Page 135 of My Kind of Happy

Chapter Thirty-seven

It was closing time. I was looking forward to going home, sitting in the garden with a nice cold drink and ringing Ethel for a chat. She was already settled into her new room at her daughter’s house and was enjoying hearing about the wedding preparations. Last night I’d told her all about the invitations Lucas had found for us and this evening I wanted to get her input on the music.

I wiped the perspiration from my brow and looked around the shop. The floor was swept, the flowers were watered, all I had to do was put the dustbins out for collection in the morning and I was done.

‘Two minutes and we can go,’ I told Scamp.

He had a bad habit of barking at dustbins to I tried to sneak out the back door without him noticing. But as soon as I put one foot outside he started to howl.

‘Shush, you silly boy, it’s just a bin!’ I said, poking my head back in for a second. Scamp fell silent, although I could hear the scrabbling of his paws.

‘Help!’ came a timid voice. ‘HELP!’

I dashed back into the shop to find Pandora backed up against the counter, clutching her handbag. Scamp was sitting at her feet making a low growling noise.

Bloody hell; this was all I needed. I could see the headline already: Shop Horror!: Florist’s Dog attacks Lover’s Ex-wife.

‘Scamp, in your bed,’ I said sharply in the voice he knew not to mess with.

‘Thank you,’ Pandora said with a rush of breath as my cheeky dog slunk off and flopped down, keeping a strict eye on her.

‘Sorry about that, he’s normally so placid. What can I do for you?’ I said coolly.

I looked at her properly and did a double take. She was still beautiful, but devoid of make-up, in a pair of flip-flops and plain cotton sundress, her hair scrunched up loosely, she looked younger and infinitely more vulnerable. Was it a ploy for sympathy, I wondered?

‘Can we talk?’ she said with a sideways glance at Scamp.

‘Actually I’m very busy.’ I folded my arms and then made myself unfold them again. ‘But, yes, sure.’

‘My husband.’

‘No we can’t.’ I marched to the door, opened it and gestured for her to leave. I’d already had Sam in here giving me the cold shoulder; getting a second slap in the face was the last thing I needed.

But she didn’t move. Instead she dropped her head. ‘I’ve made such a mess of things. I thought I could have it all. I’ve been greedy and selfish and I took Sam for granted.’

Yep. All those things.

‘It’s not me you should be talking to,’ I said tightly.

‘Yes I know,’ she said, looking at me from under her lashes. They shimmered with tears. I could see how men would fall for her. But it wasn’t going to work on me. ‘I’ve let my father down, myself down but worst of all I’ve let Sam and the children down.’

‘OK, I’m listening.’ I shut the door, flipped the sign to closed and fetched her a tissue from a box under the counter.

‘Thank you.’ She wiped her eyes, refolded the tissue and held it back out to me. ‘Do you have a bin?’

‘Look, Pandora,’ I said warily, ignoring the sodden offering. ‘It’s never too late to change. You can make a fresh start. Be the person you want to be. Sam’s a good man, I’m sure he’s not going to want there to be bad feeling between you.’

‘You’re right.’ She smiled, revealing dazzling white teeth and reached out a hand as if to touch me. From his bed, Scamp let out half a growl. She quickly withdrew her hand. ‘We need to find a new way to get along. I’m going to try very hard from now on.’

‘Yes, well. Good luck.’ I needed her to go now. Being so close to her was making me itch; she was so smarmy and the longer she was here, the more convinced I was that she was acting the penitent wife.

‘We’ll need you to do your part, of course,’ she gazed at me with such sincerity it was all I could do not to laugh.

‘Me? What have I got to do with it?’

‘Give us the time and space to work it out.’

I was puzzled. ‘I don’t understand what you mean.’