‘And he could take over the beach hut tea round,’ I hastily added. ‘And keep Santa’s sack full of toys while Mrs Claus talks to the children before they go in. And he’s a tall lad too who loves the trees more than anything. I’m sure a bit of extra muscle and exuberance wouldn’t go amiss when you and Maya are busy.’

Ned looked at me and shook his head.

‘Maybe,’ he said, ‘but…’

I never found out what he was going to say next because a car screeched up the drive and into one of the parking spaces. The driver then gave three sharp blasts on the horn which had everyone peering out of the huts.

‘Oh, you have got to be kidding me,’ said Ned, his head dropping.

‘What?’

‘What’s the name of the lad you offered this mythical position to, Liza?’

‘Liam,’ I shrugged, squinting to see who was behind the car wheel.

‘Would that be Liam Chalmers, by any chance?’ Ned tutted as he looked towards the new arrivals.

‘Hey lady,’ shouted Chelsea, through the open car window. ‘I want a word with you.’

Chapter 12

It turned out my instincts, honed over years of working with troubled teens, were right. Liam really did have a whole heap of baggage. The biggest bit was Chelsea-not-so-charming-Chalmers. The mere sight of her made me momentarily regret that I’d been hospitable to Liam and spontaneously offered him some work.

‘Chelsea,’ I said, forcing myself not to turn back into the schoolgirl she had been so adept at intimidating, as she leapt out of her car and slammed the door shut. ‘Welcome to Wynter’s Trees.’

‘You have got to be frigging kidding me!’ she growled, shooting me a withering look.

‘Hey,’ said Liam, who I hadn’t noticed was in the passenger seat and was now climbing out. ‘I think you should just…’

Chelsea spun round.

‘Don’t you dare tell me to calm down,’ she fired at him, sounding livid. ‘Not again. So,’ she said, whipping back around as she strode through the gate, ‘what have you got to say for yourself? What the hell were you playing at inviting my lad in to your home for a hot chocolate and then into your car? I thought you were a teacher. Surely you know that sort of behaviour isn’t allowed?’

I took a moment to try and make sense of what was happening and thanked my lucky stars the place wasn’t particularly busy. I had wondered last night if I was doing the right thing, but what else could I have done? Sent the lad back over the wet fields, freezing cold and inadequately dressed when he wouldn’t let me call his family? And then another thought landed, why had Chelsea just called him, ‘my lad’?