He may as well accept it. Even after twenty years it was clear Juliet was never going to acknowledge that she might have been wrong about him. Or at the very least, may have judged him harshly for any part he may have inadvertently played in his grandfather's purchase of The Grange.

When Luke had asked him to come and spend Christmas and to try to put the past behind them, a tiny part of him had hoped he might bump into Juliet and that she would smile that smile of hers; the one he still remembered after all these years. That she would say hello, ask how he was, and tell him she was sorry for the way things turned out between them. He'd invite her for a coffee, or perhaps a glass of wine. Not dinner. It would be too soon for dinner. He didn't want to rush things this time. She'd say yes, of course, and they'd spend a convivial hour or so catching up with one another's lives. He knew she hadn't married. Luke had kept him informed in passing and once Daphne moved in and became friends with Juliet's mum, he gleaned a few more details. He would suggest a walk, and somehow, he'd work it so that they ended up at the lake, possibly as the sun was setting. Once there, they'd sit on the bench, as they had twenty years ago, and it would all come flooding back. The way they looked at one another, the way they felt.

Or did that kind of thing only happen in romance novels and films?

It certainly hadn't gone that way in real life. She hadn't looked into his eyes that morning and rushed into his arms. She hadn't even smiled. If looks could kill, he'd be dead and buried, six feet under. She had taken one look at him and fled like a gazelle with a lion at her heels. She'd shut herself in her dad's car and skulked behind the seats as if he were one of the walking dead and she had to hide from him at all costs.

So probably no point in calling round and asking her out for coffee then?

God, what an absolute loser he was. He'd spent twenty years as good as pining for his so-called lost love and all she does is ignore him. Perhaps it was time he got the message. Juliet Bell would never admit that she was wrong. And she'd never give him the time of day, let alone go on a date.

'Yoo-hoo. Harrison. Luke says we're going to the pub.' Kiki's sultry tones wafted along the hall from the doorway of the Dawn room and Harrison smirked.

He'd foolishly asked Daphne to move Kiki from the Rose room last night when he'd gone downstairs for dinner.

'Certainly, Harrison,' Daphne had said, looking a little bewildered. 'I assumed you would want your assistant to be near to you, but yes, I'll move her to a room at the other end of the hall. Leave it with me. I'll have the Dawn room ready before you've finished dinner.'

And she had.

'Why am I moving rooms?' Kiki asked when he went back upstairs and told her he needed her to repack anything she had unpacked so that he or Luke could take her luggage to another room.

'Because the Rose room isn't the room you should be in. I want you to be able to see the sun rise, and you can do that from the Dawn room.'

'But I'm not a morning person.'

'Then now's as good a time as any to adjust. Believe me, we'll both be much happier if you're in Dawn. It's a lovely room. And you've always said pink is so not your colour.'

'Wow. I'm impressed that you remembered. Okay, Harrison. If it'll make you happy.'

She had baulked when she saw it was at the other end of the hall though.

'I'm a restless sleeper, Kiki. I get up and wander around a lot. This way, if I'm constantly opening and closing my door, you won't be disturbed.'

'Aw, Harrison. You're the best boss in the world, and such a good friend. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. But if you feel like wandering in the direction of my room, I won't be that upset.'

'Good to know. Thanks,' he said.

Well, perhaps that was exactly what he should do. Kiki was gorgeous after all, with a fantastic body and legs that went on forever. Would it be so bad to get entangled in those legs? She was fun to be with. She laughed at his pathetic jokes. She was always ready and willing to do anything for him. She even gave up going skiing in Aspen with her brother to come and spend Christmas at a dingy old house with him, his brother and their miserable old grandfather. Did it get any better than that? What on earth was he waiting for?

For Juliet?

Forget it. Forget her. Get over it. Twenty years is far too long to hold on to a memory and a vision of what might have been. That ship had sailed, crashed on the rocks and sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

Luke had asked him to come for Christmas and to put the past behind him. Well, okay. That was exactly what he was going to do. And as they were going to the pub for the evening, tonight would be a good time to start.

'You were very quiet on the way here?' Kiki said, as they got out of Luke's car in the small car park at the rear of The Mistletoe pub.

'Was I? Sorry.' Harrison smiled at her as she linked her arm through his.

'You don't mind, do you?' She looked him directly in the eye. 'It's so icy here and I don't want to slip.'

'I don't mind at all. There'll be ice everywhere so watch your step. The warmth of today melted a lot of the snow and now the temperature's dropped again, it's turned to ice.'

'Thanks for stating the obvious,' Luke said, grinning at Harrison. 'Is this really going to be only the second time you've been in this pub? Didn't you come here during the summer before you left for uni?'

Harrison shook his head. 'No. I kept myself to myself and stayed at the house and then went off to do volunteer work cleaning up a reef or two in the Pacific. It was a hard job, but someone had to do it.' He grinned at Luke. 'And there's a fully-stocked bar at the house, so while I was here, I didn't need to venture out. Besides, I didn't feel much like company at the time.'

'Why not?' Kiki asked, her silky, mahogany hair shimmering in the glow from the myriad fairy lights hanging from every available centimetre of roof, windows and doors of the pub.

'I was eighteen and a very moody teenager but unlike most, I was more into books and nature than I was alcohol and going out. And nothing much has changed in twenty years.'

'Except you're not eighteen anymore,' Luke teased.

'Yeah. Thanks for reminding me. And after we moved into The Grange, coming here once was more than enough. This place hasn't changed from the outside in all that time. Do the Dobbie's still own it?'

'Yep. Kevin and his second wife, Paula. He was still married to the first one the last time you came here. Were you friends with Dan? He's around your age.'

