Page 20 of Hope and Hot Chocolate on Mistletoe Lane

‘Can you not try to be my therapist, please?’ I said, turning away from them, annoyed that they were getting under my skin. I didn’t like the fact she was right – I didn’t seem to be able to leave this place. Holly must have thought I was such a loser for staying in Birchbrook.

‘He could be cute too,’ Sabrina added then.

The other two giggled. ‘I’m telling Bradley,’ Willow said, referencing Sabrina’s husband.

‘I’m just saying, Paul…’ Sabrina added in a louder voice. Reluctantly, I glanced back at them. ‘Some women don’t love a scruffy bread.’

‘Oh yeah, I heard Holly telling you that,’ Willow agreed.

‘I like Blake’s stubble,’ Daisy piped up, talking about her husband. ‘But you’re right, a full-on beard has never been my thing.’

‘I wonder what Paul would look like without one…’ Sabrina said then.

The three of them studied me.

‘Jesus, stop staring at me,’ I said, shaking my head. ‘I need to close up.’

‘We have half an hour yet!’ Willow cried. She tilted her head. ‘I remember what you were like when you were younger. I think you’d look good without it. Younger maybe.’

‘Great, you’re saying I look old now.’ I scratched at my beard, wondering why I was even paying them any attention.

‘And your hair is a bit long,’ Daisy added. ‘Do you have to always wear a beanie?’

‘He can’t not wear a beanie,’ Sabrina told her, shocked. ‘He always does!’

‘What if Paul got a makeover and became a heart-throb?’ Willow joked, dropping me a wink.

‘I’m telling Dylan,’ Daisy said, laughing.

‘Not for me but I know a few single ladies in town,’ Willow replied, laughing along with her.

‘Enough,’ I snapped.

‘Sorry, Paul,’ Sabrina said as they all stopped laughing finally. ‘Holly just got us thinking, that’s all. About what you were like at school and about your beard. Don’t mind us. You know we love you!’

I rolled my eyes. ‘Right, I’m going to clean up,’ I said, walking out to get the mop.

‘Wait, I wanted to ask you about decorating the café van for Christmas when you come to the winter wonderland…’ Willow called after me but I ignored that. I was most definitely not decorating the café van in tinsel or whatever she had in mind. Serving festive food and drink would have to be enough.

I passed by the mirror in the customer toilet. I tried not to think about what they had said about my potential to become a heart-throb. Someone single ladies might like.

And I especially tried not to wonder if one woman in particular could think of me that way.

16

HOLLY

I walked out of the farmhouse on Friday morning and over to the polytunnels. My first week in Birchbrook was almost over. It had gone so quickly. I hadn’t spent much time anywhere but the farm or the café and I was content in those bubbles, not excited to venture much more into Birchbrook just yet.

Willow had organised more things for the winter wonderland yesterday and was heading to a farm a few miles away to talk to her old family friend about bringing his Christmas trees over. I needed to supervise the guys coming from town to finish putting up the fairy lights. The tunnels were now covered with a fake-snow blanket and we wanted lights to arch inside each polytunnel so the walkways would all be covered in twinkling magic.

As I picked up a light-up reindeer that we found at the garden centre and moved it to the area we were going to set up a Christmas scene, my phone rang. It was my old colleague Angela, who still worked for my former boss Grant. Surprised, I put the reindeer down and answered it. ‘Wynter Wishes,’ I said out of habit.

‘Holly, I’m glad I caught you; I’ve heard some things that I thought I should tell you about… strictly between us.’

Unease washed over me. ‘What’s going on?’

‘I overheard Grant bad-mouthing you to a client. When I asked him why, he said you’d screwed him over and he wasn’t going to let you get away with it. I think he’s been trying to prevent you getting business.’