Page 10 of Hope and Hot Chocolate on Mistletoe Lane

‘His is pretty messy, though. Plus, they bring me out in a rash after kissing.’

‘Beards can be shaved, don’t forget.’ Georgia winked and I threw a pillow at her.

* * *

I woke up before the sun rose. The November morning was chilly and dark, and I didn’t want to leave my warm bed but I was too restless to keep sleeping. I’d be leaving my flat for the farm today and I felt mixed emotions about it. I wasn’t particularly attached to this flat but it was all mine. And going back to my hometown was something I hadn’t wanted. But I needed to do it.

Deciding there was no point in staying in bed, I climbed out and got ready. I needed to tell my mum what was going on so when I was dressed, I made a coffee and sat at my two-seater table in my kitchen and rang her.

‘Oh, hello, Holly.’ She always sounded surprised when I called her. Maybe I should have rung her more often but she never phoned me. That would have been nice. When I mentioned it once, she said it was because she didn’t want to bother me in my new life. It felt like a dig and it estranged us further. She’d come to stay in my city apartment a few times but our relationship had never got back to where it had been before my dad tore our family apart. Maybe it never would now.

‘Hi, Mum.’ I swivelled in my chair, needing something to do. ‘I have some news.’

‘Yes?’

‘I’m coming back to Birchbrook for a bit. Willow Connor, over at Birch Tree Farm, needs me to help with her Christmas event and it’s meant to open on the first of December. So, we only have a couple of weeks to get it up and running and I’ll be staying with her on the farm. I’m heading there this morning.’

There was a short silence. ‘You’re staying on the farm?’

‘There’s so much to do, it makes sense to stay on site, yes. I’ll be working all hours, I expect.’

‘I thought you didn’t want to come back to Birchbrook. Ever.’ Her voice sounded tight and hurt.

‘This is a great opportunity for my business,’ I said, not wanting to admit how bad things were with it. ‘Willow made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. So, I can see you while I’m there.’

‘You’ll come to the cottage?’ Now, there was hope in her voice.

The thought of going home again made me freeze. I’d avoided the cottage for so long. ‘Let’s see how things go. I better head off now, Mum.’

‘Okay, sure. Bye.’

She hung up and I put my phone down on the table with a sigh. Things always felt so awkward between us. But at least she knew now I’d be around for a few weeks. I hoped I could avoid going to the cottage for as long as possible. I needed to focus on my job, and not relive bad times.

The cottage, though, came into my mind. I had loved it once. It was so cosy, especially at Christmas. We always had a tall tree that we decorated with old ornaments and colourful lights topped off with a star that was wonky, but we had never wanted to replace it. The fire was lit in the living room in the evening and my mum had loved playing Christmas music while she baked sweet treats.

When my dad left us, it had been around this time of year. Afterwards, our Christmas tree hadn’t come out of the loft. And I doubted Mum decorated at all now. Pushing away the melancholy my thoughts were creating, I jumped up and grabbed my suitcase and cast one look back at my flat before I walked out and became a Birchbrook resident for the second time in my life.

9

HOLLY

‘It’s chaos here today! Sorry about the smell of paint,’ Willow was saying to me as we climbed the stairs in the farmhouse later that morning. She explained that her boyfriend Dylan was getting the farmhouse ready for his dad and brother to arrive for Christmas. ‘It’s not up to scratch, apparently,’ she said cheerfully, with a shrug. ‘I’ve only met his brother, Nate, once and it didn’t go well so I said to Dylan, you’ve invited them, you do what you need to do to make it go as smoothly as possible. Hence why you and I need to work on the winter wonderland without him. Here we are…’ She trailed off as she pushed open a room. ‘My cousin Daisy has this room whenever she stays here. She got married on the farm this summer; it was gorgeous. I hope you like it.’

I stepped in behind Willow and smiled as I looked around. The room was a quintessential farmhouse bedroom with a floral bedspread and sloping roof. It had an en-suite bathroom and was almost the same size of my apartment, which said a lot about the price of city living. ‘It’s lovely.’ I set my suitcase down and turned to Willow. ‘Where shall we start?’

‘Before Dylan started decorating, I got him to help bring the polytunnels we used for the pumpkin patch back out so they are ready in the field. Let me show you what we have to work with.’ Willow led the way, passing by another bedroom to gesture to her boyfriend, who was painting a wall cream. He was tall, dark and handsome. He turned to give me a warm smile and wave. ‘You can meet properly at dinner; we have too much to do right now!’

‘You said you’d sold tickets already; it would be good to see what you’ve promised people who have booked,’ I said as I followed her back downstairs and outside again. I was glad of my black wool coat and chunky boots as we hit the outside air. It was dry thankfully but with a cold breeze and low, grey clouds that formed a fluffy blanket across what seemed like an endless sky. There were no tall buildings or pollution to block it out. The farmhouse perched on top of a slight hill and I could see acres of farmland all around us. There was no noise out here. It felt like we were part of nature. The city was part of another world to all this.

‘Come on, Maple.’ Willow whistled and her dog bounded out of the farmhouse behind us. We walked over to the side of the farm where a set of polytunnels stood in a field cleared of grass and trees: a blank canvas.

‘Oh, there’s my dad!’ She waved as an older man came around the side of the farmhouse carrying a basket. ‘Dad, come and see Holly. Do you remember her from school?’

Mr Connor came over. He was slightly stooped and stiff in his movements but I remembered his big smile and twinkling eyes. He looked like Willow but with grey hair and lines that hadn’t been there when I was a teenager. ‘Holly, I was so happy when Willow said you’d agreed to come and help her while I’m away. It was not a great time to win a cruise.’ He winked as he held out a hand and gave mine a firm shake.

I laughed. ‘I would say I feel sorry for you, Mr Connor, but…’

Willow rolled her eyes. ‘I know, right? It’s all been a bit chaotic but I’m happy for you, Dad, you know that. It’s a six-week cruise taking them through all the festivities. He’s off with his lady friend who also happens to be our mayor – I’m not allowed to call Taylor his girlfriend, apparently – on Monday,’ she told me with a twinkle in her eyes just like her father’s.