As he popped the cork on the champagne, he realised that Meg was watching him as she shaped dough into rounds.
‘Sorry, we’re in a bit of a mess.’
‘I like it.’ He poured champagne into the glasses. ‘This is a lovely cottage. How long have you lived here?’
‘The house belonged to my grandfather. When he died my dad fixed it up and then they rented it to tourists for a while. Then I had Jamie and needed somewhere to live, so they stopped renting it out and it became mine. I love it here. The views are incredible, the walking is fantastic and in the summer we sail on the lake, don’t we, Jamie?’
‘Grandma bought me my own boat. It’s a single-hander.’ Jamie climbed onto a stool. ‘Do you like boats, Dino?’
‘I’ve never had much to do with boats.’ He put a glass of champagne down next to her hand. ‘But I know I’d love sailing.’
‘Sometimes I capsize. That’s the best part.’
Meg finished the last pizza base and gave a sigh of relief, as if preparing the food had been a test she’d faced and passed. ‘OK, guys, over to you.’ She pushed two of the bases across the table towards them and picked up her glass. ‘Cheers. What do you say in Italy?’
‘Salute!’
Her glass made a gentle ringing sound as she tapped it against his. ‘Salute. To superheroes and pizza night.’ She sipped the champagne. ‘Oh, that’s so good. I’ve never tasted anything like it. Where did you get it from? Is it expensive?’
‘I picked it up last time I was home,’ Dino avoided the question, putting the open bottle in the fridge. He looked at his pizza base. ‘I’m going to need some help here, Jamie. Do you have any advice for me?’
Jamie was holding a bowl of tomato sauce. ‘I can do yours for you if you like.’
‘That would be great, thanks. You obviously have more experience than me.’ Dino sat down on a chair, watching Meg. Her face was pink from shaping dough and a few more wisps of blonde hair had escaped from the clip on her head. He’d seen her handle the most complex medical situations without working up a sweat, but here in the kitchen, she was definitely sweating.
‘OK, Jamie, I’m ready for tomato.’ She pushed her pizza base towards her son. ‘You know what to do. Not too much or you’ll make it soggy.’
Dino leaned across and helped himself to an olive. ‘So how was school today, Jamie? Any trouble from Freddie?’
‘Nope. Not today.’ Jamie carefully spread tomato sauce on the three pizzas. ‘He wants to be my friend now.’
‘That’s good.’
‘Not really. It’s only because he wants a ride in your car.’ Jamie picked up a bowl of grated cheese and Dino looked at Meg. She was staring at her son and there was so much love in her eyes that he felt something squeeze his insides.
‘You’re pretty wise about people for someone who is only seven years old. I wish I’d known that much at your age.’
Jamie pulled a face. ‘Yesterday he didn’t want to be my friend, and today he does. I haven’t changed. The only thing that’s changed is that he knows you’re my friend.’
‘That doesn’t matter, Jamie.’ Meg’s voice was husky. ‘As long
as he isn’t being nasty, that’s the important thing.’
‘I think the reason he picks on me is so that he doesn’t get picked on himself.’
Startled by that insight, Dino put down his glass. ‘What makes you say that?’
‘The way people behave…’ Jamie sprinkled cheese over the pizza bases. ‘There’s usually a reason. My mum taught me that. People are complicated. What you see on the outside isn’t what’s on the inside.’
‘Right.’ Dino looked at Meg but she was busy chopping mushrooms.
‘You can’t always believe what people say,’ Jamie said stoutly, plopping olives and pepperoni onto one of the pizzas. ‘Sometimes people say things they don’t mean. And sometimes they don’t say things they do mean. Do you want pepperoni and olives?’
‘Sì, grazie,’ Dino said absently, his mind on the conversation. Sometimes people say things they don’t mean. Was that what had happened with Jamie’s father? ‘So who is your best friend at school?’
‘Luke Nicholson.’
‘Sean and Ally’s youngest son.’ Meg took another sip of her champagne. ‘Luke is a really nice boy. Sean’s been taking the two of them climbing. Jamie, that’s enough for one pizza. Do one of the others now.’