Wednesday was the first day I was in charge of running Wren and Theo’s hut and, as it wasn’t too busy, I had the opportunity to settle into the routine of serving and selling without any stress inducing queues or impatient customers. There was a steady trickle of people arriving and leaving, rather than the rush I had been dreading and, aside from running low on bubble wrap, the day went without a hitch.

I checked, checked and checked again whenever I keyed a payment into the card reader and I made use of the quieter moments to tidy, rearrange and write down exactly what had been sold. My desire to keep track of everything in such minute detail might have been a little over the top, but once bitten and all that and I did feel better for doing it.

Thursday however, turned out to be a totally different day and my nerves were set jangling from the off.

‘Hey, Liza,’ said Maya, the second I opened the beach hut door. ‘How’s it going?’

Our paths hadn’t crossed at all the day before, but I had known my luck was bound to run out at some point. The sight of her fresh-faced and ready to spend another day working beside her beau made me feel more like a traitor than ever. Which, of course, was no less than I deserved.

‘Good,’ I told her, and doing my utmost to sound as if there was absolutely nothing the matter at all. ‘Really good. Yesterday was great. I’m just hoping now that I’ve got the stamina to get through today and tonight.’

Wynter’s was hosting another late-night opening event, much the same as the night the huts were launched, and everyone was bracing themselves for a brisk few hours of trading.

‘I’m sure you’ll be fine,’ Maya kindly said, making me feel even worse. ‘Although you do look a bit flushed. You’re not coming down with a cold or something, are you?’

‘No, no,’ I said, waving her caring concern away. ‘I’m fine.’

‘That’s all right then.’

‘How’s it all going over there?’ I asked, with a nod to the barn.

I didn’t particularly want to prolong the conversation, but my paranoia had me thinking that she might get a bit suspicious if the chat was all one way.

‘Great.’ She grinned. ‘Did you see Ned’s happy dance yesterday?’

‘Is that what that was?’ I couldn’t help but smile. ‘I did wonder.’

I had surreptitiously watched as he arrived back late in the afternoon, then leapt out of the truck and treated everyone to an unguarded and very public kitchen disco moment. It wasn’t the kind of abandoned demonstration I would have had him down for displaying, but then I still didn’t know him all that well, did I?