‘Have you got an invoice?’
‘Erm... yes.’ I fumble in my bag and handher the sheet I printed out. I was so delighted she liked the mugs I’d almostforgotten she’d be paying me for them, which is a definite bonus!
‘You can just email your invoices in future. Easier.’ Shelooks up with a smile and I nod, cursing my lack of business know-how. ‘Reallygood to see you, Mackenzie. How are you settling into your new place?’
‘Oh, fine, thanks.’ I swallow, turning my attention to theshelves on my right. ‘You’ve got some gorgeous stuff in at the moment.’
She nods. ‘Have you heard from Rachel lately? I couldn’tbelieve it when I heard she and Poppy had just upped-sticks and left afterChristmas. Is it a permanent move to Scotland for them?’
I force a bright smile. ‘I think so.’
‘Whereabouts? Edinburgh? Glasgow?’
‘I’m... not quite sure where Rachel’sliving at the moment. But she’ll be in touch once she’s settled.’
‘I’m sure she will. You two are such great friends. I justhope Poppy’s okay. I mean, she had so many little playmates here in Torminster.But I expect she’ll be making lots of friends at her new school.’
I swallow hard as an image of Poppy’s face sweeps into mymind. She didn’t want to leave me and was fighting back the tears, trying sohard to be brave, and I felt my heart shatter into pieces.
But I push the image resolutely from my mind. ‘Yes, well,eight-year-olds are resilient, aren’t they?’ My cheeks are aching, trying tokeep the smile in place. ‘Anyway, better go. I’m parked on a double yellow.’
Cringing inside.
Yet another lie!
Hannah smiles. ‘Of course. You’ll be wanting to get back toyour potter’s wheel.’
I nod, keen to go now before she has a chance to ask anymore awkward questions. But as I turn away abruptly, she shouts, ‘Ooh. Watchout!’
An arm is reaching for one of the birthday cards displayedon a carousel just to my left. Taken by surprise, I stumble backwards and myelbow knocks into the little regiment of mugs sitting there on the counter.
There’s a clash of crockery and I make a grab to rescuethem, but that only seems to make things worse. Two of them tip over towardsHannah, close to the counter’s edge.
With a look of horror, she scrambles to catch them. But theyslip through her fingers and fall, and I hear the sickening sound of porcelainsmashing on the hard floor.
CHAPTERTWO
In the chaos that follows, Hannah disappears fromview, exclaiming her sorrow as she starts picking up the pieces, and I leananxiously over the counter to see the damage. The two mugs that fell, one blueand one pink, are in bits and I feel a pang of sadness, recalling how much careI took over them.
I can’t quite believe what just happened. It was all goingso well...
‘I’m sorry. That was my fault,’ says a deep voice, and Iturn to find Mystery Man standing there, his face wreathed in apology.
‘Oh.’ For an odd moment, as I stare up into thosestartlingly blue eyes, the world seems to melt away and I can’t think of asingle thing to say.
He burrows in the back pocket of his jeans and pulls out hiswallet, turning to Hannah. ‘I’d like to pay for the damage if you’ll let me?’
He pulls out some notes and looks quizzically from me toHannah and back to me.
‘Oh, no. You don’t need to do that.’ I shake my head,feeling unaccountably flustered. ‘It was my fault. I’ll just make some more.’ Iturn to Hannah, who’s placing the crockery pieces on a bench behind thecounter. ‘I’m so sorry. That was really clumsy of me. But I’ve got some more athome. I can bring them in tomorrow morning?’
‘Of course. No problem. Don’t worry. These things happen.’
‘Youmadethese mugs?’ The man’s eyes widen inadmiration, and I nod, a blush creeping into my cheeks.
‘Well, they’re lovely. Are they for sale?’ He looks ruefullyat Hannah. ‘The ones I haven’t managed to destroy, I mean?’
‘They are indeed.’ She smiles cheerfully and checks a listunder the counter, naming the price for each mug.
