Page 76 of Christmas at Hollybush Farm
Llew looks between me and Owen. Just for a moment I say nothing, then: ‘Owen and Evie are an item. They got together over knitted dog scarves and leads!’
‘We’ve found your dad!’ says Owen, with a smile.
‘Is he okay?’
‘More than okay, I’d say!’ He points.
I look at Llew. ‘I’ll be back. I need to see Dad.’
‘Go!’ he instructs.
And with that there is a loudparpon a horn, followed by others. And there, rolling into the cattle market, is the first of many brightly coloured tractors.
‘Parp!’ the front one sounds again, an old Massey Ferguson, and there driving it is Myfanwy, Dad at her side, his arm around her, waving and smiling with a Christmas hat on and delivering a little Christmas kiss to her cheek. Happy tears spring to my eyes.
‘There’s always hope,’ I say, and turn my face up to the snowflakes, wondering if Gramps is looking down.
I hold up my phone and film the tractors coming into the market, one after another, all lit up and playing Christmas music. The people in the market are clapping as they rattle buckets of coins, ringing in their arrival. As I’m filming, my mother messages me from Australia. It’s her standard Christmas greeting.Hope you get what you want for Christmas. Happy Christmas, Love Mum x
I reply, wishing her a happy Christmas and sending her a clip of the tractor rally, knowing it would beanathema to her. She’s happy sitting on the beach in Australia with her new husband and other family. It’s fine. I’m glad she found her happy place. I’m happy being back in mine.
‘Hope is exactly what I wanted …’ I gaze at Llew, who smiles at me, making it impossible for me to ignore how he makes me feel and hoping he feels the same. After all, he’s here, isn’t he? Llew Griffiths is here, on his own, wanting shepherd’s pie and wearing an apron in the back of an old cattle lorry. A far cry from the smartly dressed country-gent outfit he arrived in.
He serves the next customer. My insides light up and settle into place: they are now exactly where they should be. I join him behind the table to serve shepherd’s pie while he dishes out curry and flatbreads.
The music is blaring out from the speakers and the tractors are all parked, adding extra light and excitement as the snow falls even heavier. Owen arrives in the back of the lorry but this time his face is not so cheery. ‘Jem, one of the boys on the tractors says there’s dog-walkers with dogs off the lead, heading towards your land. Thought you should know.’
‘Oh, no! Not again! I suppose she thinks we’re all here so she can let her dogs off the leads to worry the sheep. It’s not on!’ I slam down my spatula and run down the ramp. ‘We’ll have to close up if I’m to get back up there.’
‘Don’t worry, I can go,’ says Owen. ‘My truck’s outfront. One of the tractor boys can take over on the sausages. I’ll make sure those people know to put their dogs on leads around the flock. Don’t worry.’
‘Are you sure?’ I ask.
‘Sure I’m sure.’ He looks between me and Llew and smiles. ‘Just save me some dinner before you run out.’
‘Okay.’ I smile back. ‘Will do!’
He disappears down the ramp, kissing Evie, and Jess jumps into the passenger seat of his truck beside him.
I watch him leave and look over to where Mae is standing outside her horsebox. Another familiar figure is there. ‘Evie, what’s going on?’ I call, gesturing to Mae, who is talking with the young man, Josh, from Coffi Poeth. ‘What’s he doing here? And on Christmas Eve?’
Evie comes to stand next to me. ‘Looks like …’ She pauses to lip-read. ‘… He’s offering her a job.’
‘What?’
‘She can’t believe it,’ Evie interprets.
‘What kind of job?’ I say impatiently.
‘“If you want it,” he’s saying.’
‘But whatkindof job?’ I ask again.
‘Manager of the café … and she gets to choose her own menu,’ says Evie.
‘Yes!’
I see the chain’s manager nodding. I look at Mae’s face.
