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‘Shhh, shh. It’s starting! I helped Summer pick her dress. Do you like it, Livvy?’

‘I think you have very good taste. It’s a lovely dress.’ She smiled as Sarah snuggled against her.

* * *

‘Don’t just stand there, Daddy. Summer and Evelyn and Uncle Jake are on the TV.’

‘Yes, don’t just stand there,’ Liv teased.

‘It’s all right, I’m recording it.’

‘But you need to watch it too!’

‘OK, OK.’ He stretched out on the sofa with them and let his arm fall over the back to brush against Liv’s bare shoulder. She shot him a smile that was so filled with warmth and promise that he had to drag his eyes away from her to focus on what his soon-to-be-niece was saying on the screen.

‘. . . and that’s why we want everyone to come out this weekend and help us have lots of fun celebrating Christmas in summer.’ Summer grinned happily at the camera.

‘Summer’s Christmas.’ The interviewer leaned forward.

‘Yes.’ Summer giggled. ‘My Christmas. But it’s not for me this year.’

‘No, because you’re all better now.’ Evelyn’s happiness beamed across the airwaves. ‘The first year we ran “Summer’s Christmas” was so we could raise the money needed to take Summer to America for life-saving cancer treatment. And last year, we raised money to help other children, and families, who were living with cancer.’

‘And do you want to tell us about the cause you’re raising money for this year?’ The presenter nudged the conversation forward, looking expectantly at Summer who responded like a pro.

‘It’s to save the village surgery. And it’s really, really important.’

‘Maybe your mum can tell us a bit more about why that is? You’re a nurse there, aren’t you, Evelyn?’

‘Yes, I am.’ She nodded. ‘I’ve been working as part of the surgery’s team — which includes Jake’s parents and brother as well as other staff — since I moved back to Broclington. It really is a vital part of the community.’

‘She’s not wrong,’ Liv agreed with the digital image of her colleague and friend.

‘Without the surgery,’ Evelyn continued, ‘members of our community wouldn’t have any immediate access to medical help. They’d have to travel into the next town.’

‘Which I suppose isn’t good when you’re not feeling well.’ The reporter prompted again.

‘No, it isn’t, especially when a lot of our community don’t drive, and buses run in and out of the village twice a day. On a good day. But it’s not just about the impact on our village. Truthfully, the other surgeries near us don’t have the space to take on extra patients without damaging the services they offer to their patients. It would be a disruption for everyone. But what we’re proposing is about more than just keeping our little surgery open. It’s also about improving things for everyone by offering more services. This would mean we could treat a lot of people in the community and offer minor procedures here that would relieve the pressure on our local hospitals. And we could discharge people from hospital sooner so we could lead their recoveries at home, which frees up hospital beds and is better for everyone.’

‘The surgery really is a vital part of the village.’ Jake now leaned forward. ‘We all know it can be really stressful when you, or someone you love, is sick. But imagine how much worse that would be if you didn’t have a doctor nearby, who you could get to easily, who knew you to help treat you. I’d already fallen head over heels in love with Evelyn and Summer when we found out Summer’s cancer had returned.’ He gulped visibly and Callum could see the tell-tale twitch in his brother’s jaw that always gave his stress away. ‘It was one of the most painful situations anyone can imagine. And it would have been worse without the support of our village surgery, and medical team.’

‘I would have died.’

Summer’s bluntness was brutal and shocking, and Callum automatically reached out to comfort Sarah. He was surprised to see her looking up at Liv.

‘Is that true? Did Summer nearly die?’

He watched as Liv’s tongue darted out to wet her lips, before she nodded slowly. ‘The type of cancer Summer had was very, very serious. Not everyone gets better from it.’

‘That’s so sad!’ Sarah ignored the TV and her dad to bury her face in Liv’s shoulder.

‘It really is.’ She brushed Sarah’s hair from her face. ‘But Summer’s all better. So that’s a happy thing, right?’

‘You’re sure?’

‘That’s what her mum and your grandad say.’

‘OK then.’ Sarah settled back happily, and Callum let his eyes be tugged back towards the TV while he mulled over Sarah’s reaction and how she’d automatically turned to Liv for comfort and reassurance. Again. The thought both thrilled and terrified him. He was so glad his daughter had someone other than him to turn to, but he wished it was someone who was a bit more . . . permanent. And yet, even knowing that, he couldn’t resist the same magnetic pull that Sarah clearly felt too.