Page 32 of Winter Magic at Hollybrae Castle

‘Because Mummy and Daddy always sit together and you’re acting like you barely know each other.’

‘We do barely know each other,’ I say, even though I feel like we’ve got to know each other surprisingly well over the past week.

Rory tuts as he comes in with a bowl of popcorn. ‘Honestly, you’d never pull this off without our help.’

‘What are we watching?’ Ollie asks to distract them as he sits in his usual corner of the sofa and puts his jingle-bell-sock-wearing feet up on the coffee table.

‘The Santa Clause!’ they bellow in unison and pile onto the sofa next to him. I sit down in the other corner with the kids between us, and I feel that warm glow of a pretend family as Rory finds the film and Maisie doles out crisps whether we want them or not.

I stretch my arm out along the back of the sofa and notice Ollie do the same, and when he realises how close our fingers are, he reaches a little bit further until our fingertips brush against each other’s. When I look over in surprise, he gives me a wink that sets off a wave of butterflies. It’s a good thing I’ve seen the film multiple times because I struggle to concentrate on anything apart from the touch of his fingers against mine, and the little smiles he gives me every time our eyes meet. I get the feeling that he isn’t concentrating on the TV tonight either.

11

After a surprisingly good night’s sleep because pretend parenthood is exhausting, it’s Sunday morning and Nancy and Hamish have come over for breakfast, and afterwards, we meet in the entrance hall, and Hamish has given me a hint about what to suggest.

‘Anyone know where we can source a Christmas tree around here?’

‘I might…’ Ollie says.

‘How about nine Christmas trees?’

Maisie and Rory’s mouths fall open, and when I glance at Ollie, his isn’t far behind.

‘Nine?’ the kids both repeat in wonder.

‘Nine?’ Ollie echoes, looking slightly horrified.

‘One for the entrance hall, one for the guest hall upstairs by the tower, one for the library, one for each of the guest rooms, one each for Maisie and Rory’s rooms, and one for… somewhere else.’

‘Somewhere else?’

‘You’ll see.’ I flash my eyebrows at him, and he laughs.

‘It’s a good job I trust you entirely and I’m not even going to question your vision. If my fake wife wants nine Christmas trees, then nine Christmas trees she shall have. Let me get the axe.’

‘Axe?’ I assumed it would be a drive to a Christmas tree farm and Mira’s face flashes in front of my eyes again. I am never telling her that an actual axe is about to come into play.

‘We’ve got our own tree lot on the property,’ Hamish explains. ‘Ollie’s grandfather started it the year he bought the place. For every Christmas tree he cut down, he planted a new one each year, and taught his son and grandson to do the same.’

‘Then there’s no way I’m taking nine. Artificial ones will do for the guest roo⁠—’

‘Absolutely not.’ Ollie doesn’t let me finish. ‘It wouldn’t be Christmas at a castle in Scotland without real trees in every place you want them. Can someone add nine Christmas tree saplings to one of the lists for replanting?’

Hamish assures him that he will.

‘And one for our house, and one for Granny and Grandad’s!’ Even Rory is letting his excitement show, and I can feel it bubbling inside me too. Seriously, who has their own Christmas tree patch?

‘I can’t believe you have your own tree lot,’ I say to Ollie as we stomp across the grassy ground behind the castle.

‘Hold hands!’ Maisie bellows from somewhere behind us where the kids are walking with Nancy and Hamish.

Ollie transfers the axe and saw he’s carrying into his right hand and holds his left out to me. I slip my fingers into his, glad of the warmth because I’ve forgotten my gloves. He lifts our joined hands and waves them in the air, and both the kids cheer.

‘It used to provide my family with a tree every year, and now it provides one for Nancy and Hamish and Maisie and Rory’s parents.’

‘And we’re actually going to walk out into the woods and chop down our own tree?’

Our joined hands jiggle between us as he nods. ‘You can even swing the axe if you want.’