Chapter 5
HOLLY
‘Oh, of course,’ Willow said, breaking the awkward silence as she sat down opposite me again. ‘I forgot you two were mates at school. Wow, I can’t believe it’s been ten years since we were all there!’
‘Ten years,’ Paul repeated, his eyes still locked with mine.
I tried to find his teenage face within his late-twenties’ one.
He was still so tall, but now he was stocky, having grown into his body in a way he hadn’t at eighteen, filling out with muscles and looking so much stronger now.
He also had facial hair, which was a surprise.
His beard was as dark and thick as his hair.
And more than a little bit messy. My eyes lifted and I was relieved to see he was wearing a beanie.
That was familiar. Surely, he hadn’t changed that much if he still wore one.
This one was black, his dark hair poking out like it didn’t enjoy being tamed by it.
And his deep brown eyes were still warm.
‘I didn’t think you’d still be in Birchbrook,’ I told him.
I had been so sure he would be long gone but he was still here.
I stopped dabbing myself and sat back down, my cheeks pink with embarrassment.
‘It’s good to see you,’ I added, meaning it.
There had been a time when I was desperate to see him again and now I had, his presence was comforting, like I’d dug out an old blanket and wrapped it around myself.
Paul’s face had turned white as he stared at me in silence, not responding to my comment.
Evidently, he was shocked to see me too but he didn’t look happy about it.
He opened his mouth to speak but then he coughed and looked abruptly away from me to Willow.
‘Well, actually, I came to say that maybe we’re too busy to work at the winter wonderland; it’s our busiest time of the year in the café, yeah, so I can’t man the van at this event.
’ He cleared his throat. ‘Must go. We’re really, uh, busy,’ he stuttered.
He looked at me once, briefly, no expression on his face, before he turned and strode out of the room like he couldn’t bear to be here for a moment longer.
‘As you can see, he’s as grumpy as ever,’ Willow said cheerfully, shrugging.
She reached for the teapot and refilled my cup.
‘We always wonder why he stays here. I’m sure I can talk him round to working the winter wonderland, don’t worry.
He’s just annoyed I’ve left things a little bit late, I think. ’
I shook my head to try to clear my confused thoughts. ‘That was Paul Ryan,’ I said somewhat stupidly. ‘He lives in town still?’
‘Sure. Like me, he’s never left,’ she replied.
‘But, don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll want to work at the winter wonderland; my pumpkin patch and summer pick-your-own trails have proved to be popular and successful for both the farm and the café.
He serves food and drinks in the café van, and there’s no way his parents will want to miss out, I’m sure.
Do you remember them – the two Pats?’ She cut two thick slices of cake as she mentioned Paul’s parents.
His mum was called Patricia, known as Female Pat.
His dad, Patrick, was known as Male Pat.
‘This is from their café, actually; I can’t bake to save my life.
Female Pat said I’d love it; it’s coffee and walnut.
Here.’ She slid a plate across to me then took a bite of her cake as I digested all the information she was giving me.
‘We haven’t been in touch since I left; I assumed he would have moved. But he works with his parents?’ I was surprised to hear that. When we were growing up, he’d refused to entertain the idea of working full-time for the family business: the Birchbrook Café.
‘That’s right. He complains all the time but he must love it otherwise why is he still here?
Anyway, enough about Paul. We need to talk all things winter wonderland.
I thought it could be where I always have my pumpkin patch as that’s a cleared area and I have polytunnels that I use for that that will cover everything. Maybe I should show you…’
She pulled out her phone but I was only half-listening. I kept picturing the look on Paul’s face. Yes, he’d been shocked to see me, like I’d been to see him, but he’d also seemed almost… angry.
‘So, I’ve basically created a trail that visitors walk through with pumpkins and photo opportunities and activities and all sorts of fun autumnal things.
Last month was our third pumpkin patch. I’ve had it in my mind to do something similar for the festive season, but there’s been so many other things to do on the farm.
At the Halloween finale though, I told the town that I’d be doing it this year, and everyone is really excited.
’ She grimaced. ‘As I said, we’ve already sold a lot of tickets. ’
I forced myself to focus on why I was here, but it was hard after seeing Paul like that again. ‘What are you thinking you want?’ I asked, preparing myself because I could tell Willow was a client that would have big ideas and usually that meant a lot of work and stress for me.
‘All the festive vibes! Maybe we can have fake snow and lots of fairy lights, Christmas trees, of course, and photo spots plus maybe we can make a Santa’s grotto – my dad would have been perfect but that’s a no-go as he’s going on the cruise.
Maybe we could hire someone from the town to be Santa.
Now, I haven’t grown Christmas trees but I know a farmer who is going to sell me some that we can have outside for people to buy, and I thought about building a few alpine village-like huts which we could rent to local businesses so they can sell goods to people—’
‘Hang on,’ I interrupted as Willow almost put me in trance telling me about her vision for this event. ‘When does this all need to be ready for again?’
‘The first of December,’ she said with a sigh.
‘Like I said on the phone, I thought I’d have Dylan and my dad helping me and a full-time staff member and I planned to start it all last month but it just all went wrong.
’ She ticked off the problems on her fingers as I distractedly took a bite of the cake she had given me.
I instantly moaned. God, it was good and took me right back to eating cakes in the café.
Paul’s mother was still the best baker I’d ever met in my life.
