out until you’re good and ready, are you? Even if it’s unfair and I need the money? Even though it’s what you agreed?’
‘I’ll probably get round to it,’ Albin said carelessly.
Hannah finally turned away and Nico saw her eyes were diamond hard. She joined him at the scarf stand saying to him sweetly, ‘So it will have to be your lawyer friend.’
It didn’t take a genius to play along. ‘Sure, we’ll go to his office now.’ Nico essayed a sharky smile. ‘A trader in such a sensitive area as stocks, bonds and securities is excruciatingly vulnerable to legal action. My friend loves the opportunity to bring down arseholes who think themselves above the law and he owes me a favour.’ He didn’t look Albin’s way, pleased by the make-believe scenario he was spinning as fast as he could talk. It was more fun than creating bedtime tales of unicorns and princesses for Josie.
Julia gave a horrified gasp at the same time as Hannah said, ‘You’re brilliant.’
‘Not as brilliant as him.’ Nico was enjoying the frozen, incredulous silence from Albin. ‘He’s savage. Made his name trashing the reputation of others.’ He held out his hand and Hannah took it as they turned for the door.
Albin unfroze. ‘Who is this? Who are you?’ he demanded furiously. ‘What are you talking about?’
Nico turned back and gazed at him. ‘I think you heard.’
He opened the shop door unhurriedly, stepping back to allow Hannah through first. ‘Hungry yet?’ he asked, as if they’d already forgotten about Albin and his manipulative, unpleasant games.
Hannah answered, ‘Maybe,’ just as Albin yelled, ‘Wait!’
They paused and looked back.
Ugly anger rang in his voice. ‘You fucking piece of shit,’ he seethed at Hannah. ‘Have your fucking money and get out of my life.’ He worked at his phone screen with bad-tempered swipes. ‘Done!’ he snapped.
Hannah turned away, smiling into the wintry air as she fibbed happily. ‘We’re around a while so visiting Nico’s friend in a few days will be no hardship if the international transfer doesn’t come through. Merry Christmas.’
Albin called a word after her that made Nico drop Hannah’s hand and spin around but she snatched at his arm. ‘Don’t. That’s what he wants. It’s his last roll of the dice to see if he can get you on an assault charge. Leaving him to stew impotently on loser status is much the sweetest revenge.’
Nico could do no more than seethe silently as he let Hannah draw him up the street.
It wasn’t until they got around the corner that she let herself pause, white in comparison with the colourful buildings of Stortorget. ‘Phew. That was horrible. He’s an ugly customer when he doesn’t get his own way.’
Nico enveloped her in his arms, aware of her curves through the down-filled layers of their coats. ‘He’s a shit.’
‘I don’t care so much about that.’ She laid her head on his shoulder. ‘But my beautiful shop! It’s been taken from me and forever tainted.’ Then she added fiercely, ‘Whatever life holds for me next, it will be something that’s completely under my control.’
They joined the others in the tea shop, though the encounter with Albin had left Nico with a bad taste rather than an appetite. Then it was time to retrieve their bags and take the train home. The girls both slept on the journey. As the snow-coated scenery flashed past the window, Nico linked fingers with Hannah beneath the table. He thought he’d been discreet until Carina hugged him in the station car park before getting into her own car, whispering, ‘She’s a good girl. I hope she makes you happy.’
Nico hugged her back and murmured, ‘So far, so good.’ Then he took a refreshed Josie to visit his dad in hospital as Hannah professed herself happy to be dropped off to put Maria to bed.
Lars was beginning to look more of a normal colour now. He beamed, hair sticking out untidily. ‘Out of hospital tomorrow. Then I’ll have to behave myself, under your mother’s nose again.’
Nico laughed. ‘One of these days, Dad, you’ll have to explain your relationship to me.’
Lars beamed harder. ‘When I understand it myself.’
Eventually, Nico drove Josie home and she got into her unicorn onesie to cuddle up on the sofa between him and Hannah and play a game on her iPad. He was far too early to tell Josie about the change between him and Hannah but he watched the warmth of their interaction with pleasure. ‘Come on,’ he murmured when Josie’s eyelids began to