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At the very far corner of the property he could see the planted Christmas trees covering a couple of acres. They were on a slope which would make planting difficult. Running parallel, on the opposite side, were the paddocks which had a few grazing foals and horses. The main arena, where the team paraded, was smack in the centre.
He swung around and for the first time noticed the stables at the far corner of the property, well away from the carpark. It looked new and busy. He could see the team climbing off their horses.
Jaiden pulled at his arm. “Dad, can we go into the shop?”
His eye caught sight of a large poster by the front door of the cottage announcing a coffee treat at the Cyprus Café, apay-it-forwardopportunity for someone less fortunate to enjoy a free coffee and cake. He remembered the café and liked the idea. Josh made a mental note to drop in and pay it forward.
He took the boys’ hands. “Good idea. I’m sure your Aunt Kristy won’t be too long.”
He opened the door to Kristy’s shop,Christmas Trees At Mistletoe Lane, and was hit with a wall of noise and people. Christmas carols played on the loud speaker, people were speaking loudly over it…enough to make him want to back out. People were everywhere, some queuing to pay, children touching decorations on the huge Christmas tree in the corner and families checking out the many boxes of decorations on the shelves lining the back wall.
The elderly woman behind the counter looked overwhelmed. He started to back out.
The back door blew open and an elderly gentleman bustled in wearing a pair of loose-fitting jeans with a checkered shirt, both covered in fine wood dust, with a Santa hat on his head.
He looked out over the crowd before his rheumy eyes settled on the twins. “I’m looking for Jaiden and Blaydon Bridges. Would they be you?”
“Yes,” whispered Blaydon with Jaiden nodding in agreement beside him.
The man grinned at them. “Your Aunt Kristy’s asked me to take you across to the stables. She and the girls are working with the horses this morning.”
The elderly gent looked across at Josh. “I’m Rex Chester. You must be Josh? Phyllis called to say you’d be here.”
Josh stepped forward and shook the man’s hand.
The man hitched up his jeans. “I’ve got the golf buggy out the back and we can go now. Or, if there’s something in the shop that’s taken your fancy, just let Janelle, my ex, know. She works the till and she’ll hold it for you.”
Josh followed his line of sight and could see the flustered woman behind the till, and shook his head. “Thanks, we haven’t really started looking. You take the boys and I’ll walk behind.”
The man gave him the thumbs up. “That works. I’ve got some gear to take across. Come on then.”
Without another word, his excited sons took off and ran out into the morning sunlight. Josh caught up with them by the golf cart and helped them climb in before they set off.
As they drew closer to the stables, he could see the riders hosing down the horses to the side of the building. He gave a quick glance about, but couldn’t see Kristy.
The stables were a hub of activity with a few teenagers sweeping out the stalls and outside at the other end he could see a few horses being hosed down. He’d never been to a horse stable before and sniffed a warm mix of hay, urine and manure. It wasn’t unpleasant.
Above his head, he heard the muted sound of footsteps from the wooden floorboard that formed the ceiling. He turned and saw Kristy climb down a set of stairs nearest to him just inside the stable. Kristy swung around, hands on her hips, tapping one foot on the wooden floor boards. She glanced his way and eyeballed him with the same heated challenge in her eyes as she had when he’d first laid eyes on her ten years earlier.
He sucked in a deep breath.
It was her mix of trouble and wholesomeness that toyed with him. Each time she gave him that look it flipped a switch in his head and he wanted to either join her or walk away at the same time.
At twenty-three no woman had ever given him such a bold look and he had no idea how to handle it. A quiet drink with friends in a pub in Tamworth one Sunday night changed his life when Amanda and Kristy walked in asking for directions out of town. He pushed aside those memories.
CHAPTER3
In the small storeroom on the second floor of the stables, Kristy leaned across a pile of clean blankets to reach the small cupboard against the backwall and searched for the jar of wax. Empty. Annoyed, she climbed back down the stairs.
She sensed movement nearby and looked over her shoulder, and met the hooded blue-grey eyes of her best friend’s husband staring at her.
Her heart gave one solid pound in her chest.
Josh Bridges.
Words failed her now that he stood a foot away from her.
He cut a fine figure, but he always did look refined and well dressed. He’d been to the best schools in Sydney and he had a certain aloofness that drew her to him. At nineteen she’d thought he washot, hot, hot. From where she stood now, he hadn’t cooled one little bit. If anything, his handsome features had deepened only to accentuate his blue-grey eyes and dark blond hair.
