A cough behind made her jump. ‘Unforgivably distracted,’ Ronnie said briskly, stepping out of the hallway. ‘I was looking for something.’

While her mother balanced on a kitchen chair trying the wrestle the battery from the alarm, Pax carried her fuming baking tray outside. Eyes smarting, she checked her watch. There was no time to cook more. Bridge and her little tribe would be here soon. At least she’d managed some rock-hard fork biscuits that looked like cowpats and a lopsided Victoria sponge that had sunk soggily in the middle.

The cottage was silent again. Ronnie watched her from the door. ‘I can run to the farm shop quickly, if you like?’

‘Honestly, it’s fine.’ Wishing she’d done that in the first place, Pax stomped back onto the yard where Kes was badgering Luca again. ‘Come here, Kes!’

He ignored her.

‘Here!’

Nothing.

Kes was trying to make Luca laugh by holding the Shetland’s mane up to his face like a moustache and beard.

Beside her, Ronnie smiled. ‘Aren’t they just the pair? Mowgli and Baloo.’

‘Hardly. HERE, Kes!’ Her jolly call voice was shrill and unfamiliar now. ‘Luca has a job to do, darling. Let’s leave him to get on with it while you help me whip cream to fill the cake.’

‘Sure, it’s no bother,’ Luca said cheerily, and she watched in despair as Kes bounded back, realising she was growling under her breath.

Ronnie sighed alongside. ‘If we find you a Shetland companion, will you stop feeling so sour, I wonder?’

‘I’m not sour.’ Pax regrouped, cocking her head. ‘Shouldn’t you be setting off soon?’

‘Not for an hour or so. Just got time to get you on a horse and round the Poacher’s loop before we lose the light. Luca can mind Kes. I want to talk to you about your father.’

‘You forget I have friends coming.’ Pax said a silent prayer of thanks to pushy Bridge, whose visit she’d been looking forward to with almost indecent excitement as well as bad baking. Her need for a village mum gang was great, no longer barred by Mack’s disapproval of her having her own friends.

Without warning, a thousand firework sparks exploded again. I’m free, she remembered with a burst of delight, the customary high turning her black mood upside down.

By the time Kes thundered up, towing an apologetic Luca by the coat sleeve, she was beaming, arms wide as her son rammed into her legs with a killer hug tackle. ‘Mummy, I love you! Loo Car just told the best joke. Tell her, Loo Car, pleeeeeease.’

Luca cleared his throat awkwardly, eyes rolling at Pax. ‘Knock knock…’

It was the eye-roll that did it. Was it deliberate? It shouldn’t have been funny, but it was. Stupidly funny.

‘Who’s…? Pax’s laughter morphed into giggles liked a hiccups.

He waited.

‘Wh—?’ She waved the question away, chest in a vice.

‘Knock knock,’ Luca repeated, green gaze on her contorted, teary face. He rolled his eyes again.