Page 96 of The Sunrise Sisterhood

‘Can you?’ Clare gestured towards her crossbody bag.

‘Yes, sure.’ Adam picked up the bag, looped it over her head and carefully settled the strap under her injured arm. His fingers were light on her skin, his breath warm on her cheek, and she found herself holding her breath. ‘Is that OK?’

She nodded and picked up her water bottle. ‘Perfect. Thank you.’

They headed out of the house, Adam locking the door for her.

‘I’ll walk this side of you,’ he said, steering the buggy so that her brace was next to him. ‘Then anyone who comes near us won’t be able to bump you.’

‘Thank you,’ she replied, mentally awarding him points for his thoughtfulness.

Did people assume they were a family, she wondered, a young couple and their baby walking down the street? It struck her that she and Ivy had never been anywhere with a man like this.

‘I’ve never pushed a buggy before. Apart from helping people on and off buses and trains and things. How am I doing so far?’ he asked.

‘Not bad.’ She sipped her water. ‘Although you have just run over her sock.’

‘What?’ He spun round and spotted Ivy’s little ankle sock on the ground. Now he was in the way of a trio of teenage girls and he gave them a crooked smile. ‘Sorry, ladies.’

They went giggly and then cooed over Ivy. ‘Cute baby!’

‘Thanks,’ Adam said proudly as he scooped up the stray sock.

‘Finished showing off?’ Clare teased.

‘Sorry, couldn’t resist it. OK, you tinker.’ He crouched down in front of Ivy, catching hold of her bare foot. ‘Whomsoever this sock fits will be my princess. Look at that – it fits!’

Ivy squealed with pleasure as he blew a raspberry against her skin.

‘Glad you didn’t offer to marry her,’ said Clare.

He grinned up at her. ‘That would be a bit weird.’

On so many levels, she thought, unable to stop herself from smiling as Adam pretended to eat Ivy’s feet while tugging on her sock. He was winning her daughter over effortlessly so far. And she was feeling pretty happy with the situation too.

‘Although I’m hoping for better things for her than being somebody’s princess,’ she told him as they started walking again.

‘What do you mean? Isn’t that a good thing to be?’

‘You’re either born a princess or you marry a prince and become one,’ Clare shrugged. ‘I’d rather she achieved something on her own merit.’

‘You’re so right. I didn’t think of it like that. So what would you like her to be?’

‘Anything that makes her feel fulfilled.’ That was easy, she never wanted her daughter to feel pressured to be something that didn’t feel right for her. ‘Like she’s doing the best job in the world. Whether that’s an artist, or an archaeologist, or an astronaut.’

‘Careers beginning with other letters of the alphabet also available,’ said Adam, putting on a funny voice. ‘Location scout, for example.’

‘Very funny.’

Half an hour later, they were descending the final slope towards North Sands beach. Their progress had been slow, Clare was hot and sweaty, and her arm inside the brace was aching. This was the longest she’d spent out of a chair since her accident, and she was ready to sit down and rest her elbow on a pile of cushions. She’d drunk almost a litre of water too and could have wept when the sign for the toilets came into view. The tide was out and although the beach was busy, as it always was in August, there was plenty of room for everyone.

‘Ice cream first or sit on the beach?’ Adam asked.

‘Toilet,’ said Clare, stowing her empty water bottle in the basket of the buggy.

‘OK.’ He stopped pushing Ivy and took a seat on the wall. ‘We’ll wait for you.’

Clare bit her lip. ‘I should probably take her with me.’