Guy grinned. ‘Look at you two ganging up on me!’
‘Now, the trees have been planted in sections according to their different varieties.’
‘There are different varieties?’ Guy questioned. ‘I thought a Christmas tree was a just that: a Christmas tree.’
‘Dad! You know nothing,’ piped up Holly. The whole trailer of people was now looking in her direction. ‘There are three main types of Christmas trees.’ Holly looked towards Drew who nodded in encouragement. ‘There’s fir trees, spruce trees and pine trees. Their needles grow in clusters.’
Guy looked impressed. ‘How do you know that?’ He noticed Holly give Drew a look, and Drew wink back. ‘Mmm, I’m beginning to think you’ve actually met before.’
Holly giggled. ‘Last week with Granny. We were talking with Drew and learning all about the trees and Granny said we should go for a pine tree, as their needles grow in clusters and look prettier.’
‘Did she now?’ replied Guy, pulling Holly in for a hug.
Drew smiled as he continued issuing instructions. ‘Once you’ve picked your tree, all you need to do is write your name and address on a star.’ Drew was holding a up a pile of stars and pens. He began to hand them out. ‘Then hang the star on your tree. The guys over there…’ Drew pointed to a number of forest workers wearing hi-vis vests and hard hats standing in a group by a wooden hut. They were fully kitted out in sturdy boots and gloves and each standing by a chainsaw. ‘They will cut down your tree, wrap it up and attach the star to the front. And then, just like your presents on Christmas Eve, the tree will miraculously appear at your home address by this evening. It’s as simple as that. And for all of you that especially love Christmas, Santa has left a few of his reindeer to the side of the hot chocolate hut for you to meet. If anyone would like to feed them, you will find reindeer food in buckets just by the fence.’
‘Reindeer, Dad! Please can we feed them first?’ asked Holly, springing to her feet.
Holly’s excitement was infectious as she tugged at Guy and Libby to stand up.
‘We sure can!’ he replied, grasping the star and pen Drew had handed to him.
Everyone scattered off the trailer in different directions, and in a matter of seconds Holly was haring off towards the small paddock at the side of the hut, leaving Guy and Libby following behind. A dozen or so reindeer were standing munching hay. The woman looking after them was dressed up in a Mrs Santa Claus outfit, her red hat clashing with her bright red candy-cane-coloured hair. She beckoned to Holly to come and feed the reindeer.
‘Dad, can you see Rudolf?’
‘How cute,’ Libby whispered to Guy.
‘Rudolf isn’t here,’ replied Mrs Claus. ‘He’s with Santa in the North Pole.’
Watching Holly take a couple of carrots from a sack leaning against the fence, Libby linked her arm through Guy’s and leaned her head on his shoulder. ‘Aww, just look at her.’
Holly held the woman’s hand and stepped into the paddock. She held out a carrot to the nearest reindeer, who immediately began chomping on it.
‘Very cute,’ admitted Guy, glancing between Libby and Holly. ‘Given that life has been very difficult of late, these family moments melt my heart.’
Libby had a burning question on the tip of her tongue and even though she thought she already knew the answer, she asked it before she could stop herself. ‘Do you want more children one day?’ she asked, still staring in Holly’s direction.
Without hesitation, Guy said, ‘Of course. If I had my way, I’d have a whole football team—but this time I’d hope it would be with the person I’m going to spend the rest of my life with.’
It had been the same answer that Daniel had given her. Part of her instantly felt inadequate, her emotional insecurities creeping into her thoughts again.
Knowing she should practise her coping mechanisms when these feelings surfaced, she tried her best to keep them under control. She knew this was partly why she shied away from getting close to anyone: because the face-to-face conversation explaining that she couldn’t have children had led to her being abandoned once, and she feared that it would happen again. ‘Us men also want our happily ever after, you know.’ His eyes twinkled.
There was so many questions that Libby wanted to ask, the main one being: what had caused the break-up of his relationship with Holly’s mum?
‘And how about you?’ he asked.
‘That’s the dream,’ she answered, avoiding giving a direct answer. It was clear now that whatever this was between them, she needed to try and curb her feelings for him, because his dream of more children wasn’t something she could give him.
‘I think you’d make an excellent mother. I’ve seen how you are with Holly and I have to say, when she came back from the studio, she wouldn’t shut up, talking about how wonderful you are and how she wants to make dresses like you one day.’
‘That’s lovely. I think she’s an adorable little girl,’ said Libby, trying to resist the depression that had suddenly engulfed her. She didn’t want to feel glum and ruin the next few hours they all had together just because Guy had expressed his desire to have more children. Why wouldn’t he? He was a fantastic dad and the relationship he had with Holly was heart-warming to watch. Libby knew she had no right to feel sad about that, and that it was time to put some distance between them, if she was to avoid ending up with a broken heart.
She unhooked her arm from his. He looked at her. ‘You okay? You suddenly look—’
There was no time for Guy to finish his sentence because Mrs Santa Claus interrupted. ‘You have a very delightful little girl,’ she said to Guy and Libby, opening the gate to the paddock and delivering Holly back to them.
‘Thank you,’ replied Guy, not putting her right. ‘But believe me, she has her moments.’
