Four months. One impossible task. It’s time to save Christmas.

Bella Reed has worked at The Highland Flower Shop ever since she left college and now her Aunt Jane has handed the keys and the lease over to her. With the business under her reign, Bella is ready to hit the ground running – until she’s dealt a massive blow. They’re being evicted.

When dashing businessman Maverick McIntyre turns up in Fort William, Bella discovers the reason they’re being kicked out. He has no intention of honouring a ridiculous deal his father made many years ago.

As Maverick and Bella lock horns, they both begin to see different sides to one another and before long the two strike up the most unexpected of friendships. Bella knows she has to keep business separate, but when her head and her heart are saying two different things, life starts to get complicated.

No matter her feelings, Bella isn’t about to let anyone down and the entire town’s counting on her to save Christmas.

 

Available on multiple platforms in various formats. For Amazon UK and US click on the buy links below:

 HTTPS://WWW.AMAZON.CO.UK/CHRISTMAS-HIGHLAND-FLOWER-SHOP-BESTSELLING-EBOOK/DP/B0B659L6RZ

 https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Highland-Flower-Shop-bestselling-ebook/dp/B0B659L6RZ

 

Audio link:

HTTPS://WWW.AMAZON.CO.UK/CHRISTMAS-AT-HIGHLAND-FLOWER-SHOP/DP/B0BD9282WR

HTTPS://WWW.AMAZON.COM/CHRISTMAS-AT-HIGHLAND-FLOWER-SHOP/DP/B0BD9685FP

 

Read Chapter One:

 

The Highland Flower Shop

Fort William, Scotland

The Festive Countdown

 

As I unlock the door to the Highland Flower Shop a little fizz of excitement courses through me. With Christmas only nine days away the shoppers are going to be out in force. Glancing at the display in the shop window I think we outdid ourselves again this year and it’s my job to keep the displays looking perfect.
Four three-foot high white angels are suspended from the ceiling, their golden trumpets held aloft as they hover in an arc above an old wooden flower cart loaded with Christmas roses. It’s simple and not cluttered, allowing our customers to gain a peek at the bounty inside. In the depths of winter, they can step into a colourful oasis, steeped in Christmas cheer. That evocative scent from the pine needles on the mini potted Christmas trees mingles with the heady perfume of the hyacinths and narcissi. The grandeur of potted orchids, brightly coloured gerberas, the striking trumpets of the amaryllis, and the sweetly scented freesias to name a few, are the perfect gift to brighten someone’s day. But there are also the earthier fragrances, everything from bay leaves to the greenery we associate with hedgerows – the bounty that nature often gives us for free.
I hurry through to the floristry desk, just in time to hear hammering on the back door. Swinging it open, I’m greeted with a huge grin.
‘Mornin’, Bella. Another van load of holly, mistletoe and ivy. Sales must be good!’
‘Hi, Angus. Thank you so much for dropping it off so early.’
‘Do you want me to carry it through to the shop, or put it in the cold store? We did some major cuttin’ back and the holly branches are on the large size. I didn’t have time to whittle ’em down, I’m afraid.’
‘Oh, that’s not a problem at all – the more, the merrier. Bring it through and stack it against the back wall of Santa’s Grotto. I have my safety gloves ready and waiting.’
‘Good luck with that. But I did manage to pick out some of the best bits with lots of berries. See, I do listen.’
That makes me chuckle. ‘I wasn’t complaining, honestly,’ I declare. ‘I simply remarked in passing that the berries aren’t so prolific this year.’
As Angus walks back to his van, he calls over his shoulder, ‘Well, I can’t upset my favourite florist, so I kept me eye out for the pick of the crop. You know me – remembering dates isn’t my thing and if it weren’t for you keepin’ an eye out for me and sendin’ the missus flowers for her birthday and anniversary every year, I’d be in big trouble.’
It’s a small price to pay in return for Angus supplying us with as much festive greenery as we can use each December. He owns a small family farm, and he refers to his trips here as a recycling run.
I go in search of my secateurs and when I return it looks like a holly bush is walking towards me. ‘Mind yersel…’ Angus calls out. ‘Bit of a monster comin’ through.’
All I can see is the top of his bobble hat and the tips of his steel toe-capped boots. But oh, those berries are glorious!
‘Angus, you’re a real gem. We have a stack of orders to go out today and I was beginning to panic.’
He lays it down onto the floor rather gingerly. ‘Right, I’ll fetch in the rest.’
It doesn’t take him long to fill the entire gangway between the sleigh ride and the wall. We stand side by side looking at the haul. ‘Can you use it all?’ he queries. ‘I might have got a bit carried away with this load and I have enough for another run if you want it.’
‘It won’t go to waste, believe me. We’re on countdown now and it’s time to freshen up all the greenery in our displays before they dry out and lose that shiny lustre.’
‘Well, anyone who loves Christmas knows exactly where to come to get a fix. You can’t leave here without a smile on your face and a bit of joy in your heart!’
‘And thanks to you, this little lot should see us through until we shut for the holidays. Oh, before I forget . . . I have a little something for you . . . well, for the missus.’
When I carry in the large, galvanised planter full of Christmas roses his face breaks out into a huge smile. ‘You didn’t have to do that, Bella.’
‘A favour for a favour. And who doesn’t love Christmas roses? They work well both indoors and out. I added a few hyacinth bulbs in between them so when you see the little shoots appearing you’ll know what it is. Merry Christmas, Angus – I hope it’s a good one for you and your family.’
Angus steps forward to take the planter from my arms. ‘The world could do with a few more like you in it, Bella. I hope Santa brings you everything on your wish list,’ he says with a cheeky grin as I give him a grateful hug.
‘He’s been sprinkling a bit of Christmas magic around already, Angus, so I’m happy,’ I inform him. ‘We’ve had a few technical issues, but Santa’s Grotto is going to be busy today!’
As Angus steps out through the door, I can hear him chuckling away to himself and then in his baritone voice he starts singing ‘The Holly and the Ivy’. He knows I’m listening and that it’ll make me smile.
Anyway, now I have a lot of work to do before the others arrive. But just the smell from all that fresh greenery wafting around me makes me draw in a deep breath. At Christmas time it’s the smells that often bring back those evocative childhood memories. I grab a stack of tall metal bins and ease on my gloves to begin clipping. Before long I, too, am singing to myself as I work. Well – it’s not exactly work when you love what you do, is it?

