Zac woke the next morning before light with only some stiffness and a few aches, and he felt better than he had for a week. Possibly better than he had for a whole year, except for the confusion of losing two weeks of his life. He didn’t know if it was the place or the people making him feel this way, though he suspected the latter. Especially the company of one particular person. He couldn’t remember when he’d slept so deeply once his head hit the pillow. The only discomfort was the itching around the suture lines at the back of his head and his arm. This morning, the silence seemed to beckon with cool desert whispers enticing him to slip outside and watch the sunrise. Come on. Come on. It’s nice out here.

He sat up and swung his feet to the cool floor, but before he could stand his door opened just as quietly and Ava poked her head around. When she saw he was awake she slipped into the room.

All his Christmases came at once. ‘Good morning, Nurse.’

She put her fingers to her lips, but he noted with satisfaction the quirk of her smile behind them. ‘I’m more of a midwife. Would you like to see the sunrise? We’ve still got time if you’re up for it.’

‘Oh, I’m up for it,’ he said, and decided he’d said that cheekily, which wasn’t like him, but something about her just made him smile. Rather than think why, he obediently reached to pull his shirt over his bare chest.

‘You’re wearing boxers.’ Their eyes met and he saw amusement from her that he didn’t understand. There’d been a few of those moments between them and he was learning to let them slide.

He nodded. ‘There might be a fire and Granny Mim would be shocked.’

Ava stifled a laugh. ‘Granny Mim would be delighted. Though my mother might be shocked.’

He wasn’t sure he agreed there. Stella was an interesting woman. Any lady who had raised the woman in front of him had to be interesting. ‘Your mother might surprise you. I’m looking forward to knowing her better. I think she has hidden depths that will help me understand you.’

‘Really?’ Ava smiled. ‘We can ask her later. Now you need to pull on your jeans and a jumper because it’s freezing out there. I’ve brought you one of Granny Mim’s beanies.’

She waited until he was dressed before she pulled it out from behind her back, and he tried very hard to laugh quietly. It came out more as a snuffle than a laugh.

Ava held it out. ‘I said last year’s theme was Weaving the Magic.’ The beanie resembled an intricately knitted magician’s hat reminiscent of that worn by Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings.