Now, having walked Ellis to school, left the other two with their nan and rushed back to the house to drop off Pricey ahead of her cleaning shift, Carly found Ash banging about in the kitchen looking for carbs and Skully still out cold.

‘Where d’you two get to last night?’ Keeping her tone light, she tidied up the kitchen surfaces as he covered them with breadcrumbs. However mad she was with Ash, she’d learned to always test his mood.

‘Out Micklecote Way.’ He was all yawns and seductively drowsy eyes, still puffy with sleep. ‘Seeing a man about some labouring work.’

‘Not till that late.’ She fetched him a plate and knife, voice raised to be heard over the boiling kettle.

‘We went to the Old Swan afterwards, then to some caravan up the other side of Drover’s Woods with mates of Skull’s. Played Fortnite. I messaged you, bae.’

She checked her phone now, last night’s messages from him all bearing the same time stamp. ‘At two in the morning?’

‘There can’t have been any reception up there.’ He yawned again, pulling every jar out of the cupboard in search of the peanut butter.

She relented a little, realising his messages must have all been queued until they set off home. She put the jars back, then reached for teabags to put in mugs.

‘You at college today?’ She didn’t like the idea of leaving Skully in her house while she cleaned Petra Gunn’s house.

‘Starts next week,’ he was deep in the fridge now, ‘if I go back.’

‘You’re thinking of giving it up?’

‘Too many fitness trainers round here already.’ Straightening up, he managed a crooked smile over the door, eyes heavy-lidded. ‘I can earn cash now.’

‘You’ve got to think long-term though, haven’t you? Have a trade.’

‘I trade these.’ He held up his hands then slapped his biceps. ‘Skully’s got the contacts.’

‘Is packing in college his idea?’

‘Mine.’ He swung the door shut and pulled her into a kiss that tasted of orange juice, only breaking away when his toast popped.

‘I don’t want you to pack it in, Ash. Not without a safety net.’ Making the tea, she took a mug through to Skully, dumping it on the coffee table and shaking one skull-covered arm.

‘Mm?’ He didn’t open his eyes. The reek of stale cigarette smoke, sweat and booze made her step back.

‘I want you the fuck off my sofa and out of my house by the time I get back, understood?’ she whispered.

‘You sound just like the wife. Can’t remember which one.’ A big, broken-toothed grin broke out, his eyes still shut.

Carly could hear Janine’s engine pull up outside, then a short toot of the horn, her little cleaning van fully loaded for a morning’s waxing and bleaching.

Hurrying back to the kitchen, she found Ash applying peanut butter as thickly as mortar.

‘Flynn’ll be at Petra’s later,’ she told him. ‘I can talk to him some more about the farrier idea, if you like? About you apprenticing?’ She ignored another beep from Janine’s horn, more insistent this time.