‘Oh. I wondered why Zen and Ben were so keen on the Tinners’. Mind you I wouldn’t have minded a bit of a sing along. And a very large glass of wine.’

‘I can do the wine … but I can’t stay too long this evening.’ He took the box from her while Sam locked the room. She followed him down the stairs and returned the key to a hook on the wall.

‘Plans?’

He smiled. ‘Maybe …’

‘Oh. Sounds intriguing.’

Drew answered with a cryptic smile and Sam walked out of the Institute and skirted the harbour. There was no point taking the boxes back to the house, as the Tinners’ was conveniently half the way home in one of the back streets behind the harbour.

Drew carried the box in his arms, while Sam had her laptop and bag. They passed by the Harbour Café where the closed sign was turned over. Faint music drifted over the water from the Smuggler’s on the opposite side of the water. Now the meeting had ended, Gabe had been on her mind again. She knew she’d be googling him as soon as she got home.

‘Tell me to mind my own business but are you OK?’ Drew asked, breaking into Sam’s thoughts

Sam had a sinking feeling. ‘Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?’

‘Because I know you too well and we’ve been friends for too long. I know how you felt about Gabe and how he felt about you. We were all mates, after all, even if I was a few years older than you both. How do you feel about him coming back to take part in the festival?’

‘Not thrilled, but you’ve worked that one out.’ She threw a smile at her friend. He deserved her honesty, or something like it. ‘There’s nothing I can do about it and the simple fact is that we need a headline chef, and one that’s going to appear for free – well, I’d be nuts to turn it down. Think how it would look, if I refused his offer because of a family dispute that half the town will have forgotten by now?’

‘I can see you’re in an impossible position. I just wanted you to know that I’m aware it’ll be tough for you.’

Sam laid her hand on his arm. ‘You’re a lovely guy. Has anyone ever told you that?’

‘Not as often as you might think.’ His eyes twinkled.

‘Is that going to change?’

‘I can’t possibly answer that.’

Sam narrowed her eyes. Drew did seem jaunty this evening and his mysterious comments led her to put two and two together.

‘Yes! I thought you were seeing someone new.’ She stopped in her tracks. ‘There’s a new woman, isn’t there? Don’t try to deny it.’

He appeared to be considering then smirked. ‘OK. She’s very new. She’s called Caitlin.’