BooksBarbecue
Back Again, Rachel
Chapters (98)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. 82
  86. 83
  87. 84
  88. 85
  89. 86
  90. 87
  91. 88
  92. 89
  93. 90
  94. 91
  95. 92
  96. 93
  97. 94
  98. Acknowledgements

‘It’s Friday.’ I was intent on Chalkie. ‘I’m leaving now, but when I come back on Monday morning, you’d better still be here.’

Absolutely furious, he glared at me.

‘Okay?’

Still, he wouldn’t talk.

‘If you’re gone,’ I promised him, ‘I will find you and I will kill you.’

‘She hev very particular set of skill,’ Waldemar said.

I flinched. This was no time for jokes. But Chalkie hadn’t shoved Giles or made for the gate, so I decided to be hopeful.

Back at the house, I told the weekend staff to keep an extra-careful eye on Chalkie, also on Trassa, Harlie, Dennis and Ella—it had been a big week—then left for my facial.

*

Laughter and squealing sounds met me as I opened my front door. Devin must be here. Unless Kate had started talking to herself. And considering she came from the Walsh gene pool, anything was possible.

No, there they both were, in the kitchen, making something.

‘Rachel, hey!’ Kate looked so happy.

‘Hey!’ Devin stuck his head around her.

‘Hey.’ I smiled into his eyes, thinking, I don’t mind hearing your orgasm noises at ALL.

‘We’ve made dinner,’ Kate said. ‘It just needs to go in the oven for an hour now. You’ll eat with us?’

‘Sure. Lovely. Thanks.’ Shite.

‘Meanwhile, a favour? Granny’s surprise party—can I borrow something of yours?’

‘Sure! Like, if you can find anything.’ I didn’t have much call for party frocks.

‘Can I look at the vintage stuff in the spare room?’

Calling it vintage was a stretch. They were just old clothes I hadn’t worn in years but still had an emotional attachment to. ‘There might be something in there.’

‘Cool! We take a look?’ Kate touched Devin and both of them scampered up the stairs.

Not long afterwards, Kate called, ‘Rachel? Could you come here?’

In the tiny bedroom, her face was radiant with delight. ‘This one!’ She held up a vintage cocktail dress in midnight blue—and it actually was vintage, from 1980. The boned bodice was strapless and embroidered with metallic planets, the skirt a tulle explosion. ‘Can I try it on?’ She bent to pull off her leggings—then, prim and pink-cheeked, she ordered Devin, ‘Look away.’

‘Now you’re shy?’ With a slow smile, he moved to face the window.

‘I’ll tell you when to look,’ she told his back. ‘Rach, can you do the zip?’

It whizzed up nice and easy, the sheeny fabric hugging her waist and ribcage, her wavy hair tumbling onto her bare shoulders. She was gorgeous. Checking herself in the mirror, she pulled at her bra strap. ‘I’ll need a strapless bra.’

I’d never bothered with a bra at all. The early noughties had been a different time.

‘Dev,’ she said. ‘You can look now.’

He turned—and his jaw dropped slightly. ‘Kitten, you’re dope. Fire!’