My face contorts as I try to stop myself chuckling but fail magnificently. This time I do smack his hand. ‘Will you stop it?’

His other hand comes up and brushes my long hair aside so he can lean down and whisper in my ear. ‘Every time you say that, it makes me want to make you laugh even more.’

If my grip on his hand tightens with that delicious Scottish accent so close that every word moves my hair against my skin then it’s completely coincidental, and it’s absolutely not connected to the way I close my eyes and lean into him for a moment.

I can feel Fergus and Fiona’s eyes analysing every movement we make. I know I should move away from him, but he’s solid and his body heat is warm through his olive plaid shirt and I can feel the flex of his forearms against my back.

‘Fiona’s right, you know,’ he says loudly. ‘Every time you speak, I find myself saying ‘why have we never done that?’ You’re exactly what Elffield needs.’

‘Exactly what someone else needs too, hmm?’ Fergus waggles his eyebrows.

This time, Noel steps away and his cheeks are as red as mine when I glance up at him, and I try not to think about how much I liked that arm around my shoulders.

‘You two should pool your ideas for the Christmas tree campaign. Why don’t you both pop off for a cuppa and we’ll watch the stalls before we leave for the day?’ Noel offers.

Fergus and Fiona don’t need telling twice.

‘Don’t forget to talk to the other traders and see what they make of the idea,’ he calls after them as Fiona slips her arm through Fergus’s and they hobble away.

‘You’re meddling again.’ I point an accusatory finger in his direction once they’ve disappeared around the corner towards the hot drinks counter and seating area.

‘Me? Meddle?’ He manages to look so simultaneously innocent and affronted that it makes me grin again. ‘Oh, come on. They’re head-over-heels. I know you see it too.’

‘Yeah, of course. They’re adorable together. They spend most of their time making eyes at each other across the aisle. I’ve never seen someone put away as much gingerbread as Fiona gets through from all the times she wanders over to see Fergus, and he must be the nicest smelling man in all of Elffield with the amount of bathbombs and bubblebath he buys.’

That soft smile plays across his face again. ‘Let me put it this way – I’ve been to Fergus’s house and he doesn’t own a bath, only a shower. He has no need for bath products.’

‘Aww.’ I can’t help the noise that comes out of my mouth. ‘That’s so sweet.’

‘And you wonder why I meddle.’