Franklin's car pulled onto the drive of Sunbeam Cottage shortly after noon and Mia was out the front door and down the drive before Lori had stepped out.

'Mum! You're home,' she shrieked, hugging Lori as if they hadn't seen each other for a year instead of merely one month.

Lori was equally excited. 'Mia, darling! Oh, I've missed you. Let me look at you.' She eased Mia away from her a little. 'Have you lost weight? Have you been eating properly? Who's been doing the cooking since …?'

'Since Garrick left?' Mia smiled. 'It's okay, Mum. You can say his name.'

'But not in front of me,' Ella joked, coming down the drive to join them. 'I'm more upset he's gone than Mia is. But it's only because neither of us can cook and we've been living on beans on toast, frozen pizza and ding-dinners for the last two weeks.' She winked. 'Although I've had a few meals in the pub without Mia knowing.'

'Hello, Ella. Ding-dinners?' Lori queried, smiling.

'Microwavable ready meals,' Ella replied. 'It's lovely to see you again.'

'You've been eating in the pub?' Mia asked Ella. 'I didn't know that.'

'I told you that you should've come with me.'

'It's good to be back, isn't it, Franklin?' Lori laughed, and Franklin grinned.

'Sorry,' Mia said, giving Lori another hug. 'Um. Are you staying here? Or at Franklin's?'

Lori smiled at Franklin and then at Mia. 'I'm going to stay here for a couple of nights, darling. Just until I'm sure you're really as okay with everything as you say you are. Don't give me that look. I'm your mother. I worry. Sue me.' She pulled Mia close again and kissed her face, her cheeks and her hair. 'I really have missed you so much. Let's get inside and catch up.'

'I'll bring the bags, honey,' Franklin said, with a genuine smile. 'Then if it's fine by y'all, I'll get along to see Jet.'

'Of course, sweetheart,' Lori said, glancing over her shoulder as she walked arm in arm with Mia towards the front door of Sunbeam Cottage. 'And take as long as you like. We've got a lot of catching up to do, haven't we darling?' She kissed the side of Mia's head.

'Absolutely.'

'I'll leave you to it,' Ella said.

'You don't have to,' Mia told her.

'I know. But it'll be good for you both to spend some alone time together, if you see what I mean. And besides, I can spend the entire afternoon with Justin without worrying about getting back. Oh. Not that it's been a burden or anything.' She grinned.

'Go away,' Mia said, laughing. 'I'll be safe with Mum.'

Ella blew Mia and Lori kisses, and Franklin too before racing off down the drive and across the village green to Justin's.

Lori watched her go before turning back towards the cottage. 'So everything's going well again with Ella and Justin then?'

Mia nodded. 'It seems to be. Although between you and me, he still doesn't seem quite as madly in love as he did. But I may be imagining that. I haven't said anything to Ella, so don't mention it, even though she'll be the first to agree it's not as great as it was.'

'Of course I won't. And you, darling? How are things really, with you? Are you honestly as over Garrick as you appear to be?'

Mia shrugged as they reached the front door and stepped into the hall. 'I think I am. I still miss him dreadfully, but I stopped crying myself to sleep after the first week. I've been doing a lot of thinking and I'm sure you were right when you said that it was a crush that got out of control, or something like that. I've sort of loved him all my life and spending so much time with him here, and being so physically attracted to him, made me think I was truly in love. I confused that, and the love of friendship with being 'in love', I think. All I know for sure is that it doesn't hurt much anymore.' They headed towards the kitchen. 'I honestly wish him and Fiona well, but I haven't been able to bring myself to talk to him via Skype or Facetime or anything and I've only spoken to him once on the phone. Ella's been passing messages between us. You know, checking if we're each okay and reporting back to the other one. I'm looking forward to the day when we can chat like we used to.'

'Don't try and rush things,' Lori advised, grabbing a bottle of wine from the rack whilst Mia got the glasses. 'Whether you were truly in love with him or not, doesn't matter now. You were engaged. You were planning to get married. You can't simply brush that under the carpet as if it didn't happen. And speaking of that. Have you taken the dress back?'

'My wedding dress? No.' Mia laughed as Lori poured the wine. 'Ella says I should hang on to it because knowing me, I'll find someone else I'll decide I'd like to marry before too long. Failing which, she says she might need it, if she can persuade Justin to get a move on.'

Franklin appeared in the doorway and grinned.

'I know.' Lori laughed, walking to him and kissing him. 'It's as if we haven't been away. The wine's already being poured and we've only been back five minutes.'

'Not a problem, honey.' He kissed her briefly, turned away, turned back and kissed her again, tipping her backwards and letting his Stetson fall to the floor.

Mia watched them and a tiny twinge of envy welled up inside her. She bent down and retrieved his hat, handing it to him when he finally let Lori go.

He winked at Mia as he took it. 'Well thank you kindly, ma'am.'

She grinned. 'Give my regards to Jet. Oh no, don't. I mean.' She coughed. 'Don't say anything to Jet, please.'

Franklin gave her an odd look. 'Somethin' happen while we were away?'

'Absolutely nothing,' Mia said, picking up her glass and taking several swigs of wine.

Well, it was sort of true. Nothing had happened.

The bloody man had said, 'No.'

Which was probably just as well if what Tom had said was true.