He tried Loren, with no better success, so texted Vivvi. Can we arrange a time to talk, please? Need to touch base about Maria. I go to Sweden one week today.
To Loren he sent: Can we arrange to FaceTime? The girls would like it. Maybe tomorrow? He added, Hope you’re feeling better. He sent the message with a tug of sadness that, actually, neither girl had asked about Loren in the past few days. If they missed anyone it was Tilly and Emelie but most of the time they seemed content with just him.
Sunday morning arrived with a thick hoar frost that clothed every twig in a white fur jacket. Nico was coaxing Maria to walk to the village shop without stopping every time she saw a Christmas tree when he heard his name and, glancing along to Rotten Row, saw Rob and Leesa jumping from their car, bundled up in coats and scarves.
‘You look unnaturally tanned for an English December,’ he called as they hurried up to greet him and the girls. He felt envious. Since splitting up from Loren his summer travel had been restricted to taking Josie to Sweden … much like his winter travel.
‘Honeymoon sunshine.’ Rob beamed, slinging his arm around Leesa so enthusiastically that he nearly swept her feet from the icy pavement. ‘What are you doing in Middledip? We’ve come to take Nan and Hannah to lunch. Nan’s broken her arm and Hannah—’
Nico was already nodding. ‘Hannah’s come home to look after her. Our paths have already crossed.’ He went on to explain his move to the village, while Josie talked to Leesa about her boots and Maria tried to spin her reins out of Nico’s grasp.
Rob raised his eyebrows and whistled. ‘So you’ve downshifted? It sounds fantastic. I’m dreading going back to the nine to five tomorrow. Nobody ever watches my projects while I’m away.’ Rob worked for a company producing thermostats and heating systems.
‘Same,’ groaned Leesa, breaking off from boot talk with Josie. Nico was hazy about her career but thought it might involve the planning department.
‘Come with us for lunch at the pub,’ Rob urged Nico. ‘We hardly had five minutes to chat at the wedding.’
‘Awesome! The pub!’ cried Josie, before Nico could reply.
Maria threw her arms up and echoed, ‘Awesome! The plub!’
Leesa laughed and stroked the girls’ heads. ‘Looks like your kids are in favour.’
‘But they’re your family,’ Nico protested. ‘We didn’t dress for—’
Rob brushed his objections away. ‘You’re a family friend and jeans are fine for a village pub. How about we meet there?’
With Josie and Maria shouting, ‘Yeah!’ Nico laughed and accepted. He liked Rob, Leesa and Nan Heather. And he liked Hannah … even if she had a boyfriend. He wondered whether she hoped to get back to Sweden to spend Christmas with him.
After visiting the shop, Nico and his princess with her magic pet unicorn made their way up Main Road to the swings outside the village hall so some energy could be expended prior to lunch. After fifteen minutes, they made their way to the pub.
Josie bounced in ahead of him. ‘Look at the lights! Look at the tree! There’s Nan Heather!’ She pointed into the dining area where the Goodbody party had already claimed a table beneath a holly wreath.
By the time Nico got there, Josie was sitting next to Nan Heather excitedly displaying her Pokémon comic from the village shop. Nan Heather looked small and bowed, not much larger than Josie, but her smile was undimmed.
‘Hi, everyone.’ Nico tried to extricate an energetically wriggling Maria from her coat while she yelled, ‘Down, Mydad!’ Someone had readied a high chair for her and Nico slotted her into it then fished in his pocket for her favourite small toy of the moment – a plastic cupcake that whizzed around on the spot when wound up. ‘Har, har, har,’ Maria chortled, trying to grab it and allowing herself to be strapped in. Nico pulled off his coat and took the last empty seat, which was between the high chair and … Hannah. Her long hair was plaited and swung over her left shoulder as she turned to smile.
Leesa, on the other side of Maria, cooed, ‘Ooh, have you got a cake, Maria?’
‘Cubcake,’ Maria confirmed, generously letting Leesa take a look at her toy.
Rob sent Nico a wink. ‘She’s practising for when we have babies.’
Leesa blushed furiously and gave Rob a playful thump so Nico thought a family was probably in their future. A lovely couple, they’d