and a city nearby.’
She rose, getting in his space, stubbornly trying to stop his plans standing in the way of hers. ‘There’s nothing for Maria.’
Not enjoying being loomed over, he rose too. ‘There’s bound to be preschool. I haven’t enquired because I believed Maria would be going to you or your mum before I went to Sweden.’ His heart gave a great pang. Remembering the great time they’d had in Sweden, Maria laughing at the snow, wrinkling her nose, riding on his shoulders. He halted, newly aware of the trauma lying in wait for the girls if they were split up again. Right in front of him was an opportunity to make a proper family for both girls.
Loren gazed at him with her eyes full of fear and longing. Pity rose up as if to choke him.
The sound of arguing voices came rapidly nearer and Maria burst in, eyes like saucers. She flew across the room as if she were being hunted. ‘Mydad, Mydad,’ she sobbed.
‘See,’ whispered Loren, as if this proved everything she’d been saying.
His heart was breaking. A trap was closing. A police siren sounded in the distance, speeding off to deal with somebody’s crisis. He wished you could do something as simple as calling the police when you were being put in an emotional stranglehold.
Automatically, he hugged Maria, patting her shuddering back.
Josie skipped into the room, Vivvi close behind. ‘Maria didn’t want to stay upstairs with me and Grandma, Dad. She wanted you.’
Vivvi’s gaze flicked from Loren to Nico speculatively.
Nico glanced between his ex-wife and ex-mother-in-law. ‘Vivvi, maybe you could take the girls out?’ he said wearily. ‘Loren and I need to talk.’
Chapter Twenty-Four
Hannah couldn’t turn into the drive of Honeybun because a car was parked across it. She pulled up behind and, catching her breath at the icy air as she jumped from the car, scampered towards the gate.
‘Hannah!’ shouted an excited young voice, making her swing around. ‘We’ve been to The Angel with Grandma for cake. Why have you got tinsel on your hat?’ Josie bounded towards her, hood up and cheeks pink. A middle-aged woman in a stylish coat of grey wool hurried to catch up, Maria in the buggy slapping her hands on the sides and shouting, ‘Out!’
‘Oof!’ Hannah gasped as Josie cannoned into her midriff. ‘Is everything OK? I’ve been working at the Christmas Opening of Carlysle Courtyard today. I thought you were coming along. Hello, Maria!’ She waved, which made Maria stop slapping long enough to wave back. Hannah smiled at the woman guardedly. ‘Hello.’
The woman didn’t alter her pinched expression but asked Josie, ‘Is this Daddy’s friend Hannah?’
Josie beamed. ‘Yes! Hannah, Grandma let us have cake for supper. I had two bits. Dad’ll go mad.’
The woman’s lips tightened at the implied criticism and Hannah decided, diplomatically, not to comment. Parent–grandparent politics weren’t her field.
‘Hello,’ she tried again in an effort not to be dismissed. ‘I’m Hannah Goodbody.’
‘Vivvi Myot,’ the woman replied briefly. Maria was still shouting so, tutting, Vivvi unfastened her straps and swung the little girl brusquely to the ground. ‘Here you are then, miss.’
Hannah put out her arms. ‘Hello, Maria! How are you?’
‘Hat!’ Maria demanded, trying to snatch Hannah’s red woolly hat.
‘Maria fell downstairs and got a nose bleed,’ Josie gabbled. ‘Then Mum and Grandma came and—’
‘Chatterbox!’ Vivvi interposed sharply. ‘Please hold your sister’s hand and take her indoors to Mummy and Daddy before she gets cold. I’ll be there in a minute when I’ve folded up the buggy.’
‘But—’ Josie began rebelliously.
‘Do as you’re told.’ Vivvi raised admonishing eyebrows.
‘OK,’ Josie sighed, leading Maria away.
Hannah started after them but then halted, suddenly conscious of the uncertainty of her role here. Loren was visiting. She was Josie and Maria’s mother so no surprise … except she was supposed to be in rehab. That might explain Nico’s odd silence today.
Vivvi collapsed the buggy with a couple of snaps. ‘Just a moment.’
Neck prickling, Hannah turned back.
‘Nico and Loren are talking,’ Vivvi said in a pointed, curt way. She looked Hannah up and down as Hannah’s coat blew open, no doubt taking in the leggings and shirt, the tinsel she’d wrapped around her belt. Feeling foolishly like a kid playing dress-up, she yanked off her hat and let her hair fall down.
‘I’m aware of Nico’s liaison with you,’ Vivvi went on coldly. ‘It’s not to be wondered at if he looked elsewhere for “entertainment”—’ she said the word as if she didn’t want it in her mouth ‘—while he and Loren went through