So, he wasn’t moving to Porthmellow. Sam cursed herself. Just a month before, she’d longed for him to leave, now she was disappointed he wasn’t staying. ‘OK. You must be very busy. I should have realised you wouldn’t be able to run it yourself.’

‘I didn’t say I wouldn’t be closely involved. I just haven’t decided quite how hands-on to be yet. I’m going to see how it goes, you know …’ His voice petered out and he turned to her. ‘Sam?’

She nodded. She couldn’t think of any words that wouldn’t reveal how she felt. How torn she was between wanting to be with him and wanting him three hundred miles away. She still had a lot of forgiving to do – so did he – and she couldn’t shake the feeling that some of her questions about Gabe and Ryan still hadn’t been answered.

A workman dropped a sledgehammer with a clang and they both jumped.

‘I must get back to Stargazey. I still have to make a ton of pies for the festival. We’ve sold half the stock from the unit to all the festival workers, so we’re nowhere near having enough to keep us going over the festival. Stefan and a local teen from the village are running the van over the weekend, but I can’t expect him to make the stock on his own.’

Before Gabe could reply, Sam’s phone rang. ‘Sorry, have to get this. It’s Chloe. Hi, Chloe. How’s it going?’ she said.

As Sam listened, Gabe scrolled through his phone, but she saw he started to pay attention as she tried to soothe a clearly frantic Chloe. ‘OK. OK. Well, you have to go. Family comes first … stop worrying about us. The festival will be fine … Oh, OK … right. See you when you can. Good luck, I hope everything works out for you.’

She put her phone in her pocket again and heaved a big breath. Her life had just become a little more complicated.

‘That didn’t sound good. What’s happened?’ asked Gabe.

‘That was Chloe. Apparently, her daughter’s shitty partner has left her on her own with the baby. Chloe’s worried, naturally, and wants to go to see her in Bristol.’

‘Sounds like a tricky situation. Not the best timing either.’

‘Nothing ever is. Chloe’s ex is away on business so Chloe’s desperate to check that Hannah and Ruby are OK. She’s decided to turn up on the doorstep unannounced and see what happens.’

Gabe sucked in a breath. ‘That’s risky, but I can understand why. When is she going?’

‘Right now,’ said Sam, already running through a list of Chloe’s jobs in her mind. ‘And Drew’s going with her.’

Gabe winced. ‘I’m guessing that leaves you without two of your key team?’