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Alice moved to the sideboard and pulled the phone cord, which came free in her hand. She winced and held up the loose connection. “Shit, I forgot I’d unplugged it. Telemarketers drive me mad.”

Maggie threw her arms up. “Oh, bloody hell, Al. Markus is fuming that I made him drive all the way over here on a Sunday morning. What were you thinking?”

“Clearly, I wasn’t. I didn’t mean to put you out. I just needed a little help.”

Maggie shot another sidelong glance at Ash, who was rubbing her neck.

“Well, thank you for coming to check I’m alive. I’ve had a rough couple of days. I think my car needs a jump; it’s been out of action since Friday night. That’s when I met Ash.”

“I see.” Mags darted a third disapproving look at Ash in as many minutes before fixing a hard gaze back on Alice, her blue eyes a shade lighter than Alice’s and all the more piercing for it.

“Right, well, you’ll have to get yourself together now and we’ll get going. Markus is waiting outside. Engine’s running, so don’t be long.”

“Okay, yep. I’ll be right there.” Alice saluted and Maggie tossed her a look of disdain before retreating down the hallway.

“Nice to meet you, Ashley,” she called over her shoulder without a backward glance.

“It’s Asha,” Alice yelled back as the front door slammed shut.

Ash puffed out a breath. “Blimey, is she always so intense?”

“Yeah, pretty much. We’ve always been close, but we’ve not seen eye-to-eye for a while now.” Alice massaged her palm into her forehead.

“Don’t worry about it. Families, eh? I don’t exactly have the best relationship with mine, but that’s a long story for another time.”

Another time.

“You were about to say something before Maggie rudely interrupted us.”

Ash scratched the back of her neck. “Oh, just that I need to be heading off to get myself ready for another exciting shift. Thanks again for...” she gestured to the couch, where at some point during the Maggie whirlwind she’d folded the blanket and fixed the cushions; a small gesture that pulled a smile from Alice.

“It’s no problem. Really, thankyou. You were so kind to check in on me and, you know… listen to me. I won’t forget that.”

Ash smiled. “On behalf of the NHS, you’re very welcome.” Her eyebrows drew into a frown, and she breathed in as if she was about to say something else, but instead she looked down at her stripy socks and wiggled her toes.

A moment passed before Alice spoke. “Well, I suppose I shouldn’t keep Maggie waiting.”

The words seemed to tug Ash back from whatever internal battle of indecision she was in and she moved to the front door, bending down to pull on her trainers. Alice shrugged on a coat and tapped the pocket containing her keys.

“Right then.” Ash straightened up. She stood a couple of inches taller than Alice without heels, which Alice hadn’t appreciated until now. She wondered what it would be like to be wrapped in her arms, and as if reading her thoughts, Ash stepped closer and pulled her into an embrace just like the one she’d been imagining. Ash’s strong, capable arms held her tight and, for a moment, everything else seemed insignificant.

“Things seem messy right now, but you’re going to be okay.”

Alice closed her eyes and inhaled Ash’s cedarwood scent. She hadn’t noticed it last night, but now it filled her senses.

The obnoxious blast of a car horn sounded from outside, and Ash’s arms fell away.

“Introducing my dear brother-in-law, Markus.”

Ash laughed and stepped back. “Take care of yourself,” she said, looking at Alice with the warm consideration of someone who’d known her for much longer than a couple of days.

* * *

In the back of Markus’brand-new Range Rover, Alice chewed the inside of her lip, biting at a new blood blister until she felt the satisfying pop between her teeth. A metallic taste filled her mouth.

Clearly annoyed that his Sunday morning had been so selfishly interrupted by his irritant of a sister-in-law, Markus had grunted little more than three words to Alice since she’d slid into the backseat, and two of them were “buckle up.”

Maggie fixed her gaze out of the front passenger window and Markus cranked up the volume on Radio 5 Live — where two male commentators were enthusiastically discussing another man’s groin injury.