Page 54 of Cupcakes and Kisses in Micklewick Bay

‘Hi there, pet,’ Jenna said in her sing-song Geordie accent. She and Jack had been dating since last year, with Jenna eventually moving in with Jack at his little cottage in Old Micklewick. ‘Who’s your friend?’ she asked, her eyes sparkling with interest.

Jasmine eased her arm from Max’s. ‘Hi, folks, this is Max Grainger, he’s an old friend who’s recently moved back to town.’ She could almost hear the cogs of their minds cranking away as she continued with the introductions.

‘Pleased to meet you both,’ Max said in his friendly manner.

‘Aye, likewise,’ said Jack. ‘We’re just heading over to Florrie and Ed’s place to have a bit of a chat, get ourselves up to speed about the preparations for the book festival.’

‘A book festival?’ Max said.

‘Aye, it’s a new venture for the town,’ said Jack in his gravelly North Yorkshire tones. ‘Jen and me have combined our ideas with Florrie and Ed’s and intend to make it an annual event, offering a variety of workshops and author Q&As to tempt as many folk as we can.’

‘That’s right,’ Jenna chipped in. ‘Our ideas just seem to keep on growing. We’d originally hoped to hold it over the summer, but the timings didn’t work out, so we’ve plumped for early September instead.’

‘Sounds great. I’m an avid reader myself – love a gritty psych thriller.’ Max looked genuinely interested. ‘Let me know if there’s anything I can help with. I’d be happy to get stuck in.’

‘You could end up regretting those words, lad.’ Jack gave a throaty chuckle. ‘Anyroad, it’s been nice to meet you, but we’d best be off.’

With the goodbyes out of the way, Jasmine wondered how long it would take for word to reach her friends about her being seen in town looking all cosy with a mystery man. She’d have to send a group text to them later, explaining it before their minds went into overdrive, especially with Jack and Jenna heading straight to Florrie’s. This was going to take some explaining next Friday night at the Jolly.

The first thing Jasmine did when she got home and had a quiet minute to herself was to send a group text to Florrie, Stella, Maggie and Lark. It didn’t take long for gossip to fly its way around town, setting the Micklewick Bay rumour-mill grinding away in earnest, and she wanted to act quickly, before her friends got overexcited about her being seen in town with Max.

Hiya lasses, got some news! Long story short, ran into Max Grainger again and we had a catch up at The Cellar earlier today. Before you get yourselves excited, we’re JUST FRIENDS!!!! xx

It didn’t take long for a flurry of replies to land, the first one being from Florrie.

Hi Jazz, so I hear!! looking forward to hearing all about it!! Fxx

‘Yes, I can imagine Jack and Jenna had plenty to say after they saw us,’ Jasmine said quietly to herself.

Next, she tapped on Stella’s message.

Hi Jazz, I get the feeling there’s more to this “catch up” than your innocent message would suggest. Be prepared for a very thorough cross-examination when I next see you!! Sxx

‘Yikes!’ Like all of their group of friends at one time or another, Jasmine had sat in the public gallery at York Crown Court and observed Stella in action as counsel for the prosecution. The words fierce, intimidating and brutal had come to mind. Jasmine would anticipate her interrogation over Max with a feeling of utter dread.

Maggie’s reply made her laugh, at least, with its array of shock faced emojis.

Jazz Ingilby have I understood your message correctly? Are you telling us you’ve been in the company of a MAN?!? ALONE?!? WAHHH?!!!? xxx

Lark’s message was exactly as Jasmine would have expected, brimming with warmth and peppered with a selection of heart emojis.

Oh, flower! I’m so happy for you and Max. I remember him as always being so lovely. I hope the years have been kind to him and he’s found the happiness he deserves. Can’t wait to hear all about it xxx

From the content of the messages, her friends clearly had high hopes on the romantic front as far as Max Grainger’s return was concerned. She’d need to set them straight on that score, before they got too carried away and had her married off. Her next thought was that they were going to get one heck of a shock when they set eyes on him after all this time.

That night in bed, with the glow of the outside streetlight casting shadows around her tiny bedroom, Jasmine carried out a sweep of her mind, a ritual she went through almost every night before she could settle down and go to sleep. She’d work her way through her worries along with the events of the day, turning them over and over until she’d examined them from every angle. She’d been so worn out recently, she usually didn’t get beyond the first item on her agenda before her eyes got heavy and she gave herself up to slumber that beckoned. But there had been so much going on over the last few days that by the time she’d got to bed, her worries had taken on a life of their own, keeping her awake, no matter how exhausted she felt.

After segueing from the letter sent by the Forsters’ solicitor, to house-hunting, to Scraggo – that particular worry had sent unease prickling over her skin; she hoped she’d heard the last from him – her thoughts settled on Max. It didn’t take long for her to realise what it was that made her feel so at ease with him and as if he’d never been away. It was his eyes with their gentleness, and that unique way he had of looking at you, as ifhe could see right into your soul, just as they did when he was a small boy.

She’d felt an instant reconnection between the two of them that had deepened over the course of the day. And now, in the quiet of the night, Jasmine found it unnerved her. She gnawed on her bottom lip, hoping she hadn’t given him the wrong impression. Much as she’d enjoyed catching up with Max and being in his company, it couldn’t be anything more than that. She’d need to set boundaries, make sure he was aware of them, but do it nicely, with none of the usual Jasmine bluntness and sass. The last thing she wanted was for people to get the wrong impression and think they were an item, and worse, for word to get back to their children. That would be confusing for Zak and Chloe, not to mention potentially unsettling. For Connor, too, no doubt. ‘There’s no room for a man in your life, Jazz,’ she reminded herself quietly. ‘You need to stick to your guns, it’s just you and the kids.’

She rolled over and plumped up her pillows, another thought pinging into her mind, giving her a jolt. Wasshethe one reading too much into everything and worrying unnecessarily? What if Max simply saw her as the friend he used to have and was just happy to have caught up with her again, picking up where they left off? Nothing more.

She puffed out a sigh. That would be way, way easier, she told herself as she closed her eyes.

And who are you trying to kid, Jasmine Ingilby?

TWENTY-SIX

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