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Back One Winter Morning Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. By the same author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. Acknowledgements
  54. Read More
  55. Two Years Later
  56. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING
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27

‘I don’t think I have ever been so full in my entire life.’

Kit grins as he stretches out on the straw bale next to mine, his feet crossed at the ankles and his head resting against the wooden rails of the fence. Both of us are sipping at bottles of beer, only this time there is no added tequila.

‘Nah,’ he replies. ‘Today’s tucker was nothing. You should have seen the spreads my old man used to put on.’

I rub my swollen belly.

‘He clearly taught you well.’

‘Thanks again for my gift, by the way,’ he says. ‘Really sweet of you.’

I had no idea what to buy him, but getting him and Allie a little something gave me the perfect excuse to get a present for Tui. In the end, I opted for one of those silly, nodding-head dogs to sit on the dashboard of the minibus – only this one isn’t a dog, but a Gollum. Kit had creased up as soon as he opened it, before proceeding to reel off a repertoire of surprisingly good Gollum impressions, and telling me that from now on, he would only be referring to me as ‘my precious’. Allie, who had thanked me politely for her basket of toiletries, did not look very enthused by the latter prospect.

The temptation to spoil Tui had been extremely strong, but in the end, I settled on a gorgeous stuffed-dog toy that looked as if it could have been modelled on Beavis, a T-shirt with a Keith lookalike pony printed on the front and – best of all – a slinky.

‘I thought it would help with your riding,’ I mumbled, as Tui flung her arms around my neck, and Kit smiled at me with such warmth that I felt compelled to scurry away from him on the pretext of getting a second helping of potato salad.

‘I feel bad,’ he says now. ‘For not getting you anything. I’m not very good with gifts for girls – just ask Allie.’

‘Oh God, don’t be sorry,’ I assure him. ‘I don’t need anything – all that food was gift enough.’

‘How about a free ride?’ he asks, suddenly looking animated. ‘There’s a trek booked in for the day after Boxing Day with only a few people on it – you could ride out with them if you like?’

‘No, thanks.’

‘Oh, go on – silly not to take advantage of all these horses,’ he says, gesturing towards the paddocks. ‘And we both know that you can ride. I know what horsey folk are like – they’re obsessed. You must be itching to get in the saddle by now.’

‘I’m not,’ I reply, detecting the note of panic in my voice. Kit doesn’t seem to notice. Or if he does, it doesn’t deter him.