Chapters (48)
- Cover
- Praise
- About the Author
- Also by Tricia Stringer
- Title Page
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Author’s Note
- Acknowledgements
- Excerpt
- One
“Have you eaten?” she asked, realising it was after nine.
“Just throwing something together now.”
“How was the weekend?”
“Great…exhausting really. I feel like an old man compared to Damo and Shortie. I’d forgotten how much they can toss back and then line up and do it all again the next day.”
“Poor you.” She sat on the edge of the bed and waited to find out more, not wanting to ask.
“Do we have any tomatoes?” Sean said.
“Try the crisper.”
“How’re your mum and dad?”
“They’re good. Mum’s had to go to Victor to help look after the grandparents but they’re doing okay. Dad’s his usual frantic self during mustering so I’ve decided to stay on, at least till Mum gets back.”
“Great idea. I’ll let my mum know.”
“Already done it. She’s got the office under control till I get back.”
“If you’re staying I’ll call in your way. I’ve got to take sheep up north and I’ll have an empty truck on the way back. I’ll need to stop somewhere and I’d rather share a bed with my wife than the bunk in the truck.”
Kate’s spirits lifted at that. “When are you coming through?”
“I should be there by Thursday evening…in time for dinner.”
There was a clattering sound and Sean swore.
“What’s that?” she asked.
There was a grunt then, “The bloody crisper just fell out of the fridge.”
“Did it break?”
“No, but there was something rotten in the bottom.” He groaned. “It’s gone everywhere.”
Kate wrinkled her nose. “I thought I’d had a thorough clean-out in the fridge before I left.”
“This resembles something that might once have been a cucumber.”
“Ugh!”
“Yep. It’s putrid. I’d better go. I’ll have to clean this up or everything else will be tainted with it. I’ll ring you tomorrow night.”
“Okay. Love you.”
She flopped back on the bed, replaying their conversation in her head. He’d sounded tired. No doubt still recovering from his male-bonding weekend. She picked up her phone, selected Facebook and scrolled till she found the pictures again. Sean’s job meant he was away from home a lot and she’d never once doubted his faithfulness but as she stared at the photo of him with another woman and a baby in his arms a huge lump of jealousy lodged in her chest. It wasn’t so much the woman as the way he held the baby, and the big bright smile on his face.
Thirteen
Thirteen