Page 13 of The Christmas Fayre on Holly Field

Owen would be proud of me, she thought, as she rounded the corner into the green. Then she felt a flash of disappointment when she didn’t see his van, and she hoped he’d gone to the campsite she had told him about and hadn’t left Foxmore for good.

Still, even if he had left the area, he had given her something to think about when it came to her future buying habits. And if he had gone, she wouldn’t need to worry about making a card for Darlene’s birthday, because he wouldn’t be here to know if she bought a new one. They did some lovely cards in the shop on the high street, even if they were rather expensive.

‘He’s single,’ Pen announced as soon as Harriet entered the cafe.

Harriet stowed her bags and coat in the room at the back, and tied her apron around her waist before she asked, ‘Who is?’

Harriet knew who Pen meant, but she didn’t intend to give her boss the satisfaction. Pen was far too smug already.

Pen gave her a look. If she wore glasses, the woman would have been peering over the top of them.

Harriet gave in. ‘How do you know?’ She had to admit, she was curious.

‘I asked him.’

‘When? Has he been in already?’ Disappointment at having missed him teased her mind, but at the same time she was relieved that he was still in the area. However, she didn’t want to examine why she felt relieved, so she shrugged and got on with her job.

‘Not yet.’ Pen was grinning at her. ‘Are you hoping he will?’

‘Certainly not!’ Harriet cleared a table and wiped it down before pushing the chairs back into position. Then she returned to the counter where Pen was cutting a large cake into suitably sized servings.

Curiosity got the better of her again, and she asked, ‘When did you speak to him?’

‘Yesterday, after I closed up. He was still parked on the green, so I took him a pasty.’

‘And demanded payment in the form of information?’ Harriet guessed.

‘He didn’thaveto talk to me.’

‘It would have been rude if he hadn’t,’ Harriet pointed out.

‘He’s from West Wales originally, near Tenby, but he’s been living in England. Do you want to know where he is now?’

‘Not really. Excuse me.’ Harriet took a customer’s order and set about fulfilling it.

Pen wasn’t to be deterred. ‘I spoke to Aled Harris and he agreed to let Owen park his van on his bottom field. Not the one the boot sale is held on – that’s Holly Field – the one next to it.’

‘My, my, you have been busy.’

Pen grinned. ‘How did Sara take the news that she won’t be getting a new outfit for her friend’s birthday party?’

‘I haven’t told her yet.’

‘Chicken.’

Harriet clucked her acknowledgement. ‘Anything for a quiet life for one more day. When I do tell her, they’ll probably hear the shouting in Dolgellau.’

‘That far, eh?’

‘Ten miles is nothing,’ Harriet warned grimly. ‘Sara’s got a bell on every tooth when she gets going.’ She brightened. ‘I bought a casserole dish this morning.’

‘Aw, Harriet, you promised!’ Pen’s face was a picture of disappointment and Harriet took great delight in explaining.

‘I popped into the charity shop next door to A Cut Above on the way into work, and they had an enamel pot with a lid. It’s quite retro.’

‘Let’s see?’

Harriet finished serving a customer, then nipped out the back to fetch her purchase.

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