Ryan hesitated, shrugged and then said, ‘I dunno, mate, but probably because you love her …’ He hesitated. ‘How do you think she’ll react?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Gabe, his stomach stirring unpleasantly. ‘But it’s not going to be pretty.’

Chapter Thirty-Seven

@Porthmellowchick Best festival ever?

@CornishMaid Deffo. See you at the gig tonight, hun. X

And – breathe.

The evening sun warmed Sam’s face, bathing Porthmellow in its gentle rays as Drew and his band set up on the harbour stage. With the musicians tuning their instruments, she felt she could finally enjoy herself – hopefully with Gabe. The daytime bustle had mellowed, giving way to a relaxed evening vibe. Sam loved this time of the festival too, the joyous, chilled-out gentle conclusion, which meant stewards and volunteers could finally relax at last.

It would soon be all over for another year – barring the clear-up operation, of course.

The lack of sleep and excitement had caught up with her, and she’d collapsed into bed – her own – late on Saturday night and slept like a stone until Zennor had woken her at seven this morning. They’d both been far too busy to spend more than a few minutes together since Friday night.

Throughout Sunday, Sam had taken a few calls to deal with minor incidents but as festivals went, it had been a big success. She hadn’t seen the figures yet, but it looked like a record attendance. They should have enough in the bank to look forward to next year’s festival, although someone had already suggested holding a Christmas event. She’d parked that idea until she was less knackered.

She looked around at the smiling faces, chatting over their drinks and food. Chloe and her family had come down to watch the early evening music acts. A man Sam assumed to be Chloe’s ex Fraser looked nervy in his smart chinos and shirt, with a wriggling Ruby in his arms. Chloe, in contrast, radiated happiness now her family were reunited, and Hannah was smiling, taking the yelling Ruby from her grandad’s arms.