The mood had been somewhat sabotaged by Doggo trying to get his nose up to Lily’s to lick her anxiously as she’d groaned in pleasure at the lazy circling through the roots of her hair. Isaac shutting Doggo out of the bathroom had resulted in a few rounds of ‘Hnuh, nhuh, WOAH!’ and then a transition into hair-raising howls. ‘Woooooooooooo, woooooooooooo, woooooooooooo.’ When an exasperated Isaac had thrown the door open again before the unearthly racket got them ejected from the hotel Doggo, panting and wagging happily, had forced himself back into the tiny space.

‘Note to self,’ Isaac had muttered, rinsing Lily’s hair before squeezing on conditioner. ‘When you set up a seduction scene, don’t bring your dog.’

Lily had begun to laugh but then his talented hands had returned to that exquisite head massage and she’d given herself up to the sensations that filtered down to other parts of her body, especially when he’d kissed the damp nape of her neck. Then he’d proved he’d picked up a few tips in a hairdresser’s by knowing about drying her hair with his fingers first then directing the air stream down the hair shaft to dry it with a brush so that it shone.

With a regretful sigh, Lily sat up in bed, flexing her hand. The swelling had eased a bit and so she had more movement. Leaving Franciszka still snoozing, Lily slid out of bed to take first turn in the bathroom, showering with her head at an awkward angle to keep her hair dry as it was frankly impossible to put it up with only one hand.

Then she woke Franciszka – who grunted and rubbed her eyes as if it were two a.m. rather than just after seven – struggled into her sling and went for breakfast. Isaac, up already, helped Lily fill and carry her tray and then left to give Doggo a run.

‘Thanks. How’s Emily?’ Lily asked, sitting in the seat he’d vacated at the table Carola already occupied.

Carola rolled her eyes. Lily had noticed before how the mothers of teenaged girls seemed to do that a lot. ‘Sore and sulky. According to Charlotte, Emily wanted the mistletoe so Warwick would have to kiss her. Emily denies any such thing, hotly and with tears, so it’s probably true. I’ve told Charlotte under absolutely no circumstances should she tell Warwick, but Charlotte isn’t known for keeping secrets.’ She grimaced.

‘And how do you feel this morning?’ Lily poured milk on her muesli. It was odd doing everyday tasks with the ‘wrong’ hand. She almost felt as if the milk would go up instead of down.

‘I’ve told myself I need to wise up.’ She managed a smile. ‘Owen Dudley’s a dud. He’s in the past and I’m just sorry I’ve wasted nine months of my life on him.’