Chapter 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.’
‘I thought so too but he denied it when I phoned him. What has he been saying?’
‘I didn’t hear it all but I heard him say they should avoid hiring you.’
‘Oh my God,’ I breathed. I had guessed he was behind my business stalling but now I had proof. ‘Thank you for telling me. I’m working away from the city right now. I have no idea what I’ll do but he can’t keep getting away with this.’
‘You did nothing wrong. It wasn’t in your contract that you couldn’t leave to go out on your own. He’s just being petty.’
I knew there was a personal element to it as well but I didn’t say anything to her.
It seemed like he was getting revenge for me turning him down when he tried to kiss me although at the time, he said I’d got it all wrong.
I couldn’t believe I’d ever respected him.
It was another man in my life who had let me down.
‘Shit. I knew he was doing this but having it confirmed makes me feel stupid for ever thinking he had my back.’
‘I’m so sorry. I’m looking for a new job because if he can do this to you then I can’t trust him either.’
‘If I had enough business, I’d offer you a job but he’s made sure I haven’t.’
‘I really hope you can turn things around. Good luck, Holly.’
‘You too.’
I hung up, my pulse racing at what a weasel Grant was being.
It was so unfair and I was determined to prove him wrong and make my company a success.
If I could create this winter wonderland, I might just have a shot as long as he didn’t get wind of things and try to stop me.
I really hoped being in Birchbrook would keep me off his radar for the next few weeks.
I furiously typed a message to Georgia to tell her we had been right about Grant all along.
Quite what I should do about the man himself, I wasn’t sure yet.
I didn’t want to rush into anything but I had to stop him somehow.
Until I came up with a plan, I needed to put my heart and soul into Birch Tree Farm.
I heard a car coming down the driveway then so I pushed all thoughts of revenge to the side and focused on getting the tunnels lit up.
It was a hectic few hours as I worked with the men Willow had hired to put up the lights.
I climbed up ladders or held them straight, and got out a tape measure to ensure they all looked uniform.
I ignored the eye-rolling the young guys gave me for doing that.
I wanted it to be perfect. When I checked the time, I realised I was running late to meet my mum so I told everyone to take an hour’s break and drove over to the café, having arranged for us to finish the lights when I returned.
It was looking good so far, though. I knew people would find it magical to walk through the canopy of lights.
Things were slowly but surely taking shape.
* * *
My mum was already in the café, sat at the table she’d always preferred, nursing a cup of tea.
Unlike me, she didn’t drink coffee. There was no sign of Paul, but his dad gave me a warm smile when I walked in and said he’d bring me over a latte.
‘We haven’t got the Christmas menu up yet but do you want a festive one?
’ Male Pat had asked me in a low voice that only I could hear.
I had given him an enthusiastic yes and also ordered a grilled cheese sandwich, starving after working all morning.
Then I took a breath and sat down opposite my mum. ‘Hi, Mum. Not eating anything?’
My mum looked up and smiled. She had similar blonde hair to me although hers was now streaked with grey but other than that feature, we didn’t look alike.
I had inherited my height from my dad; Mum was petite and curvy with dark eyes.
She wore layers of homemade jewellery. She was into crafts, and was creative and quiet.
‘I had a big breakfast. You should eat something, though; you’re so slim. ’
‘I’ve ordered a sandwich. You know me, it all goes into my legs,’ I replied, trying lamely to use the joke we always had when I was growing up and ate voraciously but kept my willowy figure. I was softer now but I was lucky and still was slim.
‘How are things at the farm?’
‘Good. Busy – there is so much to do if we have any hope of opening by December but I think it’s coming together.
Willow hasn’t changed a bit since school.
Nothing really has here,’ I said, glancing around at the café, enjoying the comfort of the place again.
There really was nowhere like this in the city.
‘I suppose it must seem terribly boring to you now,’ Mum said, sipping her tea.
‘I didn’t say that,’ I said with a sigh that she was misunderstanding me again.
‘Here we are.’ Male Pat came over with a delicious-looking drink and a mouth-watering sandwich, oozing with cheese. ‘I can’t wait until the last weekend of the month when we have our fully festive menu and decorate the café. Paul mentioned you might help out with that.’
‘I thought it might be nostalgic to help,’ I said with a nod. ‘We always used to do it together.’
‘I thought you didn’t like Christmas now,’ Mum said, looking across at me accusingly.
‘Well, I better get on,’ Male Pat said, quickly retreating as I looked at my mum in surprise.
‘Christmas wasn’t the same when Dad left us, no,’ I replied. ‘I just remembered enjoying helping Paul put the café tree up when I was in here the other day and thought it might be fun to do it again for old times’ sake.’
‘You haven’t offered to help me decorate the cottage,’ she replied.
‘You stopped decorating after Dad left! We didn’t put up the tree when he moved away and the next year, we did nothing. I haven’t been home since but I assume you haven’t decorated.’
‘What’s the point on my own?’ she said sulkily. ‘I just don’t understand how you can be putting up a winter wonderland on the farm and helping decorate the café when you never come home for Christmas or decorate that apartment of yours in the city.’
I took a sip of my coffee and a bite of my sandwich in case I snapped too much at her in my response. Both were so tasty, I had to hold back a moan. ‘The winter wonderland is my job, Mum. Running my own business hasn’t been easy at all.’
‘You could have asked me for advice; I’ve run my own business since you were little.’
Mum sold the jewellery she made online. I hadn’t told her the trouble I’d been having thanks to Grant. We didn’t really share things with each other. ‘They are very different businesses.’
‘Why don’t you come to the cottage and help me decorate this year?’
My body stiffened. ‘You hate Christmas.’
‘No! I just… it was hard when your father left but maybe we should put that behind us.’
‘How can we? It ruined us,’ I said unhappily.
Mum didn’t know I’d had a hard time at school when my dad left.
She hadn’t wanted to talk about him and I’d been angry at her, thinking it was something she had done to make him go.
So, I’d kept all my hurt inside. Now I was older, I knew it couldn’t have been black and white like that but it felt like it was too late to talk to her.
She sat in silence for a moment then finished her tea. ‘I wish you would forgive me,’ she said, so quiet, I almost didn’t hear her.
I was shocked. She’d never acted like she cared how fractured our relationship was. ‘I wish you would be honest with me about that time.’ She had pretended nothing was wrong but that had meant we treaded on eggshells around each other.
We stared at one another.
I thought she might open up but then she shook her head.
‘We shouldn’t go over the past. What matters is now.
It’s nice to have you back in Birchbrook.
I’ll let you get on, as you’re so busy.’ She got up and hurried out of the door, leaving me stumped as to how two people from the same family could be on such different pages.