‘It’s Saturday nineteenth September. A month away. If you want to come then I’ll send you the details once I’ve sorted them. You’re the first person I’ve invited.’

‘Oh? You’ve not invited Steph?’

‘Not yet.’ Technically true.

‘I’ll check my diary. I’m very busy these days.’

And she was gone. It took longer to dispel the grey cloud now loitering over my head. I was already regretting inviting her. The problem was, I thought that in time I would regret not inviting her even more.

28

I decided to speak to Steph about Mum during our next Saturday breakfast, which meant I could put it to one side for now. Except that was easier said than done, mooching about the house by myself. I really needed some company to help distract me. I was far too nervous to message Sam – it was a Friday night; he surely had plans that didn’t include sitting about wanting to talk to me. Instead, I knocked on Ebenezer’s door.

This evening I was met with a pair of raised eyebrows in lieu of a greeting.

‘Joan’s out and I’m all dressed up with nowhere to go.’ This was true; I’d changed into my jumpsuit, hoping it might help persuade him to accept my offer, and had even put on some make-up and styled my hair into glossy curls. ‘I was wondering if you’d do me the honour of joining me for dinner?’

‘Again?’ He narrowed one eye. ‘Tongues’ll start wagging.’

I threw him a coy look. ‘And why would I care about that?’

‘Don’t want to give a certain forest ranger the impression you’re already spoken for.’

Damn my red-head complexion. I could feel my cheeks betraying me even as I tried to laugh it off. ‘Oh, neither of us are interested in being more than good friends.’

He harumphed. ‘When a man looks at a woman the way he looks at you, it’s not friendship on his mind.’

‘Well, for this evening anyway, I am very free to have dinner with whoever I like, without worrying what the village grapevine might make of it. Will you join me, or have you got a date already lined up?’

‘What’s on the menu?’

‘Leftovers from meals I’ve been brought round. Oh, and there’s blackberry pie for dessert.’

He nodded in approval. ‘I’ll get my shoes on.’

The conversation wasn’t exactly scintillating without Joan’s constant chatter, but we talked about Leanne and her parents, and the work that Ebenezer had been doing in the garden.

‘Now that we’re friends, you could do some gardening during the day, when I’m around, so I could pick up some tips. Joan might even like to help you.’

He pursed his lips. ‘I like doing it early.’

‘What about in winter, when it’s still dark?’