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It occurred to her that Sam had never mentioned his promotion either, when she’d asked him how the ski resort was. Strange, she’d have assumed his cocky, too-good-for-her attitude would’ve had him boasting about it.

“Anyway,” Yvonne said. “I told Ben that you were back home for the foreseeable, and his eyes lit up brighter than the Christmas tree on the main green. Wouldn’t surprise me if he called you about helping them out.”

A flame of delight warmed Maya’s heart at the thought of teaching at the resort again. It was the only job she’d ever really enjoyed and found fulfilling. Then she remembered that would mean working with Sam, plus how her dad would react, and her stomach tightened. She stamped on the flame. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Really?” Yvonne put down her mug. “You used to love it there. And you enjoy teaching at Glencoe every winter. You could just help out for a bit, until they get something sorted?”

Maya wrinkled her nose. “I don’t want to teach with Sam around. We don’t get on.” And now I apparently can’t be around him without undressing him with my eyes, which is a tad awkward.

Yvonne frowned. “How come?”

“Because he’s a cocky liar, that’s why,” Maya muttered. She paused. “Don’t tell Liv I said that, by the way. She still thinks he’s the best thing since sliced bread, after they shared a womb and all.”

Yvonne smiled. “Cocky? He doesn’t come across that way. Always seems very polite and kind.”

Maya stuck her fingers into her mouth in a mock gag.

Yvonne raised her eyebrow. “I’m sensing this is some sort of woman-scorned situation.”

“You guessed right,” Maya said, stirring her tea unnecessarily aggressively. “But it was years ago. I didn’t tell you at the time because I was a moody teenager who wouldn’t be caught dead speaking to her mother about feelings.”

She put on a squeaky voice when she said the word feelings, and it drew a laugh from Yvonne.

“Anyway,” Maya continued, “hardly a week later, I was off to Glasgow uni and it was forgotten among all the tequila and vodka shots.” It had taken a lot more than that to forget him, but her mum didn’t need to know that.

“Go on, then. Tell me what happened.”

“Fine. But you can’t tell anyone. Especially Liv, because she’d fall out with me.”

Yvonne rolled her eyes. “Why would I tell anyone?” She paused. “Hold on, why would Liv mind?”

“Because,” Maya said, feeling like it was the most obvious thing since she’d attempted to hide being pissed when she came home from the pub aged seventeen, “he’s her brother. And she doesn’t take kindly to her mates getting off with her brother.”

“Aha,” Yvonne said with a smile. “You snogged him, then.”

“Ugh. Yes.” Maya sipped her tea to take the bad taste out of her mouth. Though, at the time, his kisses had tasted pretty good. “We never used to hang around with the same crowds, so we didn’t know each other despite having Liv in common. I fancied him but he was oblivious to my existence. I couldn’t even pluck up the courage to speak to him. Then, when we worked together for that couple of months before I went to uni, we got closer. And . . . well, you know. Kissed in the boot room and stuff.”

Maya didn’t want to go into further details about the “and stuff.” She figured her mum didn’t need to know they’d had a couple more fumbles and had gotten to second base, with a definite plan outlined about when and where they’d meet to get to third, plus score a home run. Except that plan had been abandoned by Sam as soon as a better offer had come along. One with hazel eyes, a creamy complexion, and flowing strawberry blond hair.

“I still don’t understand why you think Liv would mind,” Yvonne said. “You didn’t, when Hana used to go out with your friend Erica.”

“The proof is in the pudding,” Maya said, pointing her teaspoon. “Once Cat started going out with Sam, Liv stopped being mates with her.”

“But so did you,” Yvonne said, frowning.

“Yeah, but that was because Cat was meant to be my friend, then she stole Sam off me,” Maya said, her voice rising. Why am I getting worked up? It was a million years ago. In any case, it wasn’t possible to steal a person. They had to go willingly, which is exactly what Sam had done.

“I’m with you,” Yvonne said, nodding slowly. “You’d begun something with Sam, then Cat got involved with him and they started going out, leaving you feeling rejected.”

“Don’t forget betrayed,” Maya said, tearing into another piece of toast. Carbs healed all ills.

“And betrayed,” Yvonne said.

“Plus, deceived,” Maya said, her mouth full of toast.

Yvonne nodded, a smile on her lips. “Deceived. Noted.”

Maya couldn’t help but smile too. She finished chewing and swallowed. “Anyway. Needless to say, Cat and I stopped being friends over it. I’d confided in her that I’d liked him for ages. She was the only one I’d told because it was too awkward to tell Liv, and Elise had been away at medical school for a couple of years by then.”