‘But there was someone among us who genuinely had Wynmouth’s best interests at heart,’ he said, coming to stand right next to me, ‘and Charlie and I both know that she only did what she did because she thought it was best for the village.’

I risked a glance at Sam and found he was now as red as Charlie had been before.

‘So, when I heard her being accused of colluding with me,’ Joe went on. ‘I knew I was going to have to say something. Tess Tyler might have said more than she should, but she did it with the best of intentions and the fact that her family owns a famous PR firm is a complete coincidence.’

Everyone was focused now on Joe, Sam and me.

‘I’m so sorry, Tess,’ Sam said huskily. ‘When I saw that letter with the firm name stamped on it, I just assumed, well, the worst I suppose.’

I nodded, disappointed that he could have thought so little of me, but I could hardly protest. Twice recently I had jumped to conclusions and got things wrong myself so it would have been hypocritical of me to complain.

‘It’s okay,’ I told him. ‘Had I been in your position, I probably would have thought the same thing.’

‘And while we’re on a roll,’ said Joe, looking at Sam, and keeping me close, ‘and getting a few things sorted, there’s something else we need to discuss, isn’t there, Sam?’

‘There is,’ Sam confirmed. ‘But in private.’

Hope looked at me and frowned and I wondered if my kiss with her other half was about to be revealed. I might have been all for clearing the air, but that was one confession that I thought would do more harm than good if it was set free, especially in view of our earlier half-sibling revelation.

‘So,’ Sam shouted, above the rapidly rising din, ‘I’m going to ask everyone if they wouldn’t mind drinking up because I need to lock up for a little while, but I’ll be open as usual this evening.’

‘Don’t look so worried,’ Joe said to me, ‘everything’s going to be fine.’

‘What’s going on?’ Hope asked.

‘All in good time,’ he told her, another broad smile lighting up his face and making her blush.

If Sam hadn’t sussed out that she and Joe were still mad about each other, then he was even more short-sighted than I had been recently.

‘Well,’ said Charlie, once most people had gone. ‘That wasn’t too bad, was it?’

‘No,’ Joe agreed, ‘not bad at all.’

‘Although,’ Charlie admitted, ‘I can’t help wishing I’d talked things through with folk a bit before I made that call to Sunny Shores.’

Joe rolled his eyes.

‘That might not have been a bad idea, mate. You should have talked to me, if no one else.’