Holly hugged Fran, then leant back to look at her.
‘You okay?’
‘Yeah, I’m fine. Dad’s much better now, so I just have to hope that he’s sensible with his diet and quits the cigars.’
‘He will. He has your mum and grandma there to keep him in line.’
‘And they are so bossy!’ Fran smiled at her. ‘You look gorgeous, Holly.’
‘You do.’ Rich was gazing at her in a way that made her stomach clench. His eyes were so dark she could see her own reflection in them. She felt as if the two of them were on the cusp of something new, something that would rescue them from uncertainty and hesitation and catapult them into the future.
‘Thanks, both of you.’ She shook her head. ‘You’re too kind. Anyway… you look pretty good yourselves.’
And they did, Fran in indigo skinny jeans, purple cowboy boots and matching silk tunic and Rich in jeans, boots and a black shirt.
‘It’s quite busy, isn’t it?’ Fran said as she looked around. More people were arriving by the second; soon the barn would be full to capacity and the evening could begin. Waiters in black trousers and white shirts circulated with trays of wine, soft drinks and canapés. ‘Ooh! I’ve just spotted the pup with your granny. Doesn’t he look sweet?’
‘I brought him along to say hello, but I won’t keep him here all evening. It’s going to be a bit busy, I think.’
‘It’ll do him good to get used to having people around, though, seeing as how the vineyard will be busier than ever.’
‘True.’
‘Looks like he doesn’t want to leave Luke’s side.’ Rich gestured at the corner of the bar, where Granny had taken a seat, parking the pram next to her. Gelert sat in front of it, still as a statue, guarding his precious charge.
Bruce came over to them.
‘I think we’re ready to make a start.’
‘Are you going to officially welcome everyone, Dad?’
He nodded. ‘I’m a bit nervous, to be honest.’
‘You’ll be great.’ Holly looked around. ‘Is Janine here yet?’
His face broke into a smile. ‘She’s with some of the other workers who did the renovations.’
‘Who’s Janine?’ Fran asked, frowning at Holly.
‘Dad’s… friend.’ Holly winked.
‘Ah, I see.’ Fran nodded. ‘One of those friends.’
‘Cut it out, ladies!’ Bruce shook his head. ‘It’s very early days. We’re enjoying each other’s company… for now.’
‘She’s very nice.’ Holly touched her dad’s arm.
‘Yes. Right. Let’s do this.’ He sucked in a deep breath, squared his shoulders and set off across the barn to the small stage.
‘He’s really nervous, isn’t he?’ Fran said.
‘Extremely. But he will be wonderful. He should be very proud of himself and what he’s achieved here.’
Silence fell in the barn as Bruce stepped onto the stage and held up his hands.
‘Hello, and welcome. We’re delighted you could make it here this evening to help us celebrate a new beginning for Greenacres.’
As her dad continued his speech, talking about the vineyard’s history and about the changes they had made, Holly was conscious of Rich standing at her side, and of how every so often he’d glance over at Luke to check on him. The way he was so protective of his son reached down inside her and brought a host of emotions to the surface. Rich loved Luke and would do what he could to ensure that he was happy and had a good upbringing. Since they’d returned to the area, he had shown himself to be a changed man. He was caring, supportive and attentive; he was there day and night, whenever he was needed. Holly had only to ask for something and he’d do what he could to provide it, whether it was a shoulder to cry on or a sounding board to work through an issue. In the past, it had been Holly’s love for Rich that had bound them together. Yes, he had cared for her, she knew that, but not enough for her to be fulfilled. But something had changed within him and she could see it, feel it and, she hoped, trust in it.
He caught her looking at him and smiled, and she smiled back.
‘And so it is with hearts full of love and respect that I would like to dedicate this barn and the changes we have made here to two very special people.’
Holly’s breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t known anything about this.
‘Holly?’ Her dad held out a hand. ‘Could you come up here?’
Rich gently touched her arm. ‘Go on. It’s okay.’
She nodded, then crossed the barn, her heart pounding with emotion. When she reached the stage, she stepped up and took her dad’s proffered hand.
‘For those of you who don’t know, this is my daughter, Holly. She has been my inspiration through all of this – my inspiration and motivation throughout life, in fact.’
Holly could see how hard her dad was struggling to maintain his composure. She squeezed his hand tighter, letting him know that she was with him, that she would help him.
‘Holly… your granny and I planned this as a surprise for you.’
He led her to the side of the stage, and she spotted a red curtain hanging halfway down the wall. When had that been put there?
