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“I think I might go and have a look round now the rush has died down. Will you be okay here?”
“Of course, dear. Go and enjoy yourself.”
I grab my bag and step round the table still laden with cakes despite being swamped with buyers for the last two hours.
Every year the village holds a fair, and every year, Eleanor bakes cakes to sell with the proceeds going to the neonatal unit at a nearby hospital.
As I walk through the various stalls, my senses are assaulted with an assortment of aromas. Burgers and fried onions, candy floss and the rich smell of hot chocolate all waft through the air.
I stop at a homemade jam and marmalade stall, sampling the different flavours before buying a delicious strawberry jam along with a jar of locally produced honey, complete with honeycomb.
Up ahead there’s a fire engine with around a dozen children crowded round excitedly waiting for the fireman to flash the lights.
Rounding the last stall on this row, I spot Max, Rick’s son, standing to the side. I don’t see Rick, but I know he’ll be nearby. Keeping my head down, I hurry my pace into the next row where someone slams into my shoulder spilling my coffee all over the front of me. He continues through the crowd without so much as an apology.
“Yeah, thanks a bunch,” I call out, pulling a tissue from my coat pocket and attempting to wipe myself down. “Arsehole,” I mutter beneath my breath, pulling my scarf from around my neck to use instead when the tissue disintegrates in my hand.
“Ms Fisher?”
I look up at the sound of my name. There standing in front of me is the dark-haired hottie from Rick’s team. Seb, if I remember rightly, and alongside him is the medic that attended to Lottie.
“Uh…hey. Seb, right?”
“That’s right. And this is Jamie,” he introduces. We give each other a scan and nod to one another. “I thought you lived in London. What brings you here?”
“I do…I mean, I did. Err…never mind,” I say, waving it off. “I’m just taking some time out away from the hustle and bustle and helping out some friends.” I dab at my coat with the scarf but give up and ball it up, dropping my hand to my side. When I look back up, I catch Seb’s eyes scan over the marks I know are visible on my neck. I try to pull up the collar on my coat, but stop a second later, tensing when I feel him behind me.
“Hey, man. Look who we bumped into?” Seb says, eyes focused over my head behind me.
I know I should turn around and face him, show him the other night meant nothing and last night even less, but I can’t.
I feel Jamie’s eyes on me too and lifting my head, I look at her. There’s a frown on her face, and I’m not sure if it’s because of the clear finger marks on my neck or my obvious reaction to Rick’s arrival. Her eyes bore into mine asking the question, and feeling even more uncomfortable under her scrutiny, I side-step and half-turn so Rick is to the left of me.
“Hello, Jessica.” The rough timbre of his voice rumbles through me and refusing to let him see the effect he has on me, I force my eyes to meet his.
“Rick.” I give him a nod. Before I can make my excuses and leave, Max pipes up from beside Rick.
“You’re that lady that was talking to my grandma yesterday. You had lots of eggs. My dad and I watched you leave. Didn’t we Dad?”
You can always rely on a kid to drop you in the shit with their unapologetic honesty. Rick tenses beside me, and Seb snort-coughs, trying to hide his laugh. Realising nobody is going to answer, I crouch down to Max’s level.
“Yes, it was me, and your grandma is a very lovely lady. I was collecting eggs from the farm for my friend who baked cakes for today.”
“Really? Dad, can we get some cake?” Max asks, tugging his dad’s hand and eyes lighting up with the prospect of eating cake. When Rick doesn’t answer, I raise my head only to be met with a stare full of conflict.
Sensing the tension between us, Seb cuts in. “Hey, Max, how about me, you and Jamie go and find this cake?”
Max looks to his dad, who, without taking his eyes off me, gives a gentle nod before releasing his hand. Max jumps the couple of spaces from me to Seb as I stand back up.
“Nice seeing you again, Ms Fisher,” Seb says, taking Max’s hand.
“It’s Jess. And good to see you too. Nice meeting you, Jamie, and you as well, Max.” Seb and Jamie walk away with Max between them.
As soon as they are out of sight, I turn with every intention of walking away in the opposite direction. I don’t make it more than a few steps before I’m grabbed by the arm and hurried through a space between stalls to the other side of a large truck.
As soon as we are out of sight of the crowd, I yank my arm free.
“What is your fucking problem, huh? First you fuck me, then run away. Then you come sniffing around in the middle of the night, attack me, and now, you’re behaving like I’m the one in the wrong. Your reception just now was frostier than the Ice Age. So, what gives, Rick? Afraid that Mrs…whatever the fuck your surname is will find out about our—”
