BooksBarbecue
Back It's Now or Never Save as PDF
Chapters (129)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Acknowledgements
  4. CONTENTS
  5. Chapter 1
  6. Chapter 2
  7. Chapter 3
  8. Chapter 4
  9. Chapter 5
  10. Chapter 6
  11. Chapter 7
  12. Chapter 8
  13. Chapter 9
  14. Chapter 10
  15. Chapter 11
  16. Chapter 12
  17. Chapter 13
  18. Chapter 14
  19. Chapter 15
  20. Chapter 16
  21. Chapter 17
  22. Chapter 18
  23. Chapter 19
  24. Chapter 20
  25. Chapter 21
  26. Chapter 22
  27. Chapter 23
  28. Chapter 24
  29. Chapter 25
  30. Chapter 26
  31. Chapter 27
  32. Chapter 28
  33. Chapter 29
  34. Chapter 30
  35. Chapter 31
  36. Chapter 32
  37. Chapter 33
  38. Chapter 34
  39. Chapter 35
  40. Chapter 36
  41. Chapter 37
  42. Chapter 38
  43. Chapter 39
  44. Chapter 40
  45. Chapter 41
  46. Chapter 42
  47. Chapter 43
  48. Chapter 44
  49. Chapter 45
  50. Chapter 46
  51. Chapter 47
  52. Chapter 48
  53. Chapter 49
  54. Chapter 50
  55. Chapter 51
  56. Chapter 52
  57. Chapter 53
  58. Chapter 54
  59. Chapter 55
  60. Chapter 56
  61. Chapter 57
  62. Chapter 58
  63. Chapter 59
  64. Chapter 60
  65. Chapter 61
  66. Chapter 62
  67. Chapter 63
  68. Chapter 64
  69. Chapter 65
  70. Chapter 66
  71. Chapter 67
  72. Chapter 68
  73. Chapter 69
  74. Chapter 70
  75. Chapter 71
  76. Chapter 72
  77. Chapter 73
  78. Chapter 74
  79. Chapter 75
  80. Chapter 76
  81. Chapter 77
  82. Chapter 78
  83. Chapter 79
  84. Chapter 80
  85. Chapter 81
  86. Chapter 82
  87. Chapter 83
  88. Chapter 84
  89. Chapter 85
  90. Chapter 86
  91. Chapter 87
  92. Chapter 88
  93. Chapter 89
  94. Chapter 90
  95. Chapter 91
  96. Chapter 92
  97. Chapter 93
  98. Chapter 94
  99. Chapter 95
  100. Chapter 96
  101. Chapter 97
  102. Chapter 98
  103. Chapter 99
  104. Chapter 100
  105. Chapter 101
  106. Chapter 102
  107. Chapter 103
  108. Chapter 104
  109. Chapter 105
  110. Chapter 106
  111. Chapter 107
  112. Chapter 108
  113. Chapter 109
  114. Chapter 110
  115. Chapter 111
  116. Chapter 112
  117. Chapter 113
  118. Chapter 114
  119. Chapter 115
  120. Chapter 116
  121. Chapter 117
  122. Chapter 118
  123. Read on for a preview of Carole Matthew's:
  124. Chapter One
  125. Chapter Two
  126. About the author
  127. Getting in touch
  128. Praise for Carole's novels from authors and the media
  129. Also by Carole Matthews

‘That was an outright declaration of war,’ Lauren whispers to me. ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’

My chin takes on a determined little jut. ‘Oh, yes.’ Picking up my bunny ears, I straighten them out and plonk them back on my head. I will not let anyone, not even my husband, crush my dream.

And I wonder what the chances are of me persuading Greg to don a fireman’s uniform and help us out tomorrow. None, I think the answer is to that.

Chapter 58

Chapter 58

I take off my bunny outfit. For dinner, I open a tin of Heinz tomato soup. Greg has a Lemsip. We sit glued to the television avoiding eye-contact with each other. My husband stomps up to bed at nine o’clock. Half an hour later, I follow him.

We lie on our backs staring at the ceiling in silence.

Chapter 59

Chapter 59

The next morning, Greg is up and gone before I’m awake. His fishing equipment is missing too, but then I could have hazarded an educated guess as to where he’d be.

My sister, very sensibly, made herself scarce last night. She hightailed it back to London when she could sense that trouble was brewing.

I sit at the kitchen table in my dressing-gown, brooding. When I decided to embark on this trip, this adventure, I had no idea that my husband would be so dead set against it. At best, I imagined that he’d want to come with me. At worst, that he’d give me as much support as he could without actually accompanying me. Shows how little I know him after all these years of marriage – and that makes me feel incredibly sad.

My mobile phone is lying on the kitchen table and I stare wistfully at it. We haven’t had a disagreement like this in all our years together. We might never have reached the passionate heights of Burton and Taylor, but we’ve rubbed along together well enough. I could call him. Make peace. I can picture exactly where he’ll be sitting on his favourite spot on the canal. Or I could text him.

In the end I do nothing.

Neither of the kids are home. Ellen is probably staying with her boyfriend as she does most nights. As for my son, who knows where he is? He seems to pick up a different girl every weekend but, thankfully, he doesn’t often bring them home. At least he picks up girls who have their own place or more accommodating parents. What is my purpose here any more, I wonder, home all alone on a Sunday?