It obviously means a lot to him, and I want to ask about his father, but he definitely doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. ‘I didn’t think you got this much sun in Scotland.’

He looks over his shoulder at me with a dark eyebrow quirked, like he knows I’m offering a much-needed subject change. He holds my gaze for a long moment, before he shakes his head again and looks determinedly back out towards the river. ‘A common misconception. All right, we get more than our fair share of drizzle, but we’re generally treated to gorgeous autumns and a good bit of winter snow. It’s not for everyone but I think it’s perfect here.’

I make noises of agreement as he starts talking about the Scottish weather because I’m as grateful for the neutral conversation topic as he is. There’s something about him that makes me want to say too much, makes me want to know too much, and it can’t be good, because he obviously isn’t interested in sharing it with me. Besides, I definitely don’t want another man in my life – Steve was more than enough for one year. ‘What do you do with all your pumpkins?’

‘My goal is to sell as many to the public as possible, but it’s impossible to predict how many will realistically sell each year so I end up with loads left over. I sell some to restaurants around the county, and there’s a local produce shop in Peterhead that I supply throughout October. I sell a lot at the market too, and then at the very end of the season, there’s a farmer a couple of miles away who buys whatever’s left in bulk and uses them as cattle feed. But pumpkins are a fussy crop and need a lot of care to grow in this climate. You won’t have to worry about stuff like that with Christmas trees though – trees never expire. Whatever you don’t sell will still be here next year. Any trees that are dead, you can cut down and replant with saplings in the spring, and any trees that are okay but unsellable, you can use the branches for your wreaths, and anything that’s beyond saving, you cut up and poke the smaller bits through the woodchipper and use the chippings as mulch around next spring’s saplings, and dry out the trunks to use as firewood.’

‘You make it sound so straightforward.’ I try not to sound as nervous as I feel. I really hadn’t a clue what I was taking on here, and the huge number of things to do, learn, and keep track of, is beyond overwhelming.