Tori ran as fast as she could to the village hall, the noise of laughter and merriment ringing out loud and clear above the sound of the storm. She just needed to get a few people to help. But who would leave the warmth and fun of the village hall to go out in the wind and rain and pick some berries?

She opened the door and the noise got louder. The whole village was here, laughing, chatting, eating and drinking. This was one of the biggest nights in the Sandcastle Bay social calendar and people were enjoying it to the max. The dance floor was heaving, the villagers doing their best moves as the band played some great seventies song that everyone knew the words to. Families, couples, friends, all dancing together.

Tori looked around desperately for anyone she might recognise, but she didn’t really know anyone from Sandcastle Bay. Leo was probably here somewhere with Isla, but he might be outside getting ready for the big fireworks display later. Jamie and Melody were with the puppies at Blossom Cottage. Emily was here somewhere but she was pregnant, Tori couldn’t ask her to come out in the rain and cold to pick the berries. Who else could she ask?

But she couldn’t let Aidan down.

She hurried towards the stage, pushing her way through the throngs, and quickly climbed the steps, waving to the band to stop, which they did. The crowd fell silent and Tori stared out at the sea of faces. Oh god, what was she doing? No one was going to care.

One of the band handed her a microphone and she put it to her mouth with shaky hands.

‘Hello, um, I’m Tori Graham, I’m helping Aidan with the fruit-picking at Heartberry Farm and—’

‘We know who you are, love,’ an elderly man said from near the front.

‘You’re Aidan’s girlfriend,’ a voice piped up from the back and the crowd giggled slightly.

‘What’s wrong, love?’ the first man said.

‘The storm has flooded part of the heartberry field and it’s going to get worse in the next few hours, and we haven’t reached high tide yet. We’re going to lose the rest of the heartberry crop tonight.’

She stared at the faces. No one moved, no one said anything.

‘We need your help,’ Tori said.

They all started talking between themselves and then they all turned away from her. They were just going to carry on with their party and ignore it. No one was going to help, not one person. Emotion clawed at her throat. She had let Aidan down. She had wasted time coming down to get help when she could have stayed to help him pick more berries.

She watched them and as they moved she realised they were making for the door. Her mouth fell open as everyone, every single person, young and old, walked out. Even the band were quickly putting down their instruments and hurrying out into the rain too. They were all going to help. She nearly wept with relief. She quickly put the microphone down and hurried out the door after the departing crowds.

---

Aidan threw another handful of berries into his punnet and spotted movement at the gate. He saw a few people walking into the field and sighed with relief that Tori had managed to round up a few stragglers to help. They still wouldn’t be able to save all the fruit but at least they could pick a bit more now.

He moved back to his jeep to grab a few more boxes but when he turned back he was stunned to see what was clearly the whole village walking into the field. Some were already starting to pick the berries and put them in the boxes or containers they had brought with them. Others were moving towards him to collect a box or punnet from him.

He couldn’t help but smile. He might have known that the whole village would come out and help. The heartberries were important to them, but it was more than that. He lived in a part of the world where people cared about each other and wanted to help. He loved it here and, try as he might, he could never imagine living anywhere else.

He handed out baskets and boxes to people, thanking them for coming, and then Tori approached.

‘Can you believe this?’ she said, looking around in awe as the villagers moved steadily through the rows, clearing the bushes of fruit.

‘Actually, I can,’ Aidan said. ‘Thank you for doing this.’

‘We’re not out of the woods yet,’ Tori said, taking a box from him.

As the wind whipped around them and the rain impossibly seemed to get heavier, Aidan knew she was right. It was going to be a long night.

---

Tori rested her head against the car window as the jeep bumped along back to the farmhouse after dropping all the berries off in the cold store in one of the barns. She could barely keep her eyes open.

It had been a race against time as every minute that passed the waves had crept over the westerly corner of the field near Orchard Cove and the water had flooded in from the river in the northern corner too. By the end of the night over half the field had disappeared under the water. But although it had taken several hours they had cleared every single berry from every bush.

She was soaked through to the skin, her body was aching, and she felt exhausted from the adrenaline that had coursed through her over the urgency of the night. She just wanted to climb into bed and sleep.

The jeep came to a stop outside the farmhouse and Aidan got out. She tried to summon up enough energy to get out too, but she couldn’t even do that.

He opened her car door and, to her surprise, he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the farmhouse. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he kicked the farmhouse door closed behind him and carried her upstairs. He sat her down on the bed and then removed her wellies and socks, which were soaked through. He quickly undressed her and then started undressing himself.

‘Let’s take a shower,’ he offered out his hand.

She eyed the bed; it looked so warm and inviting.

‘We need to get you warm first,’ Aidan said.

She nodded. He was right, she was cold.

She took his hand and he led her into the bathroom, turning the shower on. When it was hot enough, he tugged her under the spray with him, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly against his chest, leaning his head on top of hers as the hot water poured over them.

He held her there in his arms for the longest time. God, she was going to miss him so much.

As she had been picking the berries that night, she had decided she had to bring this to a close now before she fell even further in love with him. But hell, if it was going to come to an end, she was damned well going to enjoy being with him one more time.

Aidan leaned round her and turned the water off. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it round her, quickly towelled himself dry and then sweetly scooped her up and carried her back to the bed.

‘I’m going to go home tomorrow,’ Tori said, quietly. ‘All the berries are picked now, there’s no reason for me to stay.’

He stared at her for a moment then leaned over and kissed her.

She closed her eyes and kissed him back. He rolled her onto her back, kissing her softly and gently. His hands stroked across her body, caressing her, adoring her. She couldn’t help tears escaping her eyes. He leaned back slightly and kissed the tears from her cheeks.

He leaned over to the drawers and grabbed a condom and a few moments later he was inside her. He lay down on top of her, his arms either side of her head, trapping her in that wonderful moment, so it was just the two of them, the world fading away. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding him close. He was moving slowly, staring down at her.

She moved her hand to his face. ‘I love you.’

He paused for a moment, his eyes clouding with concern.

She ran her fingers over his lips and he kissed the tips. ‘I know you don’t feel the same way and it’s OK, but I do love you.’

He kissed her hard, and they found their high together.

He collapsed on top of her, his head buried against her neck as he tried to catch his breath. She stroked the back of his neck and closed her eyes, safe in his arms, at least for now, then drifted off to sleep.