‘Will you do the honours?’ Bruce asked, pointing at the cord to the side of the curtain.
‘Of course.’
She took hold of the cord and pulled it.
Nothing happened.
She tried again.
‘It’s stuck,’ she whispered.
Her dad smiled and shook his head, then took the cord from her and gently tugged it to one side. The curtain started moving, so Holly took over from him and pulled until she could see a large wooden plaque. There was a photograph of her grandpa and her mum fixed to it, a photo she knew well, as the original had sat above the fireplace for as long as she could remember. They were both smiling. The photo had been taken at Holly’s fifth birthday, a long time before they’d lost anyone they loved; a long time before they’d known what life had in store for them.
Under the photo were their names and a dedication: For those we have loved and lost, may they live on in our hearts and minds and their memories be wound into our fruitful vines.
Holly’s vision blurred and she had to grit her teeth as she wobbled on the edge of breaking down completely. Her dad slid a strong arm around her shoulders and hugged her.
‘It’s beautiful, Dad.’ She kept her eyes closed, her back to the people in the barn, until the ache in her chest had ebbed away.
‘I hoped you’d think so. I wanted you to know that whatever happens in the future, your mum and grandpa will always be remembered, always a part of our lives.’
He pulled her into a big hug then, and a series of oohs and ahs drifted around the barn. When he released her, Holly turned to the crowd.
‘Thank you so much for coming here this evening, and for being a part of this new dawn for our vineyard. Change has been a while in the making, but now is the time to move forward and to embrace all that the future holds. Particular thanks must go to my granny, Glenda Morton, who has been a part of the vineyard’s success since the beginning, who supported my grandfather through their early days here and who never complained about hard work or Grandpa’s inability to sit still for more than ten minutes.’
All heads turned to the corner where Granny was sitting, holding on to the handle of the pram, pushing it gently back and forth. She raised her free hand and nodded, then her face crumpled and she covered her eyes.
‘Granny!’
Holly dashed across the barn and knelt in front of her grandmother, holding her tightly.
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.’
‘It’s all right, Holly. I’m just so proud of you and Bruce.’
Holly’s dad had joined them, and he gave Granny a hug then turned back to the barn.
‘I don’t think there’s much more to do now other than to have a good time! There’s plenty of wine, plenty of food – the hog roast will be served in the yard at eight o’clock, with vegetarian and vegan options available – and plenty of dancing to be done. I hope you all enjoy yourselves; if you do, please spread the word about what we offer here – excuse the hard sell, but here I go: accommodation in the recently renovated stone cottages, the wine-tasting tours, the events we can cater for here in the barn, our lovely little shop and… well… just tell everyone how nice we are! All the information you need is on our wonderful website. Welcome to Greenacres!’
As applause spread through the crowd, Holly’s heart was filled with love and hope. Everything was going to be okay.
Two hours later, her head was spinning from talking, dancing and wine. She’d only had one glass, but the excitement and emotion of the evening had sent it straight to her head.
Gelert was trying to snooze next to the pram, but failing, because every time someone came close, he’d sit up and watch their movements like a hawk. Holly had told Fran she wanted to adopt him, and Fran had been delighted. In fact, she’d said there was no way she could take him back now when he clearly loved his new family so much.
Holly exchanged numbers with a blogger she’d been speaking to about the cottages, then excused herself and went to her granny.
‘Are you all right, Granny? Ready to mingle?’
‘I’m having a ball right here, Holly. People keep coming over to me and bringing me drinks, and a gentleman from the bowls club brought me a pork and apple sauce roll from the hog roast.’
‘Perhaps I should take Luke and Gelert back to the house now.’
‘It’s okay, my darling, you stay here. I’ll go.’
Holly took in the excitement in her granny’s eyes and the glow in her cheeks.
‘Absolutely not! You stay here and party the night away.’
‘If you insist.’ Granny accepted a glass of wine from an elderly man in a white shirt and jeans held up with a pair of bottle-green braces.
‘I do. You have fun.’
Holly took hold of Gelert’s lead and lifted the brake on the pram, then made her way to the door. She had hoped to say her goodbyes to Fran and her dad, and Rich too, of course, but she couldn’t see them through the bodies on the dance floor. She looked around the barn once more, at the happy faces, at the band on the stage playing lively country tunes, at her mum and grandpa smiling out at everyone from the far wall, then at her granny, who was now chatting to the man in braces and laughing like she was sixteen again.
