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Angus’s voice sounded behind him. “Great minds think alike.”

Sam turned as the shop assistant was finishing, and Angus clapped him on the back. “I was going to get your mum something from here. I’d better make sure it’s not the same as the stuff you’ve got.”

Sam shot him a smile. “How do you know the hamper’s not for you?”

“Because it’s got all her favorite things in it.” Angus smiled. “If it was for me, it’d be filled solely with whiskey and oatcakes.”

“Good choices,” Sam said, passing some money over to the shop assistant.

“Hey, while I’ve got you on your own, I wanted to ask something.”

Sam frowned. “Oh yeah?”

Angus glanced down. “You can give me your honest opinion here, by the way, and I won’t be offended. Do you mind that I’m having Christmas dinner with you? Because I wondered if you might prefer it to be just the three of you.”

Sam opened his mouth, a little taken aback. Of course he didn’t mind. Why would Angus think that? Probably because I was funny about him moving in and then I’ve been pushing him away ever since. Before he could think what to say, someone jostled him from behind, making him stumble forward a step, where Angus caught his arm.

“Steady on,” Angus said, frowning behind Sam at whoever had nearly knocked him over. “Watch where you’re going.”

Sam turned to find Catriona’s father standing there, giving him a dead eye. Oh shit. “Hi, Ian.”

“Don’t ‘hi, Ian’ me.” Ian glared at Sam, then Angus. “And I’ll walk where I like. It’s not as if there was anyone worthwhile standing here anyway.”

There was a moment’s silence.

“Listen,” Sam said, not wanting a scene in this poor woman’s shop. “I don’t know what Cat’s told you, but—”

Ian stepped forward. “She told me that you cheated on her, that’s what.”

Sam took a breath. Getting into a fight with his ex-girlfriend’s dad wasn’t going to do much to tone down the reputation that Cat was fast spreading about him around town. And the main thing that worried him was what Maya’s dad would think. There was no way Dr. Bashir was going to take kindly to his daughter’s boyfriend getting into fights.

Before he could think what to say in order to de-escalate the situation, Angus stepped in, putting his arm across Sam in a protective manner and squaring up to Ian, who was at least a couple of inches shorter.

Angus narrowed his eyes. “Don’t believe everything you hear, Ian. Now, you’d better pay for your stuff and get out of here, before I have to help you out myself.”

Ian glanced up at Angus, clearly taking in his stocky physique, which was large in contrast to his own, rather rotund, form. He shot Sam a look, finally seeming to work out not only that he couldn’t take either of them in a fight, but that two against one wasn’t a favorable ratio.

Ian shook his head and backed off, quickly paying for his things and hotfooting it from the shop.

Angus turned and flashed a bright smile at the shop assistant, who was watching them rather wide eyed. “Sorry about that. We’ll get out of your hair too.” He grabbed Sam’s hamper and nodded at him to get the door.

Sam obliged, holding it open as they went out onto the street.

He glanced at Angus as they walked. “Here, let me take that.”

Angus shook his head. “I’ve got it. Where’s your car?”

They went over and loaded the hamper into the boot. Sam shoved his hands into his pockets. “Thanks for sticking up for me.”

He’d half expected Angus to shrink away and leave the vicinity once Ian had kicked off, but to his surprise, he’d not only stayed, but come through for him. Sam could handle himself in a fight, but there was no way he wanted to make life any worse for Maya by doing so. He could tell that no matter what he might have said to try to get Ian to realize that Cat was the one in the wrong, he would never have believed it.

Angus clapped him on the back with his weather-beaten hand. “Anytime. Right, I’d best be off.” He made to head away.

“Wait,” Sam said as Angus halted and turned back. “I’m looking forward to you being there. At Christmas, I mean.”

Angus smiled, his eyes lighting up. “Me too. See you soon.”

Sam gave him a wave as he left, climbing into his car and then pausing after starting his engine. The town gossipmongers were bound to spread this one about, despite the situation having been de-escalated, and he was foolish to think that Omar wouldn’t hear about it. Then Maya would get a hard time from him because of it, and she was already upset enough.