‘What the heck are you doing here?’

‘What a welcome! Hey, I’ve just driven for over an hour, after a day of plastering walls, no less, as one of my team is ill, to come and help you out.’

‘Oh, right … But I’m managing fine here by myself. In fact, I’ve just about finished the painting.’ She was a bit stunned that he was actually here.

‘It wasn’t the painting I’d come to do. Take a look at the roof rack.’

She peered out of the shop window at his jeep parked up outside. There were long sections of wood strapped on the top.

‘All my tools are in the back. These, my lovely, are your new window seats.’ He pointed to the planks of wood.

‘They are? What are you talking about?’

‘Well, they will be in about five or six hours’ time.’

‘Honestly? You can make them?’

He laughed. ‘I am a master of the building trade, having picked up lots of skills in my time. And Andy, my joiner, stayed an extra half hour to cut them to size for me. I took the initial measurements that day, remember. Kept the notes in my pocket by chance.’

‘But how did you even know …?’ She was struggling to get her head around how and why Max was even here.

‘Well, I couldn’t leave a damsel in distress, could I? And a launch party without a launch – that’s just not on.’

‘But I hadn’t told you. How could you know Ron had had to let me down? Hang on, how did you even know he was meant to be here this weekend in the first place?’ None of this was making sense. And, she was still trying to be angry with him for being a slimy, possibly two-timing toerag.

‘Your friend Bev gave me a call.’

‘What?’ But Bev wouldn’t have known his number. She hadn’t even met him yet. What on earth was her so-called friend doing meddling in her life like this?

‘She was just looking out for you. Found my business number on Google, I think.’

‘Ah.’ She was going to kill her.

She dropped down her paintbrush and tray and sighed. What was she going to do now, send him away?

Before she had a chance to speak, Max said, ‘Right then, no point hanging about, we have work to do.’

Emma found herself silenced. She so wanted her shop to get its facelift, but this in no way meant he could just waltz back into her life. There were too many questions unanswered, too many emotions at stake. She’d made her mind up on that.

‘You’ll have to be my workmate, or this could take all night,’ he continued. ‘Come on, let’s get the stuff unloaded from the jeep first.’