Before he could respond, Beth stepped into view, carrying a gargantuan bowl of potato wedges. Her striped apron was streaked with flour and something unidentifiable but appetising. Sweat glistened on her brow. She looked flushed and tired … but utterly in her element.
He stepped forward automatically. ‘Here, let me help with that.’
‘Thanks,’ she said, shifting the bowl. Their hands brushed for a moment. Kieran pretended not to notice.
‘Hot work, Beth.’
‘It is.’ She gulped from a water bottle. ‘But it’s nice to be outside for a change. The pub kitchen’s even more like a cauldron on a day like this.’
‘You summoned me with the promise of a burger,’ Kieran joked. ‘I couldn’t refuse.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘You summoned yourself: don’t flatter me.’
Ed served him a Dr Jekyll burger, chips, and a spoonful of coleslaw. Kieran smothered the chips in mayonnaise.
Beth stared in horror. ‘Heathen.’
He added more mayo with exaggerated relish. ‘Don’t tell me: you think only ketchup goes with chips.’
‘Unless you’re Belgian, French or Scandinavian, maybe. Which you’re definitely not.’
‘Scottish through and through.’ He winked. ‘Although I could be part Viking.’
A sudden shriek pierced the air. A woman brandished a brownie like a lethal weapon. ‘Do these contain nuts? I could die if I eat even a sliver!’
Beth rushed over with calm authority. Kieran followed, half-concerned, half-amused.
‘No nuts,’ Beth assured her. ‘No gluten, either. They do have a secret ingredient, but if I tell you, I’ll have to kill you.’
The woman squeaked and grabbed shortbread instead.
Ed waved from the grill. ‘Beth, we’re running low on sausages and wedges. Can you grab more from inside? Jinnie should be plating up.’
‘Jinnie’s working too?’ Kieran asked. ‘Who’s minding the little ones?’
Something flickered across Beth’s face – a stiffness, a shadow, quickly masked. ‘Sam’s got them. I need to crack on. See you around.’ She turned to leave.
An impulse tugged at Kieran to make her stay. His mouth operated faster than his brain. ‘Beth?’
She paused, exasperation tightening her shoulders. ‘What?’
‘What’s the secret ingredient?’
The ghost of a smile played on her lips – weary, teasing, and strange. ‘If I told you,’ she murmured, ‘you’d never believe me.’
Before he could respond, Ed yelled something about chicken wings, Rose tripped over a crate of corn, and Wilma began loudly diagnosing someone else’s aura as ‘acid yellow’.
Beth vanished into the throng.
Kieran stood there, burger in hand, an odd sensation tugging at his chest.
Something warm and hopeful.
Something downright terrifying.
He took a bite of his burger, scanning the crowd and forcing himself not to acknowledge that he already knew where his eyes were drawn.
Chapter Fifteen
