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‘She’s been matched with Horace. They’re road-testing the app too, beginning with their wine-tasting and pizza-making task,’ said Jess, clearly on a roll as the town’s unofficial news station. ‘Their promo photos look incredible. More love in Hartglove!’

‘So that’s why Horace was looking so chipper.’ And perhaps why he had a flash new coat. Hadn’t he said his old one belonged to his late wife? As much as he’d looked sweet in it, perhaps he was ready to lay some of the past to rest.

Alyssa blinked a few times, wondering if there was a lesson in there somewhere.

‘Horace is my BUM,’ Anna confirmed. ‘Everything that’s been going on in the town, and with you and Devan, finally inspired us.’

‘I’ve signed up too,’ said Jess, fanning her own face as though the lovey-dovey air was getting far too hot.

She had a point. Alyssa was starting to feel stifled. ‘Right, well, I’ll probably take my mouse and go.’

It wasn’t that she didn’t feel happy for them, but what if it was catching? Or like when you’d eaten far too much caramel apple tiramisu, a tad too sickly-sweet.

‘Mice,’ Jess corrected her, nodding at the cage, which was now making squeaking noises, the bedding vibrating. ‘Did you know they can have fifty pups a year?’

Fifty?

The three women stared.

‘Everyone’s at it,’ Alyssa said quietly. She wouldn’t even be able to escape it in her own home, if these two critters carried on.

‘Even your parents,’ Jess added, before clapping a hand over her mouth. ‘Oh sorry. Eww! I mean, they’ve just gone away on a second honeymoon. So romantic.’

‘Right.’ Well, that saved her having that awkward heart-to-heart with her dad, which her mum had been so keen on, anytime soon. She might have thawed to Pearl a touch since their quinoa cake date, but she didn’t feel ready to let Percy off a lifetime of lying about his secret office bunk-ups. Especially when he’d often made her feel like the one who should get a more respectable job.

‘And Devan’s parents will be back from their long, romantic Maldives trip any day,’ Jess continued. ‘All this extra love in Hartglove. We’ll have to get you wearing that Save Hartglove T-shirt!’

Alyssa smiled politely. As well-meant as Mrs Halfpenny’s offering had been, she still hadn’t worn it. She had enough of her own things to save.

Then her thoughts were pulled to Devan’s parents, who she hadn’t seen since she’d left Hartglove all those years ago. Alyssa had adored Devan’s mum, Dawn, and had got on with her far better than her own. Dawn had always been the one with tissues and hugs, when she’d needed them. And now she allowed herself to think of it, Devan’s mum and dad had always been the epitome of the perfect couple. In love – if Alyssa had once believed in such a thing. They’d been gorgeous together. Hadn’t she often daydreamed of having a relationship like theirs one day? With Devan. But young dreams were wild like that.

‘Earth to Alyssa.’ Jess gave her a nudge. ‘Are you OK?’

‘Yes, of course.’ Was she welling up? What a strange morning. She’d only come out to do a few jobs, and now she was nearly sobbing in the convenience shop, whilst her mouse shagged his new girlfriend, and everyone mooned over their BUMs.

Seeing everyone else getting themselves together reminded Alyssa that her own life was becoming more confusing, especially after that weekend. If she dared to be honest, she sensed there were feelings stirring inside her. Old feelings mixed with new ones. For him. And she had absolutely nowhere to put them.

‘How did your love task go?’ Jess asked, putting a gentle hand on Alyssa’s arm.

Anna was happily humming ‘Love Is in the Air’ as she emptied the contents of her basket onto the counter. The bell above the door rang and a young couple barrelled in, chattering and nibbling each other like a pair of actual lovebirds.

And suddenly, Alyssa needed to be somewhere else.

‘I’m going to get some air.’

She said her thank yous and backed out of the shop, clutching a few essentials Jess had thrust at her, the mouse cage under her arm.

She took a gasp of fresh air and looked around, her eyes landing on the allotments. Yes, that was exactly the place for quiet thinking time. She could hide and make plans about runner beans, with nobody to disturb her.