“And those. So, jeans, this sweater, and can I borrow your boots?” Immy smiled, almost batting her lashes.
Lainey grabbed a pillow and launched it at her.
She didn’t knowif she’d see much of Jake or not, and she didn’t know whether she should want to see much of him. She knew he’d been thinking of her: there’d been a bucket of water strategically placed over the stable door this morning, so when she’d opened it, she’d had an early – cold – shower. Her scream had been punctuated by a loud laugh from across the fence, meaning he’d hung around to hear the results.
Revenge had not yet been had.
But it would. She just needed an idea.
This was the problem, when she’d first moved in, his jokes had a side to them, as if he was trying to scare her away. Now it was just something they did. Like children in a playground.
Lainey had no idea why he’d kissed her. The sensible side of her blamed it on the moon, some form of madness caused by its pull or something. It had been a sweet kiss, one that occurs because of amoment, that one second in time when everything aligns.
Music had already started at the barns. People were milling about, beer kegs and what she’d been warned was moonshine set up for drinks. A barbecue was going too, manned by Zack and Alex. The evening was dry and warm, another English spring that was the polar opposite of what it usually was. The sun hadn’t set yet, casting the sky in an amber and red light, the nearby trees that provided a natural boundary marker to the field silhouetted against it.
A bonfire had been started up, something that Severton seemed to pride itself on. Will was supervising it, the flames lighting up his face as he laughed at something Abby was saying.
“I feel like I’m in a movie or something.” Imogen sounded almost giddy. “Olly!” Then she was off, like a small child who’d just seen candy, she almost ran, but for the slight stiletto heels she’d decided to wear that were now implanting into the ground as she… ran.
Lainey shook her head and wandered into the bigger of the two barns. There were eight bands scheduled to play six tracks each, the two barns being used to make it easier to set up between sets. Bales of hay had been placed around for people to sit on, although there was more room for standing.
Dancing.
Lainey hadn’t danced for ages, before dancing with Jake at Scott’s bar. They’d meshed well together, even Imogen had commented on it. Of course, she’d commented on it; Immy didn’t miss a thing.
“Ready to see how the master fundraiser does things?”
Lainey jumped at the words. She hadn’t noticed Jake creep up behind her.
“This is just the appetiser for the auction.” She turned around, regaining her composure. “All but one of my lots are exclusives.”
“I’m sure the tour around Gran’s distillery will do well.” He shifted slightly closer to her. “How have your recent showers been?”
“Refreshing. How are your boots?” She’d filled up all three pairs of Jake’s work boots with soil yesterday afternoon. Holly had heard him curse and had reported back to Lainey afterwards.
Jake shook his head. “You owe me a drink after that.”
“Don’t you have to co-ordinate a fundraiser or something?”
“Nope. My work is done. Scott’s place and The Plough pub are closed for the night, so the bar staff are helping here. Rayah and a couple of her teacher friends are organising backstage and Danny Morton is the compere. He’s even got a daft suit.” Jake stuffed his hands in his pockets and grinned. “I even had time this afternoon to do a little abseiling. Want to see?”
She nodded, slightly cautious about what he was about to show here.
It wasn’t anything that would make Gran’s hair curl, but it did make Lainey’s stomach turn a little. Jake was hanging off a ledge with just one rope attached round his waist. He was grinning at the camera that was held by an unknown source.
“Does anything scare you?” Lainey had a pretty decent head for heights and she thought of herself as being pretty adventurous, but that looked like another level of madness.
“Yes.”
“What?”
He shook his head, his blond curls bouncing a little. “Not telling. Let’s grab that drink.”
The bands were betterthan Lainey had been expecting. She knew Scott’s group were good, having heard them a few times at his bar. Olly had been on stage with them, more serious than when she’d seen him before and she did wonder if her sister had a bit of a thing for him, given how she acted like a groupie when he finished the set.
There were a couple of more indie bands, one that someone told her had scored an agent who was big news, plus a duo and two bands that were more folk based in nature. She’d enjoyed it more than what she thought, as had the crowd that had gathered. Jake had sold tickets at ten pounds each, and she figured there were around four hundred people there, plus what they’d raised on the beer and barbecue. Jake had managed a decent event, something that Lainey felt proud of, and slightly irritated at the same time. Having a competitive edge wasn’t something she was proud of, and for most of the time – mainly due to her career – she buried it. But the whole idea that she’d beaten Jake to buy the farm, even though it wasn’t quite like that, was adding an edge to these fundraisers.
“So, who’re you voting for?” The murmured voice that came from behind vibrated right through her.
