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‘Delay him, if you’re that worried about it,’ Evan said, as they opened up the door to the cottage. It was Hope’s night at Ben’s again, and somehow having Evan there made it feel even stranger. Like the house wasn’t completely quiet, but it didn’t have Hope’s laughter in it either.

‘I can’t delay him. I need to speak to him about this. The sooner I get it over with, the better. No, this is good. I told Mum I was going to speak to him. And that’s what I’m going to do.’

‘And what are you gonna say?’

Holly drew a deep breath in. This was different from talking to her mum. Giles had been the instigator, the one who swept in like a knight in shining armour. She needed to make him see she didn’t need that, and even if she had, he couldn’t be thatfor her. But she had to admit, her mother was right. Having a cottage to live in had made a massive difference in her life, and she wanted Giles to know that she was grateful. So somehow, she just had to find the right balance between gratitude and extreme annoyance. Easier said than done.

‘I’ve no idea. But at least it’ll be over and done with.’

That night, she struggled to sleep. She never realised how much she moved her arm before, or how much she liked to lie on it. And it didn’t help that Evan was there, taking up an uncomfortably large portion of their bed. When she’d been single, having a standard double hadn’t seemed small at all, but it was easy to see why people chose king and super king options, particularly when they had boyfriends. Around 3a.m., she woke up and headed downstairs, where she flicked on the TV, and then finally drifted back to sleep around four-thirty, just in time for Evan to appear downstairs, ready for his morning run.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said, as his footsteps creaked on the staircase. ‘I didn’t mean to wake you up. I didn’t hear you come down last night. Why don’t you head back up to bed?’

Holly nodded groggily. Back to bed sounded good, and, in her daze, she dragged herself back upstairs.

It felt as if she had barely closed her eyes when Evan was waking her up again, but this time with a cup of tea in his hand.

‘What time is it?’ she asked.

‘Eight thirty.’

She bolted upright.

‘Eight thirty? Are you sure?’

Evan made a false pretence of glancing at his watch.

‘Yes, definitely eight thirty. What’s the problem? I thought your dad was opening up today?’

‘He was, but I forgot to check with him. Besides, I want to see Hope before Mum picks her up from Ben’s. Just give her a quick cuddle. I do that sometimes.’

‘No worries. Just grab a quick shower. Or bung some clothes on and have a shower when you get back. That way, we can be out of here in ten, can’t we?’

It was amazing to be with a man who didn’t sweat the small stuff. If you were running late, you just ran a bit faster; if you were feeling tired, you just took a nap. Evan’s approach to life was as refreshing as it was enviable. And considering how badly this week could’ve gone, Holly was amazed at how easily it went. Still, she wanted to go straight from seeing Hope to the shop and then to Giles, which meant she needed to look good.

‘I’m pretty sure you don’t make this much effort when you’re deciding what clothes to wear for me,’ Evan said, as Holly rummaged through her wardrobe.

‘That’s because since you’ve been here, I’ve mainly been wearing my pyjamas,’ Holly replied. ‘And anyway, it’s different with Giles. I need to look professional. I need him to listen to me. If I dress too fancy, he’ll make a joke of that; if I dress too slobby, he’ll make a joke about that too. I need to find a happy medium.’

In the end, she settled on a summery dress, with deep pockets, that had the added advantage of being able to fit her cast through the armhole.

Her first stop was Ben’s to give Hope a big morning cuddle.

‘How are your mum and dad? Did they have fun on the trip?’ Ben asked, as he packed a day bag for Wendy to take with her.

‘Oh, absolutely. Loved it.’ Holly decided not to mention everything that had gone down between her and her parents the night before. As much as she didn’t like keeping secrets from Ben, she suspected his reaction to Giles owning the cottage would be even more vehement than her own.

‘Well, your mother will be here any second. I’m sure she’ll tell us all about it.’

Holly’s stomach tightened. She wasn’t quite ready to talk to her mother again just yet. And certainly not with other people there. As such, she made her excuses.

‘I should get going now, actually,’ she said. ‘Evan’s gone ahead to the bakery, and I said I’d meet him there before I go to the shop.’ She kissed Hope again on the forehead, then the cheeks and then the belly, which resulted in a loud giggle. ‘And I’ll see you this afternoon, gorgeous.’

Just as she’d told Ben, Evan was at the bakery, but had already reached the front of the queue and had ordered half a dozen pastries.

‘How are you feeling about today?’ he said, handing her a pain aux raisins. ‘About brunch.’

Holly considered the question. ‘Less terrified than yesterday.’