Page 91 of The Cosy Seaside Chocolate Shop

Max had a wry grin spreading across his face now. ‘DIY SOS ring any bells?’

‘You what?’

‘Yeah, I’ve been helping on that TV programme. There was this disabled lad with his family over in Gateshead in desperate need of an extension to their house and some renovations, so he can get his wheelchair around and have a little independence now he’s a teenager. We’ve made him his own room on the ground floor, with an en suite wet room and everything. It’s been two all-day-and-nighters. That’s why I’m so shattered.’

‘Oh …’ It was hard to take in.

‘Yeah, they put a call out to any local builders. Andy, my joiner, came along too. We had the weekend off for the Bank Holiday anyhow, and I wasn’t doing a lot otherwise …’ He paused and took a sip of tea. ‘It was brilliant – a bit crazy at times with so many people helping and the timescales are ridiculous – but brilliant, honestly. We all mucked in and the family and the lad are coming back this afternoon. They’re just finishing off the plastering and doing some decking and landscaping in the garden this morning, so I flitted off for a couple of hours’ kip.’

‘Oh my word, that’s amazing.’ Amazing that he was doing such a lovely, kind and special thing. And amazing that he hadn’t turned to the arms of someone else.

It was time to talk, really talk.

‘What happened to us, Max?’

He raised an eyebrow as if to say, you know full well.

‘Okay, so I know I did wrong with that crazy kiss. If I could take that back, to have never done it, I would. I never want to hurt you again, Max.’

He was looking down at the tabletop and from the set of his shoulders she knew he was still listening.

‘I will regret that moment until the day I die,’ she continued. ‘But I can’t change that it happened. And if you can’t get past that, Max, if it’s just too hard for you, then you have to be honest and tell me now, or we’ll just end up going on hurting each other.’

He looked up at her, pain still there in his gorgeous green eyes. ‘What’s been hard is not having you here, Em. Not coming up to see you, not sharing your life. Andy and the site lads have said I’ve been like a bear with a sore head these past few weeks. Nothing seemed right.’

‘Not for me, either.’ Emma’s lip was trembling. ‘Can we try to find a way round this?’

‘I don’t know Emma. I really don’t know.’

She couldn’t bear it. She had hurt him so much, she might never be able to make it right. Tears stung her eyes but she held them back. She’d said what she’d come to say, and here they both were, still stuck in the past, with their hurts.

‘Thanks for listening.’ Her voice was quiet but firm. ‘I think I’d better go now.’ She stood up while she still had some strength left to get out of that door, down the path and on past her brick message with her broken heart. ‘Come on, Alfie.’

Max didn’t stop her.

What now? Back to the shop, to Warkton? But she didn’t feel able to drive just yet with her emotions all over the place, fatigue making it all the worse.

One time when she had stayed over here, she remembered, they had gone for a walk down by the river through some woods. Fresh air and a stroll might do her some good, help clear her head, prepare herself for the reality that Max wasn’t coming back. But … at least she had tried.

She left her car where it was; she’d drive back to Warkton in an hour or so when she’d hopefully be calmer, and she and Alfie headed out through the village, finding the path that crossed a grassy field and wound its way down to the riverside.

Ironically, it was a lovely summer’s morning. Dappled light streamed through the branches of the woodland at the side of the river, bathing her in warm sunshine. Birds were tweeting away, and she spotted the grey figure of a heron, poised on tall, spindly legs, down by the water’s edge. He flew off majestically as they neared and Alfie found himself a stick, which he carried for a while then brought to Emma for her to launch into the stream. Alfie adored water and was bounding in and out with it on repeat.

‘Good boy, Alf.’ She patted his head, which caused instantaneous tail-wagging.

Though her heart was heavy, the walk and the countryside soothed her nerves enough for her to think about turning around and heading back to her car. It was time to go back to her Chocolate Shop and her life … but what kind of a life might that be without the shop itself or Max?

She opened her car door after putting a damp Alfie in the hatchback. She’d go away quietly, no fuss. She didn’t even pause to look at Max’s house.

‘Emma! Stop!’ The voice was urgent. Max.

Emma stood silently. If he still wasn’t going to have her back, then she didn’t think she could bear any chit-chat or post-breakup analysis. It would be best if she left, right now.

‘I still can’t bloody sleep.’

Emma held her breath.

‘Oh God, I’m saying this all wrong.’ He strode down the path to her.