Jamie had to laugh. It was the last thing he was expecting on his way home. ‘Oh, go on then. I can get my holly jolly on and wave a lamp.’
‘Better than that,’ said Mary, shoving a straw hat on his head. ‘Here you go. And . . .’ She whipped out some blusher and reddened his cheeks, creating round circles. ‘We have ourselves a scarecrow. Right, let’s get this show on the road,’ she said to the women behind her.
Jamie chuckled, then joined in with the song, holding his lantern high while walking beside a happy Henry.
They were just getting into their swing, belting out “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”, when a scuffle on the pavement outside the B&B had them all gasp in fright.
It took a moment for the scene Jamie was witnessing to register in his brain.
Buffy the snowman was bouncing on top of Lizzie who was splayed on the ground, a masked man beneath her. Benny was frantically trying to tackle the inflatable while Alice was screaming for help.
The streetlamps shone down like a spotlight on the commotion, and noise from the beer garden at the pub flooded out towards the conflict as customers ran out to see who had cried out.
Within seconds, Jamie took out the snowman with a rugby tackle, slid between Lizzie and the intruder, avoided flailing fists, and pinned the masked man, pressing his head deep into the gutter.
‘Jamie!’ Alice yelled.
Flashbacks of fighting in prison entered Jamie’s mind, temporarily blinding him, telling him to hit first. Hit hard. He pulled his arm back, ready to punch, but something snagged him. Suddenly he could see clearly again. Alice was clenching his hand.
‘Jamie!’ she shouted, and he met fear in her eyes.
He took a calming breath before looking back at the man unable to move beneath him.
A siren sounded in the near distance as a circle of men from the pub surrounded Jamie and Alice.
Jamie quickly tugged off the balaclava to see who he was dealing with.
‘Alan?’ Alice gasped.
‘This isn’t what it looks like,’ said Alan, tears in his eyes and nerves in his tone.
‘You!’ yelled Lizzie, waggling a shaky hand. ‘I’m going to get you arrested for this. We’ve got security cameras.’
‘I’m sorry, Alice.’ Alan sobbed. ‘I did it for you.’
Jamie pushed Alan’s sweaty head further into the damp road. ‘Scared her, destroyed her things — you did that for her,did you?’ Jamie pressed his finger into Alan’s cheekbone. ‘Did you set fire to her carpet?’
Alan looked up at Alice. ‘I’m sorry. I thought it would make you need me.’
‘She doesn’t need you,’ spat Jamie, glaring in his face.
‘Jamie, get off him.’ Alice tugged his arm as the sirens got louder.
Knowing there was nowhere for Alan to run, Jamie sat back, keeping his eyes firmly on Alice’s ex-boyfriend, blaming himself for her going out with the idiot in the first place.
Jamie couldn’t sit there stressing over Alice’s life choices. She had every right to find a partner and settle down. He was lucky she gave him her time at all, being under no obligation to visit him in prison or write. But he couldn’t help but feel disappointed that not only had she hidden Alan from him, but she’d had a relationship with the man in the first place. He truly believed she wouldn’t have found a boyfriend if he was by her side.
Pushing Alan away, Jamie stood, listening to some of the men from the pub jeer at Alan. A police car pulled up, and Lizzie rushed straight to the first officer on the scene to explain what had happened while Jamie watched Alice shield him as though trying to hide him from the police.
‘This creep,’ said Lizzie, pointing at a dishevelled Alan, ‘has been harassing my daughter. He just tried to cut Buffy.’
The police officer frowned, so Benny stepped forward to let him know who Buffy was and what had been happening lately.
‘And she bloody attacked me,’ Alan told the officer as he was brought to a stand. ‘Arrest her, not me. Look.’ He pointed at the B&B. ‘They said they’ve got security cameras. Check them. You’ll see what she did to me. It’ll all be on there. She drew first blood.’
‘I’ll give you first blood in a minute,’ snapped Lizzie.
Jamie felt Alice’s hands reach back for his, so he leaned closer to cradle her in his arms. ‘You all right, Angel?’ he whispered close to her ear.
