Christmas In Mistletoe by Clare Lydon

Author:Clare Lydon [Lydon, Clare]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781912019755
Publisher: Custard Books
Published: 2020-11-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Ruby stood at the door of one of the barns, gazing out at the Christmas tree fields behind it. She took a deep breath in. The smell of fir trees was the smell of home.

The barn was one of the more insulated buildings they had. However, it was still freezing on this December Monday morning. It had been stacked high with Christmas trees, but was now two-thirds empty: proof that sales had picked up over the last couple of days. Maybe this year really would signal a change of fortunes for the farm. Hopefully, Ruby’s concert would move the needle, too.

She jogged on the spot for a few moments, then did star jumps to get her blood flowing. She’d done her main vocal warm-up in the house, but decamped to the barn when Mum kept interrupting and commenting on her voice. To finish off her rehearsal, she needed a bit more warmth. She walked over to the barn office in the corner, shut the door, pulled the blinds and turned on the radiators.

Ruby liked to come here when she needed a little time away from the family to play, sing, or just be. The office housed two desks and a comfortable red sofa underneath a wall of Christmas tree photos. On the opposite side of the room was a hospitality station with a kettle, Nespresso machine, and a fridge below. This was where her dad and Scott brought their bigger corporate clients when they’d walked them around the fields and sprinkled them with Christmas magic. Ruby did a few more warm-up exercises, taking slugs of hot water and lemon from her steel-cased flask to ease her voice back into action.

She cleared her throat, pushing thoughts of Fran and how they’d kissed on Friday night from her mind. She could still feel how Fran had grasped her waist with her strong fingers. Still remember how she tasted. Ruby wanted to taste her again. That thought sent a scuttle of heat down her body. Ruby shivered. They’d exchanged a couple of messages since, but Fran had spent the weekend with her parents.

Ruby picked up her folder of song lyrics and got on with the job at hand. Being in the moment and singing. It was her speciality. She called up the backing tracks on her phone, and hit play. She’d just run through ‘Winter Wonderland’ and ‘Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer’ when there was a knock on the office door, and Victoria walked in. It was just like their childhood: Victoria knocked, but then always walked straight in.

“All right, karaoke queen?”

“I hope I'm better than somebody having a go at karaoke.” Ruby folded her arms and frowned. “Otherwise it's going to be a very short and grumbly concert.”

“You’re going to be just fine.” Victoria gave her a hug. “Are you singing your own songs, too? Not just Christmas tunes?”

Ruby nodded. “I will be. But I have to sing the classics as well. You don’t get Robbie Williams or Michael Bublé doing a gig at Christmas without some festive songs, do you?”

“They are Christmas cabaret, though.

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