Carola, never one to miss an opportunity, had installed her daughter Emily to persuade people to pay a pound to guess where in the scene Santa was supposed to have hidden the reindeer food. The nearest guess would win a bottle of champagne and funds raised would go to the upkeep of the village hall. Laurel had paid her pound and guessed it was hidden amongst the rocks, because Grady had painted them.

Her other contributions to the art wall were already on display: three of her mother’s watercolours of the village alongside her own canvas of the two boys, which she’d taken from the Art December window at The Nookery, to Daisy’s disgust. Isla’s pictures were not for sale but Laurel’s bore a ‘POA’ sticker, along with her phone number. She had no expectation of selling but Grady and Daisy had wanted her to exhibit.

Not having her own stall, Laurel had helped others set up, stood in for them during loo breaks and fetched drinks and snacks. She’d based herself at Grady’s stall of sensuously shaped, beautifully shaded gourds but then Mac and Tonya had hoved into view and she’d wandered off in the other direction. She didn’t mind. It was a relief to see them smiling and back together, as Grady had already told her they were, and they were Grady’s family. They were there to support him and Niall. That was good.

Alone and at a loose end, she thought, wistfully, it was a shame that Rea would probably rather scale the village hall roof without climbing gear or a safety net than come inside with this babble of chatter and laughter. It would have been nice to exclaim over the stalls together, buying gifts or ornaments.

Instead, Rea was happy being left behind. She was in talks with the insurance company about buying Daybreak. Her first offer had been refused but she’d raised it five hundred pounds and that had been respectable enough to be considered. The representative had also confided that it would be a lot less trouble to the company for Rea to buy Daybreak than to arrange for her to be collected and transported to a sale. Rea was so excited she’d asked Laurel or Daisy to go with her to visit Daybreak every day this week. Laurel hadn’t thought that would happen when she’d introduced her to the pony, and silently congratulated herself – and her sister – every time Rea suggested it.