Kellie Hailes - The Big Little Festival

A cough, of an undeniably awkward nature, stopped Serena in her verbal tracks.

Out of the corner of her eye Jody could see Christian loitering a few feet away. His hands in his shorts pockets. His gaze fixated on the timber beams running across The Bullion’s ceiling. Heat rushed to her cheeks.

Serena’s eyes widened and her own cheeks flamed. ‘He’s behind me, isn’t he?’ she mouthed.

Jody nodded.

‘Shit,’ she mouthed again and attempted to nonchalantly sip her wine, only to slosh it all over the bar.

‘Hey, Christian.’ Jody said, but the casual tone came out a croak. ‘Are you after a cold drink? Or an alcoholic one? Did Mrs Harper and Mrs Hunter send you round the bend already?’

Christian shifted from foot to foot. Was it her imagination or had his cheeks rouged up? ‘Er, no. Not so much. They are… trying… though.’

Serena snorted. ‘He just called my mother “trying”. Should I throw my wine over him or be happy someone else agrees with me?’

The hint of colour on Christian’s cheeks morphed into a full flush. ‘Oh God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to insult your mother. I didn’t know. And if it’s any consolation, she’s much better than the other one.’

Serena laughed. ‘Mrs Harper’s a right handful. I don’t know how the boys haven’t smothered her in her sleep already.’

Jody grinned. ‘You forget that Bo’s a big-time rugby star, so he’s never home. Ridge spends his days and nights with his head under the bonnet of various cars. And Chase… well, he’s the ultimate mama’s boy, so he’d be buggered and bereft if anything happened to her.’

‘True. Pity she’s their mother. Those boys are damn hot. But who’d go there if you had to deal with that. ’

Christian stepped forward. ‘And that’s why I’m here. Jody, I need you to come back. I need…’ He paused, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as if something were stuck in his throat and he had to force it out. ‘I need your help to deal with, as your friend so eloquently put it, that .’

Jody swung round on the stool to face Christian, propped her elbows on the bar, leaned back and laughed. Long and hard. The sound echoed around the bar and caused Christian to take the step he’d taken forward back again. Then another.

Jody sucked in a couple of calming breaths, but couldn’t erase the grin that kept returning every time she tried to tame it. ‘What happened to Mr-I’m-in-Charge? Mr I’m-the-Boss? Have you finally realised you’re not in London any more? That we don’t do things down here like you do up there?’

Christian’s chest – broad, she noted, and potentially even muscular – rose and fell. Once, twice, three times. He was either trying to keep himself from raging at her for laughing in his face, or breathing to stop himself passing out. Jody noted the grayish-beige tone to his skin and softened. ‘Here.’ She indicated the stool beside Serena. ‘Take a seat. Can I get you a drink?’

‘Water.’ The corners of his lips lifted in a smile, but his eyes remained unsure. Guarded.

Jody grabbed a pint glass. ‘You look like you need a beer. I’m getting you a beer.’ She expertly filled the glass and passed it to Christian. Their fingertips grazed against each other as the glass changed hands, sending something that very much resembled a tingle up Jody’s arm. Warming the areas it zipped through. Surely not? Her body wasn’t attracted to him, was it? She brushed the idea aside. No, it was probably just static electricity. She caught Christian’s eye and saw her baffled feelings reflected back at her. So, not static electricity then. Strange. Still, Jody mused as she returned to her seat, her body could feel all the tickly thrills it wanted; it didn’t mean she was going to do anything about it. Not now, not ever. No amount of lusty body-feels could make up for the pain that followed the inevitable rejection.

‘This beer’s good. Really good.’ Christian ran his tongue over his lips, erasing the foam that had settled there.

Her body started again. The energy moving a little lower, hovering low in her stomach, warming what she liked to joke about as the ‘cold pit’. Turncoat , she scolded. ‘It’s my brother’s. He brews it. He’s making a name for himself.’

‘He should have a spot at the festival. Did I see a sign for a beer garden?’

Jody nodded.

‘Well, it wouldn’t be a daft idea to do the beer garden up and make it the official beverage stand. Would he be into that?’

Tony walked through the kitchen doors. ‘The boys are sorted with the chips. No violent video games in sight. And would I be interested in what?’

‘Tony, this is Christian Middlemore. The new head of the festival committee. He thinks your beer garden would be an excellent addition to the festival. What do you think about that?’ Jody raised an eyebrow and prayed her brother would do the loyal family thing and tell Christian to bugger off – even though it was a good idea. One she wished she’d thought of herself.

Tony clapped his hands together with enthusiasm. ‘I think that’s a fantastic idea. Best idea yet. The beer garden’s only just been created, needs a bit of a tidy up, a bit of landscaping and whatnot, but this would give me the excuse I need to pull my finger out of my arse and do it. I’m in.’ Tony reached out and grabbed Christian’s hand and shook in vigorously.

Traitor , Jody grumbled to herself. That made two backsliders today. Her body and her brother. The two things that were meant to be loyal.

‘I’m so glad you like that idea, Tony. I think it could be quite spectacular. I was also thinking you could string lanterns across the area. They’d look brilliant during the day and be a real show-stopper at night for those who chose to stay on after the festival.’

‘Great. Love it. I’ll get on to it. Jodes? Why didn’t we hire this guy earlier?’

Christian took another slurp of beer, set his glass down and focused on Jody. ‘Thank you, Tony. I appreciate that you see my worth. If only everyone did. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting the committee to be so…’ Christian paused, his eyes darting from side to side as if racking his brain for the right word.

‘Crazy?’ Tony supplied.

‘What is with you people today?’ Serena snapped, her face lighting up with a grin. ‘That’s my mother you’re talking about!’

‘I stand by my statement. I’d also add nutty, forceful, determined and pretty damn intolerable when given a hint of power. I still can’t believe you agreed to take those two on, Jodes.’ Tony shook his head. ‘You must have been having a moment.’

Or desperate to make up for the past . A lump settled in Jody’s throat. ‘Something like that, Tony. Had myself a wee bit of a turn, obviously.’ She forced a smile. ‘Anyway, I’ve quit, so it’s not my problem any more.’

‘Actually, Jody…’ Christian’s focus remained on her.

Jody tried not to squirm in her seat. Why did he have to keep looking at her so intently? And why did he have to have those warm, roasted chestnut-coloured eyes that could melt steel, or an ice maiden’s vow to herself. Ugh. She folded her arms and pinched the soft underside of her arms in an attempt to pull herself together.

‘…I wasn’t joking when I said I needed your help. I do. And I hate admitting that. But Rabbits Leap is… different… to what I’m used to. The people here are set in their ways. And there seems to be some sort of hierarchy I can’t figure out. Well, I can. At the moment it seems the locals are on top and I’m at the bottom of the pile. Which would be fine, but I need to make this work. I need someone to help me figure this place and its people out. I need you, Jody. I want you .’