Evan was a selfish prick if he couldn’t see what solid gold he had in front of his eyes. Bella had been incredibly kind and supportive of Freddie since Paige had left, and of him too. She’d never probed deeper, as if she sensed he wasn’t quite ready to talk, but he knew she kept an eye on Freddie at school and she’d always enquire about him when they ran into each other in the village. Knowing she was in school and around his fragile, wounded son made dropping him off so much easier.

He wondered where her sister and mum were taking her and smiled at the Moore family’s reputation. They were known in the village for being fun and well loved. Some of the more conservative members of the village, his parents being two such people, didn’t always approve of their raucous behaviour during the annual summer fair, but Nick had always enjoyed being around them. They didn’t take themselves too seriously and were more than happy to just have fun. He wished he was more like that. More carefree. Sometimes he felt like all he did was frown and Freddie deserved to be laughing every minute of every day. To be happy.

Remembering the pain he’d felt immediately after his break-up, Nick watched as the wind took Bella’s gate from its precarious position on the loose hinge and flung it about. He suddenly had an idea of something he could do to help. It wasn’t much, but it was something and those small somethings made a difference when you were down.

‘Mate, do you fancy helping me fix Miss Moore’s wonky gate? It won’t take long, then we can go for a kick-about on the green. What do you reckon?’

Freddie lifted his head from his iPad and Nick anticipated a moan, but none came. ‘Okay. Do I have to get dressed?’

‘Nah, you can help me in your stormtrooper outfit if you like, but you’ll have to put your coat on. It’s freezing out there.’

When he and Paige had split up, he’d been offered so much help from those around him he hadn’t quite known what to do. Food deliveries arrived, babysitting services were offered so he could get back to dating again, offers to get his shopping in as he was working full-time, but his parents had always said charity begins at home. They weren’t the type to give to charity or help out those who needed it. It wasn’t that they were bad people, it was just that they’d had difficult upbringings themselves and didn’t think relying on others was good for you. That belief had stuck with him for a long time. It still did sometimes. Why then was he feeling this need to help Bella?