My best friend Holly and her five-year-old daughter Katie bustle into the shop, their eyes shining as they chatter away to each other. I’m in the middle of assembling a bouquet, so I give them a welcoming smile as they walk past the counter. By the time someone comes to relieve me for a break, they’re almost at the front of the queue for Santa’s Grotto.
‘You two look very festive.’ I grin at them. They’re wearing matching knitted red bobble hats and scarves sporting tiny white snowflakes that sparkle.
Katie launches herself at me, wrapping her arms around my waist and hugging tightly. ‘They were a present from Buddy the elf,’ she exclaims, bubbling over with excitement.
Little does she know that I’m Buddy’s personal shopper and I struggle to contain my grin. Buddy’s arrival on the first of December is a highly anticipated event, one I feel privileged to be a part of.
I lean in to give Holly a hug, her eyes are full of laughter. ‘Angus must have arrived bright and early. That wall is amazing, Bella.’
‘It smells better than fresh air!’ Katie exclaims, wrinkling up her cute little nose and sucking in a deep breath.
The heady scent of the flowers mingles enticingly with the freshness of the long trails of greenery that now hang down like a curtain on the wall behind the floristry counter. As I took the old garlands down, I did wonder whether it was a little over the top but when Angus arrived with the second load I threw caution to the wind.
‘Why the frown, Katie?’ I ask, following her gaze.
‘The real Santa doesn’t wear a fake beard,’ she declares reproachfully. ‘Um – does he?’ Her sweet little voice wavers.
As the three of us stare in Santa’s direction, it’s hard to suppress a poignant ‘ahh’. This time last year little details like that would have been lost on her. The curly shoulder-length, almost-white hair is real as is the beaming smile and the rotund belly, but the moustache and beard aren’t exactly a great match.
Holly flashes me a mirthful look as she kneels down in front of my darling little goddaughter. I watch as the proud mum sweeps some strays hairs away from Katie’s flushed cheek, her eyes full of love. ‘No, super girl, of course not!’ she answers firmly.
‘Santa’s helpers just dress up to look more like him, don’t they, Mum?’
‘They do. I’m sure Santa wishes he could be here in person to join in with the fun, Katie, but this is his busiest time of the year. It’s his job to remain at the North Pole to make sure everything runs smoothly.’
‘I see,’ Katie replies in a serious tone, a little frown puckering her forehead.
Holly casts me an anxious glance, wondering what’s coming next.
‘Do you think Mrs Claus helps him, Mum? I mean, you’re good at organising things and making lists – I hope she is, too. You know, just to make sure Santa doesn’t forget anyone.’

