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Back Where The Story Starts Save as PDF
Chapters (65)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. CONTENTS
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS
  64. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  65. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

‘Happy wedding, darling,’ he said, planting a second kiss on the crown of Leah’s head. ‘Now, let me show you round our new home. And then,’ he grimaced, ‘I’m going to have to set off to the Big Smoke.’

Melissa’s bubble burst. ‘But we only got married yester—’ she began, but then she remembered the deal they’d struck and so she bit back her tears and nodded. ‘I know,’ she said. ‘I understand.’

‘You are so perfect, Melissa Allen,’ said Ray, taking hold of her hand and spinning her shiny new ring round on her finger. ‘I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve such an amazing wife as you.’

Despite her disappointment, Melissa felt her heart turn over. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world to have Ray all to herself and she mustn’t complain. After all, it was his job that had let him buy this house and drive this car. Without it they’d be stuck. She couldn’t possibly get a job that earned anywhere near as much as he obviously did. So, she was just going to have to get used to the fact that he had to leave her sometimes. For the time being, at least. She took him in her arms and nodded her head into his broad chest.

‘It’s okay,’ she replied. ‘I get it. But when will we get my stuff from the caravan and move in properly, like?’

‘As soon as I’m back,’ he promised. ‘And maybe you could make a start without me, shift some of the smaller things?’

Melissa nodded and smiled bravely, trying not to let her dismay show. It would be so much more fun to move the things together, but at least this way she could decide what went where. And maybe now that Ray was married and had a family he might not have to look after so many clients. He could tell them at work that he had less time available than before. She’d suggest it next time he was home. Until then, she needed to make the most of having him here. And this was their honeymoon, after all.

‘So,’ she said with her best come-to-bed eyes fluttering, ‘are you going to show me the bedroom?’

29

29

GRACE – THEN

Clio’s first few weeks of life flew by in a whirl of health visitors and doctors’ appointments. She was slow to grow, feeding only fitfully and still crying a lot, and there was talk of her having to be readmitted to hospital if she didn’t manage to put on some weight. Grace reluctantly gave up breastfeeding and, on stout advice from Mrs Finn, put Clio on the bottle which, she had to admit, improved things no end. Gradually, a balance was restored in the house and Grace began to feel that having two children instead of one was actually going to prove manageable.