Chapter 17
17
IVY
‘All packed up?’ Ross asked as Ivy finished helping Grizzle gather up his sleeping bag before bundling it into its sack. She felt shivers slip down her spine as he drew closer. Ross had already disappeared from the tent when she’d woken, and she’d lain staring at the canvas ceiling, knowing their kiss had changed everything. At least for her.
She’d come to reunite Ross with his family, but did their growing attraction mean she should tell him more about the job Miriam had promised in return and what she had to do to get his grandmother’s recommendation? Ivy considered, wondering if the news would muddy the waters. She didn’t want Ross suspecting her motives – he’d obviously been hurt by his family and she didn’t want to hurt him anymore.
‘We’re ready to go, lad,’ Grizzle said suddenly, picking up the bag before Ross could grab it, and limping towards the red tractor and sleigh Ross had borrowed from Connell.
‘Careful,’ Ross warned, just before the older man tripped over a snowy boulder on the ground he clearly hadn’t seen.
‘I’m fine, lad!’ Grizzle snapped, just missing another rock as Bowser chased up to clamber at his heels. He stumbled forwards again and dropped the sack onto the ground. ‘Are we going to leave soon? Kenzy and Logan went hours ago.’ The older man turned to frown at the space where the couple had been camping. They’d both left early because they had to get to work and had taken Moose and Snowball ahead to the resort, so there would be plenty of room in the sleigh once the baggage had been packed.
‘We can go now,’ Ross said, sounding irritated as he walked up to throw Grizzle’s sleeping bag, the tent and a couple of bags into the sleigh. ‘Why don’t you climb in?’
‘I still don’t know why I can’t walk,’ the older man complained as he signalled to Ivy to get in first.
‘I told you, I’m not sure Bowser slept too well,’ Ivy said, repeating the excuse she’d used to convince him to travel with them earlier. He’d taken a while to agree, but she suspected it was more about bravado than any genuine desire to get home on foot. There was a slither of space on one of the squashy red seats beside the equipment Ross had just thrown in and Ivy eased into it, beaming as she took in the tinsel and baubles that had been used to decorate the edges and sides. ‘This is wonderful,’ she said as Bowser and Grizzle clambered in too.
‘Connell uses the sleigh to give rides to the resort guests,’ Ross explained, shutting the door and holding her eyes, making everything inside her stomach unfurl like a flower blooming. Oblivious, he strode to the tractor and got on.
‘Aye, you don’t need to hold on, it moves slower than a tortoise in first gear,’ Grizzle grumbled. ‘Is there any food?’ he shouted to Ross as Bowser sniffed one of the bags.
‘Sorry, we ate everything at breakfast – but Bonnibell might have something for you when we get to the resort,’ Ross promised.
Grizzle made a huffing sound and slumped in the seat, twisting so he could gaze out of the sleigh – although Ivy had no idea what he could actually see. She turned too so she could watch the landscape as Ross started up the tractor. They began to glide, sliding past fields of white which rolled downwards until they reached the horizon, probably continuing miles beyond that. Hedgerows layered in downy blankets of ice created a criss-cross pattern as far as the eye could see. Ivy could hardly contain her squeak of pleasure.
In the distance, her attention was drawn to a large, forested area and she wondered if the resort staff hung fairy lights on the trees inside, and if reindeer and donkeys roamed under the thick canopy ready to delight visitors. She smiled – this place really was magical. No wonder Ross didn’t want to leave.
‘There’s a Pinus sylvestris ,’ she mumbled, pointing to the group of trees they were about to pass.
‘Aye,’ Grizzle said, sounding impressed. ‘It’s also known as a Scots Pine, lass – that’s the national tree of Scotland. There’s a couple of Betula pendula dotted in there too.’
‘The Silver Birch.’ Ivy turned to look at him and smiled. ‘That was my dad’s favourite tree.’ Her mind flooded with multiple memories of him. This time, instead of ignoring them, she let herself remember, feeling an ache in her heart when she thought about how much she’d loved working alongside him – how much it had meant to her to follow the same path. She remembered her conversation with Ross the evening before when he’d questioned if she was doing the right thing by giving it up…
She shook her head; she wasn’t going to let herself get distracted. Dad was gone, but her mum was still here and she had to protect her – family mattered, and Faith was all she had. Ivy fell silent and gazed at the landscape as they continued the journey, feeling more subdued.
Twenty minutes later, they slid into the small car park in front of Christmas Lodge. Bonnibell opened the front door as soon as Ross switched off the engine and he battled with Moose and Snowball who’d sprinted up to greet him, whining and barking, desperate for some fuss.
‘Did you join the sleepover too?’ Bonnibell asked Grizzle, looking confused. She shuffled in the pockets of her swirly velvet skirt and drew out some biscuits for Bowser as he bounced over, greeting her like an old friend. ‘I’ll expect you’re all hungry,’ she observed. ‘Do you want to come inside?’
‘I want to get back to my own place,’ Grizzle griped. ‘The lass promised to decorate it for me. Are you going to drive us all in your car, lad?’ He eyed a Land Rover which was parked at the other side of the lodge.
Bonnibell raised an eyebrow. ‘Why don’t you come in while Ross finishes unpacking the sleigh first?’ she suggested. ‘I’m sure it won’t take long and I’ll grab some food for you while you wait.’ She cocked her head as she regarded the older man. ‘Unless you’d rather stand in the snow?’
‘I suppose not,’ Grizzle said, scowling at Ross. ‘Don’t be long, lad,’ he demanded.
