Cam smirked, hooking a black platform Doc Marten onto the lower slat of the fence. ‘Loverboy didn’t tell you he’s drafted us all into volunteer duties?’
It had been too long a day for Rae to put the riddle together, brain clouded by exhaustion and residual worry. It wouldn’t go away completely until Dad came home, and even then, she’d be wary of potential complications. He, on the other hand, had been in good spirits, which may have had something to do with the pain relief and general anaesthesia. He’d even named his new stoma bag, Simon.
Luckily, Martha appeared from the storage shed, hands grubby and loose blue dungarees covered in paint. ‘You’re back!’ She forced Rae into a suffocating hug, not needing to ask about Dad: Rae had texted her updates through the day.
In her periphery, Rae noticed Cam shift uncomfortably and felt doubly perplexed by her presence. She hadn’t seen the two of them in the same vicinity in a decade, the last time they’d spoken ending in tears and raised voices that Rae had been powerless to shield one another from.
‘Not to alarm you,’ she whispered to Martha, ‘but I think I’ve fallen into a parallel universe. Either that, or somebody drugged me at the hospital.’
Martha chuckled as she pulled away, fluffing up her feathery fringe. ‘Yeah, it’s been a weird day. They all just appeared after you left this morning.’
‘Like I said: Loverboy.’ Cam waggled her brows until she saw Martha’s glower. ‘Sorry. I forgot we’re not calling him that.’
‘Struanmentioned that you might need some extra hands for the Strawberry Fair this weekend,’ Warren explained finally, crossing his arms over his chest. He was almost as tall as Struan, and twice as broad, muscles spilling out of his plain white T-shirt.Lucky Eileyhad been Rae’s first thought upon meeting him,though she’d take a bit of softness over rock hard abs any day.
At the sound of his name, that gut-wrenching ache flared again. It hadn’t left since their phone call earlier, just waiting for the right time to make itself known. She shouldn’t have been so focused on him at a time like this, and yet somehow she had enough room in her heart to worry about her dad and grieve the loss of the inexplicable connection she felt with Struan.
Which was why this made no sense. ‘He asked you all to come here?’
‘He’s loves playing hero,’ Martha remarked.
Rae didn’t know what to say, head spinning. She hadn’t wanted to ask for help, at least not beyond the people closest to her, and he’d known that. But as she looked out, the people bustling around, building stalls, began to take shape. Colin, Graeme, Dot. Almost every business owner she’d invited was here.
And Struan had organised all of it. For her.
She must have been tearing up again, because Martha frowned. ‘Rae? You okay?’
‘I just didn’t expect this.’
Cam’s hand brushed over Rae’s shoulder lightly, which Rae knew in Cam language was a tender show of care. ‘Probably because he knew you wouldn’t ask for help yourself, you big tube.’
Maybe. She hadn’t believed she deserved help when she’d gone against Dad’s plans to make this happen, and she was so used to doing everything alone that it hadn’t occurred to her people mightwantto help.
Struan knew what she needed, even when she didn’t.
‘This way, you can still make time to visit your dad every day,’ said Martha.
‘Did you know Struan planned this?’ Rae couldn’t help but ask.
She shook her head, pursing her lips. ‘He surprised us all.’
‘That’s a bloke who really cares, if you ask me,’ Warren added. ‘Eiley would call it his big grand gesture.’ Cam elbowed him in his stomach, and he hunched over with anOoft. ‘What?’
‘We’re not supposed to be acknowledging his big mushy feelings for her.’
‘Why?’
She cast a wary glance Martha’s way, cringing at the stoniness she received in return. ‘His sister is standing right there.’
Rae pinched the bridge of her nose as Warren asked, ‘So?’
‘Did you not receive the mandatory lecture on forbidden love from Eiley?’
‘Oh my God,’ Rae muttered. ‘Please, enough. Struan is a good friend, and I’m really grateful you’re all here, but I can’t do…’ – she waved her hand – ‘this at the moment.’
‘We were just heading off, anyway. I would say see you tomorrow, but I can’t do manual labour two days in a row. I’ll send Eiley instead.’ With a sympathetic smile, Cam led Warren to one of the many cars parked outside the farm shop.
Rae gulped down a deep breath, unable to meet Martha’s eye as she walked towards the house. On the porch, Gran was doling out instructions to the volunteers via a megaphone, her voice piercing Rae’s already sensitive skull. She needed a shower and a true crime documentary binge,otherwise, there was no way she’d make it through the week.
