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Her eyes roll. ‘Yeah, I know the town fete.’
Of course she does. I forgot; she’s a direct descendant of the Hamptons. ‘So there’s this painting competition I’m organizing and I think you should enter.’
She stuffs the tub back in my hand. ‘Really? Do you think I’m good enough?’
God bless her. ‘Of course you’re good enough.’ I smile around the scoop. ‘But it won’t be anything accidental. You have to paint the high street.’
She slows to a stop and turns back, looking down the street, and I join her, my head tilted as I continue to spoon ice cream into my mouth. It really is a lovely high street.
‘I’m in,’ Alex declares, taking the container from my hand. ‘It’ll be nice for me to paint something rather than something painting me.’ She feeds a huge blob into her mouth and goes on her way.
‘What?’ I say, following on behind.
‘The beauty pageant.’ She gives me an exasperated roll of her eyes. ‘I’ve won it every year since Mum started putting me in disgusting dresses, putting loads of stupid makeup on me, and making me stand on the stage in front of everyone.’
‘You?’ I laugh but quickly rein it in when Alex stops walking and throws me a miffed look. ‘Sorry, it’s just . . .’ I let my eyes travel the length of her body, from her back-to-front baseball cap, past the oversize dungarees, to the beat-up old Vans on her feet.
We get on our way again. ‘Don’t laugh.’ Alex surrenders the ice cream.
Guilt grabs me. ‘I’m sorry. Why’d you do it if you hate it so much?’
‘Because it makes my mother happy.’
‘Arh, Alex. You’re not responsible for your mother’s happiness. She’s a grown woman.’
‘Yeah, I know. She’s a real pain in the butt, but she’s having a hard time at the moment so I’m trying not to be difficult.’ We pass the churchyard on the right and the school on the left. I’m desperate to ask what this hard time is all about, but I refrain, not wanting to be nosy. It’s really none of my business. ‘Look at that,’ Alex says, pointing into the graveyard. ‘Me and Dad put down those flowers.’
I see a spray of white roses. ‘Is that your dad’s mum’s grave?’
She nods. ‘I never got to meet her. Nanna died when I was a baby. I don’t remember, but Dad said she thought I was a little angel.’
My heart squeezes. ‘I’m sure she’d be very proud of the lovely young lady you’ve become.’
‘Dad says I’ve inherited her sass and beauty.’ She gives me a grin, and I smile softly, looking back to the high street.
‘I suppose I should be heading back.’ Handing over the last of the ice cream, I start to wander away, looking back over my shoulder. ‘My debt is paid.’
‘Why don’t you come back to Dad’s with me?’
My getaway is halted by her question, and I turn, wondering if the hope I see in her eyes is my imagination. ‘Oh, I don’t think so,’ I say, backing away.
‘Why?’
I’m stopped again, and I ask myself that very question. Why? ‘You went to the shop for ice cream. If you turn up with me, too, your dad might not be happy.’ Would he be happy?
‘Oh, he’ll be very happy.’
He will be? ‘How d’you know that?’ Listen to me, trying to get reassurance from the ten-year-old daughter of the man I’m crushing on. I can’t even bring myself to be ashamed of myself, because, ultimately, her approval means a lot to me. Because it means a lot to Ryan.
Alex drops her bag of ice cream to the ground on an almighty huff. ‘Because he fed you my Chunky Monkey. Dad’s never given away our Chunky Monkey before, and he’s definitely never had a woman stay the night.’
My back straightens, and while I know this is an obvious sign with how pleased I am, I can’t help it. Neither do I want to. I’m very pleased. I’m also a little bit surprised. ‘Oh,’ is all my brain gives me.
‘And, you know, we talked. About you guys playing Monopoly and all.’ This kid has the driest sense of humor. ‘Hannah,’ she says, stepping toward me. ‘I don’t want Dad to be worried that I might not like him having a girlfriend. So if you come with me now, then that will show him that I’m cool with it. Because I am. Because you’re really cool. And I’d love for you to be the lady who Dad lives happily ever after with.’
Good God, where did that come from? ‘That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me,’ I say, feeling a huge lump forming in my throat. She wants her dad to live happily ever after. With me? But suddenly, the gravity of my situation hits me hard in the stomach. If I have to leave Hampton, it won’t just be my heart that breaks. It’ll be Ryan’s and Alex’s, too. God, am I doing the right thing? I honestly don’t know, but I hope I can work it out.
