‘Nope,’ said Ned, handing me one of the lodge’s Portmeirion holly patterned mugs. ‘Huskies are the Houdinis of the dog world and this one can get in and out of anywhere. I daresay he thought you’d appreciate the company. He’s an intuitive soul and my guess is he’s picked up on how hard it must be for you, coming back here for the first time since…’

His words trailed off and I took a sip of the coffee, even though it was still a little too hot.

‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘I didn’t mean… that is, I’d told myself I wouldn’t mention…’

‘It’s fine,’ I briskly said, changing the subject. ‘So, what’s on the agenda for today?’

‘Well,’ he said, keenly grasping the alternative topic, ‘Bandit and I are now going for a run. Would you care to join us?’

‘I don’t think so,’ I said, smiling at the thought of my legs, trying to keep pace with his gigantic strides. ‘But thanks for the offer. I’ll stay here and shower instead.’

‘Fair enough,’ Ned grinned, and I wondered if he was thinking the same thing. ‘We’ll see you in a bit.’

The sun was up by the time I’d showered, dressed and breakfasted and with no sign of either Ned or Bandit I decided to have a look around outside. Admittedly, one Christmas tree looked much like another to me, but after being shut in classrooms for the last few weeks, I was craving fresh air and if I ventured far enough, I’d be able to see the patch of land Dad and a few other locals had invested in and turned into a sort of nature reserve. Earmarked for development, battling to save the site had turned Dad into even more of a local hero and I couldn’t deny, I had been proud to see the plot saved and transformed.

The air was crisp and fresh and I was pleased I’d pulled on Dad’s battered old wax coat, which still hung on its familiar hook next to the front door, because there was a definite coastal nip in the air. Sometimes I forgot just how close Wynter’s Trees was to the sea and the impact that could have on the weather. The place seemed to have its own microclimate and that morning the barometer was set to bracing thanks to the breeze.

As I strode out among the rows of trees, I hoped I wasn’t about to turn a corner and be bowled over by Bandit and Ned, but there was no sign or sound of either of them. As I looked around, it struck me that everything felt both familiar and different. David was right, the trees had grown well.