“You’re not sleeping here alone.”

“I’ll be here,” Nanna Peg said. “If we need you, we’ll call. Now, enough talk of illness. Tell me about Nicole.”

Milly put apples into the fruit bowl. “You mean about her being pregnant? Or the fact that she is thinking of moving here permanently?” That had come as a surprise to her, but it was a good surprise.

They had so much to talk about.

“Neither of those things. I’m talking about Joel.”

“Joel?” Milly added oranges and plums to the bowl. “What about Joel?”

“Are you seriously pretending you don’t know?” Nanna Peg glanced at Connie. “I despair of the younger generation. They spend so long online they don’t understand human interaction when they see it.”

Milly put the milk in the fridge. “If you’re talking about their friendship, then yes. I know about that. She bumped into Joel on her first day here—” she decided not to give them the details of Nicole thinking he was an intruder “—and they became friends. He took her hiking yesterday.”

“I’ve been hiking with people,” Nanna Peg said, “and I don’t look at them the way he looks at her. Or the way she looks at him.”

Milly closed the fridge. “You see romance everywhere.”

“I see romance where there’s romance.” Nanna Peg made a pot of tea and put it on the table in front of Connie. “Trust me—those two are more than hiking buddies, even if they don’t yet know it themselves. Did you unload the chocolate biscuits, Milly, or are they still in the car?”

“Still in the car, I think.” Could Nanna Peg be right? “She’s pregnant.”

“I don’t see why that matters.” Connie poured the tea. “But she’s a world-famous actress, and he’s a carpenter.”

“Exactly.” Nanna Peg added sugar to her tea. “And you have a perfect rom-com right there.”

Milly rolled her eyes. “Your imagination is unbelievable. I’ll leave you to it while I go and hunt for the chocolate biscuits. Try not to move or injure yourselves while I’m gone.” But it was good to see the pair of them laughing and joking.

“I’ll help you with the shopping.” Zoe followed her to the car and Milly grabbed the last bag of groceries and rescued the packet of chocolate biscuits that had rolled under the car seat.

“Are you doing okay, Zoe? I’m sorry about last night.” It had been playing on her mind. “Dragging you out to stay here. And the whole conversation with Nicole. You shouldn’t have had to hear all that.”

“It’s fine. I’m an adult. Almost. You don’t have to hide things from me. I prefer it if you don’t.” Zoe’s cheeks were pink. “To be honest it gave me hope.”

“Hope?”