BooksBarbecue
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

‘I don’t think so,’ said Charles. ‘I don’t really know. Like I said, we didn’t keep in touch. I only know what he told me when he tracked me down. He hasn’t really settled to much since he got out of prison. But I thought that if he at least had a little house then that would be a help. He’d be off the streets and could make a fresh start. But I should have told you, Gracie. I’m so sorry.’

He was out of his chair again and this time he knelt on the floor before her and grasped her hands in his.

‘Please tell me that you’re not angry. I hate it when you are cross with me and we’ve only just got over all that business with me missing . . . Well, I just wanted to help. You can understand that, can’t you, Gracie? And you do forgive me, don’t you?’

The answer came easily to Grace. Of course she would. She’d forgive him anything. This was Charles, her lovely, handsome, twinkly husband, the father of her children and the love of her life. How could she not forgive him? She could even understand why he hadn’t said anything to start with, although she wished that he’d had the courage to trust her reaction. What did he think she was going to say? No? Buying a house was a good thing, a kind and generous gesture, albeit one undertaken in secrecy, and it wasn’t as if they couldn’t afford it.

‘Yes, of course I’ll forgive you,’ Grace said, and Charles let out a sharp sigh. ‘But is that it now? There’s nothing else you’re keeping hidden? No mad aunts in the attic? No extra children you’ve never thought to mention?’

She was laughing now and Charles, picking up on her clear acceptance of his mistake, smiled too, although perhaps with less conviction than Grace.

‘No,’ he replied, his brown eyes looking straight into Grace’s blue ones. ‘No. That was it. My one big secret.’

31

31

LEAH – NOW

So, you go on a ‘not-date’ with someone that you didn’t think you fancied, end up having loads of fun and accidentally enjoying two really, really lovely kisses that weren’t at all on the cards, and then what? Well, you talk to your girlfriends and dissect the entire thing second by second. Obviously.