Page 42 of Hope and Hot Chocolate on Mistletoe Lane

‘Well, things are different now, right? Besides, you told me once that you had always had a bit of a crush on him.’

‘That was years ago!’ I sighed. ‘He shaved his beard off and it looks good on him. And when he kissed me, I couldn’t think straight.’

‘And you think a lot!’

‘Jeez, thanks, bestie,’ I replied dryly.

She smiled. ‘I’m saying that’s a good thing, Holly – you overthink a lot and if this man is making you feel instead, I’d embrace it. The Husband was the first man I fell hook, line and sinker for. I didn’t overthink it. I was too busy falling for him. Before I could even consider talking myself out of it. And falling for your best friend is super-hot; haven’t you read any romance books?!’

‘I haven’t seen him for ten years,’ I reminded her although she was making it hard not to smile at the thought of how much the younger me would be walking on a cloud if she’d been the one to kiss Paul Ryan.

‘You know what true friendships are like; you just pick up where you left off like no time has passed and now you’re both older and less scared and cautious, you’ve taken that friendship to the next level. I think it’s great!’

‘How can it be?’ The overthinking came flooding back in. ‘I don’t live here any more.’

‘You can have a Christmas fling, right?’

‘Yeah,’ I said, although I wasn’t sure I was a fling person. ‘Listen, one of the reasons I stopped speaking to Paul after I left Birchbrook was that I thought if I did, I’d miss him too much and want to come home. And that scared me. I didn’t want that. It still scares me now.’

Georgia looked at me for a moment. ‘Don’t shut something down just because you’re scared of what it might mean for the future. I said no to a third date with Lucas, do you remember? I just had this feeling that he was special and that was fucking terrifying after all the losers I’d been with been with. It meant being vulnerable and giving him my heart and thinking about changing my whole life. Big stuff.’

I nodded, remembering she had freaked out. ‘Big stuff.’

‘How was it? Being with him?’

‘I can’t,’ I whispered, afraid to say it out loud. If I told Georgia how it had felt then it would make it become true, something I couldn’t take back again.

‘I’m your best friend. Tell me,’ she said encouragingly.

‘It felt like coming home.’ I forced the words out.

‘Shit,’ she said.

‘Yeah, shit. I better go; he’s reopening his café and I’m going with Willow and Dylan. Plus, the local press will be there and I need to try to subtly find out what they’re going to say about Mistletoe Lane online tomorrow. I really need them to be positive about it and send some more business my way.’

‘They will. I’ll share it everywhere too! Everyone needs to know about Wynter Wishes, and your old boss Grant can piss right off!’

‘I hope this all works out,’ I said. I wasn’t exactly sure if I was talking about me and Paul or my work, or both.

‘There’s always magic in the air at this time of the year,’ Georgia said firmly, and I really wanted to believe her.

30

HOLLY

My nerves increased tenfold as Dylan parked his car at the end of the High Street, finding one of the last few remaining spots. The road was packed and there was a group of people outside the café; it was so full, they’d had to spill outside. Everyone was holding a drink and a plate with small bites on it. The café was lit up like a snow globe against the dark night, all the fairy lights I’d helped Paul string up yesterday providing an inviting glow inside the cosy space.

I hung back after we got out of the car, watching as Willow and Dylan headed over, waving and smiling at people they knew. I hadn’t thought about this. I’d been content hiding out on the farm and just seeing my mum or Paul, but now the town was out in full force and I would be right in the middle of it all.

‘Yeah, Holly is staying on the farm helping…’ Willow’s voice drifted back to me as she turned, frowning when she realised I wasn’t right by her. She beckoned me over and I had no choice but to join her and Dylan as they greeted an older man. ‘You remember Holly from school?’

‘Holly Wynter!’ The man beamed. ‘You’ve probably wiped me from your memory – Mr Adams.’

I stared at him; he was one of my old teachers. I didn’t know what to say.

‘Holly runs an events company and we’ve been working on my winter wonderland. You’ll want to bring all the grandkids,’ Willow continued, glancing at me with concern as I was silent. Which was unusual. But I suddenly felt like I was sixteen again. ‘I was lucky she was willing to come back to Birchbrook to help.’

‘It sounds like it,’ Mr Adams said with a kind smile. ‘I remember how you and Paul used to sit in my art room at lunchtime. Don’t tell anyone but Paul used to bribe me with a cupcake to allow it.’