'No. Never met him.'

'Who's Dan?' Kiki asked.

Luke opened the rear door to the pub and held it for her and Harrison. 'He's Kevin's son. He always comes to stay at some stage over the Christmas holidays, so you'll get to meet him. I don't really know him, but we've seen each other around and we say hello and stuff. He lives with his mum in Norway, or somewhere cold like that.'

Harrison raised his brows. 'Let's hope there's not a pub quiz.' He slapped Luke playfully on his arm. 'Somewhere cold like that. God, Luke, remind me never to ask you for tips on holiday destinations.'

'You never ask me for tips on anything, so a reminder won't be necessary.'

Harrison looked at his brother. Was that a mild gripe? Luke's way of saying that Harrison didn't give him enough of his attention? Or discuss things with him? Was Luke feeling sidelined? Left out of Harrison's life? God. Everything he had done had been for Luke's benefit. Well, nearly everything. He had been determined to be successful, and wealthy in his own right, so that neither he nor Luke would ever again have to depend on their grandfather, or look to the old man for support. And Harrison had definitely succeeded in that. But by the time he had, Luke was settled and happy with the way things were. He actually liked living at The Grange. He took friends there during school holidays. On the one occasion Harrison had suggested Luke should live with him, Luke had turned him down.

'I can't leave the old man on his own, bro,' he had said. 'He's always going on about how heart-breaking it was when you walked out on him. It'd kill him if I did the same.'

There was no point in explaining what had really happened. Luke had a soft spot for the old man, and thankfully it seemed, the old man felt the same about Luke. Harrison couldn't ruin that relationship for his brother. It simply wouldn't be fair to him. And Luke didn't need to know the threat the old man had made. Telling him might make Harrison feel happier but it wouldn't do anything for Luke.

But surely Luke knew that he was the most important person in Harrison's life? That Harrison thought the world of him. That the only reason he was here right now was because Luke had wanted him to come?

Apparently not, if that remark was anything to go by. Harrison clearly had some bridges to build. And he had better start that without delay.

'What do you recommend, Luke?' Harrison asked as they strolled towards the bar. 'Is there a local beer?'

Luke shrugged. 'I'm having a G&T. I don't drink beer much. Kevin can suggest one though.'

Of course Luke didn't drink beer. Harrison knew that. Luke always drank G&T when they were together. This wasn't getting off to a good start.

Harrison smiled. 'Great tip. I'll ask Kevin. Kiki? White wine?'

'No thanks. I think I'll have a Bailey's. A double, please.'

Could he get anything right tonight? Why had the pub gone suddenly quiet? He glanced around and noticed several of the customers were staring at him. He should've expected it, really. News of his reappearance must have spread the length and breadth of Mistletoe Row by now. He was well aware that people still talked about the Bows buying The Grange from the Bells, even after all this time. Well, conning the Bells into selling it cheaply and kicking them out onto the street with just the clothes on their backs, was closer to the story at the time. And that probably hadn't changed in twenty years either.

Harrison smiled at the portly, late-middle-aged man behind the bar. 'Good evening. Kevin, is it? I'm Harrison, Luke's brother.'

'I know who you are,' came the reply, without the slightest hint of a smile.

'Excellent. We'd like a double Bailey's with ice, please. One G&T. Might as well make that a double too. And a pint of whichever beer you recommend. Thanks. Oh, and whatever you'd like for yourself and your good wife, and a round of what everyone else is drinking, as it's Christmas and my happy homecoming.'

For a split second, no one reacted; his smile was met with complete silence, and then a bubbly-looking woman, who was obviously Paula Dobbie, flashed him a smile that actually looked genuine. There was laughter in her voice as she eyed him up and down.

'So you're Harrison Bow, are you? I'm Paula. Kevin's wife. Let me get a good look at you. I wasn't here the last time you were, but I've heard the stories, same as everyone else, and I have to say, you don't look half as bad as they all said you would. I was expecting the devil himself. Get the man his drinks, Kevin.' She nudged her husband's arm none too gently, and shook a finger with a long, red-painted nail at the crowded room. 'And the least you lot can do is say thank you. No one else comes in here and offers to buy you all a drink, do they? It's Christmas. Goodwill to all men and all the rest of it. I'll have a Bailey's too, thanks very much, Harrison.'

The room burst into a cacophony of voices. Thanks, pats on the back, and friendly greetings abounded.

Even Kevin smiled as he poured Harrison a pint. 'This here's Mistletoe Magic. It's from a small, independent brewery in Mistletythe. Give it a try and see what you think.'

'Thanks. It's a good colour. I'm sure it'll taste good too.'

Paula winked at him as she poured herself a Bailey's and he beamed at her. 'Thank you, Paula.'

'Don't mention it, love. This is going to cost you a pretty penny.'

'It's worth it, Paula.' He took a drink of the beer Kevin put in front of him. 'That is good, Kevin. I'll definitely have this again.'

'And I'll have a pint myself. Thank you kindly, Harrison.'

Harrison nodded. 'You're welcome.'

He hadn't really wanted to come to the pub this evening. He knew his name was probably still mud around here. But Luke asked him to, so he had, and now he was glad of it. Paula was lovely and so was Kevin. And the rest of the crowd were okay too. He simply had to make an effort to get to know them. It would be great to be able to come to the local pub while he was here. He was happy in his own company but everyone liked to socialise and he was no exception.

'Well,' Luke said, grinning as Harrison handed him his G&T and they walked towards a vacant table. 'It seems you've made some new friends.'

Kiki pulled a face and took a sip of her Bailey's. 'Money can buy you anything, Luke. Haven't you realised that by now?'