Page 14 of Mistletoe and Wishes at The Cornish Bakery

‘Thanks. and thanks for caring, but I just need to focus on getting through it all.’

‘I won’t mention it again then. That doesn’t mean I don’t care though and t doesn’t mean I’m not here to talk about it if you want to. I am.’ After swinging into a parking space, he pulled the handbrake up and gently touched her hand.

‘I know. Thank you.’ She looked down at the tickets in her hand and tapped them against her other one. ‘Shall we get going before our wreath making session?’

‘Absolutely.’ Getting out of the car, he grabbed his coat from the backseat and shrugged into it. ‘I’m guessing we go down there?’

‘Yes, there are little green arrows not he fences pointing the way.’ She closed the car door and fell into step with him. They walked in a comfortable silence as they made their way down the path towards Nick’s Christmas Tree Farm. She suddenly paused and turned to him. ‘Does Lara and Susie know you’re here?’

‘They do.’ He nodded as they began walking again. ‘You know Susie, she thought it was a rubbish idea and that you wouldn’t want me gate-crashing your break.’

‘And Lara?’

‘She thought it was a great idea.’

Holly smiled. Lara was supportive of them all. She was sure if she’d told Lara she wanted to travel to the moon, she’d have wished her well and supported her. Yes, she hadn’t believed Holly was actually going to make the trip to Cornwall on her own, but she hadn’t said anything. Unlike Susie, Lara had just quietly told her that it didn’t matter if she changed her mind.

‘Look, that’s pretty.’

As they followed the path, a large marquee came into view. Again, fairy lights were strung around the outside and a warm glow illuminated the entrance. ‘Oh, that is.’

‘It looks like a cafe. Maybe we should grab some hot chocolate or something to warm us up before the wreath making?’

‘Good idea.’ Holly paused as they came to the entrance of the courtyard stretching out in front of them, a large Christmas tree adorned with brightly coloured lights and a star stood centre stage in the middle and numerous stalls were dotted about, everything from serving mince pies to exquisitely hand-blown glass baubles.

Chapter Eight

Holly looked acrossat Joe’s wreath and widened her eyes. ‘Yours is so much better than mine.’

Turning to her, Joe grinned. ‘You sound surprised.’

‘Haha, not at all, juts jealous.’ Holly laughed before looking around the barn, tables had been arranged in a semicircle. In front of which, another long table held crates of moss, red berries, mistletoe, sprigs of greenery and fir cones, as well as a few completed wreaths for inspiration. She looked back down at hers and wound a short length of ivy back around the circle of moss. Nope, it still looked rubbish. She glanced at the teacher, who was making her way around the tables, and threw a berry at Joe, trying to catch his attention again.

Joe watched as the berry fell onto his wreath before picking it up between his finger and thumb and throwing it back to her. ‘Oi.’

‘Help me. Please? Mine’s a complete mess and I thought it would be nice to give it to Elsie to thank her for letting me stay.’ She pouted.

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