They chatted some more about the girls, family life, Alfie. Emma didn’t mention Max, it was all too soon and confusing, and she was so busy with the shop she could barely catch her breath this morning as it was.

‘Well, I suppose I ought to get going,’ Chloe announced. ‘And I’m sure you’ve got lots to do too.’

‘I have indeed. But it was nice having a ten-minute breather. I’m expecting the chocolate supplies back with Bev any minute now, ready to fill the shelves with. It’s still looking a bit bare in here.’ She’d already set out what she could from her kitchen storage, but there were several gaps on the shelves.

‘It looks great already. Well then, Emma, very best of luck!’

‘Thanks. Oh, and don’t forget the launch on Friday, and bring the girls along too. It’s from seven o’clock.’

‘We’ll be there. And yes, I’ll let the girls have a late night as a treat. We would never hear the last of it if they knew we’d had a party in a chocolate shop without them.’

‘Hah – yes.’ Emma gave her sister-in-law a big thank-you hug as she left.

Two hours later, Bev and Emma were sitting outside in the back courtyard at the little table-for-two, grabbing a quick cup of coffee and making the most of the unusually warm October sunshine.

Bev and her husband had turned up half an hour before with a hatchback full of chocolates they’d been storing over the weekend. Pete was now away collecting a second load.

‘Anyway,’ Emma started, now it was just the two of them, ‘what on earth do you think you were doing getting in touch with Max?’ Emma was still cross with her friend for interfering.

‘Well, you weren’t going to give him a chance, were you?’

‘You had no right.’

‘Do you wish I hadn’t now?’ Bev raised a questioning eyebrow.

Em couldn’t answer.

‘Look,’ Bev tried to explain, ‘I could tell you liked him. Yeah, you said about the ex turning up, but you’d already told me it was all over in theory. And then Max came all this way to tell you as much the other evening too. So, I knew his name, knew he was a builder from Hexham with his own company – Google is a wonderful thing. He sounded really nice and genuine on the phone. I thought he deserved a chance. He wanted to help. He really likes you, Em.’

‘Huh! Well, it’s still meddling.’

‘He is pretty damned gorgeous.’

Emma couldn’t help but smile.

Pete arrived back and needed a hand with the last boxes. The chocolates were finally home. Once they were all set out on display, there was less than an hour to go until opening.