Page 53

‘What?!’ I say, appalled.

He looks up at me, and suddenly I’m seeing a very different Luke from the confident, self-assured, young man I first met. He nods.

‘She won’t have them at the house.’ He pulls off his beanie and runs a hand through his hair, letting out a sigh.

‘Well,’ I say. ‘Not as long as I’m still here will that happen.’ I can hear my accent getting stronger, as it often does when I’m either cross about something, tired or have had a glass of wine too many. ‘But maybe in time, she’ll come round,’ I add hopefully.

I mean, how could anyone not love the puppies? They’re beautiful. Not perfect, if by perfect you mean full pedigrees . . . but already they have their own characters and playfulness. Wonderfully imperfect, I think. A bit like me! The thought makes me smile.

‘Now, is Dinky comfy enough in the barn? She could go in the boot room, or the music room? She’d be warm and private in there.’

‘I think she’d probably like a break at some point. I’ll take her for a walk and maybe a sit by the Aga,’ says Luke, and he smiles gratefully. ‘I mean, that’s what I’d like if I was her, with all those little ones to feed.’

‘She’s lucky to have you,’ I say, not specifying whether I mean Dinky or Scarlett. Either way, it’s true. ‘Oh, and Lara says she’ll be popping in again when she’s finished work. She works flexi hours, so she’s planning to get away as soon as she can. She’s keen to see you too, Will.’ I smile and rub Will’s head.

Luke looks down.

‘Something else on your mind?’ I ask.

He hesitates for a moment before replying. ‘It’s the house, the sale,’ he says. ‘Scarlett’s pushing me on it. I told her you needed more time, but she wants to be in as soon as possible. Get the horses moved over and settled.’

‘And her Christmas content for her channel,’ I say flatly.

Luke holds open a hand and nods.

‘Okay,’ I say. I’m finding it more and more strange that he and Scarlett are actually an item. They don’t seem like a natural fit, somehow. Especially with her not allowing the puppies to come home. Who wouldn’t? They’re puppies!

‘There is another property that has come back on the market we were interested in. She’s been back to see it and registered interest.’

I look at him in alarm. This could mean losing the sale altogether – my big plan for moving on. There’s no way I can keep this place going with no money in the bank. My savings and the little life insurance I had from Paddy passing are practically gone, and I haven’t done any knitting lately to sell at Christmas craft fairs, what with Will’s arrival.

My thoughts must be clear on my face, because Luke adds hastily, ‘But I still want to come here. This place has stolen my heart. That view.’ He smiles, and despite my uncertainty, I smile too.

‘Okay . . .’ I say again, slowly.

‘It’s a long way from the Cardiff flat I grew up in.’

I can see him mulling over something in his head, as if struggling with it.

‘So, are you calling off the deal?’ I have to ask.

He lets out a long sigh and looks around. ‘I promised we’d be in for Christmas. She agreed to Christmas. She said if we’re not in by Christmas, the deal’s off. And . . . She’s the one with the financial power. Being an influencer is really well paid.’

We all fall silent.

‘I can’t be out by Christmas, Luke. I’m sorry. I have to open the farm one last time. I need to raise some money, with my deposit gone. It’s wiped out my savings. I need one last Christmas here. It’s just six weeks.’

‘I’d get her to up the offer, but if we can’t agree on Christmas, she says she’d rather go for the other farm. Needs less doing to it.’

He glances around the kitchen and then out towards the farmyard.

‘Christmas,’ he says thoughtfully, ‘is officially the twenty-fifth of December, isn’t it?’

‘It is.’ I nod, wondering if he’s sleep deprived.

‘And people don’t buy Christmas trees after the twenty-fourth, I’m thinking?’

I shake my head. ‘We’ve always closed at lunchtime on Christmas Eve. Our last day.’