‘Dylan will be busy with the Airbnb guests and his family who are coming for an early Christmas before they go off skiing. My dad and his partner will be away soon on the cruise they won until after Christmas, and I couldn’t find a manager to help me.
Plus, I was pretty sick for the first part of my pregnancy.
I feel better now but it’s too late to create a winter wonderland all by myself.
’ She sucked in a breath finally after pouring that speech out lightning fast. Before I could say anything, she started up again.
‘As I told you, we’ve sold tickets already and the cottage guests were drawn to stay here for this event. So, if you don’t step in, I’ll have to refund everyone and tell the town I can’t do it. What if they then hate me and this place so it all fails and I have to sell?’
I waited a beat to make sure she had finished speaking. ‘Jesus, Willow, that’s a lot of pressure you’re putting on yourself.’ I understood, though. I’d been doing exactly the same thing with my business. ‘The deadline is really tight even if I did come and work on it full-time.’
‘And you’ve got loads of work already, I guess,’ she said despondently. She polished off her cake like she was comfort-eating.
Again, I felt empathy as I looked down and realised I’d also eaten mine too. ‘Well, I mean, not as much as I’d like,’ I began but then I wondered just why I was trying to pretend that I was a big-city success. ‘Actually, I was hoping I’d be busier at this time of the year.’
Willow’s eyes lit up. ‘You’d have time to help me then? I’d feel so much better that it’s someone I know from the town. You understand what this farm means to me and to everyone here. Who better to create the winter wonderland?’
‘I haven’t been here for ten years, though,’ I reminded her.
‘Things weren’t great for me before I left.
I’m nervous to be back,’ I blurted out. I knew that my only shot at saving my business was to do this but by the sounds of it, I’d need to plant myself in Birchbrook for the rest of November, and even into December to make sure it opened without a hitch and ran well.
I couldn’t risk it failing – then my name would really be sunk for good.
‘Oh, yeah, I remember what happened.’ Willow reached over and gave my hand a quick squeeze.
‘But it will be okay. It’s been so long, plus people are kinder here now.
I think the community really bonded together a few years ago and we are solid now.
The town went through a bit of a decline around the time my mum was ill, but things have picked up and now tourists come from all around to enjoy our cosy way of life.
I honestly think everyone still here who knows you will just be happy to see you.
There were a few bullies at our school but they are long gone. ’
It was a relief to think that some of the people who had made things hard at school weren’t around now. I was glad Birchbrook had picked itself up. It had looked especially pretty on the drive to the farm.
‘Paul sometimes gives me a hard time about my ideas,’ Willow continued, ‘and then he always ends up pitching in so don’t worry about him either.’
‘He didn’t seem happy to see me,’ I pointed out.
‘That’s just his way.’
But he hadn’t been grumpy when we’d been friends. I leaned back in my chair. ‘And I’m not sure how I’d navigate being around my mum for a few weeks. We aren’t exactly close now.’ I knew I had to tell Willow what was on my mind; I couldn’t pretend I was excited to do this.
‘Why don’t you stay here on the farm? You need to be close by so we can get it all set up and that way if you don’t want to see anyone, you don’t have to.
But I’m sure your mum will be thrilled to have you here.
Just remember – you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.
’ Her eyes misted over and I remembered my mum had told me Willow’s mum had died a few years ago.
Guilt washed over me. ‘I’m sorry, Willow. You’re right. I’m a grown-up. I need to get over what happened when I was young. I want Wynter Wishes to do well and putting on this event here sounds like the perfect way to give it a boost.’
‘I mean, your company name just lends itself to a winter wonderland, doesn’t it?’ She beamed. ‘I think we’ll make a great team. I’ve seen your work on your website; you can turn all my dreams into reality, I’m sure. I’m shocked you’re not rushed off your feet with work, to be honest.’
It was one step too far to talk about the issues with my former boss so I just smiled. ‘Well, thank you. And staying here does sound like a good idea.’
‘Can you move in now? Start tomorrow?’ She bounced in her chair excitedly.
I hesitated. I thought about the reaction in town when my dad’s affair came out.
I had been sixteen at the time. He was the headmaster at my school and he’d run off with my English teacher – who had been twenty years younger than he was.
He’d left me and my mum to be with her. It had been the talk of the town.
Our sleepy home wasn’t used to any scandal and the gossip mill had been relentless, especially at school.
Kids had been mean. I had clung to Paul but still it had wounded me.
And my mum just told me to ignore it all.
She refused to criticise my dad. She still loved him and thought he’d come home after he realised what a fool he was being.
I blamed her for everything. We rowed all the time.
And it had damaged our relationship forever.
Dad had never come home. He’d married his girlfriend and then we found out she was pregnant. I hadn’t spoken to him since. Mum told me I should, which again caused us to row. I still didn’t understand why she wasn’t angry with him like I’d been. Still was.
But that was ten years ago. I hoped the shadow he’d left was gone now.
And if I just worked hard on the farm, I could make sure I could return to my city life and not worry about losing it all.
A difficult short-term plan for long-term gain.
So I nodded. ‘Yes,’ I told Willow. ‘I can start tomorrow. I’ll pack some things and come back tomorrow as early as possible.
We’ll put on a winter wonderland that everyone will be clamouring to come to. ’
‘I knew you were the right person to call!’
I really hoped that would prove to be true.