Chapter 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.’
I found my voice at last. ‘I didn’t know he’d done that.’ Paul had cared that much, he’d found a way to avoid the school canteen where the kids were being mean about my dad.
‘He still bakes my favourite cupcakes,’ Mr Adams said with a fond look. ‘I bet he’s thrilled you’re back. Thick as thieves, you two.’
‘They really were.’ My mum appeared seemingly out of nowhere. She looked at Mr Adams. ‘I hadn’t realised how badly she had needed a good friend at that time.’
‘Oh yes.’ Mr Adams sighed. ‘The acting head back then was, if you’ll excuse me for being blunt, not very good at his job.
We have a zero tolerance policy on bullying now.
Not only kids but staff too. Some of them were gossiping just as much back then.
’ He shook his head. ‘I’m sorry about all of it, Holly. ’
‘Thank… thank you,’ I stuttered, surprised by his honesty and sincerity.
‘I was shocked to hear about it and wished I’d known. It wouldn’t happen nowadays in Birchbrook, I’m sure,’ my mum said.
‘I would hope not,’ Mr Adams agreed with a firm nod. ‘It’s good to have you back in our town, Holly,’ he added kindly.
‘Thank you,’ I forced out, my mind still whirring.
‘We’re being called in,’ Mum said then, gesturing to where Female Pat was waving to us through the café window. She took my arm and steered me with her to the door. ‘I wanted to come in case you needed moral support.’
‘It helps you being here,’ I told her. A bit of the tension in my shoulders slipped out.
It was nice to have someone apologise for the past and acknowledge it had been a tough time; I hadn’t imagined it.
And things did feel different in town now.
I understood more why my mum and Paul, and Willow too, had stuck around.
‘Holly Wynter!’ A woman who looked my age stood in front of me. ‘I heard you were back!’ She pulled me in for a hug before I could react. ‘How has it been ten years?’
‘Sorry about Becky,’ Paul said as he cut through the crowd to join us. When the woman finally let me go, I lifted my eyes to meet his. He looked back at me warmly. ‘She’s forgotten she ignored us when we were at school.’
‘Not true!’
‘It is,’ a man next to her said with a grin. ‘You ignored me too! The popular kids, am I right?’ He threw his hand out at me. ‘We had English together. Sean. This is my wife, Becky. She was best friends with Samantha Wright.’
I involuntarily shuddered hearing that name. She had been the ring leader of the teasing and taunting, revelling in my family’s scandal at every opportunity she could grasp.
‘Don’t hold that against me, please,’ Becky cried. ‘I was young and she was scary! I went along with what she wanted too much, I know, but look, I opened my eyes, didn’t I? I married you,’ she said to her husband. ‘And I’m a good customer too,’ she said to Paul with a grin. ‘Right?’
Paul shook his head. ‘Yeah, you buy too many coffees each day for sure.’
As they bantered, I thought back and remembered that Becky was the quiet one in the popular group.
She didn’t join in with what they said about my dad but didn’t say anything to disagree either.
Sean was nice to me back then, a loner who wasn’t really in any group.
It was kind of shocking to see them together.
Maybe they had both changed a lot since then.
‘Tell your mum I’ll see her at Bridge tomorrow,’ my mum said as she carried on walking to greet Female Pat.
My mum was friends with Becky’s mum? I felt a bit like I was in The Twilight Zone but it showed how different Birchbrook was now.
‘I really am sorry for everything that happened back then,’ Becky said in a quieter voice, looking at me sincerely.
‘Honestly, we were all so sheltered in this town, we thought it was all so shocking. Nowadays, I don’t think anything shocks me!
I really do wish I’d been more mature and stood up to Samantha.
I’m just so glad you had this great guy here.
’ She touched Paul’s arm and I told myself not to feel jealous; she was married, for God’s sake.
‘What, this grumpy sod?’ Sean teased. ‘He’s all right after a pint or two but I don’t know how you face him in the morning. I heard he wakes up part-dragon.’
‘All bark and no bite,’ Becky said merrily.
‘All right, everyone having a joke at my expense. I know I can be grumpy but is it any wonder with you all trying to push my buttons constantly? Come on, Hols, Mum has found something she’s desperate to show us both.
’ Paul shook his head at his friends and, like it was completely natural, took my hand in his so he could weave us through the people in the café towards the Christmas tree where his mum stood chatting with mine.
Everyone greeted Paul like he was part of their family and he either introduced me or just encouraged them to enjoy themselves.
There were faces I recognised but also a lot that I didn’t.
The town that I had assumed had been stuck in a time warp since I left was a very different place after all.
‘Is this your doing?’ Daisy asked, stepping in front of us so we paused before we made it to our mums. Paul let go of my hand and I missed his reassuring contact.
Daisy had her arm around a handsome man who I assumed was her husband Blake.
Both had glasses of mulled wine in their hands.
Her eyes twinkled as she spoke to me, a warm smile on her lips.
‘What did I do?’ I asked, instantly worried.
Daisy gestured to Paul. ‘Paul’s makeover. The whole town is talking about it!’
‘Oh,’ I said with a laugh. ‘I know, he shocked me when I saw him without his beard.’
