The trailer tyre was punctured and almost pulled off the wheel. ‘Bugger it,’ she said. With her hands on her hips she surveyed the situation. The ancient trailer was leaning over and with its tyre almost off it was stranded. She needed to lift the trailer up in order to get the tyre off, but looking at the rusted nuts it was going to be a struggle. But Maggie was nothing if not tenacious. A few hours later she reluctantly accepted this wasn’t something she was going to be able to fix on her own.

*

Maggie’s mind was elsewhere during the deep questions about this week’s book club read – The Fault in Our Stars. She’d thoroughly enjoyed the story and she was sure Tom would too. Most of the group had liked it meaning there wasn’t much of a discussion.

Tom was beavering away in his usual corner. Christine was busying herself with putting up new posters. Maggie was preoccupied by her tyre problems. She could see little choice but to ask a neighbouring farmer for help but as he had pointed out before it wasn’t like she could return the favour so he would expect to be paid for his trouble.

Betty waved a bony hand in front of Maggie’s eyes. ‘I said are you coming to the cake sale?’

Maggie had been miles away. ‘Sorry. Where is this now?’

‘In the church hall. It’s all for charity. Children or cancer or some such thing. Anyway it’s a good cause,’ said Betty.

‘Err.’ Maggie was torn. She’d found she was looking forward to her weekly chats with Tom. Despite being surrounded by women her age it was him she felt most at ease with. If she left now, she couldn’t come back merely for Tom to walk her to the bus stop; that would look ridiculous. She was watching Tom. He had his head down and was studying in the corner. She didn’t like to disturb him but he seemed to sense her gaze and he looked up, giving her a warm smile.

‘Well?’ said Betty growing impatient.

‘I’ll see you down there,’ said Maggie.

She joined Tom at the small table at the back of the library. ‘Hello, you look busy.’

‘Trying to get my head around cumulative frequency polygons.’

She had no idea what they were. ‘I’m going to a cake sale.’ An idea struck her. ‘And I wondered if you’d like me to bring you some back. It’s important to feed the brain when you’re studying.’

Tom pursed his lips. ‘I never say no to cake.’

‘Excellent.’ The joy she felt was ridiculous. ‘What’s your favourite? I can’t promise anything mind.’

Tom seemed thoughtful. ‘I dunno. We don’t have proper cake much. Once Dad bought those cake bar things.’ They both screwed their noses up at the same time. ‘What cake are you getting?’