Page 40 of Winter Wishes at Pennycress Inn

‘What did you expect it to be like?’ Bringing Scarlett’s hand to his lips, he kissed her through her glove.

‘I don’t know. Super muddy, I guess.’ She kicked out her wellie boots she’d changed into.

‘Haha, wait until we go and wander through the trees to choose one, I’m sure you’ll be needing those with the amount of snow and mud there’ll be.’

‘That’s true.’ Scarlett grinned. On the rare occasions she’d had a tree up, it had always been an artificial one, so to actually be able to choose their very own real Christmas tree would be an amazing experience. As they walked beneath a wooden sign curved over the pathway, Scarlett tilted her head back and read the words ‘Welcome to Nettleford Christmas Tree Farm. Find your perfect Christmas tree and add some festive sparkle to your Christmas!’

‘That’s really sweet, isn’t it?’ Rowan nodded up towards the sign.

‘Yes, it is.’ As they stepped beneath the sign, the gravel pathway opened up to a large flagstone courtyard. On one side a huge marquee stood with a chalkboard sign indicating it was a café and listing today’s specials, whilst on the other a number of stalls displayed a mixture of wreaths and other Christmas ornaments and trinkets. In the centre of the courtyard stood a huge tree which might just have been a little taller than the one in the centre of Meadowfield, and in front of them stood another building, this time with a row of pre-cut trees stacked outside. ‘Wow, this is huge.’

‘It is. I’ve been getting my tree from here since I moved and the first time I visited I couldn’t quite believe how much they had on offer. I’m pretty sure they have a number of craft classes in the run-up to Christmas too. You know, make your own wreath, willow star or fabric angel, that sort of thing.’

‘Ooh, I’ll have to keep an eye out next Christmas. That sounds right up my street.’

Rowan glanced at her, catching her eye. ‘Does that mean you’ve given staying around here a little more thought, then?’

She shrugged. She still hadn’t really thought beyond Christmas but the more she was getting to know Meadowfield and the community there, the more she was beginning to feel settled for the first time in a long time. Not only would she have Laura and Jackson here, but Nicola and Charlie too, plus the other residents she was getting to know. And then, of course, there was Rowan. Now she’d decided to let him in a little more, she was eager to see where their fledgeling romance led them. Yes, Meadowfield was beginning to feel like it could just be a home, somewhere she’d like to stay. For a while at least. ‘I think the campsite you told me about sounds promising.’

Taking a step towards her, Rowan wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. ‘I like the sound of that.’

Laughing, Scarlett pulled her glove off and traced the pad of her forefinger across Rowan’s lips before kissing him. ‘I do too.’

‘Welcome to Nettleford Christmas Tree Farm. My name’s Jasper, how can I help you today?’

Turning towards the man standing in front of them, Scarlett smiled. ‘Hi, we’re after a new tree please. We had a bit of an accident with ours.’

‘Well, you’ve come to the right place.’ The man grinned and shoved his hands in the worn denim jacket he was wearing. ‘Are you looking for anything in particular? Pre-cut or choose your own? Norway, Blue Spruce or Frazer or Nordman Fir?’

Scarlett grimaced. Who knew there was so much choice when it came to choosing a Christmas tree? ‘I must admit I don’t have a clue what the difference between all of those are.’

Jasper chuckled. ‘No worries. Come with me and I’ll talk you through them.’

Taking Rowan’s hand, Scarlett followed Jasper towards the row of pre-cut trees. Reaching out, she ran her fingers across the branches of the one closest to her.

‘You’ll see that one is a little different in colour to the rest.’ Jasper nodded towards the tree Scarlett had touched.

‘Yes, it’s almost silvery blue.’ She nodded.

‘That’s right. It’s a Blue Spruce, hence the name. You’ll also notice the needles are a little spikier than the other trees. It holds its needles well though and has a nice full shape. It also smells a little citrusy.’ Jasper ran his hand over the needles before sniffing his hand.

Bringing her hand to her nose, Scarlett smelt her skin. Yes, it did have the slight aroma of citrus.

Jasper walked across to a different tree and pulled it out a little. ‘You can’t see it properly because of the netting keeping the branches in, but this is a Norway Spruce, the classic Christmas tree so it has that nice full shape. The only drawback is it does have a tendency to drop its needles if it’s not kept watered and cared for properly but it’s a good choice for the look of it.’

Scarlett grimaced. ‘That might not be the best choice then, I forgot to water the last tree we had.’

‘Was that a Norway Spruce?’

Shrugging, Scarlett laughed. ‘I’ve no idea, sorry.’

‘No problem.’ Carefully leaning the Norway Spruce back against the wall, Jasper pointed to another one. ‘The Frazer Fir might be a good option for you then. It holds its needles well and has the benefit of the branches growing upwards so takes up less space and is capable of holding heavier ornaments.’

‘That’s the kind I’ve got as the living room in my cottage is particularly tiny, but you’ve got the whole bay window of the inn, haven’t you?’ Rowan glanced towards Scarlett.

Scarlett nodded before turning back to Jasper. ‘Yes. Is there a fuller one which doesn’t drop the needles and isn’t as spiky?’

‘Absolutely. Then we’ll come to the last one we have, the Nordman Fir. It’s a popular choice as it’s bushy so will fill a big space. Perfect for bay windows. It also has thicker needles so doesn’t feel as spiky and it holds its needles well too.’ Jasper pointed to a large tree.