Connor’s car had been one of the last to leave the car park, as the café emptied of its visitors and the grounds closed for the day. Folding her arms for warmth, Lottie wandered slowly back to her office, where Shayla would be gleeful about getting the pre-Christmas wedding that Lottie had thought impossible.
Shayla might be thrilled but despondency settled on Lottie like the gathering dusk. The day had started so positively. She’d been looking forward to Christmas with Steph and the twins and choosing trees with Jay had been an unexpected pleasure. Yet it had ended with memories resurfacing from a dark time of her life. She was glad that Connor had found someone he loved, even if it was rather quick, but it hurt that he’d edited her out of his life.
She’d found it so much harder to move on from him.
She still cared about him, fancied him, and the ‘what might have beens’ had resurfaced like creatures from the deep. All of which made her more determined, no matter how hard it was, to make sure that her ex and his fiancée never suspected how hurt she was … and that they would have the most amazing wedding ever.
Chapter Six
Jay had allowed himself a discreet smile when he’d watched Lottie make her way down the path that skirted the plantation, earlier that day. Perhaps he should have been thinking about trees, but his mind was occupied by how great she looked in her coat and hiking boots. The fresh air had reddened the tip of her nose and brought out a pink glow in her cheeks that only enhanced her pretty face.
Some of his colleagues had already made an effort to be friendly with him in his first week at Firholme but he hadn’t felt drawn to anyone until he’d spoken to Lottie that morning. Her love for her family had touched him and he suspected the bond between Lottie and her sister had been strengthened by the ordeal they’d been through.
Jay knew how that connection with a sibling felt. He’d thought his bond with his older brother had been unbreakable, right until the moment Ben had shattered the trust between them. Jay hadn’t seen him since the previous Christmas Eve.
As he walked back to the area where his team were clearing the forest, bitter memories battled with the pleasant emotions that had come from being in Lottie’s company. He’d have loved to ask her out for a drink, under other circumstances; those circumstances being he’d made a promise to himself never to get seriously entangled with another woman. He already liked her too much to let her down, and far too much to inflict his cynical, hardened self on, so it was kinder to avoid any involvement altogether.
The most useful thing he could do for her was his job – which meant making sure the Christmas trees and greenery were harvested and transported to the house at their naturally spectacular best.
Until public sales opened, he relished the chance to get stuck into the actual essence of his new role: managing the forest. He certainly hadn’t taken the job to give orders and watch other people doing the hard graft. Quite the contrary – the more time he spent out of doors in natural surroundings, the better.
With that in mind, he briefed the plantation supervisor as soon as Lottie had left. Kerr Henshall was a Scot in his early forties with a bone-dry sense of humour. He lived just a mile away, in Langmere village with his son.
‘OK. I’ve marked the two Nordmanns and the spruces for the big house. I’d like to make a start on felling them once I have the go-ahead from Lottie … from the office,’ Jay corrected himself. ‘I think we’ll do the Nordmanns first and transport them to the house in the truck.’
‘I’ll get it sorted,’ Kerr said confidently.
‘I’m sure you could but I’d also like to be involved in felling the trees.’
Kerr frowned. ‘We can handle that …’
‘I know, but I want to make sure these trees are at their very best for the big house.’
‘Whatever you say, boss.’
Jay guessed that Kerr felt Jay was micromanaging the situation. ‘It’ll give me an excuse to get out of the office,’ he said quickly, keen to keep his deputy onside.
Kerr smiled briefly. He seemed an easy-going guy and good at his job but Jay suspected that his predecessor had been very hands-off with the team. They must be finding it hard to get used to an upstart like himself.
‘Shall we get on with the thinning in the Middle Glade?’ Kerr said briskly. ‘We’re ready to take some of the wood down to the sawmill. You’ll be wanting to supervise that too, I take it?’ Kerr added casually, giving him a knowing look. ‘Or will you be away down to the big house again this afternoon?’
Jay groaned inwardly. Kerr had obviously picked up on Jay’s keenness to make sure everything was perfect for the offices. Whether he’d also connected that with Jay’s chat with Lottie, Jay wasn’t sure.
‘No, I’ll be here to keep an eye on you,’ he said, with a smile. ‘You’re not getting rid of me that easily.’
‘OK … Oh, and by the way, will you be joining us at the pub on Wednesday? We have a get-together at the local every month if we can.’ Kerr grinned. ‘Just a pint, a laugh and a meal. It’s a good chance for us to relax before the madness of Christmas starts.’
Jay was caught off-guard. ‘I um … I’m not sure what I’m doing that evening.’
Kerr nodded. ‘Well, the invitation’s open but if you’re otherwise engaged, that’s fine. I can see you might have a better offer.’
Jay cringed. So far, during breaks, he was comfortable while the talk had been about sport or nature but he dreaded being drawn into any conversations about his personal life.
‘Thanks for letting me know,’ he said, trying
