Page 29 of Christmas at the Home Farm Vets (Hartfell Village #2)

Elaine handed Gil an envelope. ‘It’s like the Oscars, only more secretive. Thanks, Elaine.’ He tore open the envelope and grinned. ‘Okay, so the winner is… Entry number five.’

Everybody was looking at everyone else and Erin beamed as she stepped forward. Joyce’s recipes never let her down. ‘That’s me. It’s my nan’s recipe, with her homemade mincemeat.’

‘Well, it worked. You and your nan came out on top, it seems everyone loves a traditional mince pie. Congratulations.’

‘Thank you. And thanks for voting for them, my nan will be chuffed.’

‘Elaine did ask me to sort out a prize and I forgot, so see me on Monday and I’ll arrange something.’ Gil put the envelope down. ‘Anytime you feel like making them again, we won’t say no.’

‘I’d love to.’ It would be a good excuse to bake again before Christmas. Joyce had promised Erin a small cake of her own, seeing as she wouldn’t be around to share theirs.

‘So now, Secret Santa.’ He rattled a bowl with folded up pieces of paper inside. ‘If everyone can take one, and obviously please don’t share who you’ve picked. The budget is ten pounds max, and we’ll exchange gifts on the twenty-third.’

The staff helped themselves and Erin unwrapped hers. She slipped it in her bag, happy with her choice.

‘Great, that’s sorted.’ Gil held out a hand to Pippa; she made her way to his side and he slid an arm around her.

‘And I want to say thank you, to each and every one of you. It’s been a challenging year for sure, but we’ve already come a long way since taking on the practice in the summer.

We’re a great team and I couldn’t be happier to be working alongside you all.

And even though he’s not here I must thank Jonny too, because without his generosity in remembering my dad and giving me a chance to keep the farm and grow the practice, none of us would be here. ’

‘Hear, hear,’ Elaine called, and there was a lull as everyone raised their glasses to Pippa’s dad.

‘But.’ Gil was looking at Pippa, and she reached up to kiss his cheek.

‘None of this would have happened if I hadn’t met Pippa, and much as I want to keep the practice going, I couldn’t do it without this incredible woman at my side.

I still can’t believe she’s taken me on and maybe one day I’ll deserve the faith and trust she’s put in me.

’ He offered a toast to Pippa, and she laughed as the glasses were raised again, and he kissed her.

‘So that brings me to our news.’ He ran a triumphant gaze over the staff.

‘We heard yesterday that we’ve been granted planning permission to redevelop the barns and extend the practice.

To say I’m delighted is an understatement, and I’m very much looking forward to building a future here with you all.

It’s going to bring a lot of new challenges, but I hope you’ll meet them with me, and we’ll work together to keep the practice here in Hartfell.

So here’s to us, Home Farm Vets, and the future. ’

‘Yay,’ Jess yelled, and everyone laughed as Gil raised his glass again.

‘Home Farm Vets,’ they chorused, raising their own glasses.

Erin’s three-month review was due, and she really hoped it would be a formality.

The practice was adapting as it grew and she wanted to be at the heart of it, to fix her future to Hartfell.

Her eyes sought Oli, talking with Elaine, and she was sharply reminded that they might never work together again once he’d gone.

He was already becoming a part of this place, had slotted so well into the team.

And yet he was leaving in less than two weeks, moving on to somewhere new, never standing still.

She was scared of admitting, even to herself, that she was already wondering how her life would look when he was no longer in it.

She checked her phone, a wave of despair following to see no more from Jason.

‘Dancing. You promised.’

Erin started as Jess grabbed her hand, jolted from her uncomfortable thoughts. ‘Jess, there’s barely room to swing a cat!’

‘Don’t care. This is the only staff party I’m going to get this year and we’re dancing.’

Erin abandoned her glass, happy to be distracted from her humiliation by a Cher Christmas party track and soon she and Jess weren’t alone.

Raf was on the decks with Harriet, and he grinned when he caught Erin’s eye.

Three glasses of mulled cider and several tracks later, she was dancing like no one was watching and it felt so good to release some of the tension she’d been unconsciously carrying all evening.

She leaned towards Jess to shout over the music. ‘I’m going to check on Marnie.’

Outside the night was bitter as she crossed the courtyard and she shivered, wishing she’d thought to put her coat on.

Apart from the embarrassment of Jason standing her up, she was having a wonderful time.

It was his lack of courtesy she minded the most, but then what could she seriously expect, given that everything so far between them had been pretty casual.

The practice was eerily dark, and she switched on a light in reception after letting herself in. Marnie, still in her isolation kennel, seemed happy to see her and Erin was busy chatting to her as she topped up the water bowl and offered her some food.

‘Are you okay?’

Erin shrieked, and the packet of food she’d been holding splattered on the floor. She spun around to find Oli leaning against the open door, and dragged in a breath.

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you jump.’

‘What are you doing here?’

‘I just came to see if you and Marnie are okay.’

‘I’m fine.’ She grabbed a paper towel to wipe up the mess. ‘Thanks for asking. Marnie’s doing well, I definitely think she can come home on Monday.’

‘That’s great.’ Oli joined her and he reached into the kennel to stroke the kitten, smiling at her quiet purr. ‘So your boyfriend never made it?’

‘Thanks for pointing out the obvious. And he’s not my boyfriend. You just don’t like him because he’s a joiner.’ She was busy wiping and part of her knew it wasn’t fair to take out her frustration on Oli.

‘Come on, Erin, you know me better than that. I don’t dislike him because he’s a joiner but because he’s jerk who treats you with zero respect.

If you really want to share your life with someone who’ll celebrate and support you, then don’t settle for a guy like him.