Yes, it had been a successful night indeed, and hopefully the vineyard would reap the rewards over the coming months. It was just the beginning, and a very exciting one indeed.
She opened the barn door and stepped out, then unclipped Gelert’s lead.
‘Go and have a wee, Gelert!’
Her voice sounded loud now that they were away from the music and the chatter of their guests, and the evening air was cool and refreshing on her heated cheeks. She pushed the pram across the yard, keeping an eye on Gelert, then opened the gate to their garden.
‘Holly!’
She looked up to see Lucinda hurrying towards her, waving both hands.
‘Lucinda! Are you all right?’
‘Yes, yes, sweetheart. I wanted to say goodnight to the little man, though, if that’s okay.’
‘Sorry, I did look for you all, but it’s so busy in the barn.’
‘What a fantastic night, though! You’re certain to have plenty of positive publicity about the vineyard now.’
‘I hope so.’
Lucinda leant towards the pram and peered inside.
‘He’s just waking up ready for a bottle and a cuddle.’ Holly looked down at her son and her heart filled with love.
‘I don’t suppose…’ Lucinda bit her bottom lip. ‘Well… you could be over there socializing and building contacts…’
Holly put her out of her misery. ‘Lucinda, are you offering to put your grandson to bed?’
‘I am, but I don’t mean to overstep the mark. I’d never want to be one of those pushy, interfering grandmothers who tell you what you’re doing wrong and make you feel rubbish about yourself. Because you’re an amazing mother and I think you’re doing an amazing job.’ She offered a shy smile, and Holly smiled back.
‘Thank you, Lucinda. I missed your friendship, you know.’
‘Holly, darling, I missed you too. I’ve been so afraid recently about saying or doing something else that would hurt you. I just want you to know that I have always seen you as part of my family.’
‘I always felt like I was too. Until… Well, it’s all in the past now.’
Lucinda smiled sadly. ‘You know, my own mother-in-law was an absolute monster when I had Rich and Dean. She criticized everything and always had a better way of doing it. It made life very difficult at times, and of course, I always doubted myself. You know what Rex is like… a man of few words. He asked her quietly a few times to stop being so critical, but he never really stood up to her for fear of offending her. When Dean… when we lost him, I dreaded her finding a way of making it my fault, but surprisingly, she didn’t. She was so devastated herself that she barely said a word about it to me. I suspect that losing her grandson probably contributed to her decline in many ways.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t you be sorry. You’ve nothing to apologize for.’ Lucinda sighed. ‘There is one thing I wanted to mention, though. Again, I don’t want to overstep the mark here, but… you and Rich. Is there any chance that you might… you know… want to reconcile?’
A shout over by the barn caught Holly’s attention, but it was just a reveller calling to a friend who’d wandered outside for some air. She watched as they wandered across the yard to see if there was any of the hog roast remaining.
‘Oh Lucinda, that’s something I can’t answer at the moment. I mean… you know how much I loved Rich. I still do in many ways, but…’
‘Say no more. It’s only because I want to see you both happy. I know he loves you, Holly. He hasn’t said a lot, but I see it in his eyes, in the way his expression softens when he speaks to you on the phone or replies to your texts. He’s a good boy and he has a big heart. He’s been much more open since he returned from Ibiza; he’s come a long way. Between you and me, it’s like I’ve finally got my son back. Please think about giving him a chance if you still love him. You two could be so good together, especially now you have this little one.’
Holly hugged Lucinda, then checked on Luke again. He gazed up and smiled before blowing raspberries at her.
‘Are you sure you’re happy to look after him?’ Holly wanted to return to the barn to help with the evening, but she would have been equally happy to feed her son and cuddle him then put him to bed. Those times were so precious and she loved being his mum. She was aware that Lucinda loved him too, however, and that having the time with him would mean a lot to her.
‘Of course I am. And I’ll watch this cutie pie too.’ Lucinda patted Gelert’s head and the dog wagged his tail.
Holly helped Lucinda get the pram inside, then stepped back into the evening. Dusk was falling and stars had appeared in the sky, twinkling against the pinky-purple streaks on the horizon. She let herself out of the garden and fastened the gate, then turned to cross the yard.
She froze when her eyes landed on him. Standing there with his hands in his pockets, watching her. Waiting for her. His eyes full of her.
‘Rich.’ His name drifted from her lips at the same moment as she realized that this was it. Tonight was different from all the other evenings since she’d come home.
Tonight, things would change for ever.