‘Because he had more faith in his son than he deserved. He thought that inheriting it would inspire some as-yet-undiscovered sentimental side and bring him back here to become a Christmas tree farmer. All he wanted was for this to stay a family business, for his son to take over from him like he’d taken over from his father and his father from the father before him. I’ll always be second best to his real son, but I love this farm as much as he did, and he would’ve loved you. You’ve got the relentless enthusiasm a place like this needs. And buying a Christmas tree farm without even seeing it is exactly the sort of thing he’d have done.’

‘You’re not second best.’ I sink down beside him and my knees splash droplets of mud over us both. I slide my hand down the side of his face and lift his head, forcing him to look at me. ‘You’re knackered, but you’ll never be second best.’

He closes his eyes against the relentless rain and lets out a long breath, and I brush his hair back where I’m still holding his head up. ‘I’m sorry. I should have told you when I found out and given you a chance to explain. I knew you weren’t like that, Noel, but I shut down and pushed you away.’

‘I should have told you. God, I know I should have, but I knew it would make you question my—’

I kiss him. I half-expect him not to respond, but I can’t stop myself doing it anyway, and my hands tighten in his hair when he surges up and kisses me back, letting out a moan of desire that echoes how I’m feeling too.

His arms slide around my waist and he overbalances, pulling me down with him until I’m lying on top of him in the mud, our wet clothes dragging against each other’s as his lips don’t leave mine.

His hair is wet, tangled, muddy, and so is mine as his fingers stroke through it and pull it aside. His lips trail across my jaw and down my neck, his wet skin sliding against mine, my fingers curling into the sodden material of his long-sleeved T-shirt. Everything’s wet and slippery and I’m pretty sure we’re both covered in more mud than you would generally want from a kiss, but none of it matters, because he’s here and he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.