‘True.’ I can’t help giggling again because I’ve gone all flittery inside. Despite the insults, he just called me ethereal. That’s such a lovely word and a really, really nice way to describe someone. No one’s ever called me anything that complimentary before. Although, by ‘creature of the deep’ he could have meant mermaidy, or he could have meant that I bear a striking resemblance to a giant squid or a humpback whale. ‘Creature of the deep’ is open to interpretation.
‘And he thinks you’refine.’ Ava’s eyebrows are waggling.
‘Ava! It was a song lyric! Idon’tthink she’s fine.’ He looks at me with both hands held up in surrender and a grimace on his astoundingly red face. He lookssoembarrassed that I almost feel sorry for him.
‘Do you have children?’ he asks me.
I shake my head.
‘Don’t. Ever. They will twist everything they hear to humiliate you as much as possible in every way they can conceivably think of. Way more trouble than they’re worth.’ He gives Ava a pointed but joking look and she grins back at him, clearly loving every moment of winding him up.
‘Have you got a boyfriend?’ she questions me.
‘No.’
‘Girlfriend?’
‘No.’
‘Ava!’ Ren chastises her.
‘I’m just asking. Mickey doesn’t mind, she’s cool.’
Cool. I don’t think I’ve ever been cool before. ‘I don’t mind. I have nothing to hide. All right, so I’m thirty-eight and single again after many disappointing years with my ex-fiancé. I’m not interested in getting into another relationship, ever. I spend way more time with my shop than I ever would with any man and we’re very happy together. Is there anything else you’d like to know?’
‘Nope, that’s it, thanks!’ She’s already started wandering around the shop, picking up things and putting them down again like she doesn’t know what to look at first. ‘Dad says I can get one thing today, but it has to be something sensible and practical.’
‘That sounds like a very “dad” thing to say. Mine would’ve said the same.’
She glances over like she wants to question me further, but she gets distracted by going to look at a bejewelled ornament of a melting ice lolly.
‘Sorry about that.’ Ren takes another tentative step into the shop, looking around for any stock with a thirst for blood. ‘I’m trying to teach her that you can’t just say the first thing that pops into your head to complete strangers but…’
‘Butyousay the first thing that pops intoyourhead to complete strangers, so how is she ever going to learn from that?’
‘Touché.’ He gives me a sarcastic smirk that quickly turns soft. ‘And that was really nice of you yesterday to knock money off the skeleton. It made her day. Thanks for doing that.’
‘My pleasure. There’s nothing better than watching someone find something that feels like it’s always belonged to them. It’s not about the money.’
‘That’s a terrible way to—’ He cuts himself off before finishing the sentence, and I appreciate him not making it into something derogatory. Maybe there’s hope for him yet.
Until he ruins it by saying, ‘I’m sure you appreciate me not adding “to run a business” onto the end of that.’
I laugh. ‘Yes, very considerate of you.’
We can hear Ava wandering around in the other half of the shop, and he still hovers awkwardly, looking around without actually moving. He looks at the empty spot where the fabric scraps basket was earlier. He must notice it’s gone, and this time, I appreciate himnotsaying anything about it.
‘How’s the head today?’ I touch my fingers to my own forehead, trying not to think about how dark the bruising looks around the edges of the butterfly strip plasters.
‘Bruised. It’s fine as long as I don’t touch it, turn my head too fast, or move my face even a millimetre.’
‘I really am sorry about that. I kept thinking about you all night. I didn’t mean for that to happen, and if there’s anything I can do to make it up?—’
He holds up a hand to stop my rambling. ‘It’s fine. I was so worried about Ava that looking where I was going wasn’t on my mind. Don’t worry about it.’
I appreciate the reassurance because he struck me as the type of person who’d sue the living daylights out of me, given half a chance. ‘You can come in, you know. I moved any stock likely to attack unsuspecting customers. You might even find something you like.’
‘I don’t like anything.’
