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‘Apparently so.’

‘So, what are we going to do about it?’

‘Do?’

‘This lie broke Angela’s heart. Maybe the truth could help heal it?’

‘So you do think we should tell her?’

‘I think I’d want to know.’ Evelyn nodded firmly. ‘And sooner rather than later. We could invite her for dinner tonight.’

‘Liv, Cal and Sarah are coming,’ he reminded her.

‘I don’t think that’s a problem. I’ll give her a call and we can talk to her together.’

‘Apparently it’s not as uncommon as you’d think. Or hope.’ He pulled a face. ‘Three point seven per cent of fathers are conned into situations like this, bringing up children they don’t know aren’t theirs. At least, according to John Moores University.’

‘Of course you looked it up.’ Evelyn laughed.

‘I was curious.’

‘I love that about you.’ She leaned in to give him a kiss. ‘And for the record, if we’re lucky enough that I get pregnant, I promise you it wouldn’t ever be anyone else’s but yours.’

‘For the record,’ he gathered her up in his arms, ‘when we get that lucky, I wouldn’t question it for a heartbeat. And I love you too.’

* * *

‘Angela! Angela!’ The excited yells were followed by even more exciting yapping. Quickly, she sat on the bottom stair. It was either that or risk being knocked flying by the exuberant greeting.

‘Hello, hello. You’re all acting like you’ve not seen me for months. It’s only been a couple of weeks.’

‘Yeah, but we missed you,’ Summer explained, Sparks and Tilly joining in and trying to climb into her lap, taking turns washing her face hello. She giggled beneath the over-excited girls and dogs.

‘Well, this isn’t exactly the ideal welcome.’ Jake grinned down at Summer before grabbing his niece Sarah, lifting her up and throwing her over his shoulder. He tickled her, making her squeal and squirm. ‘You, fairy, are getting too big for me to do this much longer.’

‘Nuh-uh,’ she said through her giggles.

‘Come on, Summer, let Angela in the door. And take Tilly and Sparks with you.’ He reached down a hand to help Angela back to her feet. ‘Welcome to the mad house. Like I said, sorry about the greeting.’

‘You know what?’ Angela grinned at him as the girls ran off. ‘It was exactly the “hello” I needed this week.’

‘How are you doing?’

‘I’m . . . getting there.’ The breath she took was shaky, but at least it wasn’t followed by tears, so there was that to be grateful for.

‘Sure about that?’

‘Most of the time, yeah.’

‘And the rest of the time?’ He watched her with concern.

‘And, sometimes I feel like I’ve been really silly, that I’m still being really silly, but other times I think that there was something real there . . . Maybe the big thing, like you and Evelyn, and Callum and Liv have. And then I think I really must be crazy, because if that was true, he wouldn’t have been able to walk away so easily.’

‘It wasn’t easy for him, and he’s regretting it. If that helps.’

She turned to look at him. ‘You’ve been talking to Ryan . . . Rick?’

‘Yeah. He brought Mallow in earlier today.’