Isaac considered for a moment, fidgeting with his phone on the desk, remembering his mum’s despondence over not seeing him on Christmas Day. He knew she was struggling with the unfairness of life. ‘You want me here to keep the place open on Christmas Day?’

There must have been a loud note of uncertainty in his voice because Tubb sighed. ‘Put it this way, if you can’t then those who’ve signed up for the usual Christmas lunch will be disappointed. I can’t take over the reins again unless the doctors say so. My girlfriend would give me hell.’ He said the word ‘girlfriend’ bashfully. Isaac smothered a smile. He knew from various members of staff that Tubb and Janice had worked together for years and then suddenly fallen for each other last Christmas, surprising the whole village. Tubb, divorced for ages, had fallen like a ton of bricks. Tubb cleared his throat. ‘I thought you’d planned for being available into January.’

Isaac nodded. ‘I had. It’s my parents.’ He explained his father’s illness and his mother’s mood.

‘Got it.’ Tubb picked up a pen and rolled it between his fingers. ‘Your family’s invited to Christmas lunch as guests of the pub, if that helps.’ He checked his watch. ‘Get Lily to tell you about the lunch because she was there last year. You’ll see why I don’t want to shut – some people don’t have other places to go.’

‘Leave it with me.’ Isaac would at least get paid a solid sum for Christmas Day and if he could invite his parents and Flora and the kids then maybe they’d have a great time. He hoped so, anyway.

Once a few other operational matters had been covered they ended the call and Isaac first rang Flora to tell her she had a job, eliciting a whoop of relief and a profusion of thanks, then went online. Black Friday deals were already making an appearance though it was only mid November so he went onto the Mountain Warehouse website and looked at down-filled coats for his parents. Neither of them had looked warm enough in what they were wearing last night and this was going to be a cold winter, by all accounts.

As if to bear him out, a news alert flashed on his phone screen: Brrritain brrraces itself for cold snap!

He pressed ‘buy now’. He should be glad of his uncomplicated family. His mum’s occasional moroseness was nothing in comparison to the way Lily had to walk the tightrope between her families.

Chapter Seven

‘Are you free tonight? Or is there any chance of you swapping shifts so you can be?’ Zinnia’s voice was cheerful and excited over Lily’s phone.