Cindy turned to the fire and, bending down, picked up a log and threw it on. She lost herself in the soporific warmth and the flickering flames as she thought about what she was about to do. It had taken someone like Mary to walk into her shop to make her realise that her shop was her baby and all she had needed was someone she could trust. Mary was special; it was obvious that she was smart and in her, Cindy had seen someone who needed to be rescued and who, in turn, would rescue Cindy.

Reg returned and placed the glasses on the table and straddled a stool opposite Cindy. ‘You look lovely tonight,’ he said before he took a sip of his drink.

Cindy smiled. ‘I don’t deserve you, Reg, you are a good man.’

Reg grinned. ‘I know.’

Cindy laughed. ‘You know that ring I told you to put away until I was ready?’

Reg’s eyes opened wide. ‘Yes…’

‘Well, do you still have it?’

Reg was almost too afraid to speak. ‘Yes…’

Cindy grinned because the colour had left his face. ‘Good, because I’d like you to ask me again, sometime soon. I’m ready, Reg, to do the settling down thing. Oh, I still want to keep the salon going, for now, but I think I’ve found someone who, once she’s trained up, I’d be happy to hand my baby over to.’

Reg swallowed hard. ‘Cindy, I-I don’t know what to say, except – of course I will!’

Cindy picked up her drink and gave him a mock toast. ‘I’ll look forward to it, then, this time. So, here’s to us, Reg!’

The pub suddenly fell totally silent and for an awful moment, Cindy thought they had been overheard.

‘Aye, aye,’ said Reg, ‘have the bizzies come in?’

Cindy craned her neck around. ‘Oops, they might as well have done! It’s Gladys and she has thunder in her eyes.’

*

‘Jesus, I wish they would get a move on. I can feel the cold in my back something wicked,’ said big Paddy who had been dragged out of the pub by Eugene and was now next to Jerry as they shuffled forward. Jerry could see some activity down at the water’s edge. Too much activity. He had a strange feeling and wanted to get rid of Paddy.

‘You go back to the pub, Paddy, and I’ll send Callum in for you when the load starts rising.’ He had a suspicion that Kathleen was due back up the steps and it would take some explaining to make him understand why Peggy might be with her.

‘Well, you know where I’ll be if you need me,’ said Paddy, and before Jerry could answer him he was gone.