‘Here you go,’ Edward was saying, offering him a raffle ticket along with his change, Jake realised. ‘You never know, it might be the winning ticket.’
‘That’s okay, Ed. You can keep the change.’ Feeling hot and clammy suddenly, Jake wiped away the perspiration dotting his forehead. The dungarees were a bad idea with the temperature soaring. ‘The raffle ticket too. You might as well sell it on. The more funds, the better,’ he added, arranging his face into a smile. ‘I’ll catch up with you in a minute. I just need to have a quick word with Emily.’
‘That’s very generous of you.’ Edward smiled delightedly. ‘You’re a good man, Dr Merriden.’
Yeah.Pity his wife didn’t seem to think so. She’d definitely been off with him. He had to find out why. Glancing towards her again, he gave her a minute to finish serving a customer, then headed in her direction.
His progress was impeded, however, by Steve Wheeler, who ran the DIY store, and whose wife he’d recently treated. ‘All right, Jake?’ he asked, stopping in front of him.
‘Yes, good, thanks,’ Jake replied, one eye still on Emily. ‘How’s Jennifer?’
‘Better. Much,’ Steve said, a relieved look on his face as he glanced towards her.
Jake followed his gaze to see Jennifer bending to talk to one of her pupils from the primary school she taught at. She looked better, smiling and relaxed as she chatted to the little boy and his mother. Jake had been extremely concerned for her at one point. After losing her mother closely followed by the child she and Steve had both desperately wanted, he’d been sure she might be heading for a breakdown. He’d wanted to refer her for counselling, but she’d refused, worried that it would get back to her employers. The medication certainly seemed to be helping. That was good.
Seeing her notice him and give him a cheery wave, Jake waved back. ‘Give her my regards,’ he said. ‘And tell her to come and see me any time if she needs to.’
‘Will do,’ Steve assured him. ‘Catch you in the beer tent for a pint later?’
‘I think I’ll need one.’ Jake indicated his attire with a despairing smile.
Steve laughed. ‘I’ll get them in, and remember, if you have any trouble with those ducks, give Jenny a shout. She’ll keep them in line.’ Giving him a wink, he headed jauntily off towards her.
‘I just might,’ Jake called after him, feeling pleased that he’d helped them get their lives back on track. It would be quite nice to do the same to his own, he thought, bracing himself to finally approach Emily. ‘Hi,’ he said, stopping in front of the barbecue, where she couldn’t avoid looking at him.
‘Morning,’ Emily replied, and turned away to pick up a batch of burgers.
That worked well then. Jake sighed. ‘Can I come in now?’ he joked tentatively. ‘It’s getting a bit lonely out here.’
Emily’s eyes flicked to his, her expression puzzled.
‘In the doghouse,’ Jake clarified.
‘What makes you think you’re in the doghouse?’ she asked, glancing away.
‘The fact that you seem to be avoiding me,’ Jake suggested. ‘We barely exchanged a word at the surgery yesterday.’
‘I was busy. I spent my lunch hour looking at catering for Edward’s birthday party.’ Emily concentrated on the burgers she was placing on the grill. ‘Plus, I’m not sleeping well. I’m a bit tired and preoccupied, that’s all.’
‘I gathered.’ Jake studied her carefully. She looked flustered, her cheeks flushing the way they did when she was embarrassed. Or angry. ‘Is there anything I can do?’
‘There’s something you can stop doing,’ Emily mumbled, now looking definitely upset. She really was angry with him then.
‘Such as?’ he asked apprehensively.
To his frustration, she didn’t answer.
‘Em, apart from the fact that I didn’t get back the other night, which was unavoidable, have I done something wrong? Because if I have, you’re going to have to tell me what.’
Taking her time, Emily turned the burgers. Then, ‘I’m not stupid, Jake,’ she said, her eyes filling up as she looked back at him.
Extremely worried now, he stepped towards her. ‘Emily, I have no idea what’s going on here. You’re talking in riddles. Please …’Leave the bloody burgers alone and talk to me, he was about to say when someone twanged the braces of the ridiculous dungarees he was wearing from behind.
‘Hiya!’ a female voice said cheerily.
Sally.Jake’s heart plummeted.
‘Only me.’ On cue, Sally draped an arm around his shoulders and leaned to press a kiss to his cheek. Jake had known her since childhood. It was the way she was, bubbly and outgoing, but he really wished she wouldn’t. She’d been all over him at the ‘welcome back to the village’ party Edward had organised for them when they’d first arrived – five years ago now, he could hardly believe it. Emily hadn’t been very impressed. Having realised she might have upset her, Sally had worked at gaining her friendship. They went out together, got on well at the surgery together – Jake nearly fell over when he’d arrived to find Sally was employed there – but the mood Emily was in, he wasn’t sure Sally being so overtly tactile would go down well.
