Chapters (58)
- Cover
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-one
- Twenty-two
- Twenty-three
- Twenty-four
- Twenty-five
- Twenty-six
- Twenty-seven
- Twenty-eight
- Twenty-nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-one
- Thirty-two
- Thirty-three
- Thirty-four
- Thirty-five
- Thirty-six
- Thirty-seven
- Thirty-eight
- Thirty-nine
- Forty
- Forty-one
- Forty-two
- Forty-three
- Forty-four
- Forty-five
- Forty-six
- Forty-seven
- Forty-eight
- Forty-nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-one
- Acknowledgements
- An Eastbourne Murder Mystery
- Canelo Crime
- About the Author
- Also by Sheila Bugler
Putting everything else out of her mind, Dee went to meet them. As always, her spirits soared as she opened the back door and saw Jake’s face. He was holding Ella’s hand, but when Dee called his name he pulled away from his mother and ran towards Dee.
‘Hello!’
She leaned down as he hurtled into her, scooping into her arms for a cuddle.
‘What do you want to do this morning, Jakey?’
‘Ice cream!’
He started wriggling and, reluctantly, she put him back down.
‘You okay if we get ice cream?’ she asked Ella.
‘Of course.’ Ella smiled. ‘We’re going to Julie’s for lunch later. Would you mind getting him back home by twelve thirty?’
That gave her three precious hours. Not enough, but better than nothing.
‘Right,’ she said to Jake. ‘How about we go get some ice cream first? Then we come back here to make pancakes?’
‘Yaaay!’ Jake turned to go, but Dee called him back.
‘What about your mum? Aren’t you going to say goodbye to her first?’
‘Bye Mummy. Love you.’
‘I love you too,’ Ella said. Then, to Dee, ‘Thanks so much for this.’
‘You know I don’t mind,’ Dee said. ‘I want to make the most of the time we’ve got left together. Heck, if I had my way I’d ask you to let him move in with me until you were ready to go.’
‘That’s a tempting offer,’ Ella said. ‘He’s been really difficult the last few days. All this upheaval isn’t easy for him.’
So why do it to him? Dee wanted to ask. Why not let him carry on living here, where he’s happy?
She didn’t say that, of course. Instead, she told Ella not to worry, that Jake’s difficult moods would pass soon.
‘I know that,’ Ella said. ‘But it doesn’t make it any easier when he’s having a full-on meltdown and you’re looking at all the things you’ve got to do before we leave. Anyway, I’m sorry. It’s not your problem. Have a lovely morning with him, and I’ll see you later.’
They did have a lovely morning, but it ended too quickly. At twelve thirty, she was back at Ella’s house, hugging Jake goodbye and promising they’d do some more fun things together soon.
‘Love you, Jake,’ she whispered.
‘Love you too,’ he said.
Then she had to let him go. She waited for him to turn around and wave, like he usually did, but he didn’t do that today. After a moment, she said goodbye to Ella and left quickly, before Ella noticed the tears forming in the corners of Dee’s eyes.