Epilogue
ONE YEAR LATER
‘Welcome to the second annual Hollybrae Castle slinky races!’ Rory explains the rules to our gathered guests, but neither Ollie nor I have a slinky in the game this year.
We’ve been so busy that we’ve delegated the organising of the slinky races to Rory and Maisie, but it’s the good kind of busy.
The kind where you’re absolutely knackered at the end of every day, but in a happy and satisfied way that always leaves time for cuddling up in front of the TV before bedtime.
Dand and Orla, Halston and Michelle, and Clint and Gisela are all here again over Christmas, but as paying guests this time.
My parents and Mira, Brian, and Rocco have all come up again too, to spend the festive season with us and help to host our first ‘ultimate Christmas experience’, although they were lucky to get two rooms this year because we’re fully booked with guests.
Maisie and Rory are here with their real parents, although they’re all staying with Nancy and Hamish because the castle doesn’t have enough rooms to accommodate the demand, especially at this time of year.
Halston and Dand spread the word about how much they enjoyed their stay last December, and it feels like Christmas hasn’t ended after we ran a Christmas in July event that was fully booked.
There have been retreats for booklovers, corporate team-building weekends, and people here for the Kintyre walks who just want a gorgeous place to stay, and even better, there are a few weddings booked for next year.
On the side, I’ve been freelancing as a visual merchandiser for shops in Campbeltown and beyond, and each one has been unique and creative, and Ollie’s been making the most of not having to stare at a screen all day by getting hands-on with castle repairs and improvements.
He and I are standing in a corner of the entrance hall, watching the racers prepare their slinkys. His arms are around me from behind and his chin is resting on my head, and while everyone’s distracted, he starts manoeuvring us towards the door. ‘Come outside for a minute.’
‘It’s raining!’
‘This is the Mull of Kintyre, it’s always raining!
’ His voice is an irresistible whisper in my ear that could make anything seem like a good idea.
‘While the guests are busy, I want a moment alone with my wife on Christmas Day, and we’ve got about twelve seconds before we need to go and help Nancy and your mum with dinner prep. ’
Once we’ve slipped outside without being noticed, the rain doesn’t deter him from walking down the driveway and his hand is clamped around mine to make sure I don’t get any ideas about staying under the shelter of the porch.
When we reach the fountain, he stops and pulls me into a hug, rocking us gently back and forth. ‘If I could pinpoint it, watching your uninhibited giddiness when you saw this fountain was probably the moment I started falling in love with you…’
He pulls back and my breath catches because I suddenly realise what he’s going to do, seconds before he drops down to one knee and pulls a box out of his pocket.
‘And I’ve fallen more and more every single day since then. You’ve made me fall in love – not just with you, but with life again. We might’ve been pretend-married for a while now, but that’s not enough.’
I meet his eyes and he grins up at me. ‘Lula Haines, will you do me the honour of becoming my very real wife?’
I’ve never imagined anyone proposing to me, but if I’d ever pictured a perfect proposal, this would be it.
It’s a real ‘pinch me’ moment. Christmas Day, in the rain, in this beautiful place, and this beautiful man who really does make every day better simply because he exists. ‘Of course I will, you soaking wet idiot!’
His smile is bright enough to dry up the rain instantly, and he slides a simple platinum band with shining diamonds set into it onto my finger and gets to his feet to kiss me.
‘Do you know how many bookings we have coming up next year?’ I ask when we pull apart. ‘How are we ever going to find time to plan a wedding too?’
‘We will. Every single day of this past year, you’ve proved we can do anything together, and I don’t intend to stop believing that now.
’ He lifts me up in his arms and twirls us around until we’re both laughing and I’m as dizzy as I was on the first day I splashed my hands through the fountain in the driveway.
Rain patters down on us both, but neither of us care. You can’t live on the Mull of Kintyre without embracing the rain, and with Ollie’s arms around me, like Paul McCartney sang in a song from the 1970s, my desire is to be here, always.
I brush Ollie’s wet hair back and kiss him again, and I feel like the luckiest person in the world.
From the castle glittering behind us to a very real fake husband, this has been the happiest year of my life, certain to be followed by many, many more Christmases in this magical place, with a man who has made me feel like I’m home since the moment I met him.
And between us, we’re going to make sure that many more people will get to enjoy time here for years to come, and that makes it feel like Christmas all year round.