Page 46 of Hope and Hot Chocolate on Mistletoe Lane

‘I’ll be out in ten minutes,’ I said shorty. She opened her mouth to say more but I just shook my head. Quickly, Mum ducked back out.

‘Can you look into it for us?’ Willow asked Karl. ‘And maybe you could talk to Grant Rivers again, see if you can get him to admit anything.’

He nodded. ‘Who was the colleague who warned you what your old boss was saying about you?’ Karl asked.

‘I can speak to her,’ Holly said. ‘I don’t know if she would want to be involved, though…’

‘Let’s keep in touch.’ Karl handed Holly his card then he nodded at us. ‘I need to head off but don’t worry, I won’t amend my article. Mistletoe Lane looks great. I’ll be coming along with my family when you open.’

‘Thanks, Karl,’ Willow said gratefully. We watched him leave. ‘Holly, you can’t let this Grant get away with this.’ She glanced at me when Holly just looked at the floor. ‘Well, I need to sit down. Pregnant lady and all that. See you out there!’ She hurried out, giving me a nod.

I waited until I was alone with Holly then I reached down and took her hand. ‘Hols, will you look at me?’ She was still staring at the floor. I could see her eyes were still misty. I took hold of her other hand too and squeezed both of her hands in mine. ‘Please,’ I begged her.

Finally, she lifted her eyes up.

‘We believe you, okay? You get that, right? You don’t need to run. We’ve got you.’

‘Don’t say that,’ she urged. ‘I can’t let you look after me.’ She took her hands from mine and used one to wipe at her eyes. ‘This is all too much.’

‘Is it? Or is it just right?’ I asked her. ‘I want to look after you. I want to protect you. God, I want to march right into your old boss’s office and punch him.’

She looked startled again. ‘Why?’

‘Why? Because he’s hurt you. He’s treated you appallingly. He’s a dick! And I don’t want anyone upsetting you. I want to hold you right now but I can tell you don’t want me to. And it’s driving me crazy.’

There was a stunned silence. I knew I’d said too much but how was I supposed to keep calm and keep my distance when she looked like her world had just folded in on her?

‘Listen to me, Holly. I know people round here weren’t nice when your dad left but I swear, things are different now. This community looks out for one another. There were a few small-minded people back then but even so, none of them blamed you for what your dad did or thought you were anything like him. You have always been an amazing woman. There’s no one I trust more. And you can trust me. I know you’re scared. And so am I. But I am here for you. We can be here for one another.’ I told her the blunt truth, laying my cards out. I hoped she had taken in what I had said. ‘I better go back out there but take your time, okay. Whatever you need.’

Holly sniffed but didn’t respond. She still looked shell-shocked.

I leaned down slightly and kissed her softly on her forehead. ‘I won’t say any more. Just think about what I’ve said, please,’ I begged before I pushed open the door and left her there even though it was the last thing I wanted to do.

32

HOLLY

December

November had gone by in the blink of an eye. Frosty mornings greeted me when I emerged from my warm bedroom on the farm. Everywhere I looked, there were twinkling lights. Days were peppered with hot drinks in festive-themed mugs. Christmas songs played in every shop and on the radio. I fell asleep to Hallmark festive romance movies and the book on my bedside was a spicy Christmas romcom that I’d seen all over social media. Birch Tree Farm had been transformed into a winter wonderland and I was exhausted from the work but it made me more proud than anything I’d done in my career so far. I had built it with my own bare hands, alongside Willow, and it had been a labour of love.

The last few days of November had been crazy. We had worked all hours. The ice rink had arrived and it was a perfect fit next to Mistletoe Lane. We’d marked out a trail for people to walk from the polytunnels to the ice rink and with Dylan’s help, draped fairy lights in between trees to form a pretty canopy with new stones on the ground. Portaloos had been set up. There was a space for the Birchbrook Café van next to the ice rink with benches for people to sit on and enjoy food and drink while watching people skate. We had put fairy lights in the birch trees lining the drive for people to enjoy on the way in. And we’d put a Christmas tree by the ice rink so that would be lit up as well. The area that had caused the most concern was Santa’s grotto as Willow hadn’t been able to find someone to play Santa. But she’d had a last-minute brainwave to move her two Shetland ponies, Blossom and Jasmine, into the tunnel for a photo opportunity next to the sleigh and the post office.

One of the young guys Willow hired to work had agreed to wear an elf costume and supervise the ponies and the photo spot. They looked great with the sleigh and the presents, and I knew it would be a big draw for people.

The first of December was upon us before we could catch our breath. We had decided to just open for late afternoon and evening on the first day. We wanted to make sure there were no teething problems by having a shorter day to start off with, but still have everyone enjoy the full experience of the lights once the sun set. The rest of the time, the winter wonderland would open from 2 to 8 p.m. until Christmas Eve, after which it would close for the season.

Before it was time to open though, Dylan’s family were arriving for their early Christmas. And I was in my bedroom about to talk to Angela, my old colleague, on the phone. It had been a week since Karl from the newspaper had alerted me to Grant’s shady dealings and I’d been trying to contact Angela ever since.

I thought back to the conversation in the café. I had felt sucker-punched when I realised Grant had claimed I’d stolen money. It all made sense in that moment why Wynter Wishes hadn’t had much work. He hadn’t just bad-mouthed me; he had told people I was a criminal! I was still stunned that he could be that devious and nasty.

I had been so scared that Willow would tell me to get the hell off of her farm. That Paul would believe Grant. And Karl would write an article telling everyone to never hire me. But the opposite had happened. I was still wrapping my head around it. The fact they had believed and trusted me had meant so much, I was still replaying their words over and over again.

Especially what Paul had told me.

When I had relayed the conversation for Georgia on FaceTime, she had also been ready to go in to see Grant all guns blazing, but I had told her I’d handle it. She then asked if I had swooned over what Paul had said, and I’d faked having to help Willow with something.

Because I had swooned.