One whose back will be turned the moment you really need him. ’

‘You don’t know that!’

‘Yeah, I do, and underneath you do too, because you’re the smartest person I’ve ever met.

Let me guess how it went when you met him.

He tossed his drink over you, you shrugged it off and said it didn’t matter.

But because you weren’t really interested, Jason wasn’t having that.

No, he told you he had to make it up to you and wore you down until you said yes.

Because maybe you’re getting tired of being alone and thought dating him was better than not seeing anyone.

‘He doesn’t give a shit about university and why should he, because he never went.

But he should care that you did, because it matters to you, and it was six of the most important years of your life.

That you’re one of the few who made it into Cambridge and graduated with a First, one of the very best in our year.

Is Jason going to say to anyone who’ll listen, hey, look at this woman and everything she’s achieved and how far she’s come.

She’s amazing and I get to stand beside her and remind her every day how awesome she is. ’

Oli thrust an arm in the air as his tone became sharper.

‘Is he going to be there when you crawl into bed exhausted at midnight after you’ve delivered a dead calf or run out on him because a dog’s been hit by a car and you’re the vet on call?

No, because in his world he’s top dog, and you suit him perfectly because you allow him to think it.

You don’t make any demands and you’re not some hot twenty-two-year-old he daren’t let out of his sight for fear another guy will jump in front of him. ’

‘I can’t believe you said that! How dare you?

’ It was way too close to the truth, but Erin was different now from the girl who’d fallen in love with Oli at Catz.

Never again would she allow herself to fall for someone so completely that she almost lost sight of herself and the life she’d worked for.

Hot tears were stinging her eyes, and she swiped a hand at her face.

‘Because it’s true. And don’t think for one second that I don’t think you’re amazing or beautiful, because I do.’ Oli went to take her hand and she almost jumped aside; she couldn’t let him touch her now and blur her thoughts still more. ‘I always have. Right from the day we met.’

‘Don’t say that! You can’t say those words to me, not now.’

‘But they’re true, and I can’t change that.’ His voice cracked, and he pressed a hand to his temple. ‘I knew it the moment I saw you again.’

‘It’s too late, Oli. You don’t get to tell me who I should date or how to live my life,’ she whispered brokenly.

‘I just don’t want to see you hurt or humiliated by someone who doesn’t deserve you.’

‘And you didn’t humiliate me? When you were on holiday in France with Bella crawling all over you?’

‘I’ve apologised for that, and I swear nothing happened.

I made a mistake in letting her get close and I’ll always be sorry for how that made you feel and breaking your trust in me.

’ This time Oli took her hand, and she was staring at their joined fingers, the reality of him once again within reach.

‘I can’t help that I still care, Erin. And if you can tell me honestly you don’t feel the same, then I’ll walk away and you don’t have to hear from me again. ’

He let go of her hand and turned, his footsteps fading as she leaned against the wall, swallowing back the tears.

Both for the truths he’d shared about Jason and the fear that Oli understood how she felt about him too.

But what could she do about that, when her life was here and Hartfell was a stopping-off point for him, another interlude before he moved on?

She turned to Marnie, thankful for the kitten content in her bed; she had more love in her life now, and maybe this was all she needed.

Back at the party and keen to avoid Oli, she slid into the dining room and helped herself to one of Violet’s mince pies, baked for this evening. It was perfect and she was dusting crumbs from her sweater when Raf found her.

‘Hey. So I take it the boyfriend slash non-boyfriend hasn’t shown up.’

‘No.’ Erin hurriedly checked for more crumbs; being covered in bits of pastry wasn’t a good look for chatting with a rock star, but then neither was the giant Christmas pudding. At least it didn’t light up, and she already felt cheered by his company. ‘Maybe he’s had a better offer.’

‘With you here? Doubt it, the guy sounds like a jerk. Manners cost nothing.’

That made Erin laugh despite her frustration: how many more people tonight were going to refer to Jason that way? She bet Jess would oblige, and she appreciated the compliment from Raf.

‘You want to have a little fun?’ He strolled across and halted front of her. ‘Lend me your phone.’

‘What! Why?’ She unlocked it and held it out anyway, and he took it. He really was hot, and if she weren’t upset with Jason and confused over Oli, then she might… She hastily shook that thought away – Raf was her boss’s brother-in-law, good as. ‘What are you doing!’

‘Sending him a message.’ Raf tugged her close and slid an arm around her shoulders. He turned the camera into selfie mode and began recording, his smile that famously wicked one she’d only ever seen online before tonight.

‘Hey, Jase, it’s Raf Jones. Sorry you had to miss Erin’s party, but I thought you’d like to know I’m taking good care of her.

’ He turned the phone to the noise in the kitchen, the guests spilling into the sitting room, and back to them again.

‘Hope you’re having a great night too. And don’t worry, I’ll make sure she gets home safely.

’ He winked into the camera before turning it off, and Erin was lost for words.

‘Oh, you’re good,’ she managed eventually. ‘He hates being called Jase.’

‘Then my work here is done,’ Raf announced, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. ‘Let’s see what he makes of that.’

‘We’re just dating, it’s not really anything, so it doesn’t matter. I should probably never have invited him tonight.’

‘Because your heart is otherwise involved?’ He grinned and held up a hand. ‘It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything. I know what it’s like. So I guess Oli will see you home?’

‘I suppose so, seeing as he’s staying there.’ That thought shouldn’t be warming her as much as it was.

‘Merry Christmas, Erin. You ever fancy a gig sometime, let me know.’ At the door Raf turned and his grin was a mischievous one. ‘Pippa’ll give you my number.’