‘Cute then, cute now,’ Jim chimed in, and Mandy and Nicole smiled. ‘Sauce?’ he asked.

As they moved past the stalls, Nicole felt like she was moving through the past and present simultaneously. She pictured Ivy and Lucy standing behind their angels and sculptures, right there where Jacqui sat, perhaps. Maybe the following year Mrs Li joined them with her sponge cakes, there where the cake stall now sat. The year after that, Joan Wetherby with her lamingtons, or lamington cakes as they’d have called them, in direct competition, her table set up opposite, her gaze across the grass steely. Nicole stepped through time and imagined the number of stalls increasing each year, the advantage of fresh, out-of-town blood to sell to each fortnight dawning on people, until it grew to the eclectic crowd it was today. In her mind the two worlds blended into a perfect collage of then and now.

With five minutes to go, the Rangers were down five points. Both sides of the crowd were screaming and cheering loudly, waving scarves and handmade pom-poms. Not a single person remained seated. Nicole’s arm began to throb and she realised Mandy’s hand was buried deep into her flesh.

The referee blew a penalty against Riverton, ten out from touch, and the Rams supporters booed and hissed fiercely.

There was no point going for a field goal. It wouldn’t be enough. Danny looked over to Nicole.

With a pump of her fist she mouthed, ‘Come on.’ Beside her, Mandy held her breath.

Danny winked and flashed a cheeky grin. He tapped the ball, faked a pass, wrong-footed the fattest Riverton player who was in his way and dived towards the line.

A deafening cheer erupted as the ref blew his whistle and indicated ‘try’.

A conversion would win the game.

The Rangers supporters went quiet as Danny lined up for the kick. The Riverton crowd jeered and heckled.

Mandy smiled. ‘He never misses these.’

Danny’s shoulders rose and fell. Step, shuffle, step, kick.

A cheer went up around the spectators – the Rams spectators.

Danny had missed. His posse of mini-me Rangers surrounded him as he came off the field, consoling him with pats on the back. The littlest Ranger, Jason Junior wrapped him in a tight hug.

The atmosphere in The Royal was subdued to say the least. Small groups of players and supporters gathered in quiet conversations and George poured a steady stream of ale.

Nicole looked over to Danny, who was moving around the pub patting his players on the back. He smiled across to her and warmth flowed through her.

‘Given we lost, you two seem pretty happy with yourselves.’ Mandy returned from the bar with a couple of wines. ‘Or is that with each other?’

Nicole couldn’t help but grin.

‘When?’

‘The other day. It was just a kiss.’ Nicole’s pulse started racing just thinking about it. Them. Three kisses.