‘A huge amount of hassle and upset, I suspect.’ Despite his earlier resolve, he dipped down and pressed a small kiss to her mouth. It felt warm. Tender. Right. ‘When I took Josie at the end of the marriage it wasn’t spite and it wasn’t financial. It was because Loren finds it hard to be a good parent. Maybe I put too much down to postnatal depression after Josie was born but she relied on alcohol and, who knows? She may have been misusing other stuff even then. The woman I divorced was not the woman I married. She’s lost the ability to put others first and will continue to abuse the support of others till she gets proper help. That might include another attempt to use Maria as a weapon.’

He paused to ease Hannah onto his lap so he could bury his face in her neck and breathe her in. ‘You’re probably thinking there might be a rocky road ahead. You’re right. You’re probably thinking I’m offering you a situation where I’ve already got two people to put ahead of you, and that’s a crap bargain. I’ll be unhappy if you say no but being unhappy is acceptable. It’s being unhappy and not trying to find a way out that’s not.’

Hannah sat unresponsive in his embrace. He leaned his forehead on her shoulder. ‘Sorry,’ he said miserably.

She stirred, tilting his face up so she could look at him. ‘Nico,’ she said slowly. ‘You haven’t said what you’re offering.’ But there was a glimmer of light in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. It looked like something good, like hope. Or love.

‘Oh!’ He laughed shakily. ‘Me. My heart. My two kids. My crazy, shit-filled life. Everything I have. Everything I want. Every Christmas until I die. You’re my oxygen and I love you. When you shut me out …’ He closed his eyes for an instant and shuddered, dreading that she might shut him out again, but permanently. He wouldn’t blame her but it would be hell.

Then a tiny kiss landed on his cheek. Another on his temple. His eyes sprang open, relief flooding through him. He’d thought he might never feel her mouth on him again.

‘I love you, too. I’m sorry I didn’t stick around to hear your side of the story.’ Tears slid down her cheeks even while she smiled. ‘Because I love your two kids and your crazy, shit-filled life.’

‘Are you quite sure about the kids?’ he said resignedly, spotting something over her shoulder. ‘Because Josie’s peeping in the window.’

Hannah broke away, laughing, crying, wiping her eyes. ‘I guess we shouldn’t have let Mum promise her she could have presents when we got back.’

‘They’re here, Rob!’ Josie hollered. ‘But they’re cuddling again.’ She made it sound as if she’d caught them shoplifting.