Still, there was the man she’d been kissing outside the B&B – over breakfast, no less! Maybe that’s why she’d called tonight, to mention it, not wanting there to be any difficulty between them as they each moved on with their lives. That would be a relief.

It wasn’t until he was going to bed later that he saw an envelope on the doormat at the front door with Aaron written on the front.

Dear Aaron, he read, when he opened the note.

Under the circumstances, we’ve decided not to go ahead with the work on our garden, at least for now. We’re sure you’ll agree that it would be awkward and hope to see our deposit returned.

Regards,

Doreen and Francis Trent

Beneath the sign-off were their bank account details, neatly printed. Aaron stared at the notepaper. Doreen and Francis were Genevieve’s aunt and uncle, and they were cancelling work he was due to begin in a couple of weeks. It wasn’t that he was short of work at this time of year, but he felt he was being chastised – and not very fairly, considering his only crime was not being able to feel what Genevieve wanted him to feel.

Ignoring the fact that it was stated clearly in his business terms and conditions that deposits were non-returnable, he logged onto his internet banking and returned Doreen and Francis’s deposit. He briefly considered typing WTF? or SHE ended it! in the reference field but decided not to further alienate anyone and simply put As requested instead.

Genevieve was moving on, Aaron was moving on; least said, soonest mended.

Chapter Fifteen

Clancy had been dreading the meetings and confrontations awaiting her in London but Harry and Rory’s situation was proving a useful distraction.

Will’s wide-eyed expression was priceless to see she had two strapping teenage lads in tow when she turned up in the evening at the pub where they’d agreed to meet. It was a quiet pub, in Chalk Farm terms, but they looked suitably impressed at being in a London bar. ‘These are my friends Harry and Rory,’ she said briskly. ‘I’ll get the drinks.’ She settled the lads at a nearby table with a couple of pints of lager. Nelson’s Bar not having a proper pub hadn’t stopped them getting familiar with beer.

It left Clancy free to take a deep breath and turn her full attention to Will. It had been more than two months since she’d seen him, and nearly five since he’d exploded her life by being caught with Renée. Since then, through carelessness or thoughtlessness, he’d let other, lesser missiles detonate too. Oops, my wedding’s on Instagram. Oh, dear, text regarding baby sent to wrong woman … And yet there had been those sneaking worries that when she saw him again something of their old life together would spring back into focus and cause her pain.

It had come more from her brain than from her heart. You were supposed to be in love with him. You’d decided to spend your life with him. Can it have all gone? But then, unbidden, a picture of Aaron’s dark eyes swam into her imagination, a smile lurking in their depths.