The boy rolled his eyes. Bored with the drama, which obviously wasn’t going to end spectacularly, he shoved his earbuds in and zoned out. At least that was one less Scott to worry about. I turned my attention back to the father.

‘These things happen, sugarplum,’ he was telling his daughter. ‘I’m sure this lady didn’t mean to give Doris to someone else.’

‘She certainly didn’t,’ I quickly confirmed.

‘This would never have happened when Mr Wynter were here,’ said the wife, looking disparagingly at me.

I didn’t think that was the moment to announce I was his daughter.

‘You can have Doris at absolutely no cost this year,’ I said, ‘to compensate for my mistake.’

Ned was looking daggers at me.

‘That sounds like a very generous gesture,’ beamed Maya, who I hadn’t until that moment noticed. ‘And how about a little something from Santa to say sorry, too?’

She handed the boy and girl a stocking apiece. The girl’s tears dried instantly and the lad blushed bright red. He was too old for a stocking but Maya’s lovely smile certainly seemed to strike a chord. I could have kissed her.

‘We’ll see you tomorrow then,’ I said waving them off, having first made sure we had their correct address and postcode. I was going to need it and the Stotts’ to make the switch, along with Ned’s truck. I only hoped he hadn’t got another full day of deliveries lined up.

Chapter 19

By then, a cloying drizzly rain had started to fall, the light was fading and Wynter’s Trees was deserted. No one from the huts had come to give me an update on Wren and so I assumed they still hadn’t heard anything.

I waved Joe off then followed Ned, David and Maya into the office knowing I had some explaining to do. I only hoped that when I told Ned that Wren had been taken ill and I had been distracted and worried about her, he would be a little more understanding about the mix-up I’d accidentally made.

‘Bloody hell,’ he said, running his hands through his hair before I had a chance to say a word. ‘This is a right royal balls up, isn’t it?’

I had seen Joe talking to him before he left and guessed he’d mentioned how busy we’d been, but Ned was clearly unwilling to accept the influx of extra customers which, I remembered, I had also been partly responsible for, as contributing to my mistake.

‘If you would only let me explain, Ned…’ I tried.

‘I know none of this actually matters to you, Liza,’ he cut in. ‘Especially not anymore, but we take pride in our reputation here at Wynter’s Trees and we would like to get through the season with it still intact.’

‘Of course it matters to me,’ I snapped.

‘Why wouldn’t it?’ frowned Maya.