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Back Reluctantly Home Save as PDF
Chapters (55)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  55. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The second this thought crossed her mind, she knew exactly where the evening would be heading unless she did something to prevent it. It seemed as if the thought had crossed Jez’s mind at almost the same moment, because he focused his slightly glazed eyes on her and said, ‘And, of course, I’d always do you, Pip.’

Not having had time to work out what she felt, Pip tried to fend him off with jokes. ‘Oh, you always did know how to flatter a girl, Jez. Just how far down that list did I come?’ She grinned at him to show she knew he was joking and that she was, too, but instead of returning her smile he was now just staring at her as if he was seeing her for the first time.

‘I’m serious,’ he said, the joshing tone of the moment before now gone. ‘You’ve always been special, Pip. You mean the world to me. You always have done, ever since we were kids.’

His words went straight to her drunken heart. Who didn’t want to be told they were special? Suddenly she felt cherished in a way she hadn’t for a long time. And he was right. There had been a bond between them since the first time he had led her, nervous but excited about what was to come, up the rickety ladder in the old hay barn. Sex in a hay barn was such a cliché, but no less lovely for that. It hadn’t been his first time – of course it hadn’t; they were seventeen – but Pip had liked to think the memory of it occupied a precious place in his heart. It certainly did in hers.

She could do it, she thought. There was nothing to stop her. They could leave the pub and walk the short distance to his tiny cottage. It would be safe and easy, and she longed for someone to take care of her, to hold her tight and let her drift away from the last few months, if only for an hour or two.

But Jez was drunk and heartbroken. The last thing he needed was a confusing night with an old flame who was barely holding it together herself. And yet . . .

Pip pushed herself up from the table and looked straight into the familiar hazel eyes.

‘Come on,’ she said softly. ‘Let’s go.’

45

45

Evelyn had ventured out of the house.