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Back Her White Lie
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Chapter One
  4. Chapter Two
  5. Chapter Three
  6. Chapter Four
  7. Chapter Five
  8. Chapter Six
  9. Chapter Seven
  10. Chapter Eight
  11. Chapter Nine
  12. Chapter Ten
  13. Chapter Eleven
  14. Chapter Twelve
  15. Chapter Thirteen
  16. Chapter Fourteen
  17. Chapter Fifteen
  18. Chapter Sixteen
  19. Chapter Seventeen
  20. Chapter Eighteen
  21. Chapter Nineteen
  22. Chapter Twenty
  23. Chapter Twenty-One
  24. Chapter Twenty-Two
  25. Chapter Twenty-Three
  26. Chapter Twenty-Four
  27. Chapter Twenty-Five
  28. Chapter Twenty-Six
  29. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  30. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  31. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  32. Chapter Thirty
  33. Chapter Thirty-One
  34. Chapter Thirty-Two
  35. Chapter Thirty-Three
  36. Chapter Thirty-Four
  37. Chapter Thirty-Five
  38. Chapter Thirty-Six
  39. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  40. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  41. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  42. Chapter Forty
  43. Chapter Forty-One
  44. Chapter Forty-Two
  45. Chapter Forty-Three
  46. Chapter Forty-Four
  47. Chapter Forty-Five
  48. Chapter Forty-Six
  49. Chapter Forty-Seven
  50. Chapter Forty-Eight
  51. Chapter Forty-Nine
  52. Chapter Fifty
  53. Chapter Fifty-One
  54. Chapter Fifty-Two
  55. Chapter Fifty-Three
  56. Chapter Fifty-Four
  57. Chapter Fifty-Five
  58. Chapter Fifty-Six
  59. Chapter Fifty-Seven
  60. Chapter Fifty-Eight
  61. Chapter Fifty-Nine
  62. Chapter Sixty
  63. Chapter Sixty-One
  64. Chapter Sixty-Two
  65. Chapter Sixty-Three
  66. Chapter Sixty-Four
  67. Chapter Sixty-Five
  68. Chapter Sixty-Six
  69. Chapter Sixty-Seven
  70. A letter from Jackie
  71. About the Author
  72. Also by Jackie Walsh

‘Thanks Sean.’ I smile with gratitude and move my attention to Mark.

The rest of the morning passes with the usual Monday morning customers and comments. I didn’t really want to make a big deal about it to Sean but I do feel better now that I’ve leaned on him. At least now I don’t have to be worrying about moving to Australia. Or do I? I wonder if he will be so positive when he hears that Avril Ryan made a call to my phone. It’s bound to make a difference. Those detectives will probably never leave me alone now that they have a ball to kick. They’ll call and call and poke their noses into every corner of my life. Asking question after question. Shooting from every angle. I will have to stay strong. Defend my goal like a premier keeper. I cannot let my guard down even once because if they discover what I did… the game is over.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The water is rushing out towards the sea tonight. I’m standing on the balcony drinking hot chocolate. I don’t normally drink hot chocolate but the hotel gave us a few samples because we’re planning to serve it along with the champagne when the wedding guests arrive in out of the cold. Something different, they suggested. Getting married in the winter would not have been my first choice but Lucas is due back in Australia next month and it seemed the logical thing to do rather than drag him back here next summer.

Faye and I always spoke about the summer sun shining brightly when we dreamed about our weddings. We had it all planned out. I would be her bridesmaid. She would be mine. I can still hear her laughing as she mimics herself walking down the aisle while humming ‘The Wedding March’. It was automatically presumed she would be the first to take the plunge. But here we are. And it’s me. I don’t feel like a winner, though. Instead I feel sad it didn’t turn out the way we dreamed it would. With Faye by my side.

With my hands cupping the mug, I look out at my city. I need to frame this picture, to keep it forever in my head – the bridges, the buildings, the lights. Soon it will be a memory. The place I used to live. I will tell my new friends what it was like, what I loved about it and they’ll wonder why I left this place. I’ll tell them it was love. They’ll think I mean Lucas.