He tipped a little more teak oil onto his cloth and returned to the long, uniform strokes that produced even coverage on the wood.

Being single didn’t bother him. Sexual desire could be slaked in an evening or two around the clubs of Hunstanton, King’s Lynn or Norwich. It was a whole hell of a lot safer than trying to move things on with Clancy.

Clancy, who, gazing at him with bright green eyes from beneath a poker-straight chestnut fringe, had looked amazing in her summer dress, laughing in the knot garden at Keelmarsh House, fairly skipping with enthusiasm as she taught him about videos and fanciful shots.

That Clancy he’d wanted so fiercely it had been all he could do to concentrate.

But London Clancy, leaving Clancy, still-in-love-with-her-ex Clancy … from her he had to protect himself.

Suddenly, Nelson launched himself out of a peaceful snooze and into a flurry of barking, tail lashing as he welcomed a figure rounding the corner of the building.

It was flesh-and-blood Clancy.

She paused to fuss Nelson, who obligingly stood up on his hind legs so she didn’t have to bend down, and smiled tentatively at Aaron. She was wearing jeans today, with a white hoodie that made her hair look especially bright.

His heart turned over and his lips took on a will of their own and smiled back.

‘Is now a good time to chat?’ She hovered closer and he invited her to join him with a nod in the direction of the vacant half of the patio bench.

He kept on working on the guitar because having it across his lap provided a buffer zone so she couldn’t get close enough to brush against him. ‘What can I help you with?’ he asked easily.

She let herself down gracefully on the bench, stowing her bag at her feet. ‘Gorgeous guitar.’

‘It’s a Telecaster-style hollow body,’ he said, although he was pretty certain she hadn’t come to talk about guitars.

Her shoulders lifted and sank on a big sigh. Then she turned to look at him. No fringe today, he noted absently, because she’d clipped it back. ‘I feel as if I should have sent you an agenda before this meeting, so you had the chance to object,’ she began. ‘One subject’s a bit tricky and could also be considered not my business.’

‘Sounds intriguing.’ Wary over her air of tension more than her joking mention of objections, he let his hands rest loosely on the guitar body, aware of the chunky shape beneath his fingers even when they were still.

‘It concerns Harry Drew.’ Her eyebrows gave a little shrug.

She looked so serious that he asked, ‘I feel as if this is going to concern something more significant than one of his pranks.’

‘I don’t think it’s a prank unless he’s an amazing actor.’ She frowned thoughtfully. ‘I’ve got their permission to tell you, hoping that you might be able to help, but Harry’s adamant he doesn’t want his dad to know. I know it’s horrible when someone tries to get you to swear secrecy before you know what’s going on but if I promise he hasn’t done anything wrong, will you?’