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
“Why not?” she asked the empty room and dug out her phone, punching in the numbers for the mobile her mother had scribbled. A little flutter of nerves made her question her decision but a deep male voice answered and before she could change her mind she responded.
“Is that Paul Brown?” she asked.
“Speaking.”
“I’m Laura…I bumped into you last week…the clumsy coffee incident.”
“Oh…yes…the rainbow hair.”
Laura’s hand went to her head. His tone was censoring.
“So you’re calling because?”
“Oh…because Mum asked me to bring her folder to you—”
“Mum?”
“My mum’s Natalie King. She teaches at the school.”
“Oh yes. That would be great, thanks.” He sounded like he was going to end the call.
“I was wondering what you’re doing tomorrow,” she blurted. “I owe you a coffee.”
“There’s no need to worry about the coffee but the folder will be helpful for the relief teacher.”
“I thought I could deliver the folder and buy you a coffee.”
“Oh…right.”
“But if you’re busy I—”
“What time?”
“Two o’clock at the cafe?”
“Fine. I’ll see you tomorrow…Laura, did you say?”
“Yes.”
“Right.”
Laura stared at her phone. He was gone. She let out a squeal then paused to listen, but no-one came running to see what that was about. She gave one last look around the tidy kitchen and made her way to the den with a spring in her step. Tomorrow she had something, or should she say someone, to look forward to and tonight, since she was getting the TV to herself, she’d watch a good old favourite, something romantic. She rummaged through the DVD collection and pulled out 27 Dresses.
“Perfect.” She settled on the couch, snuggled into a soft alpaca blanket and pressed play.
In her Broome hotel room, Natalie lay in the middle of the king bed and watched the fan turning slow circles above her. She smirked. The fan had three wooden blades, each curved in the shape of a teardrop. She wondered if the advertising guru would call this fan sexy. Her stomach gurgled, and she placed her hands on it. She’d done nothing but eat all day and then tonight had ordered linguine, with a creamy sauce full of prawns, clams, mackerel and squid.
It had been delicious but rich, and now it was burbling inside her along with the two glasses of wine she’d consumed.