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‘That’s the reason you’re so distracted. Of course it is! I don’t know why I didn’t see it before. You’re away with the fairies the entire time and you’re never free to meet up with everyone. It’s so you can sneak off and have a bit of time with whoever this person is, isn’t it? Oh my God, I need to know everything. Tell me now, tell me who it is!’

Holly could feel her cheeks colouring, a heat flooding through the whole of her body.

‘It’s not… it’s not what you think,’ she said. ‘I’m not seeing anyone.’

Jamie raised an eyebrow. ‘You’re not gonna get away with that with me. I know you.’

She was right: Holly knew that. Once Jamie had an idea in her head, there was no way she’d let it go. So what choice did that leave Holly with? Tell the truth? No, there was no way she could do that.

‘It’s nothing really, just a couple of dates,’ she said.

‘Oh my God!’ Jamie’s face split into a smile so broad, it caused a crack to break in Holly’s heart. ‘I need to know everything! Now. Right now.’

‘There’s really nothing to know,’ Holly said. ‘It’s just a guy who came into the sweet shop a couple of times and asked if I fancied a drink.’

‘A sweet-shop customer? Does that mean Caroline knows him too? Oh my God, I have to hear everything. Does she know?’

‘No, no, please. This is all very new, and it’s nothing. It’s really nothing. I don’t like the guy even. I know I don’t. It’s just… you guys were pestering me so much about dating that I thought I’d give it a go. But it was a stupid idea, and he’s arrogant and stubborn and definitely not the right type of person for me to be with.’

‘Wow, you really have formed a strong opinion of this guy after a couple of dates.’

Holly felt the red deepen. ‘Well, I just thought I needed to give it a fair chance. But there’s no point; there’s really not. It won’t go anywhere at all.’

For a moment, Jamie looked at her, and Holly wondered what she was going to say. She prayed to God she wouldn’t ask for more, as she had no idea how to get herself out of that problem. Instead, Jamie stepped forward and took Holly by the hands.

‘I’m proud of you,’ she said. ‘I know that couldn’t have been easy. And if you don’t like this guy, then move on. You know better than any of us that life is too short to spend with someone who doesn’t have your whole heart. But I’m really proud of you.’

The guilt was so intense, Holly didn’t know how she wasn’t consumed by it entirely. She felt guilty for lying to Jamie, guilty for having been a terrible friend and avoiding everybody, but most of all, guilt because of Giles. Guilt because of that email she had sent. Those words she had written down. Words she was struggling to deny even more than ever.

Her throat thickened with tears, but she blinked them away.

‘I should head back,’ Jamie said. ‘Fin was painting skateboards with the boys, so I should really check how much of a state the house is in now.’

‘No worries,’ Holly said. ‘I’ll make a list of things for the naming day.’

‘Fantastic. Thank you. See you later.’

It was only as Jamie stepped outside onto the patio that another thought struck Holly.

‘Jamie,’ she said. ‘Who are the twins’ guide-parents? It would be nice to know, just to make some personalised biscuits for them.’

‘Oh, did I not tell you?’ she said. ‘Caroline and Michael, Fin’s cousin Laura and Giles.’

‘So Giles is going to be there on Sunday?’ Holly said, a familiar heat filling her face.

Jamie let out a laugh as she waved her hand and walked away. ‘Dating puts you in the strangest mood,’ she said.

45

Holly kept her mind on her baked goods. It was a fabulous distraction. That and ensuring she was as indispensable and helpful as possible throughout every moment of the naming-day ceremony. By busying herself in that way, she didn’t have time to speak to anybody. Let alone think about the damn kiss that continued to plague her every waking moment. That was the plan, at least. But the later in the day it got, the harder it was to keep herself separate from everybody. And by everybody, she meant Giles and Sienna.

‘Holly, come on, we need some photos,’ Jamie said.

‘I’ll be there in a second,’ Holly said.

‘No. Come now. This second. You already missed the first round.’

They had chosen a beautiful riverside area off the beaten track for the ceremony. It was a hippyish affair – at least, that was how Holly’s mother had referred to it. But Holly loved the informality of the day, the fun, the children playing, running wild. The photos she had from Randall’s naming day were some of her favourites, and they were filled with the best memories – memories that were a lot harder to create today, given how tense she was.