Imelda and Grisha spent the morning in the booth on the seafront. Holidaymakers basted in suntan oil roasted themselves in rows on the beach like sardines on a barbecue, or puffed and panted up and down the pier and promenade clutching dripping ice cream cones and punnets of vinegary chips. The queue outside the booth was rarely less than a dozen people and Imelda was delighted when Shunty-Mae turned up to lend a hand. She was also somewhat surprised to see the slightest flicker of Grisha’s tail in greeting. Imelda was due at Larkins that afternoon, but by lunchtime the queue outside showed no sign of dwindling.

‘We’ll have to turn the rest away,’ she told her mother, checking her watch. Shunty-Mae tutted disapprovingly. ‘You can’t do that. It’s bad for business.’

‘Well, I can’t be in two places at once either!’ Imelda was hot and tired and still a little hungover. She was also keen to get to Larkins and see Cillian, none of which she was prepared to admit to her mother.

‘You go and I’ll stay here.’ Shunty-Mae was clearly enjoying herself. ‘I’ll close up as soon as things quieten down.’

Imelda gathered her things before her mother could change her mind, but Grisha, who was normally on his feet as soon as she moved, remained on his blanket. He opened his eyes a fraction and sighed heavily.

‘Come on, lazybones!’ Imelda chided him. ‘We need to get going.’ Grisha rolled onto his side and stretched, but still made no attempt to get up.

‘Leave him with me. He’ll be fine. It’s too hot to go dragging him up to that holiday park.’

Imelda was speechless and not entirely convinced that she hadn’t been mysteriously abducted and transported to a parallel universe. First her mother had invited Cillian to dinner and now she was volunteering to dogsit. Grisha looked perfectly happy with the arrangement.

‘On your head be it!’ Imelda warned him, kissing his long nose.

‘You’re welcome!’ Shunty-Mae smiled wryly as her daughter rushed out of the door.

At Larkins, Ruby was in the entertainment lounge talking to the bar staff when Imelda arrived. She waved at Imelda and then came to find her once her meeting was over.

‘How was the rest of your birthday?’

Imelda smiled. ‘Lovely, thank you. Surprising and a little strange, but lovely.’

Ruby sat down. ‘Well, now you’re going to have to tell me everything!’

Imelda reprised the previous evening’s events and showed Ruby her present from Cillian. ‘I still can’t believe my mother invited him.’

‘But you like him, don’t you?’

‘Yes, but sometimes I don’t know how to take him. I don’t want to risk making it into something bigger than it is.’

‘You don’t want to get hurt? Don’t you trust him?’

Imelda shrugged. ‘My gut instinct tells me I should, but I still have doubts.’