In short, everything was right in Eve’s world. Everything was absolutely perfect.

Although—she cracked open one eyelid to check the glittery pink face of her favorite watch, a birthday present from Tessa—this break was scheduled to end in five minutes. Where on earth had Jacob gotten to?

“Why, just look at you three,” Gigi cooed, popping up out of nowhere in a cloud of Chanel No. 5 and individual Russian lashes. “Sunning yourselves while your parents slave away. I thoroughly approve.” She opened her mouth as if to say more, but then Shivani appeared, holding a gigantic ice cream cone and commanding her attention.

“Look, Garnet, it’s as big as my head. Take a picture.”

“Oh, very good, my love.” Gigi whipped out a baby pink Polaroid camera and snapped. The diamond ring on her left hand reflected a blinding shaft of sunlight. “You’ll never finish it.”

“Watch me,” Shivani snickered.

Gigi snorted and slipped an arm around her waist.

“I want one of those ice creams,” Chloe murmured as the pair wandered off.

As if on cue, Red strolled over with both hands full. “Good thing I got you one, then.”

Eve blinked at his sudden appearance, then stared after Gigi and Shivs. “Is it just me, or has our entire family returned in the space of thirty seconds?”

“Charming,” Zaf said, as he, too, appeared from thin air. “What about me?”

She rolled her eyes. “Honestly, I had anticipated your arrival. You would never let Danika go without snacks under circumstances such as these.”

Zaf’s mouth tilted into one of his tiny, subtle smiles. “Hm. You got me there.” He held two giant cones, just like Red, and he gave one to Dani. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s go.”

Eve frowned. “Sorry? Go where?”

“Away,” Dani said mysteriously, waggling her purple eyebrows. Since it was summer break, she’d experimented with matching them to her hair. “Cheer up, Evie-Bean. I’m sure you’ll get an ice cream, too, eventually.”

“Oh yes,” Chloe agreed as Redford helped her up. “But probably not until after—”

“All right, Button, let’s be having you,” Red said, and dragged her bodily away.

Suspicious. Very suspicious.

“Erm,” Eve began.

“See you later!” Dani waved over her shoulder as she and Zaf followed suit.

“Erm,” Eve repeated.

“Remember your angles, my clever little communion wafer,” Gigi called across the grass, waving her camera.

“Pardon?”

“Smize,” Shivani advised, and then she and Gigi turned resolutely away.

Eve sat at her suddenly abandoned table for a good few minutes, feeling slightly dazed. Around her, the Gingerbread Festival continued: there were floats designed by the local schoolchildren traveling slowly down the cordoned-off road to her left, all themed around local history. To her right were the other stalls that made up the festival: ice cream stands, various restaurant stalls, and, of course, the actual gingerbread area.

And behind Eve . . .

Behind Eve stood the man she always felt before she saw. A familiar, golden thread wrapped tight around her stomach as she caught the clean, lemon and eucalyptus scent of him.