Jamie glanced behind them. ‘Not sure he realized that.’
‘Oh, he knows, but he doesn’t understand the concept of boundaries, so whenever he sees me, he thinks it’s okay to come say hi.’
‘Do you see him often?’
‘Not if I can help it, but he’s one of those people who pops up every so often like a bad penny.’ She shivered just thinking about him, and Jamie’s arm suddenly came up around the back of the bench as if to block out the cool breeze.
‘Do you want me to have a word with him if he pops up again?’
She met the seriousness in his eyes. ‘No. I find ignoring him works best. In fact, I prefer to pretend he doesn’t exist.’
‘That bad, was it?’
Alice shrugged. The last person she wanted to talk to about Alan was Jamie. She could sense his tension already. ‘It was a long time ago now, and I’d rather leave that section of my life in the past. Dead and buried, as far as I’m concerned.’ She took one last sip of her drink, then tossed the cup into the nearby bin as she stood.
Jamie reached for her arm, gently turning her to face him. ‘Look at me, Angel. Tell me if he’s a problem.’
‘He’s not, honestly. It took a little while to get rid of him at first. He wouldn’t take no for an answer, then he kept showing up until Mum threatened him with the police. After that, he stayed away, but every so often we cross paths — he only lives next door in Penzance. But it’s been a long while now, and I’ve not had any bother from him. There’s nothing for you to worry about, okay?’ She watched him studying her eyes.
‘Okay,’ he said, finally.
‘Jamie, I mean it. I don’t want you back inside. No fighting. You just saw what happened. He said hello, I ignored him. He walked away. Done.’
‘I’m not going to fight. Just so we’re clear, I haven’t had a fight in six years, and I don’t plan on going back to those methods to sort things. I’m checking you’re all right, that’s all.’
Alice raised her eyebrows. ‘This is me you’re talking to. I know what you’re capable of.’
He lifted her scarf so it was snuggled to her chin. ‘I won’t hit him. You have my word.’
‘Can we get back to enjoying our night now?’
‘We can.’ He gestured at the square. ‘Ready for some wreath making?’
‘Yes, let’s make our front door look really Christmassy. Councillor Seabridge has a competition this year for best door wreath, so we can enter. Winner receives a cheese platter.’
Jamie chuckled. ‘Just what I’ve always wanted.’
‘It’ll go down well in the dining room.’
‘In that case, let’s crack on. We’re going to need lots of pine cones and ribbons to stand a chance of winning.’
Alice laughed. ‘Why does it sound like this isn’t your first rodeo?’
Jamie raised a palm. ‘Hey, I’ve hidden skills.’
They continued to joke as they made their way to Lottie’s stall, where long tables were set out for anyone wanting to participate.
Alice and Jamie snagged seats next to each other as Lottie told them what to do.
The Berry Buoys choir started to sing sea shanties close by while rattling collection buckets, so everyone stopped what they were doing to watch for a while.
‘Will’s had about three honey and lemon drinks in the last hour,’ said Lottie, grinning at Alice. ‘Bless him. If he’s not miming, he’ll feel it tomorrow.’
Alice felt Jamie lean closer, almost cuddling her, and she just knew he had gone into protective mode, but before she could assure him she was just fine, Benny came over, munching on a burger.
‘Oh, so that’s your dinner sorted then,’ said Alice.
Benny licked ketchup off his lips. ‘Yep. Nan bought it. Have you eaten yet?’
