Page 50 of Hope and Hot Chocolate on Mistletoe Lane

‘I need to go, Paul,’ Holly called back over her shoulder, her cheeks flushed. ‘Just forget it, okay?’ She hurried off again and I let out a puff of air.

Outside, we were on a trail that led to the ice rink. It was marked out with stones and they had put up wooden posts and looped fairy lights in between them on either side. There was a sign directing people to the ice rink and my café van that stood by the side of the rink. There was a large Christmas tree and, in the distance, I could see the birch trees lit up and the farmhouse looking welcoming. It was like something right off a Christmas card but I couldn’t take it in. My eyes just searched for Holly. Willow had found her and they were chatting as they stood by the ice rink.

‘Everyone is getting ready for the opening,’ Willow was saying to her when I caught up with them. The men who ran it were setting up, getting the skates ready, and I itched instantly to take a turn on the ice. Anything to distract me from that kiss. ‘You okay, Paul? All ready to serve food and drink? You look distracted.’ Willow turned to me, frowning. I wondered what the expression on my face looked like. Instead of meeting her gaze though, I looked at Holly, who was studiously avoiding my eyes. I knew she wouldn’t want to talk about our kiss and that pissed me off, I couldn’t help it. I’d waited all week for some kind of sign from her and she gave me that and now I was just supposed to forget all about it?

‘Bloody hell, Willow, of course I am,’ I couldn’t help snap at her, and I walked off towards the café van. I knew instantly I’d been a prick to Willow, who hadn’t deserved it. I would apologise later but it was hard not to be grumpy when the woman I was rapidly falling for seemed to want to do anything she could to push me away. And I had no idea what to do about it.

34

HOLLY

I’d fucked up. I had kissed Paul again and not only that, I’d pulled him closer and wanted more. A simple mistletoe kiss had quickly turned almost frantic. God knows what would have happened if Willow hadn’t come to find us when she did. I knew I’d frustrated Paul by not wanting to talk to him afterwards. He’d stalked off to the café van and Willow had muttered that he was back to his old grumpy self. That felt like my fault.

There was no time to dwell on it, though. We had to hurry to get ready for our grand opening. My mum and the other local business owners she had found to join her in the craft tunnel had arrived and set up their things on the tables.

Dylan turned on the birch tree lights and also the lights we’d strung outside the farmhouse. The cloudy day made everything twinkly despite the fact the sun hadn’t quite set yet. It did look magical already.

Georgia messaged me then to say she hoped the opening would go well. I hadn’t felt this nervous about any other event I’d done. To start with, at Grant’s company, I wasn’t as invested as I was for events that were under my name. Georgia’s wedding had been the one I had put my heart and soul into the most.

But for some reason, I was more nervous now. Maybe because it felt like I had so much to prove with this. Mistletoe Lane was make or break for my business but also, I needed to prove that Willow and everyone here were right to believe in me and to trust me. I needed to prove Grant Rivers wrong. And everyone from the past that made me feel like I needed to run away from things. I could have left when Karl told me Grant had been bad-mouthing me. I could have quit Wynter Wishes like I’d quit Birchbrook ten years ago.

But I’d stuck it out and this would now decide if I had been right to do so.

Or not.

Dylan left his dad and brother in the warm farmhouse to welcome the people staying in the Airbnb cottages. They would be one of the first people in the winter wonderland. I volunteered for social media duty and went around taking snaps to post everywhere, declaring that we were open. The two employees Willow hired manned the entrance and Santa’s grotto, and the ice rink company stood ready to start the ice sessions. Willow planned to walk around greeting visitors, making sure they were happy and that everything was running smoothly. But we waited together for the first cars to turn into Birch Tree Farm. I glanced back to see Paul was prepping the coffee machine. He had put a tiny Christmas tree in the window of the van, his only nod to the season. I hoped he would at least smile at his first customers, but I also couldn’t blame him if he didn’t. I was giving mixed signals. Not on purpose, though. I just felt so confused.

Telling myself to focus, I posted on social media that Mistletoe Lane was open for its first Christmas then I turned to Willow. ‘Ready?’

She took a visible deep breath. ‘I’m ready,’ she said with a nod.

‘We’ve worked really hard,’ I told her. ‘People are going to have lots of fun here. Try to have fun as well, okay?’

‘You too,’ she replied with a grin because she probably knew that I was just as much of a perfectionist as she was. ‘Oh, look!’ She pointed as a car pulled into the farm. And then we saw a family start walking over from the cottages with Dylan leading the way. ‘It’s time.’

‘It’s time,’ I agreed. ‘I’ll make sure the ice rink is okay.’

I had to walk past Paul’s van to do this and I paused to watch him writing what people could order on the chalkboard that was propped up in the open hatch. He’d rolled his sleeves up and I caught sight of the strong arms that had held me so tightly earlier.

‘All set?’ I asked him lightly as I passed.

‘Sure,’ he replied, not looking at me.

I glanced at the menu and paused. ‘What’s this?’ I asked, seeing my name. I stepped closer to read everything.

Seasonal Specials:

Holly’s hot chocolate

Christmas spiced latte

Pat’s peppermint mocha

Cranberry sausage rolls

Brie and cranberry toasties

Paul’s gingerbread muffins