Aww . . . my heart constricts as Holly throws her arms around Katie. ‘Stop worrying, silly thing,’ she half-whispers, holding her close. ‘Santa has a whole team to help him, and he’s never let us down, has he?’

It’s heart-breaking knowing why Katie’s thoughts are going in this direction. Her dad, Nick, is a lovely guy but he doesn’t do himself any favours. Nick promised Katie several times over that he would be here today. Then, half an hour ago, Holly received a text:

Sorry, honey, I can’t get away from work right now. Give Katie a hug from me and say I’ll make it up to her. Promise! x

Doesn’t he realise how important events like this are to his daughter and how excited she is in the final run-up to Christmas?
‘That’s true, Mum,’ Katie agrees. But I watch as her lower lip begins to wobble. ‘Dad’s in trouble, isn’t he? How is he ever going to remember anything now that he doesn’t live with us anymore? I had to remind him twice about my birthday and that’s not right, Mum.’
The irony is that Katie’s innocent little comment is telling. It’s only Holly who has kept things functioning properly for them as a family. The day she drew a line and said ‘no more, I’m done’ shocked Nick, but obviously not enough for him to man up. Several weeks on and he continues to make one bad decision after another, and the financial impact is a constant worry for Holly.
But it’s not just that – every single time he disappoints Katie, Holly will take yet another small step back from him, until they are so far apart that the love she has for him will turn into apathy – or worse – resentment.
‘Dad will be fine. Besides, he’s not far away is he, my super girl? He’ll soon get himself organised, he’s just very busy at work right now.’
What else can Holly say? The reason she turned down Nick’s marriage proposal shortly after they discovered she was pregnant with Katie was because she knew it was a knee-jerk reaction on his part. Nick said he was ready to settle down, but the truth is that he wasn’t. And here we are, five and a half years later and he’s still letting his family down. For Katie it’s understandably confusing. Her dad loves them both and they love him in return, but even a child knows when it’s not working.
‘OK, Mum. It’s just a shame for Dad to miss out. It’s not quite the same without him, is it? It makes me sad, and I wish—’
Holly brushes a hand across her cheek as she stands, and I realise she needs a moment to herself.
‘Hey, Katie – it’s your turn next!’ I interrupt, pointing to the tickets clutched tightly in her hand. Her eyes check out the flashing numbers on the small TV monitor on the wall and she grins back at me.
‘At last!’ She grins back at me excitedly and it’s a joy to witness.
‘I think your mum is ready for a cup of coffee though,’ I remark. ‘Why don’t you and I jump on now before I get back to work, and then you can have another ride with Mum in a little while?’
Katie’s smile is replaced with a sense of hesitation. ‘Are you allowed to have more than one ride, Bella?’
I give my goddaughter a wink, which makes her face light up.
‘My Aunt Jane knows Santa personally and as it’s her shop I think it will be just fine.’ Grasping Katie’s hand in mine, she giggles.
‘See you in a little while, Mum!’ Katie calls over her shoulder while tugging on my hand. A quick glance at Holly as she gives me a grateful, if rather watery smile, makes it hard not to heave a sigh. If two people who love each other so much and have succeeded in creating such a bright little spark like Katie can’t make it work, what chance do the rest of us have?