Grizzle didn’t comment as they walked through the festive hallway – although he did stop to sniff one of the Christmas trees. Ivy slid out a stool for him at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, wondering if the older man would see it from where he stood. He looked out of place and uncomfortable and she wondered if he’d been inside the lodge before – if what Ross had said about him keeping himself to himself was true.
‘Do you want some hot chocolate?’ Bonnibell asked, kneeling to take a tray of freshly cooked mince pies from the Aga.
Grizzle sniffed the air, and squinted at her, before he seemed to deflate. ‘Aye,’ he said, his voice reluctant, and he didn’t move from where he was standing.
‘Why don’t you borrow my reading glasses?’ Bonnibell offered, picking up a pair of sparkly red spectacles from the counter and walking to Grizzle so she could place them in his hand. After a moment’s hesitation he slid them on and Ivy had to suppress a giggle because he looked so cute.
‘I’ve pulled out a stool for you,’ she told him, and he nodded and went to climb on, taking a moment to drink in his surroundings. He didn’t say a word as he picked up the steaming mug Bonnibell had just placed in front of him, alongside a hot mince pie.
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve had the pleasure of your company,’ Bonnibell said lightly as she took a tin from one of the cupboards and filled it with mince pies and cinnamon buns. Then she grabbed a container from the fridge and slid everything into a canvas bag. ‘I’ve put some of my speciality casserole in a dish, along with some treats.’
‘There’s no need for that lass, I can feed myself,’ Grizzle mumbled.
‘I had leftovers,’ Bonnibell said briskly. ‘You may as well humour me because I’m going to insist.’
Grizzle grunted. ‘Fine, it’ll be better than anything I’ve eaten recently.’ He looked unnerved as he sipped the drink and continued to peruse the room. Ivy noticed he didn’t complain when Bonnibell put a second mince pie on his plate.
She watched as the older woman grabbed a small bag from under the counter and plucked a handful of mistletoe sprigs from a pile on the kitchen table before placing them inside. She handed the bag to Ivy.
‘Connell cut these fresh this morning to hang in the cabins.’ Her bulbous cheeks glowed. ‘If you and Ross are decorating today, they might come in handy.’ Bonnibell gave Ivy a theatrical wink.
It made her stomach swirl. She was about to tell her not to bother when a woman’s voice rang out and she shoved the bag into the pocket of her snowsuit.
‘I’m here to get things ready for the knitting club!’
When Ivy turned, she saw a petite woman of about seventy with silver-grey hair. She was attractive and wore fitted grey trousers and a pink cardigan with tiny sparkles that had been sewn on. She drew to a sudden halt halfway to the breakfast bar when she spotted Grizzle and her expression sharpened.
‘It’s you!’ she gasped.
The older man squinted at her and his cheeks paled. ‘No one said you’d be here,’ he said, grumpily. He gulped down the rest of his hot chocolate and grabbed another mince pie before climbing from his seat. ‘I need to go,’ Grizzle said sternly, pulling off the spectacles as if he couldn’t bear to see.
‘You leaving is no surprise,’ said the woman who had to be Mairi, shuffling closer and narrowing her grey eyes. ‘It’s been a long time, McGregor. You look old.’
Grizzle sniffed. ‘If I could see you better, I’m sure I’d say the same.’
His response elicited the tiniest hint of a smile in her. ‘Aye. Last time I saw you properly you were leaving my da’s house after telling him you never wanted to see me again.’ Her expression was blank so Ivy had no clue if she was angry or hurt by the memory. ‘Although you failed to explain why.’
‘It’s been so long I hardly remember.’ Grizzle moved past her as Bowser trotted over to sniff the woman’s tights. Mairi stayed perfectly still and Ivy waited for the dog to bark. Instead he let out a low whine and nuzzled her knees.
‘Come here, you eejit dog,’ Grizzle grumbled.
‘You’re just as sunny as ever I see,’ Mairi sang in her thick Scottish lilt. ‘Then again, your bonnie disposition was one of the things I most enjoyed about your company.’
‘I’d say it takes a grouch to know one – word is you’re not exactly a sparkling wit yourself,’ Grizzle snapped back.
Mairi’s cheeks pinked. ‘So you’ve been keeping up with me?’ She sounded pleased.
Grizzle spluttered. ‘I’ve not thought about you in over forty years, lass.’ His face was flushed and his eyes had brightened – if Ivy had to guess she’d have said he was enjoying the spat. He started to leave, then turned just before he reached the door. ‘And I’ll not be needing your charity anymore. Please keep your casseroles and pies to yourself from now on.’ With that he turned and stormed from the room.
‘What pies?’ Mairi asked, looking at Bonnibell and then Ivy. ‘If I was cooking for the man he wouldn’t be as thin as that.’ She shook her head.
‘I’ve no idea, hen,’ Bonnibell said, innocently. ‘I believe Ross has been making his meals.’ She raised an eyebrow at Ivy.
‘Ross Ballentine?’ Mairi pulled a horrified face. ‘But the lad can’t cook at all.’ She turned back to stare towards the exit as the front door slammed. ‘He might be an old crabbit, but that really won’t do at all,’ she said.
Ivy glanced at the two women before grabbing the bags Bonnibell had prepared. ‘I’d better be going,’ she said. Hopefully Ross would be ready to leave by now. She had a feeling things were already stirred up enough – and didn’t want to get caught in the middle of any more angst.
As Ivy walked through the hallway, she put her hand in her pocket and felt the bag of mistletoe. What would Ross make of it – and if they found themselves alone, would they kiss again?
Ivy stroked the bag as she trotted out of the lodge onto the decking. It would be a terrible idea – but she couldn’t help wishing they would.