‘You owe me ten dollars,’ said the barman to Pablo.

‘Qué?’ asked Juanita, bemused.

‘What the fuck …’ said Damian. ‘Poppy?’ He looked at her through bloodshot and crossed eyes and Poppy burst into tears.

‘You bloody idiot drunk,’ she sobbed. ‘Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been about you?’

Juanita, looking quickly at them both, realized it would be in everybody’s best interests for her to bugger off.

‘Adios!’ She gave a little wave, then jumped off Damian’s lap and ran, nimbly, out of the bar. Tio Pablo owed her one. Big time.

‘I did nothing with Ben,’ said Poppy, standing with her hands on her hips, tears streaming down her face. ‘Or Jack bloody Meadows. Why didn’t you listen to my messages, you dickhead? I could have explained everything. But no, you had to go running off like some bloody prima-donna drama queen, switching your phone off, scaring us all shitless. If it wasn’t for Lars, we’d never have been able to find you …’

Lars? Hazily, Damian saw that his enormous Swedish friend was standing near the entrance of the bar. And was that Bella with him?

‘Poppy …’ he started, trying not to slur.

‘When are you going to get it into your thick head that I love you?’

‘Ahhh,’ said the assembled drunks. Poppy glared at them over her shoulder.

Looking at her angry, tearful face, and realizing how much he had missed her, Damian stretched out his arms.

‘I love you too.’

‘God, bloody bad timing,’ Bella muttered to Lars. ‘Poor Pops, to have seen him snogging that girl, quite so – um – enthusiastically.’ She grimaced. ‘Pretty cool of her not even to have mentioned it though. I’d have been absolutely distraught. Livid too,’ she added, as an afterthought.

‘Yes, she is a clever girl, not to show she is bothered by the indiscretion.’ Lars was smiling slightly. ‘But I think that from now on, this marriage will be conducted on more of an equal footing.’

Bella laughed.

‘You really are a wise old sage, aren’t you? Thanks for everything this last week, Lars, you’ve been wonderful. Love you loads!’

Lars embraced her in an enormous, manly hug.

‘Love you loads too.’ He was feeling a little sad that their adventure was over. It had been nice to feel wanted and appreciated once more – even if it had only been for his phone. And he had come to love these two girls – though only in the most honourable of ways, of course. He pulled himself together. Poppy had found Damian – that was the most important thing.

‘And after all that, kiddo …’ He smiled at Bella. ‘I think we deserve a drink.’

Chapter 23

Sam was happy to be home. Yesterday, she had helped her mum do the Christmas tree, as they listened to Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole and Slade. Little Ryan had made it difficult, of course, but he had been so sweet, proffering his homemade decorations and clapping with glee every time Sam had hung one of them onto a branch, that nobody had had the heart to be cross with him. Even when he’d had one of his ‘episodes’ and hurled himself at the tree, screaming, trying to bring it down to the ground.