‘So, have you always been into baking?’
She smiled, finally happy to have a subject that couldn’t possibly offend him. ‘I have. When I was a kid, I used to bake with my dad. He had such a sweet tooth,’ she said, remembering her dad fondly, in the kitchen at their family home with flour on his cheeks and his hands covered in whatever dough they were creating. ‘He taught me well and it was always something that I had a knack for. My friends were all into fashion or music and I just wanted to perfect my clootie dumpling.’ She laughed.
‘And now you run your own bakery.’
‘I do. Best job I’ve ever had.’
‘Not great for the waistline though. Although I have to say, it’s evident you don’t partake in too much sweet stuff. At least not if your figure is anything to go by.’
His compliment jarred a little.Is he trying to butter me up now?she wondered.
‘Hardly!’ She was about to say,you haven’t seen me naked, but stopped herself in the nick of time. ‘To be honest, I think when you work with confectionary and cake, you smell the sweetness so much that you become kind of immune to it. Don’t get me wrong though, if I try out a new recipe, I’m always the first to taste-test.’
‘I should think so. Perks of the job and all that.’
The pub doors opened, and Caitlin turned to see Archie walking in with a laptop tucked under his arm. He glanced in her direction and waved before heading to the kitchen to see Joren. A few minutes later, he returned and made his way over to their table.
‘Evening, lovebirds,’ he said. ‘Good to see you.’
Caitlin chose to ignore his comment. ‘Hi, Archie. Been fixing Joren’s computer?’
‘Aye, bloody trojan horses. Bane of my life.’ She guessed it must be a technical term and that she shouldn’t expect to see a giant wooden structure outside that was leaking armed men. ‘I’m heading to Reid’s now to deliver a new tent. Apparently, they got the old one out to camp in the garden next weekend and the moths had got to it. Between you and me, it must have been ancient if that’s happened.’ He laughed. ‘So, I ordered him a good one in for the coming weekend. Moth-proof.’ He tapped his nose.
Caitlin smiled. ‘That’s good. Ooh, have you been in touch with Rosabeth from the singles night?’
Archie’s cheeks tinted pink. ‘Aye, I have. I’m taking her out on Saturday. Should be good craic.’
Caitlin was happy for him. He was such a lovely guy, and he deserved to be happy. ‘That’s great. I hope it all goes well.’
‘Aye, cheers. Anyway, I’ll be off. Good to see you, Lyle. Nice to see you too, Caitlin. Looking lovely as always.’ Archie raised his hand in a wave and left.
‘He seems like a top bloke,’ Lyle said.
‘He is. Would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it,’ she replied with a smile.
‘Have you known him long?’
Caitlin nodded. ‘Known him since I moved to Glentorrin just before Grace was born. Although not that well. We’re more acquaintances than friends really.’
‘He clearly thinks a lot of you.’
Caitlin hadn’t really thought about that, but now that she did, she realised he had always been sweet to her. Always willing to help her out. He had helped with deliveries when the bad snow had struck the year before and the village was almost cut off. Her bakery had been a lifeline for the villagers and with Archie’s help, and his four-wheel drive, she had managed to deliver fresh bread to everyone who needed it. He’d asked for nothing in return.
He’d also helped her dear friend and actress, Ruby, when she had arrived in Glentorrin, hiding from the press after her social media accounts had been hacked, and her fans had turned against her. Again, he’d asked for nothing in return.
He’d helped when Chewie had fallen into the water, too, and couldn’t get out.
He was like an unsung hero.Why have I not noticed this before?
‘He’s very well thought of by everyone here,’ she replied after a few moments.
Lyle eyed her silently for a while. ‘Has there ever been anything between you?’
Snapped from her reverie, Caitlin’s attention returned to Lyle and his serious expression.Was he jealous?‘Me and Archie? No. He actually thought I was a lesbian until recently.’ She laughed as she remembered the conversation they’d had about that.
Lyle’s expression didn’t change. ‘So, he only avoided asking you out because he thought you were into women?’
She scoffed. ‘No! It’s not like that. We’re just friends. I’ve never really thought about him any other way.’Not that it’s any of your business, she thought, feeling rather discomforted by the line of questioning.
