“Spoken like a true local,” Warren teased, and she laughed.
“I know, it’s weird!” Itwasweird. Those first few days back in Pine Bluff, she had felt very much like a visitor but now…
“Does the Christmas market have much impact down here?”
“Surprisingly, yes. It brings a lot of foodies to the town, and foodies are drawn to local and sustainable.” Just as she said it, a food delivery courier tramped over the stones toward one of the vans and the occupant placed two large paper bags into their heatproof bag. She gave Warren a smug grin. “I rest my case.”
Warren shook his head, smiling. “Lead on, trusty tour guide.”
They headed to Sampson’s Catch, on Fred’s recommendation, because that was where the aunts got all their fresh fish from, and she knew Benj supplied a lot of it.
When they reached the counter, they were served by a ruddy-cheeked woman with short curly hair fighting to get out from beneath her beanie hat. She nodded an absent greeting down to Warren, then cast her glance across to Fred and uttered a startled greeting. “Freddie Hallow-Hart! I heard you were back. Oh, your aunts are ever so pleased. ’Bout time you came down here, couldn’t get enough of my salt and pepper whitebait when you were a nipper. Gawd, it’s been a long time. You look like your ma. ’Ere, Harold, get over here and see what the cat dragged in.”
“Hi, Mrs. Sampson,” Fred said, feeling like she was ten years old again. Out of the corner of her eye she could see that Warren was most amused. “How are you?”
“Well, I’m not so bad, the sea air keeps me healthy, and we’ve got fifteen grandchildren now, can you believe it? Fifteen?”
“Goodness!” said Fred.
Mr. Sampson, in mustard-yellow bib-and-brace overalls and a black cable-knit jumper to match his wife’s, lumbered out from behind a stack of lobster pots, wiping his hands on a checked tea towel. He let out a belly laugh when he saw her. “Uh-oh. Trouble’s back in town!”
Fred smiled through her embarrassment. Warren seemed to be enjoying the exchange immensely.
“Oh, don’t tease her, Harold,” his wife scolded. “Not in front of her fella.” She looked properly at Warren this time, with more than a little admiration. “Your name’s been all over the PBJ’s chat.”
Warren looked quizzically at Fred.
“Pine Bluff Jezebels,” she told him. “Don’t ask.”
“Tease her?” bellowed Mr. Sampson. “It’d take more than that to embarrass this one. Have you ever seen a girl running down to the sea with her dress pulled up to her ears to make a hammock for twenty crabs?” he asked Warren.
Warren shook his head. “Um. No. Not seen that.”
Fred knew what was coming and closed her eyes.
“This one!” he said, pointing a callused finger at Fred. “This one, not more than ten years old, mind you, emptied my entire pot of crabs into her dress and took off with them. Let them all back into the sea. Little bugger, she was, you had to have eyes in the back of your head when Fred and Ryan were around.”
“Well, she’s obviously here to eat the catch today, love, not to set it free. And this young man wrote a very favorable review of our Christmas market. Word on the Jezebel-vine is that you’re writing a foodie piece for that paper of yours, so whatever you want today is on the house.” This last part she addressed to Warren, who smiled beatifically at her in return and caused her ruddy cheeks to bloom two shades darker.
When their food was cooked, they took their orders—giving grateful thanks to Mrs. Sampson—and settled into a shelter with a bench overlooking the sea. Mr. Sampson’s shouted warnings of “Stay off that Naughty List!” were still ringing in their ears.
Warren had opted for tempura white fish goujons andsamphire fried potatoes, while Fred had chosen the same potatoes but with griddled scallops and garlic prawns.
“You have quite a reputation,” Warren noted as he blew on a crispy piece of potato.
She huffed out a laugh. “My mum would tell you I was spirited; my teachers would tell you I was a delinquent.”
“Nice to have a family who’ll defend you, no matter what.”
Fred was still feeling a little queasy after her faux pas with his family, so she changed the subject. “I wondered if I’d see you today.” Though they’d messaged back and forth, she hadn’t seen him since their lunch at Smoke and Soul.
“I kept meaning to get something booked with you, but I’ve been so busy with work,” he said. “Even though I’m supposed to be working on the food piece, they’ve kept me chasing my tail with puff pieces.”
“That’s okay, I get it. To be honest, I’ve been focused on work too.”
“You’re applying for jobs?”
“No. I mean, with the family business.”
