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
She looked ahead like Milt. The white lines flicked beneath them on the black bitumen, drawing them inexorably home. Visiting Jack was the last thing she wanted to do. She’d forgiven her husband for his one mistake all those years ago. And most days she could believe she’d forgiven Veronica, if she didn’t have to see her. Once Natalie had made the decision to stay in the marriage she’d thrown her heart and soul into making things right, and she believed Milt had too. They’d had a glitch and they’d survived it. Their love life, if a little less frequent these days, had been better, their lives together with their family richer, she was sure of it, but Jack Halbot was the reason she could never really forget that one blip in their marriage. Born nine months after the affair, could it be that Jack was the one thing Natalie hadn’t been able to give her husband – a son?
Not that Milt had ever said anything about wanting a son. Olive hadn’t been so discreet about it. She’d knitted little blue matinee jackets for each pregnancy in the hope that Natalie would produce a son and heir. If Milt felt the same, he’d never let on in any way. He’d shown the same delight with the arrival of all three daughters. Natalie knew he loved his girls. Even if he was hard on them at times, it was tough love that showed how much he cared.
She’d prayed that Laura would be a boy, something else she felt guilty about now but back then, like Olive, she’d badly wanted a boy for Milt so he wouldn’t ever long for the son he couldn’t have. Now here he was, it seemed, working closely with the one person, after Veronica, that Natalie wished was far away on another planet.
“Nat?”
She turned. Milt glanced sideways at her as if he was waiting for an answer.
“Sorry?”
“I said would you prefer I dropped you home first before I go to see Jack?”
Her eyes focused on the passing scenery and she realised they were getting close to the turn-off to their property.
“No, it’s all right. That will mean more driving for you and I know you’re keen to get out in the paddock.” She swallowed her treacherous thoughts and pulled a tight smile. “I haven’t seen hide nor hair of Jack since he left for high school. I should say hello at least.”