He was hammering away, securing the frame in place, looking slightly stiff as he moved – probably the results of last night’s work and sleeping hunched up alongside Em for half the night on a sofa. That thought made her smile.

Emma had a few calls to make to get everything organised for the shop reopening the next day. James, her brother, wouldn’t be aware that it was all systems go again, after her telling him of Ron’s illness on Friday. She’d be needing a hand to transport the furniture which he’d picked up for her and was storing in his garage, also the new cushions Chloe was making. She’d also need to call Bev and Pete to get the chocolates transported back from their house. Holly was meant to be coming across with Adam this afternoon to help too, so it was all hands on deck again. It was going to be a long couple of days, for sure, but it was exciting, seeing her dreams becoming a reality.

Emma stood watching Max work; she could already imagine the circular pine tables in place by the windows with her mix-and-match wooden chairs. She had decided she would chalk-paint the more battered looking ones, keeping the best two as natural wood. She offered to fetch Max a coffee. He still had a lot of work to do and he had his own business to get back to. She was so very grateful for his help. The café was back on track, with a little – actually, some huge – help from her friends and family.

It was wonderful to think that by Friday night they’d be celebrating the opening of The Chocolate Shop Café. A party would be such a lovely way to thank all her friends and family and the local community, not just for their help with this project but for all their support over the past few years. They had made her feel so welcome in the village from the start, taking her under their Warkton-by-the-Sea wing, when they only knew her as the new girl in the village who was setting up a chocolate shop, and when her world was at its very bleakest.

She could picture herself on her launch evening, handing out glasses of Prosecco, with plates of chocolate treats. Hmm, chocolate canapés – she could add a little twist to some of her favourite creations, and have some mini chocolate brownies to give an idea of the baked goods for the café. She knew that time was going to be of the essence this week – there would still be some finishing touches to add to the shop, out of hours. Hopefully, Ron might shake off his bug and be back in action in the week to make the final alterations to the counter area.