Waking with a jerk, Jason reached instinctively for his phone on the bedside table, only to find it wasn’t there. Heaving himself out of bed, he checked the dresser and quickly scanned the rest of the room. He was sure he’d brought it up with him, ready to grab should, God forbid, there be an emergency phone call. But he’d been so bloody tired last night after another late meeting at the office to fine-tune the details of the sale of the company. He wanted the handover to go as smoothly as possible. Mark had been with him from start-up, when they’d worked together in one poky room. It was thanks to Mark they’d sold their first ever computer software package. Looking at the ideas he had for future expansion, the customers both he and Rachel were working all hours to secure, he deserved this to work.

The kids had also been exhausted, having spent the evening in the office with him, yet again. After talking to Jessie and then waiting up another hour, worrying about where Karla was, hoping she would come home, he’d been incapable of thinking straight. Then Josh had woken up with a screaming nightmare. The poor kid had been so petrified, Jason had tucked him into the main bed and then crawled in there with him. He could have left his phone anywhere. Possibly in Josh’s room. Glancing in his direction, he saw he was still sleeping and decided he would give him ten more minutes, while he got breakfast.

Massaging the crick in his neck, he headed downstairs, turned towards the kitchen and stopped in his tracks.

Karla?

Fear twisted Jason’s stomach. Cautiously, he moved towards the slim figure slumped on the hall floor, against the wall. What in God’s name was she doing there, fully dressed and fast asleep?

Christ, he hoped she was asleep. Crouching beside her, Jason hesitated and then gently shook her. ‘Karla,’ he said softly.

She didn’t move, causing his heart to almost stop beating. ‘Karla!’ He called her name more urgently and shook her again, relief crashing through him when she finally stirred.

‘Whoa, hold on. Give yourself a second.’ Jason reached out to help as, her eyes springing wide, she attempted to scramble up.

Karla relaxed a little when she realised it was him, gazing around as if not quite sure where she was. ‘I’m all right,’ she said.

Jason very much doubted that. She looked disorientated, out of it. ‘What are you doing here, Karla?’ he asked her, feeling sick to his gut that he was the cause of this.

Karla laughed – a small, defeated laugh. ‘I live here,’ she reminded him. ‘I went to check on the children, and… I don’t know. I sat down. I must have dozed off.’