‘Millie,’ Libby said slowly in a warning tone. ‘You should know that Jamie’s feeling pretty emasculated since he found out you’ve been supporting his wife. It’s almost worth it for that, to be honest.’
Millie smiled and Libby finally felt like she was getting somewhere. She took a deep breath and tried to ignore the ache in her chest when she thought of an affection-starved seven-year-old Millie.
‘Now, I’m a hugger, Rosie’s a hugger, and Kira isdefinitelya hugger. We’ll have to set up some sort of cuddle schedule because you’ve got a lot of making up to do.’
Millie let out a startled laugh and Libby decided that was all the green light she needed. She lurched forward and snatched her up in a fierce embrace, which, to Libby’s relief and after a long second, Millie returned.
Another set of arms engulfed them both in a crushing grip. ‘Group hug!’ shouted Kira, who had thrown herself bodily onto both of them on the sofa. ‘I knew you’d see sense, Professor X. As if I give a crap whether Dick-Boy gets to talk at his willy-fiddler conference, you loco lady.’
‘What’s Dick-Boy?’ a small voice asked as Rosie’s body launched over the back of the sofa into the middle of the enforced group hug.
‘Ki-Ki, can you please at least try not to load her up with the type of ammunition that gets me called into see her Reception teacher?’
‘No promises, my lovely, no promises.’
Rosie’s small hands found their way up to Millie’s cheeks and she proceeded to squeeze them. ‘I missed your face,’ she told Millie.
‘I missed your face too, little louse,’ Millie whispered.
‘Ki-Ki,’ Libby said.
‘Yes, my beautiful friend.’
‘This is becoming uncomfortable now. Remember we talked about boundaries.’ If anything Kira’s grip tightened and she kissed Libby, then Millie, and then Rosie on the cheek.
‘Boundaries, schmoundaries,’ Kira said, swaying the whole group from side to side. A loud woof interrupted her swaying and a wet nose pushed under their arms. Once Beauty’s huge head had worked its way on top of all their laps she closed her eyes and started to shake it from side to side, her drool flying into the air around her and causing everyone to spring apart.
‘Way to spoil the moment, Beast of Bodmin,’ Kira grumbled, wiping a globule from her cheek. Libby gave Millie, the clean-freak, an apprehensive look but to her surprise she was still smiling. Then Millie buried her face in Beauty’s fur and her body started shaking with muffled laughter. Libby took her hand and gave it a squeeze and this time – this time – she squeezed back.
Chapter 32
Every word, dear
‘Push me faster, boy,’ Gammy shouted from her chair.
‘Any faster and we will literally break people’s legs,’ Pav told her through gritted teeth. ‘We’re nearly there anyway.’
‘No thanks to you and your dawdling.’
Pav rolled his eyes and turned the corner into the entrance of the hotel. He wasn’t exactly sure what Gammy meant by dawdling. If racing over to her residential home, explaining the situation at supersonic speed, then loading her and her wheelchair into his ill-equipped car and nearly breaking his back in the process was dawdling, he’d like to see how fast Gammy usually travelled to her weekly outing at the day centre. Pav doubted that the overweight minibus driver he’d seen earlier lifted Gammy bodily into his vehicle, or that he drove at double the speed limit through London. The foyer was full of people holding cameras and sporting lanyards withPresswritten on them. Pav powered through to make it to the information desk.
‘I need to see the Morrisons,’ Pav told the stressed-looking receptionist, who just rolled his eyes.
‘You and every other bugger in town,’ he said. ‘I’m afraid that the –’
‘Young man.’ Gammy’s commanding tone cut through the noise of the foyer as she pushed herself up to a wobbly stand next to Pav, who supported her arm, taking nearly all her weight. ‘Firstly, you are a representative of one of the oldest hotels in London. I hardly think that the word “bugger” should be present in your vocabulary.’
‘I –’
‘Secondly, I am certain there will be a problem if you do not allow Mr Morrison’smotherto support him before thisveryimportant press conference.’
The receptionist’s eyebrows went up in challenge.
‘Pavlos, my handbag,’ she said. Pav jumped into action, grabbing the huge leather bag from the back of the chair. Gammy snatched it from him and began rummaging in its depths. ‘Ha!’ she shouted after a good few minutes and a number of questionable items, including some ancient-looking boiled sweets, five pairs of reading glasses and what looked like a dead cat, which shocked even Pav until he was assured that it was in fact a hat, had been dumped in front of the less-than-pleased receptionist. ‘There you are.’ Gammy’s wrinkled, papery hand was brandishing a piece of paper so old it wouldn’t have looked out of place next to theMagna Carta. ‘My marriage certificate.’
The receptionist took the paper tentatively from Gammy and examined it. ‘Right, yes,’ he mumbled, still unsure how to proceed.
‘You’ve met my son I assume?’ Gammy asked.