‘What?’ Willow came over with Sabrina and stared in shock and horror at Paul. ‘But I was going to ask you to be Santa at the winter wonderland!’ she cried.
‘Why?’ Paul cried in equal shock and horror.
‘I suddenly thought – who do we know with the perfect Santa beard? And now look what you’ve done!’
‘You told me to do it,’ Paul groaned.
‘This is your fault,’ Willow said to me.
‘I’d be the worst Santa ever anyway plus I’m too young and already run off my feet manning the café van for you,’ Paul told her.
‘That’s true.’ She stared at him then smiled. ‘You do look a lot better. And younger! Definitely not my Santa now.’
‘I never was,’ Paul muttered, giving me an amused look. I giggled a bit; I couldn’t picture it either.
‘We’ve tried for years to spruce him up and get him to be… well, less Paul-like…’ Sabrina said, gesturing to me. ‘This is definitely down to you.’
Paul rolled his eyes. ‘You wonder why I’m Paul-like surrounded by you busybodies.’ But he was smiling too, taking their teasing well.
‘The things a man will do for a good woman,’ Willow joined in.
I felt my face flush. I glanced at him and he also looked slightly flustered. It was a good job they had no idea what we’d done in here yesterday. ‘Maybe he has a secret girlfriend none of you know about,’ I said with a shrug.
‘Yeah, maybe I do,’ Paul replied.
They stared at him. ‘You can’t not tell us!’ Willow cried. ‘You said no to every one of our attempts to set you up for like… two years.’
‘We would know her too,’ Sabrina pointed out.
‘He could have used a dating app,’ Daisy’s husband suggested.
‘You knew and didn’t tell me?!’ Daisy accused him.
‘Guys, as much as I love providing you with gossip about my love life, I need to talk to my mum. Maybe stay off the mulled wine, all of you. Willow, you haven’t even had any so no excuse for your behaviour.
’ Paul shook his head and expertly moved around them towards our mums by the sparkly tree. I quickly followed.
‘We only want you to be happy!’ Willow called after us.
‘Sorry, they are just too much,’ Paul muttered into my ear.
‘They remind me of my best friend in the city – Georgia,’ I said, thinking about our FaceTime chat earlier. ‘It’s nice they care about you.’
Paul glanced at me. ‘Yeah, I hadn’t really thought of it like that before.’ He touched his mum on the arm so she stopped talking to my mine. ‘I found Holly as instructed. What’s up?’
‘I was looking for one of my mum’s recipes and I found this tucked in the back of a drawer…
’ Female Pat handed me the Polaroid picture.
Paul leaned over my shoulder to see it as well.
I could smell that woody scent of his that had been all over me yesterday.
I wondered if my perfume was bringing back the same memories for him.
I tried to focus on the photo instead of how close he was; the picture was of Paul and me in front of this very Christmas tree in this café when we were both sixteen, two years before I left Birchbrook.
Paul had his arm slung over my shoulders, pulling me in tight and making me giggle as we both turned on cheesy grins for the cameras.
The Polaroid was vintage in the best way.
I remembered how much I’d loved that day of decorating with him, his parents making us treats and playing Christmas music, laughter ringing out all day.
I had loved him putting his arm around me for the photo, a rare moment when we could be close and affectionate and not get shy or self-conscious.
I had written in my diary that night in my bedroom something like…
I wish he would see me as more than just his best friend
‘You should take one now in the same place,’ my mum said as Paul chuckled softly next to me.
‘Great idea,’ Female Pat said. ‘I’ll use my phone and send it you all. Come on, you two, let’s mark your first Christmas tree decorating together in ten years.’
It was silly but her simple sentence brought a lump to my throat.
Lost in years gone by, I moved on autopilot in front of the tree.
Female Pat stood in front of us as she had done back then and snapped the photo.
Paul slung an arm around me and I wrapped one around his waist, clinging on tightly as we smiled for the camera, feeling this wave of desperation of not wanting to let this go.
That was a feeling that had made me run before.
‘Don’t freak out,’ Paul whispered to me as his mum said she would take a couple more.
He held me steady. Somehow, he knew I was spiralling.
When she’d finished, Paul gave me a final squeeze then he dropped his hand.
‘It’ll be okay,’ he said as our mums looked at the photos.
‘I would never hurt you.’ He looked at me with such tenderness then, his eyes shining against the glow of the fairy lights.
We were surrounded by people but it all faded at the edges like the Polaroid picture we’d just seen.
I looked into his eyes and wished I could trust that he wouldn’t leave or hurt me like my dad had done.
Before I could gather my thoughts though, Willow walked over to us with the reporter who had come by the farm – Karl. ‘Holly, can we talk? Maybe out the back? Is that okay, Paul?’
‘Sure,’ he said, glancing at me in surprise.
Willow and Karl looked very serious. I wasn’t sure why but dread settled in my stomach. ‘What’s up?’ I asked, hoping Karl wasn’t about to criticise our winter wonderland in tomorrow’s article.
‘Let’s talk out the back,’ Willow repeated. She wasn’t meeting my eyes, which was most unlike her.
‘Here, I’ll show you,’ Paul said, leading them through the café and through the door to where they had an office, stock room and kitchen. I followed them, feeling uneasy.