Page 38 of Entwined in Norway

‘What about me?’ Fredrik said to him.

‘You always have the same, Pappa,’ Emil said, rolling his eyes.

‘That’s true,’ Fredrik said, laughing. ‘And so do you.’

Erik actually looked as if he were enjoying himself. He and Mats were having a discussion about the best way to repair a roof strut which then led into Erik asking about the moss roofs on the cabins.

‘Sounds pretty boring, doesn’t it?’ Lotta said, topping up their wine. ‘Probably not what you want from a date night.’

‘It’s actually nice how easy he gets along with everyone. I always thought if I found someone, the hardest thing would be introducing them to the family.’

‘You guys can be scary,’ Lotta said, laughing. ‘Actually, you weren’t the worst. When Ingrid gatecrashed my first meeting with Oda, the designer I used for the Snug campaign, I wondered what I was getting into. Erik looks like he’s taking it in his stride. That’s a good sign.’

‘Of what?’

‘That he’s a nice bloke.’

‘He’s a nice Canadian bloke,’ Ida said with air quotes around Lotta’s English slang word. ‘It’s not going anywhere. Just fun while he’s here.’

‘A way to get back into the swing of dating.’

‘Exactly.’

‘So you won’t be heartbroken when he leaves?’

‘I’m not sure I’m built for heartbreak.’

‘Everyone is, Ida. I know you think you’ve survived the worst that life can throw at you, but don’t assume that’s true. Love can hurt.’

‘I’m not in love with him!’ Ida flicked her eyes over to Erik to make sure he hadn’t heard her. He was busy sketching something out on Emil’s notepad.

‘I’m not saying you’re in love with him yet. But you might be surprised how quickly that can happen before you even notice.’

If anyone knew about this stuff, it was Lotta. She and Mats had pretty much fallen in love at first sight when they met in London last year.

‘How did you know?’ Saying that to Lotta felt like admitting she knew it was a possibility.

‘I don’t know. I had a feeling.’

‘That doesn’t give me much to go on.’

Lotta gave her a knowing look. ‘You’ll just know.’

After dinner, Fredrik and Emil left, and Ida offered to clear the kitchen up since Mats and Lotta had cooked.

‘I’ll give you a hand,’ Erik said, while Mats and Lotta went into the lounge to watch a new episode of a series they were obsessed with.

‘I’m going to help Mats with the cabin for a few more days,’ Erik said as he handed Ida the plates to stack in the dishwasher.

‘I still can’t believe you want to work while you’re on holiday.’

He smiled. ‘It doesn’t feel like work, and it’ll be good to do something less strenuous for a bit. Give my leg a chance to catch up with me.’

‘It doesn’t sound like a relaxing end to your holiday.’

‘I’ve extended my stay.’

‘Have you?’ Her heart leapt and she wondered if that was the kind of feeling Lotta had been talking about.