‘Thank you. For everything today and for all your help with the shop too. I’ll always remember that.’

They walked side by side back along the cobbled street to where Emma’s car was parked. They stopped, stood facing each other for a second. Max then moved towards her, giving her a polite kiss on the cheek, which felt very final.

What the hell are you doing, Em? a voice was clamouring in her mind. Yet another was saying it was the right thing. The best way. They had been good together, but now it was time to let it go. Max turned to walk away. She couldn’t watch! She ducked into her car and sat with a weird feeling of relief and regret all mixed up in her heart.

41

‘So, let me get this straight,’ Bev was on her high horse down the phone line. ‘You’ve just landed a guy that looks like a cross between Gerard Butler and Tom Hardy. He has his own company, can do major DIY jobs, is obviously fit in more ways than one – you can’t deny it, I have seen him – and he seems a really nice chap. So, you’ve just gone and told him to take a hike. Are you nuts or what, woman?’

‘No. I’ve thought about it and it’s the right thing to do.’

‘Who for?’

Emma didn’t answer. So Bev started up again. ‘Ah, I get it. Was the sex crap?’

Em couldn’t help but smile. ‘No, it wasn’t crap. Actually, it was pretty damned good.’ It was indeed more than good, but she wasn’t going to admit that to Bev right now.

‘So what is the problem?’

‘It just wasn’t going to go anywhere.’

‘Well no, not if you didn’t give it a chance. Right, that’s it, we need wine and we need to talk. My place at seven. Pete is out at a local council meeting, organising the village Christmas lights.’

‘Okay. I’ll wrap up here in the shop, take Alfie out for a walk, and I’ll see you later.’ She knew there was no point arguing when Bev was in this frame of mind.

Emma was curled on a sofa in Bev’s front room with a glass of chilled rosé to hand. It was Monday, two days after the Christmas market, and she’d just put in a full day at The Chocolate Shop single-handedly, as Holly was at school and Bev working at the doctors’. The shop’s supplies were seriously depleted too. It was looking more like Old Mother Hubbard’s than a thriving chocolate store on the run-up to Christmas so she would have to be up early tomorrow making more confectionery. She still felt pretty shattered, physically, from her long day at the market and her emotions were all over the shop.