‘I’m meeting Neil for a coffee,’ she announced, ten days after she’d returned home. She was dying to see her friend, to spill the crazy patchwork of her emotional highs and lows to someone who would understand. Because her reunion with Devan, buoyed up by initial delight in the knowledge that they really did belong together, was not plain sailing. Not that she had expected it to be. The gilt was already wearing off the gingerbread: he seemed not to want her out of his sight.

‘Where are you going?’ Devan was instantly anxious.

‘Angie’s.’

‘Will you be long?’

‘Oh, you know me and Neil … gossip for Britain, us.’ She was making light, smoothing the sudden tension.

‘It’s just if you’re taking the car, I need to know when you’ll be back. I’ve got stuff to do.’ He sounded tense.

‘OK. One o’clock, then?’

Devan glanced at the kitchen clock, frowned. ‘Two hours for a coffee?’

‘I haven’t seen him since before Christmas …’

‘Right.’ He shot her a sardonic smile. ‘Lot to catch up on, then.’

Connie chose to ignore his jibe. ‘Come with me? Neil’s your friend too.’

Devan pursed his lips. ‘Think I’ll pass. I might clog the airwaves.’

‘I’ll give him your love.’

‘You could do,’ he said.

She was unable to decide whether he was being sarcastic or not, but she didn’t go there. If she was insecure, then her husband had every right to feel the same. But she knew if his constant questioning of where she was going and what she was doing continued, it would drive her mad.

Connie and Neil gave each other the longest hug. She felt it was the first time she could truly relax since the moment when Devan had picked her up from Tessa’s house.

‘No wonder you look frazzled,’ Neil said, once they were settled with their coffee and she’d caught him up with her bizarre Christmas.

She grinned. ‘Thanks.’ A group of mums, babies in buggies and toddlers running about the tables, were chatting and laughing loudly, making quite a din, but she barely noticed.

‘So how’s it going, now you’re back in the old homestead?’

‘Up and down. It’s difficult for Devan, I get that, but he does give me quite a hard time here and there.’ She let out a long sigh. ‘I don’t really mind. I’m just so pleased to be home, Neil. And I know I deserve –’

‘Stop!’ Neil held up his palm like a traffic cop. ‘Old news, darling. You’ve done your penance. Got to move on.’

She laughed wearily. ‘Devan’s not going to forget, though, is he?’