Page 67 of Christmas at Hollybush Farm
Everyone pulls off their coats and their cheeks glow in the light from the fire blazing in the little hearth. Even Dolly the Jack Russell perks up at company. She jumps onto Myfanwy’s lap and settles in for a cuddle.
I see Dad and Myfanwy share a smile. ‘Good to see you here again,’ he says quietly.
‘Good to be here, Edwin.’
The boys sit on the floor and play with Dewi and a leaf he’s chasing, filling the room with fun and laughter.
I go to the kitchen, open the whisky and pour it into glasses, with a bowl of ice on a tray and a little jug of water, then take it into the living room. ‘I’m just heating some curry. Would you like some?’
‘Yes, please,’ they all say.
‘With jacket potatoes!’ says Owen.
‘Do you want to bring Jess in?’ I ask Owen.
‘She won’t come. She’s happy in the truck or in the field. She’ll be watching the ewes.’
‘Would you boys like milk to drink?’ I ask.
‘Please!’ they say.
‘Perfect.’ I trot into the kitchen to put the potatoes into the range to warm.
Just as I’m back from handing out two glasses of milk and starting to set the table, there’s another knock at the door. I can’t think who would have come up here in this vile weather, and hope it isn’t someoneto tell me that Bertie and Harriet have broken down the fence and are out running wild again.
I pull back the door and stare. ‘It’s you!’ I finally say.
‘Yes, me.’ His nose is red from the cold and his hands are shoved into his pockets.
‘I thought you’d gone back to Cardiff.’
‘Er … so did I. I was out, driving, and found myself heading this way.’
‘I see. Look, if it’s about the contract …’
He holds up his hands. ‘I told you, I won’t ask. I’m not here because of that. I just couldn’t stay away.’ He looks over my shoulder into the kitchen. ‘I just wanted to tell you that what you did at the cattle market was great.’
I tilt my head to one side. ‘Thank you.’
‘I heard you got closed down there,’ he says, moving from one foot to the other, clearly cold.
‘We did. How did you know?’
‘Social media, of course!’ He smiles, making my insides zip and twist and twirl.
‘Been checking out my feed, have you?’
‘I have. I heard what happened.’
‘It was sad, but kind of inevitable. It wasn’t our land. We just went with it for as long as we could.’ I remember the woman who came to thank me. ‘But I think we did some good while we were there. I heard they’ve got a buyer interested.’ I look hard at him. ‘It’s not you, is it?!’
He shakes his head. ‘Although now you mention it …’
We laugh.
‘You could take it on,’ he says. ‘Raise the money to lease it. That’s what I really came to say.’
‘I need to get another job. Getting fired wasn’t the best Christmas present to give myself. And losing my biggest promotion to date to my ex was not in the game plan.’
