“Hi,” she said. “Everything go okay with the client?”
“It did,” he replied. “Already on my way back to you.”
To you,he’d said. Notto Squiresorto Hurst Bridge.Toyou. “That was quick,” she remarked. “It’s only just gone ten.”
“Well, I made it to his house in record time for 7am,” he said, as the car’s indicator clicked down the line. “And we restructured his security operation within an hour. Had to get finance and legal on the phone to finalise but … all done. Roads are really quiet, so I’ll be with you very soon.”
“Great.” Pippa couldn’t wait. “And you still want to help with the fair?”
“Absolutely,” he said. “If you need me.”
“We’ll find you something, I’m sure,” she said. “We might have to make sure the doctor is on call in case people drop from the shock of seeing you in the town, like, socialising. Talking to people.”
“I know it’s a little uncharacteristic. That’s entirely your fault,” Wolfie said.
“Excuse me?” Pippa said with a laugh.
“I hold you entirely responsible for changing everything,” he said solemnly.
“You’re going to have to explain,” Pippa said. There were a few silent seconds as she could practically hear him labouring over what words to choose.
“I told you what my childhood was like,” he said eventually. “You grow up with a father like that andhomebecomes a dirty word. Something you run away from.” He trailed off, swallowing audibly. Pippa didn’t speak. She feared that if she did, it would break the spell they were under and Wolfie might not reveal what was on his mind. “So that’s what I did. I ran and kept on running.”
“I think most people in your shoes would do the same,” she said, softly.
“Maybe,” he allowed. “I always felt like I had to keep moving, never stopping, never settling. That way, I could escape the memories. And then you came along.” Pippa could hear the smile breaking through his voice. “You made my world slow down, Pippa Munro. In a good way. It was the thing I needed most, and I didn’t know it. What I’m trying to say, in a rather roundabout way, is that if you need me to, I don’t know, build a flipping coconut shy with my bare hands, then I will. For you.”
Pippa was struck dumb, filled with a whirl of emotions that she couldn’t name. She stood staring into space, scarcely able to breathe.
“You still there?” He asked after a few seconds of silence.
“Yeah, sorry.” She needed to see him, to hold him. Right now. “Get back here to me.”
“On my way.” There was such promise in his voice that it made her weak. For a moment, Pippa didn’t care about the fair or her hometown. She longed to be alone with Wolfie again, tangled up in bedsheets and cut off from the world.
“Pip!” Mae yelled from across the car park. “Get your bum here now!”
“I think that’s your cue to hang up,” Wolfie said with a laugh.
“It is.” Pippa waved at Maeone minute.“Come to the town,” she said. “I’ll be at the pub or somewhere near the green.”
“I’ll see you presently,” Wolfie said.
Once they’d said goodbye, Pippa took a moment to even out her breathing. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to wipe the grin off her face and, sure enough, as she neared Mae, her friend took one look at her and groaned.
“You’re going to be useless today, aren’t you?”
Pippa lifted her chin. “Shut up. What’s the problem?”
“My dad has had to pick up a shift,” Mae said. Wally Grant had been managing the team that was marking out the pitches on the green for all the trucks and stalls. “So he’s got to go. Thing is, some of the trucks start arriving this afternoon.”
“I can finish for him,” Pippa said.
“Thanks.” Mae was relieved. “You sure?”
“Yup.” Pippa nodded. “Then once I’ve done that, I can drop off the trophies and make sure Squires is decorated for the prizegiving. When are the race barriers getting set up?”
“They’re getting delivered tonight,” Mae told her. “But we can only erect them tomorrow when the roads are actually closed. We’ve got some of the teachers pitching in to do that though.”
