“And my offer will be for a business with dwelling.”

“Exactly. And I will take that into account when you give me your offer. I’m not greedy, I just need enough.”

Annie looked down at the piece of paper in her hand. She didn’t want to open it right now; she didn’t want to potentially burst this fantasy bubble she was living in, whereby a bright new future was laid out before her. And she didn’t want to sour this sweet moment they were sharing. Reality can wait a little longer, she thought, as she tucked the paper into her coat pocket.

“You’ve really thrown me a curve ball,” he said. “I had steeled myself for selling this place, and then you come along and turn everything upside down. I can’t decide whether you’re heaven sent or a devil in disguise.”

“Huh.” Annie smiled to herself as she recalled that she had used almost the exact same words to describe John. She pierced another marshmallow and thrust it into the fire. “Not one for spontaneity, are you?”

“There’s a fine line between impulsiveness and recklessness,” said John. “In the past my spontaneity led to trouble, so I trained myself to be more measured; fewer people get hurt that way.”

Annie didn’t delve. John had alluded to his troubled past earlier, and he appeared to be very much carrying the weight of it on his shoulders still.

“It’s going to take me a bit of time to get the money together anyway,” said Annie, in a bid to show she wasn’t trying to give him the hard sell. “And I am yet to fully convince my husband that I’m absolutely not going back to him.”

“Are you sure there’s no possibility?”

“I have never been surer of anything in my life.”

“That’s quite sure, then. I looked you up, you know.”

“Of course you did.”

“Your restaurant has an excellent reputation. Are you ready to give it all up? You could work something out with your husband whereby you buy him out instead. Make him leave.”

“I need a new challenge,” said Annie. “That portion of my life is over. I’d been wanting a change for a long time, but it was always easier to remain in the status quo.”

“The rock band?”

Annie grinned and shoved him. John’s chair tipped but didn’t topple.

“Sorry,” he said, smiling. “Couldn’t resist.”

“Try,” said Annie.

“So, you were sticking with the devil you know . . .” John said, leaving the sentence for her to finish.

“And then my husband unwittingly gave me the shock I needed to break free.”

“My aunt told me about the Keep Calm and Carry On cushion. That’s rough. I’m sorry; really, I am. No one deserves to stumble on that,” he said.