‘I told you, Clare, this is the new me. Jail has broken my back this time and there is no way in this world that I’m going back there again. I’m on the straight and narrow now.’

‘Well, fuck a duck. I never thought I’d see the day. If you’re buying then I will have a curry. I’ll have a bottle of wine too if you’re flush.’

Kevin rubbed his hands together and kicked off his trainers. He was back in the good books. ‘You can have two bottles if you want. You know that second one always makes you horny.’

Ged covered his ears. ‘Wow, Dad, get a room or something. I don’t want to know stuff like that. Too much information.’

Clare cracked a smile. ‘Better just get me the one then. The last thing I want is to land in bed with you. Been there and done that and got the bloody T-shirt.’

‘I’ll get two just in case you change your mind,’ he winked at her.

Ged tutted and squirmed.

Kevin stood up and grabbed his phone from the table. ‘I’ll ring for it and go and pick it up. I need to get some fags and that from the shop too. Clare, do you need any?’

Bloody hell, this was a turn up for the books. The man never usually had a pot to piss in.

‘Twenty Lambert silver, please.’

Ged wasn’t missing out on a treat if his dad was buying. ‘Will you get me some chocolate, surprise me with something. Nothing with raisins in though.’

‘Right. OK, write me a list of the stuff you need from the shop. Maybe a bit of bacon for a butty in the morning?’

He was trying it on again but Clare couldn’t help but smile. The wall she’d built around her heart seemed to be caving in. Old habits die hard and all that. She’d given Sam the push; didn’t need the aggro from Ged after everything that had happened. Better to be on her own for a bit. It wasn’t like it had been serious anyway, if she was being honest. A booty call. No strings. A curry with Kev for old time’s sake wouldn’t do any harm – would it?

Kevin rushed across Eastford Square, his head held high. This was his patch now and he’d fuck anyone up who dared to step on his turf. He spotted Frankie across the way and jerked his head at him. ‘Oi, word,’ he beckoned with his finger to a quiet corner. Frankie’s head was bowed. He was bricking it. Kevin grabbed him by the ear and pulled his face up, squeezing his cheeks.

‘The bruises are clearing up. It was what you deserved, though. Nobody has my boy over. You’re lucky I didn’t finish you off, you little ferret.’