The ping of her mobile phone cut through her concentration and she sighed. It looked like she wasn’t going to get the peace she needed before the Folk Festival kicked off.

A little time later, as she was serving some early arrivals in the shop, Holly glanced up to see Charlie standing hesitantly in the doorway.

‘Hi,’ she breathed, temporarily forgetting the customers and their chunks of Himalayan rock salt she was wrapping up.

‘Hey,’ he replied.

Holly’s hands started to shake. Hurriedly, she finished taping up the tissue paper she was wrapping the rock salt crystals in and popped them into one of her recycled paper ComIncense carrier bags. ‘Thanks very much,’ she said to the young couple who’d purchased them. ‘And enjoy the festival.’

‘Thanks,’ one half of the couple said. ‘It’s our first one. We’re not quite sure what to expect!’

‘Mine too!’ offered Charlie. ‘But Holly here’s filled me in on some of the more, er, unusual things to experience. I hear the crystal-centred rebirthing sessions are well worth a go.’

‘Did you just totally make that up?’ Holly’s eyes twinkled as the couple left ComIncense.

‘Possibly,’ Charlie replied playfully, ‘but in this place, on this weekend, anything goes, I hear!’ He wandered over to the counter as the shop door tinkled shut, and Holly slid out from behind it. Needing no invitation, he pulled her into his arms and gave her a long, lingering kiss. ‘God, I’ve missed you,’ he murmured as they broke apart. ‘All I could think about this week was getting back here and spending the weekend with you.’

Holly, surprised by Charlie’s unguarded admission, felt her heart thump. She knew, beyond a doubt, that if anything more serious was going to happen between them, this was the weekend it was going to happen. She was more than ready, and from the look in Charlie’s eyes, he was, too. ‘I’ve missed you too,’ she said softly.

But there were other, more pragmatic things to do first.

‘So, I’ve asked Chelsea and Isabella to come in to cover the morning and afternoon shifts between them,’ she said. ‘I’m just waiting for them to arrive, and then I’m all yours for the day, barring any emergencies.’ At Charlie’s raised eyebrow, she laughed. ‘Believe it or not, this place does have them sometimes!’

As if on cue, a tall girl with fashionably cropped blonde hair walked in through the shop doorway. She looked surprised to see Charlie, but then smiled. ‘Hi, Holly.’

‘Hey, Isabella,’ Holly said. ‘Thanks for covering today.’

‘No worries,’ Isabella replied. ‘The money’s always handy for that first week back at uni.’

‘Isabella’s starting an MA in Creative Writing in September,’ Holly explained. ‘After doing exceptionally well in her English degree.’

Charlie smiled at the girl. ‘Sounds interesting.’