Whenever Bonnie saw Dawn James she had to steady herself, because she knew Oliver would be on her mind for the next couple of days.

‘That’s kind of inevitable here. It’s impossible to go to the shops without running into someone you know.’

‘And that’s a good or bad thing?’

‘I’ll let you decide that.’ Bonnie wondered how often she would have to run into him and Sophie, like she had only days before. She felt overwhelmed knowing she had a lifetime of impromptu run-ins ahead.

‘So, what about you, Bon?’

The way he called her Bon took her back to being a teenager, to long summer afternoons, to wearing bikinis and denim shorts, to the way it felt when he used to slide his hand into the pocket on her bum when they walked together. She suddenly felt hot and wondered if her cheeks were flushed.

‘The last time I saw you, things seemed pretty serious with …’ He paused, seemingly trying to remember. ‘… Isaiah?’

But Bonnie could tell it was just an act; he knew Isaiah’s name. ‘Yeah, Isaiah.’ She nodded. It had been at their ten-year high school reunion. She’d thought things with Isaiah had been going pretty well. It turned out he hadn’t felt the same. Two weeks later he’d broken things off. Two months later he’d moved interstate. Six months later he was engaged to someone else. ‘That didn’t work out.’

Oliver didn’t say anything, but his eyes were full of sympathy. Sympathy she didn’t want.

Bonnie shrugged, trying to make out it didn’t matter, but of course it mattered. She wished she were already living her ‘happily ever after’. She wished she didn’t want a man to complete her life, but she did. Most of the time she wanted it so badly it hurt.

‘Has there been …’ He tapered off, perhaps not wanting to offend her.

‘Anyone else?’ She finished his question.

He nodded, his eyes full of something Bonnie couldn’t quite pinpoint.

‘Yeah,’ she began slowly. Liam, the guy who she’d let herself believe was the one. The guy she was willing to become a stepmother for. The guy for whom she’d even contemplated shutting up her business and relocating. He was also the guy who had an affair with his ex-wife. Bonnie’s heart was still bruised a year on. ‘There was someone,’ she finally said, ‘but there’s not anymore.’

‘I’m sorry,’ he offered.

‘Yeah, me too.’ Because if Liam had been at home waiting for her, there was no way she would have agreed to a drink with Ollie.

‘Another?’ Oliver gestured to their empty glasses.

She went to say no, but Oliver stood. ‘Go on, have one more with me.’