But then she sighs and stares out over the gloomy grey garden the other side of the bi-fold doors separating it from her kitchen. It’s been drizzling all day. He cocks his head to one side and studies her. She looks sad, even though she was her usual, sunny Hannah self a few moments ago. He hardly ever sees her like this, although he knows she’s been to hell and back in the last few years, and it brings to mind when Jess teases her best friend about her armour-plated fake grin.
‘Everything okay?’
She inhales, nods and turns to him. The smile she gives him is the definition of bulletproof. ‘I’m all right. It’s just … ’ She sighs again, shakes her head.
‘Just … ?’
‘It’s so lovely, all you’re doing for Jess.’
He frowns. ‘And that’s a bad thing?’
A small laugh escapes her lips but her eyes remain sad. ‘No. Definitely not. But I see all the effort you’re putting in to make her happy – trying to mend things with her family, creating this amazing, one-of-a-kind present, and I just realize that Connor never put half that effort in when it came to me.’
He raises one eyebrow. ‘We have firmly established that Connor is an arsehole.’
That makes her laugh properly. But then her eyes go glassy. ‘Yes, but now I’m on my own, and I don’t know if I’ll ever find someone who will do that for me.’
Oh, God. A bead of moisture escapes her lashes and rolls down the outside of her cheek. It’s like kryptonite to him. He needs to do something. Now. To stop her feeling this way. He gets off his stool, spins hers round until she’s facing him and wraps her in a brotherly hug. She pats his back in thanks, exhales and then sinks against him.
‘You’ll find someone,’ he says softly. ‘I know you will.’
After a few moments, he senses her collecting herself and she pulls away and dabs under her lower lashes with the tops of her fingers. ‘You think?’ she says with a shaky laugh. ‘Because, if not, I can always go down to Foal Farm and rescue some cats. Twenty or so should do it.’
The smile is back. Bright. Tough. Sparkling. He admires her bravery, but he doesn’t say so, sensing it will cause her carefullyerected shield to waver. ‘How about just starting with one? If you really want one, that is.’
She nods. ‘Maybe I will. But in the meantime … ’ She returns to her laptop and pulls up the photos of him and Jess she found earlier and positions them side by side. ‘Perfect couple, yes or no?’
‘Those are the ones,’ he agrees.
But ‘perfect couple’ is still a work in progress.
BRONZE
A metal alloy primarily made of copper, with tin and other elements, known for its strength and ductility. Its real beauty lies in not only its sheen and warm tones, but in its ability to resist corrosion.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
JESS
I hum to myself as I crack an egg into a bowl of flour and add a bit of milk. My eternity ring catches the light as I whisk, and my smile widens. I think we’re getting there. And that’s good. Because I only have two more of these ‘days’ before we’re back at number ten. I can’t drop the ball now.
Luke appears and comes up behind me while I’m flipping the first pancake, which means it ends up being even wonkier than a first pancake should be, but I just laugh and flop it onto the plate next to the hob. That’s always my ‘cook’s treat’, the not quite right one I nibble at while I make the rest of the batch.
Luke is making us both a cup of tea when his phone rings. Even though my back is to him, I can tell from the tone he adopts instantly that it’s something work-related. He sounds tense. I keep half an ear on the conversation while I carry on pouring batter into the pan and flipping pancakes. There are lots of ‘uh-huhs’ and ‘yeps’, which sound fairly positive, but I still have a sinking feeling.
The pancakes are just about ready, and Luke is trying to round up his call when the doorbell goes. Crap. I turn the gas off under the frying pan, push it away from the hot ring, and jogto the front door. When I open it, Cassie is standing there with a three-year-old Edie in her arms.
‘Thank goodness! I was so afraid you wouldn’t be in.’
Well, it is eleven on a Tuesday morning, so I suppose it’s not unreasonable to think we might both be out, even though my work schedule is a bit less regimented than a regular nine to five.
‘What’s up?’ I stand back to let her pass, and she comes inside, shaking her head.
‘It’s a bit of a nightmare, actually.’ Edie wiggles to be let down and, since she’s a regular in our household, Cassie obliges. Edie runs through to the living room, where she knows a crate of toys is stacked under one of the coffee tables, and instantly sets to work.
We head into the kitchen, where Luke is still making ‘I need to head off now’ noises on his call.
Cassie keeps her voice low. ‘My childcare has fallen through. I’ve got a good friend who moved to Scotland and she’s visiting for a couple of days, and we arranged to meet for brunch. It’s the first time I’ve seen her in two years! And then the mum from pre-school who was going to have Edie called me to say all four of her kids are crawling with lice and she doesn’t think they should be around other children until they’ve been treated.’
