Page 75 of Hope and Hot Chocolate on Mistletoe Lane

‘I’ll just be sitting down and talking to kids,’ Adam replied. ‘It’ll be fun. And it feels like a thank-you to the town for supporting everything we’ve been doing at the farm over the past couple of years.’

‘I think we’re going to get bigger and better with Holly on board,’ Willow said confidently. She dropped me a wink and I had to smile that she assumed I’d say yes. It was a great opportunity, but I needed to feel sure this was what I wanted. I wouldn’t let anyone down again.

This time, if I stayed in Birchbrook, it would have to be for keeps.

49

PAUL

It was the final week before Christmas, and the last week I’d be manning the café van at Willow’s winter wonderland. I saw Holly every day greeting visitors and fixing things in Mistletoe Lane and overnight, she stayed with me at my apartment. I was getting way too used to kissing her before I drifted off to sleep then scooping her into my arms for a morning snuggle. Christmas Eve was approaching too fast for my liking. We hadn’t discussed what would happen when Christmas was over. I was desperate to know what she was thinking but I wanted her to bring it up. I had told her we’d take things one day at a time, and that was working too well for me to risk it.

Two days before Christmas Eve, I made us both dinner in the flat. Holly put on a jazz vinyl and lit the fire while I cooked pasta carbonara. I carried over two bowls and a glass of wine for us and joined her at the table. She wore a Christmas jumper with her jeans today – a cute pink one with a Christmas tree and bows on.

‘You look like a Christmas elf,’ I said as we tucked in.

‘Willow’s request for the last week of Mistletoe Lane – festive clothes for us all. But you forgot, I see,’ she teased.

‘I may have given up my Grinch ways but that’s a step too far,’ I replied with a shudder at the thought of wearing a novelty jumper. ‘So, what was going on earlier?’ I asked, hoping I sounded casual but I’d walked in on her and Willow talking, and their conversation had abruptly ceased when they saw me. It had made me nervous all day.

Holly glanced at me then back down at her plate. ‘She was just saying she couldn’t imagine me not working on the farm. In fact, she likes it so much, she’s suggested I might want to keep on working for her,’ she said slowly, not meeting my eyes.

Hope soared in my chest but I knew I needed to tread carefully. ‘Oh yeah? How would that work?’

Holly explained Willow wanted her to run events at the farm so she could manage the farm itself and look after the baby when it came. Then she added that Taylor had suggested she could also run events for the whole town too.

‘That’s a real testament to how well Mistletoe Lane has worked,’ I said, trying not to shout, Please stay forever at the woman I had fallen so hard for. I reached out and squeezed her hand. That made her look up at me. ‘What did you tell them, Hols?’

‘That I would make a decision on Christmas Eve when we close the winter wonderland for Christmas,’ she replied softly. ‘Paul, I…’

‘It’s okay,’ I said. ‘You’ll know what you want to do tomorrow. Just follow your heart.’ I really hoped that heart would be mine but I wasn’t sure. We’d had such a great week together and we felt so close but she lived in the city. Would she give that up for Birchbrook? For me?

Holly nodded. ‘I hope so.’ Her phone buzzed then with a message and she smiled. ‘Georgia and Lucas have arrived.’

Her best friend and her husband had come to stay for Christmas and I was excited to meet them. I was desperate to make a good impression. I was probably the furthest thing you could get from a people pleaser but I knew how close Holly and Georgia were, and I wanted her to like me.

‘Let’s finish dinner then go and meet them for a drink in the pub.’ They were staying at Birchwood Arms as the farm was full to the brim.

‘Good idea.’

Holly messaged Georgia back and I tried to carry on eating but my appetite had faded. Holly had a great offer that would mean she could move back permanently to Birchbrook and I wondered if I should have asked her to stay. Begged her even. Because it was what I wanted more than anything.

But I didn’t want to pressure her. Then I thought about how much I’d regretted not saying anything when she left ten years ago. Yes, she was right – we had needed that time to grow into the people we wanted to be but this time, I had everything I wanted. I couldn’t let that go without trying to keep it.

Could I?

* * *

Birchbrook Arms was packed with people getting merry before Christmas began properly. I recognised everyone in the warm and lively pub. The beams had been draped in fairy lights and there was a Christmas tree in the corner. The log fire was roaring and glasses were clinking.

Holly squealed and rushed over to where a couple sat in the corner, hugging both the man and woman. Georgia looked like she could be Holly’s sister and Lucas was a tall, dark-haired man who seemed just as happy to see Holly as his wife was. I was glad she had them in the city. She had clearly made great friends. I shook their hands and got a round in. Georgia asked for a Coke as she was tired from driving and I could see Holly was confused by her choice.

‘You know everyone,’ Georgia observed when I finally sat back down, having seen multiple people stop to chat to me.

‘The curse of living here all my life, I’m afraid,’ I said, smiling. I took a sip of my beer and gave Holly’s thigh a stroke under the table.

‘The town is just how you described it,’ Georgia told Holly. I wondered what she’d said about it. I knew Holly had left with bad feelings towards Birchbrook but I hoped those feelings were different now. ‘Like something out of a romcom movie.’

‘Does that make me a romcom hero?’ I joked. ‘I shaved my beard and everything.’