BooksBarbecue
Back When I Lost You
Chapters (81)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Dedication
  4. Prologue
  5. One
  6. Two
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Seven
  12. Eight
  13. Nine
  14. Ten
  15. Eleven
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. Twenty-one
  26. Twenty-two
  27. Twenty-three
  28. Twenty-four
  29. Twenty-five
  30. Twenty-six
  31. Twenty-seven
  32. Twenty-eight
  33. Twenty-nine
  34. Thirty
  35. Thirty-one
  36. Thirty-two
  37. Thirty-three
  38. Thirty-four
  39. Thirty-five
  40. Thirty-six
  41. Thirty-seven
  42. Thirty-eight
  43. Thirty-nine
  44. Forty
  45. Forty-one
  46. Forty-two
  47. Forty-three
  48. Forty-four
  49. Forty-five
  50. Forty-six
  51. Forty-seven
  52. Forty-eight
  53. Forty-nine
  54. Fifty
  55. Fifty-one
  56. Fifty-two
  57. Fifty-three
  58. Fifty-four
  59. Fifty-five
  60. Fifty-six
  61. Fifty-seven
  62. Fifty-eight
  63. Fifty-nine
  64. Sixty
  65. Sixty-one
  66. Sixty-two
  67. Sixty-three
  68. Sixty-four
  69. Sixty-five
  70. Sixty-six
  71. Sixty-seven
  72. Epilogue
  73. Acknowledgments
  74. Read More
  75. Prologue
  76. One
  77. Two
  78. Three
  79. Four
  80. Follow Merilyn online
  81. Dedication

Eve raised an eyebrow and blew smoke upwards. ‘Is he now. Well that explains it then.’ She gave Carla a smile before taking another drag. ‘I’m sorry if you found that awkward, in there.’ She nodded towards HQ. ‘Put you in a difficult position I would imagine.’

‘Because I’m friends with Gerry, you mean?’

Eve looked surprised. ‘And me, I presume?’

Carla wanted to crawl away and hide. God, the woman intimidated her. It would never have occurred to Carla that Eve would want a friend, let alone her.

‘Yes, sorry … it’s just, I mean …’

‘I know what you mean.’ Eve patted Carla’s arm, but it was more of a ‘stand down’ gesture than affection.

‘You’ve been Gerry’s pet project since day one. Loves a project, does my husband.’ She paused for a drag. ‘And I suppose I was just along for the ride.’ She smiled again.

God, Carla wanted this to be over. It was far easier to deal with standoffish Eve than this warmer version.

‘And it’s been nice for Gerry.’ She looked down at Carla. ‘I think he’s enjoyed helping someone other than me.’

‘How does he help you?’ She hadn’t meant to ask, but it would never have occurred to her Eve needed help.

‘Without him I wouldn’t be where I am now – in my profession, I mean. I was so determined to make it and at first he wasn’t convinced, but when he saw I wasn’t giving up, he threw everything into it, just like me.’ She stubbed out her cigarette and pulled out another. ‘Dirty double.’ She gave Carla a wink and flicked open the lighter. ‘It’s a big thing for a man to do that.’ She sounded thoughtful. ‘Whatever they say, men mostly want their wives to be less successful than them. It’s the mothering issue – they all expect you to keep their lives running smoothly while they do the “real” work. Otherwise they get jealous and that sort of resentment just keeps getting bigger.’

Carla laughed. ‘I can’t imagine Gerry being jealous, it doesn’t seem his style.’

Eve frowned. ‘No. I don’t think he has ever displayed that emotion.’ She sighed. ‘I really wish he hadn’t shown you the letters. There was no need and all it’s done is further aggravate Ms Fowler – unnecessarily,’ she added.

‘But surely that was the obvious conclusion to draw? That Joanne wrote the letters?’

‘Maybe, but obvious doesn’t always equate with right, now does it?’

Carla had to concede. ‘What did you hope we would conclude?’

‘I’m not sure I know. And really it was Gerry who first suggested the idea I tell you. He doesn’t like keeping secrets, least of all from you.’ She stubbed her cigarette out as Gerry rounded the corner in his car.