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Back A Place to Call Home Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. Epilogue
  58. Author’s Note
  59. Acknowledgments
  60. More from Fay Keenan
  61. About the Author
  62. About Boldwood Books

‘At least we’ll know we’ve tried everything we can to get this through.’ Charlie wrapped his other hand over the top of the one of hers he held, shocked by just how cold she felt. ‘That’s what I’m trying to tell you. There are some things that are more important than politics. That supersede the bloody party line. This is one of them. You are one of them. And so is Harry. I will fight for you both until my last breath if I have to.’

Charlie mentally kicked himself at the irony of his ill-thought-out phrase. But when Holly raised her eyes to his, he saw hope there, and something that very much looked like love.

‘Will you trust me now?’ he asked quietly.

The pause seemed to stretch to the far edges of the vista that was slowly being revealed again as the mists of Avalon receded and the rain finally stopped. A dull, hazy sun struggled to cut through the higher cloud above and, standing on top of the hill, Charlie held his breath.

‘I don’t know,’ Holly replied. ‘But perhaps I’m willing to at least hope.’

‘For the moment, that’s good enough for me,’ Charlie murmured. He ached to kiss her, but he sensed that now was definitely not the right time to risk anything more intimate than he had already. It was a step, that they were talking again. The next one, he hoped tentatively, they’d take together.

The ping of Holly’s mobile phone in her backpack broke the tension, and she bent down to get it from the front pocket where she’d safely stowed it. ‘Oh no,’ she whispered as she read the message.

‘What is it?’ Charlie was immediately alert. ‘Can I help?’

Holly, visibly struggling, turned to him. ‘Rachel’s had a text from Mum, who was looking after Harry while she helped me with this session. She’s going to have to take Harry up to Bristol Royal Children’s Hospital again. That chest infection that knocked him out is still sitting on his lungs. The GP’s just phoned and they’ve found staphylococcus aureus, a bacterial infection, in his swab sample. It’s likely he’s going to need to be in for at least a week this time.’ She shook her head. ‘This bloody condition!’ Putting her phone back quickly, she picked up her backpack. ‘Come with me,’ she said suddenly. ‘Come and see what it’s like to sit beside a child with CF during the bad spells.’ The challenge was in her eyes, and Charlie knew this was a test as well as an invitation back into her life.

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