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

‘Brian.’ He waved me onto a suede cube as Luke disappeared. ‘I’m always telling you to call me Brian. I saw you at the funeral. You were very good to come.’

‘The least I could do.’ I flushed. ‘She was once my mother-in-law. She was so nice to me.’

‘Is that right?’ I couldn’t really get a handle on his tone.

‘Happy birthday, Mr Cost—Brian.’ I handed over the gift-wrapped socks.

‘Aren’t you very good. Ah, there’s Kallie.’

I followed his gaze. Kallie, barelegged in a T-shirt dress and cowboy boots, was swishing her hair at Justin.

‘Tell me now.’ Mr Costello drew me closer. ‘What do you think of her?’

‘…She seems…lovely.’

What exactly was going on here?

‘Do you think Luke’s going to marry her?’

‘I…Mr Costello, Brian, I’m not the person to ask.’

‘I’d love to see him settled down. Happy.’

Oh, for God’s sake! Is he for real?

‘Tell me now, are you off all the drugs and that?’

The cheeky feck! ‘I have been for years and years.’

‘Good, good, good. It was an awful shame about you and Luke. We were very fond of you.’

‘I was fond of you too.’ But I was trying to calculate the number of people between me and the door. How easy would it be to leave?

‘The thing is, when a baby dies…’

‘Yep, that’s right.’ I was scrambling to my feet before the tears began falling in earnest.

‘Ah now, Rachel.’ He made a grab for my hand. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you.’

What had he expected? The only way I lived with her loss was by keeping it private. ‘Could you excuse me for a second?’

‘Justin!’ Mr Costello summoned his eldest son. Christ, no, I did not want a song and dance.

Blind-eyed, I made for the door, hoping to escape without further ado.

‘Justin! Luke!’

Shite. Luke had been alerted and was looking annoyed.

‘What?’ He stepped forward to block my exit, and saw my face. ‘What did he say?’ He glared at his father.

‘Nothing.’

‘Yeah, it really looks like nothing.’ Irritably, he scanned the room and plucked at my sleeve. ‘Come on.’

He took me down the hallway and opened a door into a smaller, more formal sitting room, featuring prim armchairs and a stiff, starched-looking couch. Shiny fire irons stood by a pristine marble fireplace and on an over-polished table was an artful arrangement of family photos in silver frames.

To my shock—horror, almost—Yara’s photo was among them. Luke noticed at the same time and he stiffened in response.

‘Shit,’ he said. ‘I didn’t know—’

My floodgates opened. Suddenly there was no fight left in me, not a shred, and everything—the last three weeks, the last several years—caught up with me and I was thrown right back into the past.

47

‘Luke! Luke, come here!’