This is all my fault. All my stupid fault. If I hadn’t been so keen to come here in pursuit of Blake Chadwick, then none of this would have happened. My sister will never forgive me for this. I’ll never forgive myself.

I watch as Jude storms after his wife and my sister slumps to the deck. As fast as I can, I scuttle down the last of the rungs. I have to go and comfort Lauren.

‘Lauren!’ I shout. ‘Don’t move – I’m coming.’

And then I’m not sure exactly what happens, but I think the boat swings hard into the dock – maybe even hits against it – and the next thing I know, I’m sailing through the air. My arms are flailing in lots of empty space and I can hear a gasp from the crowd. They’re certainly getting a great deal more entertainment tonight than they bar gained for.

It’s true that your life flashes before you in moments of terror. As I fall, I see Greg and me at our wedding, my kids being born, me and Lauren and Chelsea playing together as kids – even Blake Chadwick gets a flicker. And I realise that, just as I suspected, there’s nothing in there of particular note to take with me to my grave.

A second later and I land heavily on the deck with a heartfelt, ‘Ouff!’

My pineapple costume helps to break my fall – and I never thought that I’d be grateful to be wearing it, but right at this moment I am – but all the wind is knocked out of me and I bang my head. More worryingly, there’s an unhealthy sounding snap from somewhere in my foot. The pain is excruciating.

My vision seems to be all swimmy, but I can still see Lauren bending over me, her face white with anxiety.

‘Annie,’ she says in an urgent way. ‘Annie, stay with me!’

But I don’t think that I do.

Chapter 76

Chapter 76

I wake up in a hospital bed. And I’d like to be able to say that I remember nothing about what happened, but I remember it well. Only too well. I consider pretending that I have amnesia. Believe me, the temptation to blot out the events of this miserable evening is very appealing.

On one side, Lauren is next to me, sans pineapple. That I can cope with. The concerned face of Blake Chadwick on the other is a different matter altogether.

‘Okay?’ he asks, when he sees my eyes open.

Not that you’d notice, but I make a valiant attempt at a nod anyway.

‘God, Annie,’ he says with a sigh of relief. ‘You had us worried there.’

My mouth is dry, my throat closed. I manage to croak out, ‘Where am I?’ Which is a bit clichéd, I know. But, hey, I’m clearly traumatised.