Page 67 of Not Just for Christmas

‘It was fun,’ said Dylan, softly. ‘It feels like a lifetime ago.’

‘It was,’ Lucy swallowed hard. ‘Because I’m living a totally different life now.’

She pulled away from him. ‘I should get back to work.’

Together they began to head down the hill towards the farm.

‘Can you get Pete to cover for you again so you can go and visit your parents?’

She shrugged. ‘For a day or two maybe, but Adelaide is too far for a short trip like that. Plus, Pete and I can barely keep up with the workload as it is. I can’t ask him to do it on his own, especially not at Christmas.’

‘I could stay?’ he offered. ‘I mean, I know I’m not the obvious choice.’

‘You?’ She giggled and the sound was like music to his ears. ‘Can you drive a tractor?’

‘Hey, I can learn!’ He pretended to be insulted. ‘I mean, you saw me deliver a calf last night, I’m a man of hidden talents.’

She laughed softly, pushing her hair back off her face. ‘Thank you for the offer, but it’s not really practical.’

He wanted to tell her how amazing she was, that he was in awe of the way she had coped with Jack’s death. But he knew if he did there was a chance that she would start to cry again and now that she was smiling, he wanted her to stay that way. Instead, he put a friendly arm around her shoulders and squeezed her.

‘I’m concerned about you,’ he said simply.

She bumped her shoulder against his. ‘Most of the time I’m fine. I just get on with it, don’t allow myself to think that there might be an alternative to this life.’ She pulled a tissue out of her pocket and blew her nose. ‘Then there are days like today when I realise I’m sacrificing things like seeing my parents and I question everything.’

He frowned. ‘Do you still want to be here?’

She didn’t answer immediately. ‘I live in a beautiful place, I don’t have a mortgage, I have a wonderful son. I’ve got a lot to be grateful for, it’s just …’ She let out a sigh. ‘This wasn’t my dream, it’s my duty. And I know I’m supposed to carry on the farm so that it can be passed down to the next generation, but it’s a lot, you know?’

‘Listen, I can’t fix your problems. I wish I could, but I think I know what you need,’ he asked. ‘To get away from the farm, just for a few hours, forget about work and cows and do something for yourself.’

She smiled sadly. ‘I suppose I could nip to Sainsbury’s, get out of my wellies for a bit.’

‘Jesus Christ, Luce!’ he gave a bark of laughter. ‘We can do better than go shopping. It’s the Wild Swim Girls Christmas lunch today, remember? Why don’t you go and join your friends?’

She shook her head firmly. ‘Because I’m not in the club anymore.’

He couldn’t believe it. ‘But you used to love going sea swimming with the girls. All piling down to the beach, flasks of coffee in winter, bottles of prosecco in summer.’

‘I left two years ago.’ She turned her face away from him and chewed her lip.

‘I bet they miss you,’ he said, thinking that she probably missed them too. ‘And I think you’re still a Wild Girl at heart. So go join them.’

‘What’s the point?’ she shrugged.

‘The point is that it’s Christmas, you deserve to let your hair down and have some fun. In fact I’m insisting on it.’ He grabbed her hand and tugged her along faster. ‘Come on.’

‘But my hair is a mess, and I stink of farmyard,’ she grumbled.

He grinned, sensing that she was coming around to the idea. ‘Then let’s do something about that.’

‘Everyone else will have made an effort. I haven’t even got time to wash my hair.’

‘I’ll style it for you,’ he said simply. ‘I’m great at hair.’

She stared at him. ‘Oh.’

‘Lucy Oakley, lost for words,’ Dylan grinned. ‘That’s a first.’