The guy gives Rory a wink. Great, gotcha. We’ve picked out a six footer and a four footer for you, both noble firs. Like you said, nothing blue, nothing spruce. I’ll get them tied to your roof rack while you’re busy.’ He inclines his head. ‘The livestock in question are over there. In the field behind the shed.’
‘Great.’ As Rory sets off at a run, Gracie and I follow at more of a shuffle. As far as I’m concerned, fields mean mud, and livestock’s what you don’t let your dogs chase. Way less interesting than a shoe cabinet, in other words. I’m guessing from her dragging on my hand that Gracie’s with me on this one.
Rory’s already behind the shed. ‘Hurry up, slow worms, Teddie can see the surprise already, and he’s loving it.’
I look down at Gracie. ‘There’s a surprise?’ Maybe he should have said. ‘Shall we run?’ As she holds her arms up to me, I scoop her into mine. As we hurtle around the corner, I’m completely unprepared for what’s there, nuzzling at the straw on the ground. And why the sight of a mother and baby reindeer standing in the corner of a muddy field, munching on a hay bale, should make me cry, I have no idea. But suddenly there are tears streaming down my cheeks.
I give a huge sniff, swallow hard and hide behind Gracie’s head. ‘Look, Gracie, look, aren’t they lovely and brown and shaggy … and aren’t the antlers mahoosive …?’ If I’m stating the bleeding obvious, it’s not only for Gracie’s benefit. It’s also to distract myself from a sudden urge to fling my arms around Rory and hug him very hard. One hug for this one spectacularly unusual, insightful and awesome act. Not many people would have thought of reindeer, then made them happen. Even if their friend did happen to have a field full.
Gracie blinks and clutches her snowman to her chest as she takes in the dark-brown face and soft eyes of the mother. ‘It’s like Sven …’
I’m thrilled she’s got the resemblance. ‘Yes, it’s a reindeer. I’ve never seen one before either, they’re totally amazing.’ If anything, I’m even more blown away than Gracie. They’re also surprisingly similar to their cartoon counterparts.
Rory’s biting his lip, watching her intently. ‘It’s like Kristoff’s reindeer, isn’t it?’ He’s talking about Kristoff like he’s one of his drinking buddies.
I frown at him. ‘How do you evenknowabout Kristoff?’ Characters fromFrozenshould be well off Rory’s radar. ‘And what made you think of coming to see them?’
He answers that with a shake of his head. ‘Catch up, HB,everyoneat Daisy Hill Farm knows Sven, the reindeer with the heart of a Labrador, belongs to Kristoff.’ He gives a shrug. ‘My mate’s had them here for years. But this is the first time I knew anyone who’d appreciate seeing them as much as you and Gracie. Look, they’re coming to see you, Gracie.’
‘Come on.’ I ease Gracie towards the fence, then as I put out my hand, the reindeer comes and sniffs. Close up its nose is velvety and when it lets me touch its neck, the fur is dense and thick enough to bury my hand in.
‘Sven’s sniffing your fingers, Hols.’ As Gracie turns to Rory, her lips twitch and she lets out a laugh. Then her face breaks into the broadest, smiliest smile as her voice rises to an excited squeak. ‘Look, he’s sniffing Holseses fingers …’
Rory and I are staring at each other, eyes wide, hardly daring to breathe in case the smile disappears as quickly as it came. But it doesn’t. Ten minutes later, her eyes are still shining, even though she’s starting to shiver inside herFrozenanorak.
I’m fumbling in my pocket for my phone. ‘Shall we swap children before we go, then I can take a picture of you and Gracie together?’
Rory smiles. ‘Better still, stay as you are. We’ll do one with all of us. So long as the photographer doesn’t object, and if my arm’s long enough.’ He laughs. As his temple arrives next to mine, he grabs my phone too. ‘Selfie with reindeer. How cool is that?’ As he pulls away and passes my phone back again, he gives me a hard stare. ‘Everything okay? Your hair’s all damp, Berry.’