As the afternoon continues, the Highland Flower Shop is buzzing with people.
‘We made it happen, my lovely!’ Dad sidles up next to me as I’m hand-tying a posy of white roses, stems of eucalyptus leaves, and sprigs of incredibly realistic ruby-red berries. ‘It’s been a constant stream of comings and goings. Two more tickets sales and we’ll have hit the two-hundred mark.’
This is the time of the year when the huge extension at the rear of the shop transforms into Santa’s Grotto and the covers come off the sleigh ride. The cavernous space does add to the chill factor in our notoriously cold Highland winters, but people who work with flowers are used to dressing up appropriately for work. Thermal underwear might not be glam but it’s practical. Today, though, the heating is on and the sheer volume of people milling around is enough to raise the temperature by several degrees.
The sleigh ride accommodates twelve people quite comfortably, with Santa at the helm as he recounts one of his Christmas adventures. The hand-painted, revolving canvas backdrop takes them on a magical journey to the North Pole. The sleigh, a two-seater cherry-red engine pulling five individual carriages, travels around an oval track.
‘It was a close call though, wasn’t it? But you saved the day, Dad.’
‘With a bit of luck, it will see us through to Christmas Eve now. Pop would be proud it’s lasted this long and that’s down to someone’s stubborn determination,’ he laughs, and I join in.
‘Stubborn, am I?’ Aunt Jane appears at Dad’s side, leaning in to give her brother an affectionate hug. ‘You deserve that, considering how hard you’ve worked, Tom. At least we have a little over a week to fit in as many rides as we can. The extended opening hours should mean that no one misses out.’
‘Cathy and I will be here every day to give a helping hand, you can count on that, and the committee are busy reorganising the helpers’ rota as we speak. I’m only sorry that we lost three whole weeks to constant breakdowns.’
‘Well, we have a whole year in which to get it sorted properly, so let’s not worry about that now,’ Aunt Jane confirms. A look of relief passes over Dad’s face – like me, I suspect he was thinking this is it.
‘Ye couldnae done any better, Tom,’ Mrs Mac joins in.
Mrs MacTavish has worked here since the day the shop first opened; she’s as much a part of the charm as the sleigh. It’s hard to imagine this shop without her presence.
Aunt Jane walks over to rearrange some of the buckets of flowers to widen the walkway through to Santa’s Grotto. No doubt the lady I was serving has wandered out there to take a peep. With the Christmas music playing in the background, the laughter and squeals coupled with Santa’s booming voice, it’s both intriguing and jolly. Happiness is infectious. However, with a stack of orders still to be fulfilled it’s not as if I don’t have anything else to do and I’m in my happy zone. My fingers are busy and I’m in a festive mood.
I let my mind drift back to my early beginnings, and how this all became such an integral part of my life. My unofficial apprenticeship began at the tender age of twelve, when I spent every Saturday at the Highland Flower Shop sweeping up and making tea and coffee. Aunt Jane taught me everything I know about floristry, and it turned out I was a natural. But Mum and Dad said I needed an additional skill set – as you never know what the future will hold. I went to college and gained a diploma in business management. For the last eight years I’ve been working here full time and loving every minute of every day.
When Holly joined us four years ago her role included helping Mrs Mac in the office, in between serving customers in the Christmas Cave, our all-year-round festive display area on the first floor. It meant that Mrs Mac could take the odd hour off if she needed to. It works well for them both, because occasionally Holly has to leave early if her mum can’t pick Katie up from school.
Even though the staff aren’t family in the real sense of the word, it’s what we’ve become and it’s one of the two main reasons why our customers keep coming back.
The other reason is that when Aunt Jane moved back to Fort William after almost a decade spent managing a florist’s shop in Edinburgh, luck had it that she found the perfect premises to rent. She had a vision – one that seemed almost an impossibility at the time.
We’d recently lost my granddad, George – affectionately known as Pop – from a heart attack. It was only a few months after he and Grandma Susan had made the permanent move to their pretty villa in Faro, on the Algarve. When he’d sold his shop, Pop reluctantly put the wonderful sleigh ride into storage. He and his father had lovingly built it together way back in the sixties. For two generations, his double-fronted ironmonger’s store in the High Street was a local landmark. It stocked everything from paint, seeds, to homewares – but there was also a permanent Christmas display. If you wanted baubles, or silver reindeer candle holders in July – Pop could sort you out.
Starting on the first of December every year, families came from far and wide to meet Santa and take a ride in the hand-built sleigh. It took up over a third of the retail floor space, but it was Pop’s pride and joy. And it brought a lot of visitors into the area.
