Page 13 of The Mistletoe Wish

“I’m sure we can fill any order at the moment.” Smiling, Tessa spread her hands wide to encompass the packed shop. “By the way, are you still okay to pick up that package for me next week?”

“I haven’t forgotten. As soon as my shift at the hospital finishes, I’ll be all over it.”

“Thanks, Sara.”

“What’s this all about?” Ms. Lette pinned her piercing stare on her granddaughter-in-law.

“Nothing important, Gran. What with pre-school closing early for the holidays, I’ll have Tilly under my feet while I’m minding the shop, so I asked Sara to help out. Now about that furniture.”

Darim spoke up. “An outdoor setting would be preferable rather than a formal dining table. Any chance of a TV? I know that’s going to be the second thing my daughter will ask about – first will be internet connection.”

“She sounds exactly like my eldest! Walk this way.” Tessa grinned and began to head to the back of the store.

“Don’t forget our bike ride on Tuesday, Sara. And bring your eye-candy with you. We could do with another hottie in our riding group,” Ms. Lette called.

Sara gave the elderly lady a brief smile, and aware of Ms. Lette’s glittering eagle eyes on her back, did her best not to glance in Darim’s direction. But there was no mistaking his amused chuckle or the quiet resonance of his voice as he confirmed details of the bike ride with that wicked old lady. She’d been looking forward to the ride and swim at a local waterhole. Now it appeared she’d be spending more time with him. So much for keeping a low profile.

She caught up with Tessa who was waiting at the rear of the building. Through the open door she could see the glint of the Akuna River between the swaying branches of a willow tree. Above the doorway a bunch of green and white mistletoe bound by a ruby-red ribbon dangled and gently rocked side to side in the slight breeze.

“If you have no one to kiss, then make a wish.” Tessa grinned as she waved a hand towards the decoration. “It’s a Christmas tradition.”

Sara frowned a little. “Really? I’ve never heard of it.”

“It’s true, according to Scarlett Stark. She’s a midwife at the hospital and really into Christmas. Either way, a Christmas wish never goes astray. But apparently, you’re only allowed one each year.”

Tessa disappeared into another room off to the left.

About to follow, Sara hesitated as she considered the mistletoe. She’d always felt Christmas to be a magical time of year. A time when anything could happen. One of her first memories was of a Christmas Day and her parents leading her into their tiny living room. They had urged her to close her eyes and not open them until they told her to. When they’d cried out,‘Open!’, she’d squealed with delight at the colourfully wrapped presents under the small tree. Her mother had said how hard they had worked to emigrate to this country they now called their new home. She’d said how life was like Christmas; if you worked hard enough, wished hard enough, then anything could come true.

Tears burned behind her eyes and Sara swallowed over the lump clogging her throat. How she missed her parents. How she wished she had spent more time with them before it was too late.

How she wished she’d never brought shame on them.

If she became successful in her business then maybe, somehow, that could expunge her mistake and even though they were gone, she could still make them proud. Afterall, their sole dream was for their only child to achieve prestige and respect.

The hot breeze pushed against Sara’s face, whipping her hair in her eyes and sending the mistletoe jumping like a puppet on strings.

And Sara made her wish.

CHAPTER6

Mending the fences over the next few days, proved more difficult than either Sara or Darim had imagined. First, there had been a delay with the delivery. Then their order was mixed up with someone else’s. Then when it finally arrived, doing the actual work itself had been a bit of an eye-opener as neither had any experience with working on a property. The first week of summer’s intense heat, hadn’t helped coupled with the fact that locating a second-hand fridge in good working order had been next to impossible – so far. The only bright note had been when an electrician had turned up on Sunday afternoon and re-wired the small house.

At least they now had lights, running water and a flushing toilet, although they were still using the bush shower Darim had set up – not that Sara complained. Any shower, even if it was tepid water was a blessing after long days patching holes in the tin roof and old timber walls, re-wiring fences and building a lean-to in the closest paddock.

She couldn’t fault her new housemate.

Darim worked hard. Never whinged and always seemed to be cheerful no matter how hot the day. He never showed any frustration or anger when a new problem presented itself. Simply, talked it over with Sara in a calm voice and together they found a solution.

They had set up a pair of bunk beds in the corner where Sara had previously situated her camp bed and which she had given to Darim for use in his tent. With new cotton sheets, orange butterfly covered doonas, and a couple of yellow and white throw cushions, the beds looked welcoming and exactly what a young girl would love. A three-seater couch with squishy cushions and made from ice grey fabric had been squeezed against one wall. A boxy television set sat on an upturned milk crate. Reception out there was spotty to say the least but hopefully Darim’s daughter would be too busy outside to want to watch TV.

Tessa had thrown in a rug for the floor and with an outdoor wooden table and bench seats to eat on, the place had begun to feel more homely. Although she suspected Tessa had lowered her prices for Sara’s benefit, she had decided not to argue and accept in the spirit of friendship.

They had split the costs down the middle with Darim keeping track of their expenses and giving Sara unlimited time to pay her share. After another disappointing appointment with the bank’s loan officer, she had admitted that she would have to reimburse him each week when she was paid for her work at the hospital. He didn’t quibble. Not once did he propose they buy brand new either. Sara had eagerly accepted some of Vince Stark’s shifts at the hospital since he was on stress leave. This had helped restore her cash flow a tad but left her feeling exhausted after such long days on her feet. One blessing was that after the past couple of years of regularly rainfall, the paddocks were chock a block full of good feed for her llamas.

As the days passed, they settled into an easy, if some-what guarded, working pattern; both determined to have as much established as possible in the quickest time frame.

Of course, Darim’s motivation was the imminent arrival of his daughter. For Sara, she wanted her llamas where she could see them. Having them close by, somehow made her goal of a successful business more of a reality than a pipe dream.

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