Page 30 of Yule Party on Sunflower Street

When she’d wiped her eyes and blown her nose, Tara drank her tea. ‘You’re right,’ she said. ‘I do feel better now.’

Darcie nodded. ‘I could tell when you came in that there was something up.’

‘Do I look that bad?’ Tara asked.

‘Just tired and a bit stressed. But it’s fine. You needed to get it out of your system so you could have a fresh start today.’

‘I think you’re right,’ Tara said. ‘Thank you.’

‘No need to thank me. We’re all in this together.’ Darcie set her mug on the table at the side of the sofa. ‘Right then, tell me about this plan of yours for a party.’

So Tara did. As they talked, Darcie made them more tea, and Tara found herself confiding her hopes and dreams in the older woman. It was as if she’d known her all her life, rather than for just an hour. Darcie was simply one of those wonderfully compassionate humans who invited confidence.

‘Well, Tara dear, I think you have an excellent idea here and I’m fully behind it. Let me tell you what I think I can do to help.’

So Tara drank tea and ate chocolate biscuits while Darcie told her what she could do. It seemed, she thought, that dreams really could come true in this very special shop.

15

SETH

Seth walked towards the pop-up shop carrying a cup holder from The Little Hut in the Hollow. He’d come to the village today to check on how the planning for the party was going. He’d managed to stay away for five days but it had been difficult. He wanted to see Tara, even though he was trying not to examine that too closely. Knowing she was only here for a short time meant he was aware that after Christmas, she’d be gone, and life would get back to normal. He wasn’t keen to think about that because he found that he looked forward to seeing her. The village of Wisteria Hollow was all the brighter for having Tara in it, and he was finding the thought of it without her increasingly weighing on his mind.

He paused outside the shop and admired the trees in the windows. Even though he wasn’t a fan of Christmas, the shop was so warm and cheerful. Tara and Sadie clearly knew what they were doing in terms of choosing stock and decorating. Whenever he was in there, he felt like Christmas might not be such a bad thing after all. Perhaps it was Tara who made him feel that way.

The past few days had been busy enough with meetings, phone calls and the admin that came with running his own business. He liked being busy and was content with his own company. He had friends and a loving family, even if he didn’t see them as often as he should. There had been romantic relationships over the years too, but nothing that had made him want to settle down, and that had never bothered him. Until recently, he’d been quite happy with his life and how work-focused it was. Until recently…

He laughed at himself then pushed open the door and stepped inside where it smelt like gingerbread and where the heat wrapped around him like a comforting hug.

Sadie was behind the counter showing a customer a range of candles and he looked around for Tara, but she wasn’t on the shop floor. Disappointment tingled through him and he tried to distract himself by looking around at the stock. Fair play, they kept it rotating and whenever he came in, there was always something different to look at and some special offer to be had.

When the customer had gone, he approached the counter and Sadie met his eyes. ‘Hello, Seth.’

‘Hi.’ He set the tray down on the counter. ‘I brought drinks.’

‘Fabulous! Thank you so much. Which one is for me?’

‘They’re all the same, so help yourself.’

Sadie picked a cup then removed the lid. ‘Mmm. Hot chocolate.’

‘Perfect for a dark December morning,’ he said.

‘Absolutely.’ She sipped her drink and her cheeks flushed with pleasure.

‘How’s everything going?’ he asked.

‘Good. I mean… all right. We’re making steady sales but still hoping the party will make a difference.’

‘Tara messaged me to let me know that she’s spoken to more of the local business owners and that they’re all on board. I came to let you both know that I’ve managed to get all the necessary permissions approved, so… It looks like it can all go ahead.’

‘That’s brilliant news.’ Sadie beamed.

‘Is uhm… Is Tara around?’ he asked, feeling his cheeks grow hot.

‘She popped out for something but shouldn’t be long,’ Sadie said. ‘Feel free to wait.’

There was laughter in her eyes and Seth felt self-conscious, as if she could read his mind. As if she knew what he was feeling for Tara better than he knew it himself.