Page 61 of Happiness Under a Summer Skye

‘You’re happy then, Miss MacAuley?’ he asked.

Angelia shook her head. ‘Not just happy. Over the moon, Noel! And please call me Angelia. Anyway, I wanted to pop in and ask what you and the team are doing tomorrow night? Because if you’re free you should come to the summer concert in the village hall. It’s going to be a brilliant event. There’ll be music, dancing and a few good raffle prizes too. All proceeds to the upkeep of the hall. And the drinks are on me for all of you, as a thank you for all your hard work.’

Noel smiled. ‘That’s grand, thank you. I’ll tell the lads and lasses. It certainly sounds like fun. Are you doing a turn?’

Angelia glanced at Ed and then at Bella; her plans were still a secret from the choir, of which Bella was a member. ‘Ah, I don’t think so,’ she lied but felt her cheeks burning.

He tapped his nose. ‘Right-oh,’ he said with a wink.

There was a tapping on the window, and they all turned to see Ferris waving. ‘I think you’re wanted,’ Ed said. ‘Shall I take Scrappy for a walk and meet you at the café in an hour?’

She smiled. ‘Scrappy would love that, wouldn’t you, lad?’ she asked the dog who wagged his tail as if he understood every word.

‘Come on, fella,’ Ed said as he wandered out of the shop, acknowledged Ferris briefly and then continued across towards the pub.

‘Right, well, keep up the good work,’ Angelia said. ‘And Bella, I’ll see you tonight for our final rehearsal.’

‘I’ll be the one quaking in my boots,’ Bella said with a giggle.

Angelia stepped outside to where Ferris was waiting. ‘Hi, Ferris, how are you?’

He smiled. ‘I’m… erm… I’m good, I think. I have news. Shall we go grab a coffee? My treat.’

‘Sounds like a plan,’ she said and followed him into the café, where she headed for their usual table which was tucked away in a corner. There were a few other people in there, including some of the locals who she had met. Evin and Grace were there, too, and waved at her. And as she walked past one of the tables, a teenage girl who was sitting with her parents, playing on her phone, looked up and gasped.

‘Mum, it’s Angel from Angel and the Fallen,’ she whispered.

‘Are you sure, love?’ her mum asked.

‘One hundred per cent. Can I go say “hi”?’

‘Oh, no, love, leave her be. She won’t want to be hounded by people. It wouldn’t be fair.’

‘But mum, she’s⁠—’

‘No, Sarah, it’s rude.’

Angelia remembered the similar situation she had been in when she had met Ruby for lunch and the young couple had clearly wanted to say hello. She stopped and turned to face the girl. ‘Hi, Sarah, is it?’

The girl’s eyes widened and her face turned cerise. She nodded.

Angelia smiled. ‘It’s lovely to meet you. Would you like a selfie?’

The girl looked at her mum, her eyes now filled with happy tears. Her mum stood up and held out her hand. ‘Hello, thank you, I think you’ve just made her birthday,’ the woman said.

Angelia shook her hand. ‘It’s really no problem. And it’s your birthday, Sarah?’ she said, addressing the girl again. ‘Happy birthday. How old are you today?’

‘Th-thank you. I’m thir… thirteen.’

‘Oh, wow, I remember being that age,’ Angelia said with a smile. ‘What did you get?’

‘Partly this holiday,’ the girl replied, clearly still a little awestruck.

‘She wanted to come to Skye because she heard you’re from here,’ the mum said.

Angelia was touched by that. ‘Ah, well, Skye is beautiful so it’s a good place to come on holiday. What else did you get?’

The girl, now overcome with emotion, wiped away the tears that had escaped down her face. She sniffed. ‘Some money towards a guitar.’