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Chapters (84)
  1. Chapter one
  2. Chapter two
  3. Chapter three
  4. Chapter four
  5. Chapter five
  6. Chapter six
  7. Chapter seven
  8. Chapter eight
  9. Chapter nine
  10. Chapter ten
  11. Chapter eleven
  12. Chapter twelve
  13. Chapter thirteen
  14. Chapter fourteen
  15. Chapter fifteen
  16. Chapter sixteen
  17. Chapter seventeen
  18. Chapter eighteen
  19. Chapter nineteen
  20. Chapter twenty
  21. Chapter twenty-one
  22. Chapter twenty-two
  23. Chapter twenty-three
  24. Chapter twenty-four
  25. Chapter twenty-five
  26. Chapter twenty-six
  27. Chapter twenty-seven
  28. Chapter twenty-eight
  29. Chapter twenty-nine
  30. Chapter thirty
  31. Chapter thirty-one
  32. Chapter thirty-two
  33. Chapter thirty-three
  34. Chapter thirty-four
  35. Chapter thirty-five
  36. Chapter thirty-six
  37. Chapter thirty-seven
  38. Chapter thirty-eight
  39. Chapter thirty-nine
  40. Chapter forty
  41. Chapter forty-one
  42. Chapter forty-two
  43. Chapter forty-three
  44. Chapter forty-four
  45. Chapter forty-five
  46. Chapter forty-six
  47. Chapter forty-seven
  48. Chapter forty-eight
  49. Chapter forty-nine
  50. Chapter fifty
  51. Chapter fifty-one
  52. Chapter fifty-two
  53. Chapter fifty-three
  54. Chapter fifty-four
  55. Chapter fifty-five
  56. Chapter fifty-six
  57. Chapter fifty-seven
  58. Chapter fifty-eight
  59. Chapter fifty-nine
  60. Chapter sixty
  61. Chapter sixty-one
  62. Chapter sixty-two
  63. Chapter sixty-three
  64. Chapter sixty-four
  65. Chapter sixty-five
  66. Chapter sixty-six
  67. Chapter sixty-seven
  68. Chapter sixty-eight
  69. Chapter sixty-nine
  70. Chapter seventy
  71. Chapter seventy-one
  72. Chapter seventy-two
  73. Chapter seventy-three
  74. Chapter seventy-four
  75. Chapter seventy-five
  76. Chapter seventy-six
  77. Chapter seventy-seven
  78. Chapter seventy-eight
  79. Chapter seventy-nine
  80. Chapter eighty
  81. Chapter eighty-one
  82. Chapter eighty-two
  83. Chapter eighty-three
  84. Chapter eighty-four

‘I’m not so sure.’ Would Edie be able to manage if she didn’t have me to call on every day for something? What about my mother? Edie would never be able to deal with Mum on her own. ‘My sister’s got six kids. They take a lot of managing.’

‘Six?’

‘The miracle of contraception has somehow managed to pass her by.’

‘Is that hard to cope with?’ Dean asks.

‘Not really.’ I risk a smile. ‘Although it does seem a little unfair sometimes. I’m sure that Edie’s husband only has to leave his underpants near their bed and she gets pregnant. She must have inherited all the procreation genes in our family.’ I pluck absently at the grass. ‘It does mean, however, that my nieces and nephews are more than happy to act as surrogate children. Particularly if it involves bribery with expensive gifts.’

‘Kids here are still a vital part of the community,’ Dean says. ‘They work the fields with their parents. They provide for them when they get older. On the rare occasions I go back to California, I sometimes think that children are seen as an unnecessary luxury these days. They certainly don’t seem to provide the joy for their parents that these little ones do here. I guess everything these days is a juggling act between career and family life. More often than not, career wins.’

‘That’s so sad.’ But horribly true. ‘Do you want to settle down?’

Dean laughs. ‘Sure.’ He toys with my fingers, avoiding my eyes. ‘But I’m hardly classic eligible-bachelor material. I have no career prospects. No investment portfolio. I make twenty-eight dollars a month.’ He meets my gaze. ‘I have nothing to offer.’

‘I don’t agree.’ Our lips meet and they’re warm from the sunshine. ‘You have your heart.’ I trace my fingers over his chest. ‘No woman could ask for more than that.’

Chapter fifty-one

Chapter fifty-one

Jake did as he was told and fucked off. Early in the morning. Before Neve was awake.