‘No, no. I think that would make it worse.’

‘I’m going to miss you,’ he says.

I hug him. ‘I’m going to miss you too.’

‘Come on, come on,’ Lauren urges. ‘Or they’ll go with out you.’

Greg picks up my bag.

‘I’m going to have to carry it myself for the next two weeks,’ I remind him. ‘I should start getting used to it.’

Nevertheless, he walks out to the bus with me, clutching it for dear life.

My colleagues cheer as I approach and I break into a smile.

‘Come on, Annie,’ Blake shouts. ‘Get on board!’

I cling to Greg again. ‘I’m going to miss you,’ I whisper.

He holds me to him and I wind my arms round his neck as we kiss deeply.

‘Oooo!’ my colleagues shout out from the bus, teasing.

‘Be safe.’ My husband’s fingers trail through mine as we part. ‘I’ll be thinking of you.’

I climb into the bus and the door is slammed. I settle in the spare seat at the front and then Blake shouts, ‘Ready?’

And everyone else shouts back, ‘Ready!’

Before I know it, we’re off and I stare out of the window. Greg lifts his hand in a wave and I blow him a kiss. Then I watch him standing on the pavement getting smaller and smaller and smaller as we drive away from him.

Chapter 113

Chapter 113

Lauren put the kettle on. ‘We need a brew,’ she said with a heartfelt sigh.

Greg sat at the table.

‘I feel like she’s going away for months, not weeks,’ Lauren fretted. ‘Do you think she’ll be okay? I’m so worried about her. Anything could happen.’

‘Shut up, Lauren,’ Greg said. ‘You’re not helping.’

His sister-in-law slapped down a mug in front of him. ‘Drink that and then go fishing. That’ll make you feel better.’

They both turned as they heard a vehicle pull up outside.

‘That’s not her back already, is it?’ Lauren said. She wouldn’t have put it past Annie to bottle out at the last minute.

Greg stuck his head out of the back door. ‘It’s Chelsea,’ he said.

‘Huh. We are honoured,’ grunted Lauren. ‘Wonder what she wants?’

Her eldest sister, Chelsea, slipped out of her car, wearing dark glasses and Lauren could tell that she’d lost a lot of weight.

Chelsea came into the kitchen and air-kissed them both. ‘I was hoping to catch Annie,’ she said. ‘It is today that she’s going?’

‘You’ve just missed her,’ Greg said. ‘The bus came not ten minutes ago. She’s on her way.’

‘Oh.’ Chelsea’s face fell. ‘I brought this for her.’ She pushed an envelope towards Greg. ‘It’s the money I borrowed.’

The money that nearly jeopardised her trip, Lauren thought.

‘It’s a bit late now,’ she pointed out.