Chapters (39)
- Cover
- Title
- Author’s Note
- Glossary
- 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
- Acknowledgments
He gave a small smile. “Maybe. A little. Come on, Di. Don’t tell me you can’t see it?”
“What? No. I mean—”
“Yeah. You and Mich both.”
Diane leaned forward and whispered. “That’s ridiculous. You and Michelle were over years ago. Are you saying that you still—”
“No. Not now. Not for a long time. But when Clare was conceived—well, ja, then.”
“Jesus, Derek! You’re talking such rubbish! How many pills have you swallowed with that?” She dipped her head towards the flask, which he held against his chest. “I’m going to forget you ever implied anything so crazy. I’m going to—”
“Di, you of all people, understand how it was for Mich and me. We should be—we could’ve—but somehow we just. . . What’s that line? Can’t live with her, can’t live without her?”
Diane glanced over her shoulder towards the others across the room. They were quiet, heads bent over the cards in their hands. She turned back to Derek.
“You’re behaving like a teenager.”
“Ja. I know. I’m sorry. It’s just that since Clare’s been ill, it’s been driving me nuts. Mich’s in denial about what must’ve happened to her. Geoff is clueless. My God, I even drove to the university to see her. I was . . . I was planning to find out for myself . . . find out whoever hurt her and beat the living daylights out of him.”
“What? You didn’t! That’s insane!”
“I know, I know. I got there, but I didn’t say anything. I saw how it would freak her out if she found out that I, and not old Basson’s Garden Services, am her—I mean, have you seen her with Geoff?”
“Stop it.” Diane’s fists, resting on her knees, were clenched.
“Today, in the river, when we, well, it made me think. I want her to know, Di. If something had happened . . . Just because Mich doesn’t want me, doesn’t mean—”
She leaned closer and hissed in his ear. “Geoffrey is Clare’s father. I don’t know why you’re spouting this nonsense and why you think anyone would believe you. You’re nuts, drunk, high, whatever, and this is dangerous. And what about Faye? Have you forgotten you have a wife? And a son? What would this farce do to them?”
Derek blinked and lifted the flask to his lips.
“Thank you for saving me,” she said, standing up. “But my God, you’re an idiot and you don’t deserve the love you get, not from any of us. Pull yourself together. Let this be the first and last time you ever mention or even think such nonsense.”
As she walked away, Diane heard Derek say, “You’re a good friend, Di. Mich is lucky to have you.”
Ten
Ten