you want to save your business, right? And it’s not like you’re going back for good…’

‘I can’t believe this is my only choice!’

‘It will be okay, Holly,’ she tried to reassure me. ‘Just think about what this will do for Wynter Wishes.’

I knew my best friend was right but I also knew that Birchbrook was the last place I wanted to spend Christmas in.

4

HOLLY

My knuckles gripped the steering wheel so tightly, they turned white.

The city was fading in my rear-view mirror and I was worried I might be having an out-of-body experience. I’d left my tiny flat in a complete mess this morning. I was rushing around trying to choose an outfit that said I’m a huge success even though that was a complete lie, trying to tame my freshly washed hair into its usual straight style and fielding FaceTime calls from Georgia who wanted me to give her updates on how I was getting on. I’d had three coffees, which I was regretting now, as my knee kept bouncing against the steering wheel and my heart was racing with a mixture of nerves and the caffeine flooding through my veins. I’d also put on far too much blusher and perfume. I coughed as the rose scent wafted around me in my beat-up car.

‘Just relax. You’re supposed to be a smart, cool, calm, collected businesswoman,’ I muttered to myself. I’d tried, and failed, to listen to three different business motivation podcasts so far, and even singing along to Taylor Swift wasn’t working.

I hadn’t exactly planned on avoiding my hometown for ten years but once I’d arrived at university, I threw myself into studying and my social life. Then I’d moved in with Georgia and started job hunting before finding my love for event planning. I had thrown my whole heart and soul into working for Grant and then into my own company. I hadn’t even given much thought to my personal life. I’d dated, of course, but nothing special had come around. I sometimes envied what Georgia had with Lucas but then I remembered what my dad had done and thought I was better off looking out for myself. Living in the city and working so much meant that Birchbrook had faded into the background.