BooksBarbecue
Back The Library Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. THE LIBRARY
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. EPILOGUE
  54. Questions for your Book Club
  55. Acknowledgements
  56. About the Author
  57. Become an Aria Addict

‘Because there’s stuff I have to do. There’s lambs, sheep, chickens – they all need taking care of. And Maggie needs me.’

‘Sounds like free labour to me.’

I steadied my breathing. ‘I want to do it. And I’m staying there for free. So it’s all fair.’

He nodded. ‘Well, thank her for the cake.’ He held it up. I nodded and turned to go. ‘When will I see you next, Tom?’

I froze in the doorway. ‘I dunno.’ And I honestly didn’t.

30

MAGGIE

Maggie held the letter in her hand. She’d written and rewritten it many times and still wasn’t sure it was right but this felt like a now or never moment. She looked at the gaping mouth of the post box. Once she put it inside that was it. She was triggering something that couldn’t be undone. Her hand hovered close to the slot. Could she post it? Should she? Out of the corner of her eye she spotted the local gossip striding her way and Maggie quickly posted the letter, feeling a flutter in her heart as she did so. That was it; there was no going back now.

Maggie walked back up the hill away from Furrow’s Cross. She had an instant sense of remorse. Would she regret what she had just done? Or could it be a key turning point in her life? All she could do now was wait and see. It felt like she’d been waiting most of her life. Biding her time for when she had a chance to put things right. But whether she would ever get that opportunity did not rest in her hands.

Maggie was further up the hill when she spotted Tom’s bus and it lifted her mood. She watched Tom get off the bus, his posture giving away his mood as it frequently did. Slouched shoulders was not a good sign.

‘Tom!’ she called and he twisted in her direction, his features brightening momentarily.

‘You all right?’ he asked when she reached him.

‘I’m fine. How about you?’

He puffed out a breath. ‘I went to see Dad. He says thanks for the cake.’

‘He’s very welcome. And how is he?’ she asked as they began the stroll up the track to Providence Farm.

‘He’s tidied himself up a bit and the house.’

‘That’s an excellent sign.’

Tom nodded but his pouting lips implied he wasn’t that convinced. ‘He asked me how I felt about it. His drinking.’

‘Did you tell him how you felt?’

‘Not really.’ He gave a brief glance in her direction.

‘And how do you feel, Tom?’ she asked.

He lifted his head. ‘I hate him when he drinks. I couldn’t tell him that.’

‘Maybe you should. If it’s honestly how it made you feel.’

Tom’s eyes widened. ‘It’s a bit brutal though.’