Page 49 of The Pop-Up Cake Shop

I looked at her in surprise. ‘Is that how you see it? I actually think the opposite. He’s awkward and shy around her because he really likes her.’

Ellie nodded thoughtfully. ‘You could be right.’

‘He couldn’t wait to get away once Judy arrived and I can’t imagine it’s because hedoesn’tlike her.’

‘That’s true.’ She smiled. ‘So how do we get them together?’

‘What?’ I laughed at the idea of us trying to blatantly matchmake. ‘I don’t think we should interfere in such a delicate matter. We should just let nature take its course, don’t you think?’

‘Boring,’ laughed Ellie. Then she glanced across at me worriedly. ‘Hawksley Rise next. Let’s hope Richard doesn’t show his face this time.’

‘Oh, don’t!’ My heart was already starting to thud faster against my ribcage and we were still three miles from the village. ‘Hopefully he’ll be at work today.’

Luckily, Richard didn’t appear. But as we were serving customers in Hawksley Rise, I noticed that Ellie was looking peaky again and I said as much when the queue died down.

‘I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather over the past few days. Exhausted and really achy. And last night...’ She stopped, a bleak expression on her face.

‘Last night?’ I prompted her.

She sighed. ‘Well, I noticed some bleeding.’

‘Oh, Ellie. Was it very much?’

‘No, not really. And it hasn’t happened again.’

‘Well, that’s good. What did Zak say about it?’

She grimaced. ‘I didn’t tell him because I knew he’d be really worried and he’d want to cart me straight off to hospital.’

‘Well, maybe youshouldget checked out?’

‘The thing is, when I Googled it, I found out that it’s actually fairly common to have “spotting” during pregnancy and it’s not usually anything to worry about.’

‘But isn’t that just during early pregnancy?’

She sighed. ‘Look, it was just the tiniest amount – hardly anything at all, really – and there’s been absolutely nothing since. But I’ve promised myself that if it happens again – even just a hint of it – I’ll ask Zak to take me to get it checked out.’

I nodded. ‘Good. Well, make sure you do. Sorry, I don’t mean to nag but you’re very precious and so is this little one.’ I patted her bump very gently. ‘Perhaps you should think about cancelling your house-warming do?’

She smiled. ‘Thank you for worrying, Katja, and I promise you I’ll see about it if it happens again, okay? And besides, I can’t cancel the party. I’ve already bought the booze.’

‘I think we should probably do the china another night? Or maybe at the weekend, when you’ve had a chance to rest up a bit?’

But Ellie shook her head. ‘I’m fine. Honestly. It would be a real weight off my mind if we could get it done today. You’d be helping me feel less stressed.’

‘Well... only if you promise to let me do most of the work, okay?’ I still wasn’t entirely happy about it. Zak really should know about the bleeding, however slight it was. But if sorting her mum’s china would make Ellie feel better – it would likely be quite a sentimental task for her – I’d happily help to do it later...

I gave her a stern look. ‘Do you promise to relax while I do it?’

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

‘I promise I’ll behave, Katja,’ Ellie said in a high, little-girl voice.

We looked at each other and started to laugh.

Then we got in the van and I drove us back to Ellie’s old rented place in Sunnybrook.

*****

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