‘Fine.’ I’m lying again, but it could be worse. Anything that took his mind off my smudgy eyeliner and red nose has to be good. And at least I know the size of his heart now. Huge doesn’t begin to cover it. How the hell did I miss that before?
Another one for the album, then. Although, every time I look at it on the way back home, for some reason it makes me feel like crying all over again.
Chapter 29
Sunday 17th December
In Home Brew Cottage at Daisy Hill Farm: Ski wear and prickly postmen
When we all get back to the farm, Poppy peels off back to her kitchen and as we head off up to Home Brew Cottage to put the tree up, there are girls in padded jackets, neon leggings and dazzlingly stripy leg warmers zooming in all directions. Rory’s had time put logs on the wood burner and unload the roof rack, and I’ve given Teddie a bottle, and they’re still running up and down the courtyard, carrying signs of every size from huge to gigantic.
‘Eat Sleep Ski … On Mountain Time …’ Rory’s looking up from where he’s heaving the Christmas tree bucket into place in the corner of the cottage living room, reading the messages out loud as they pass the cottage window. ‘Après ski … Ski lift this way. Jeez, there’s even someone with anarmfulof skis.’ It doesn’t take a genius to work out they’re the final touches going into the barn for Seth and Katie’s Alpine Wedding tomorrow.
‘Ooooh, Hot Chocolate Bar. That sounds seriously yummy.’ As I peep past him I can’t help feeling a shimmer of excitement for how much fun it’s going to be. Then, looking around the room again and coming back down to earth, I have to ask. ‘Have you been tidying up?’
Put it this way. Despite the fact we just came back with most of what was left of the Christmas section at the Happy Dolphin Garden Centre, compared to last time I was here, the devastation is minimal. And in case you’re wondering, we got a shedload of baubles and snowflakes and reindeer to hang on the tree. We also found two cuddly reindeer for Gracie and Teddie that are so soft, if I’d had the teensiest space in my suitcase, I’d have bought one for myself to take home too. The only tree toys we didn’t manage to find that Gracie wanted were snowmen.
Rory gives a shrug. ‘I just got the troops into line, that’s all. Made Gracie put her paperwork into piles, taught Teddie to fold his babygrows, stick his bottles in the dishwasher when he’s finished with them. That kind of stuff.’ His face breaks into a grin. ‘Immie and I had a huge push. If we’re putting the deccies up, we have to be abitorganised.’ He stands back to check the tree is level.
‘Ready for the twinkle lights, then?’ I pull them out of the box and hand them to Gracie, who skips across the room to Rory. ‘Somehow I think I’ll call fairy lights that forever now.’
As he slings them around the branches, he narrows his eyes. ‘I really appreciate you helping, Berry. For someone who’s not feeling festive, you ransacked the Christmas aisles pretty effectively.’ He nods at the heap of bags on the sofa. ‘I’d say you’ve officially gotallthe decorations there.’
I pull a face. ‘Once we decided to go multi-coloured, those end-of-season reductions were so great, we couldn’t leave them in the shop.’ As I take in Rory standing in his socks, with his threadbare sweater, I’m wishing I’d been spontaneous and given him that one big hug back at the field. At least that would have got it over and done with. Putting it off hasn’t made it go away. He’s actually starting to look the same kind of edible as he did in his tux. But this time it’s less about the sheer phwoar, and more about the softness in his laugh, and the crinkles at the corners of his eyes when he smiles, and just how kind and thoughtful he is. Which is way harder to resist, even when you’re sure you don’t want it. Not that it’s on offer anyway.
He wrinkles his nose. ‘Are colour-coded Christmases a girl thing, then?’
I can’t help laughing at his bemused expression. ‘I used to have different colours every year, but now I’ve pretty much done every colour at least three times, I throw it all in. Last year I had a Scottish tartan theme for the main space and went wild in the rest of the flat.’