Aunt Jane returned because the loss of a father makes you realise how important family really is and how quickly time passes. Pop’s old school friend, Randall McIntyre – whose successful property investment company own a number of premises in the High Street – was very accommodating. If it wasn’t for him then I doubt that one of Fort William’s biggest Christmas events would have continued. Being able to rent a property from someone who had fond memories of Pop, shows how well respected he was for his charitable work.
We’re now into the third generation of customers for some families. The sleigh ride brings back nostalgic memories and it’s still a magical experience for a generation of children used to animation and CGI. This old-school style experience has all the appeal of a trip on a steam train. Throw in a twenty-minute audience with Santa, and it makes it just that little bit special – kids and adults alike join in the fun!
The twist is that Santa doesn’t hand out presents or ask children what they want for Christmas. Instead, each visitor brings along a gift to donate to the local charity set up to help families struggling to make ends meet. In return for their ticket, each passenger receives one of our special wooden snowflakes to hang on their Christmas tree at home. Which is why we’re delighted that this year isn’t a total wipeout now that they’ve fixed the faulty wiring.
I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Randall McIntyre in person, but he’s a man who has supported many charities over the years. Striking a deal with Aunt Jane to make the renting of this place affordable has allowed Pop’s dream to continue in a real-life Christmas-miracle fashion. And here we still are, sixteen years later, but to say things are creaking along is probably an understatement.
‘I’m back.’ Aunt Jane’s words interrupt my daydreaming. ‘Judging by the noise level coming from upstairs, your mum is no doubt rushed off her feet and might appreciate a little extra help. I know Mrs Mac is up there serving too, but Cathy is overdue a coffee break.’
‘No problem – poor Mum! This little pile of delivery notes is all done and the flowers are in the cold store out back ready for when the vans get back. It’s wonderful to be this busy and I think on the flowers side, we’re rivalling Valentine’s Day.’
‘A lot of people didn’t expect us to pull it off this year, Bella. It’s been disappointing having to turn people away because the sleigh ride keeps breaking down, but when they heard it was a go no one wants to miss out. It really is the season of goodwill and I’m proud of what we’ve achieved.’ A sense of sadness sweeps over Aunt Jane’s face. It’s a look I’ve never seen before and a cold feeling stirs deep down inside of me.
‘What’s wrong?’ I venture to ask.
‘There’s something I need to tell you. This will be my last Christmas running the shop, Bella. I’m cashing in my retirement fund and at some point next May I’ll be moving to Faro. It’s time to start handing over the reins to you.’
My jaw drops. ‘Is Grandma Susan poorly?’
Aunt Jane shakes her head vigorously to reassure me. ‘No. This is about Vic and me, Bella.’
Vic’s fabulous villa is Aunt Jane’s second home and it’s a ten-minute walk to Grandma’s place. While they’ve been seeing each other for almost two years now, Vic understands that the Highland Flower Shop is very much Aunt Jane’s baby. The plan was for her to retire on her sixtieth birthday, which is still five years away.
‘Oh, I see. It’s good news, then?’ The positivity in my voice masks the turbulent mix of emotions running through my head.
‘It is,’ she replies, happily. Even so, there’s an unmistakable wistfulness in her tone. ‘I’ll be around to give her a hand, of course, when and if my mother will allow me – she’s sprightly for a seventy-four-year-old. It’s all that ballroom dancing. But Vic says our lives are on hold and he doesn’t want to wait any longer. He says that every day we’re apart, is a day we won’t get again – so it’s crunch time, Bella. And my feline buddy, Art, is missing me, too – Vic says it takes Art a while to settle back into his routine after one of my visits. I hope you can understand that as much as I love this place, it’s time to make the break.’
Talking about inheriting the business is one thing, the reality of it is another. Am I ready?
‘I know how tough it’s been on you, but—’ I hesitate for a second, realising that every single day I’ve worked here has been leading to this, and Aunt Jane quickly jumps in.
‘The business is growing steadily and while it’s not a goldmine, it means the world to me to pass it down to my niece and keep it in the family. Hopefully, it will give you a living for years to come. You see, Vic is right, but it also feels a little selfish of me to walk away. However, you’re more than ready to take over, Bella. You are the future of the Highland Flower Shop and you’ve proven that already by opening my eyes to the benefits of taking on commercial contracts. This isn’t just my success, it’s yours too! Now just go and rescue your mum. I’m not going to leave you in the lurch . . . we have plenty of time to ease you into your new role.’
This feels so sudden, Jane has always joked around about the day when I’m in the driving seat, but am I really up to the challenge of moving from being a florist and assistant manager, to the owner of a business?