BooksBarbecue
Back All You Need Is Love
Chapters (56)
  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. OCTOBER
  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. Acknowledgments
  53. More from Jessica Redland
  54. About the Author
  55. Also by Jessica Redland
  56. About Boldwood Books

‘What was she doing?’ Logan asked when I returned to the terrace.

‘She couldn’t find my birthday card.’

‘Oh.’ The smile slipped from his face and he suddenly seemed very interested in his feet.

‘Logan? What aren’t you telling me?’

‘It’s nothing.’ He wouldn’t raise his eyes.

‘It’s clearly something.’

He shrugged. ‘Mum often forgets where she puts stuff.’

I laughed. ‘I hate to say it, but it happens to us all. It’ll happen to you when you’re older. I’m always putting things in a safe place then forgetting where they are.’

He shrugged again. ‘She couldn’t remember where she’d put my football boots but we found them in the oven. And she couldn’t find the cauliflower I’d picked for Sunday dinner. It was in the airing cupboard. It stunk.’ He looked up and I could see how worried he was. The poor lad was ten. He should be worrying about his voice breaking – not whether his mum was losing the plot. Butterflies danced in my stomach as I thought about the knickers in the freezer.

I smiled brightly and hoped it looked more genuine than it felt. ‘We all do dippy things when we’re busy or tired and Mum’s both at the moment. When the next auction’s over, I bet things will be back to normal. Don’t worry, Logan. It’ll be fine.’

But even as I said the words, I knew it wouldn’t be. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

4

Jemma

‘To Jemma!’ cried Drew later that evening. After our meal, we’d moved onto Minty’s, a cosy bar at the top of town. He waved his pint in the air, sloshing beer over his hands. ‘Hurry up and turn thirty like the rest of us cos you’re making me feel old! Happy birthday, gorgeous girl.’

Karen, Leah, Tiff and Mum echoed his toast, raising glasses of prosecco in the air.

Logan, Karen’s mum Rachel and Karen’s younger sister Eden, had joined us for the meal then said goodnight. Logan was staying with Rachel and Eden overnight so Mum could stay out for a few drinks.

Mum and Rachel were as close as Karen and me, which I loved. When Mum was working away, Logan usually stayed with ‘Auntie Rachel’ which he loved because, with only a year between them, he was great friends with Eden.

‘Thank you,’ I said, toasting them in return. ‘And thanks so much for being here.’

I was genuinely touched that Leah, Tiff and Drew had travelled north when we could easily have gone out for a meal in London instead after my birthday. They really were the best.