A Forever Family: Falling For You. Shirley Jump

she asked, refusing to ask him outright. If she’d learned anything in her brief dealings with Hal North, it was that if he wanted her to know something he’d tell her. If he didn’t, he’d change the subject.

      Then, suspiciously, ‘Was it even true?’

      Working with Hal North Rule Number Five: Don’t believe everything he says.

      ‘If it was my intention, clearly I’m going to have to try harder,’ he said, turning off the road and pulling into the riverside car park. ‘But why would I lie?’

      ‘To wind me up?’

      ‘Why would I bother when you do such a great job all by yourself.’

      Okaaay…

      Working with Hal North Rule Number Six: Disregard Rule Number Five.

      But why would he tell her something so personal? Did he really believe that removing her from the news desk would totally silence her? Surely no man so careful of privacy would be that naive?

      No way. He’d told her because it didn’t matter. She’d mentioned the tragic accident in that first piece she’d written about him, but Jack North was a drunken labourer who’d fallen into the river and drowned one misty night. How much worse could it get?

      No. He simply wanted to shock her. Send her off on some wild goose chase, no doubt. But while her curiosity was aroused she felt nothing but relief that she wouldn’t have to write it.

      Get this Wish thing over with and she’d happily report town-council meetings and agricultural shows until the cows came home.

      He’d climbed out, opened Ally’s door while she struggled to make sense of it. ‘First one to the island gets an ice cream,’ he said, as he lifted her down, then having wound her up, stood back to let her race away over the bridge.

      ‘Oh, for goodness sake.’ She scrambled down. ‘Not before lunch!’

      ‘And the milkshake you promised her?’

      She glared at him. ‘Don’t go too close to the water, Ally!’

      ‘Spoil sport.’

      ‘Try responsible…’ She sighed. ‘Oh, never mind.’

      He was right. She’d been happy enough to use a treat to wind up Hal and Ally was having a miserable half term. An ice cream would do no harm.

      She walked on, Hal’s hand still on her arm, holding her at his side as if fearing that she, too, might bolt, run on ahead.

      ‘I’m sorry, Hal. It’s half term. Jessie Michaels usually has her in the mornings. She and Savannah are best friends, were best friends. They’ve fallen out.’

      ‘How are you managing?’

      ‘Like every other woman in my situation. And every man. With a combination of help from my friends, expensive childcare and, when all else fails, doing what I did today and taking her with me to the office.’

      ‘Not ideal.’

      ‘No. She’s being good, but it’s a bit like living with a volcano with the lid on. You know it’s going to blow and that the longer it takes the worse it’s going to be.’ She sighed. ‘At least now, thanks to you, I can work at home.’

      ‘You don’t sound particularly grateful.’

      ‘Forgive me if I don’t weep with gratitude, Hal, but I don’t think you meant to be kind.’

      They’d reached the far end of the bridge where Ally was waiting for them, jumping up and down with excitement.

      ‘I won, I won…’

      ‘You beat us,’ Hal said, taking a handful of coins from his pocket. ‘Okay, let me see… I think I’ll have a ninety-nine…’ He looked at her. ‘Claire?’

      She shook her head but said, ‘The same. A small one.’

      ‘Two ninety-nines and whatever you want for yourself,’ he said, dropping the change into Ally’s upturned hands.

      ‘She’ll buy something ghastly with a load of E numbers,’ Claire protested.

      ‘Fuelling the volcano,’ he said, taking her arm and heading along the bank. ‘We’ll be looking at the ducklings, Alice,’ he called back.

      ‘This is ridiculous,’ Claire said.

      ‘The ice cream? Lunch? Or are you telling me that you don’t want to be the Wish Fairy?’

      Oh, fudge, here comes the smile again…

      ‘I thought it was your aim in life to wave a wand over everyone and make their dreams come true.’

      ‘If I wave it over the rose garden will you send away the contractor?’

      ‘You can try.’

      Alice caught up with them, walking carefully as she carried a little cardboard tray supporting their ices. Hal took one and offered it to her. There was a momentary collision of fingers, fuelling the little personal volcano inside her. The ice should have melted on the spot.

      He took one for himself, accepted his change, then, admiring the traffic-light coloured nightmare that would have her daughter spinning like a top, said, ‘That looks interesting.’

      Resisting the urge to snatch it out of Ally’s hand, she bit off the top of the chocolate flake on her own ice. Seeing her spin and whoop, even if it was an additive-induced high, had to be better than the misery of the last week or two.

      ‘Rose gardens, dog walkers, donkeys,’ Hal said as he steered her along the bank in Ally’s wake until they reached a bench.

      ‘What are you talking about?’

      ‘Magic-wand time. You appear to have a soft spot for dog walkers, donkeys, even teddy bears.’

      ‘Especially teddy bears,’ she said, sitting down on a bench strategically placed so that two weeping willows offered a theatrical view of the river. A stage set with brief walk-on parts by passing swans, oarsmen, a passenger boat on its way upriver to Melchester.

      ‘Everyone, in fact, except me.’