Prologue

"Sit over a bit," I told my "date" as she squirmed in the restaurant; we had just finished dessert and had been chatting as if the previous few years – and our previous tribulations – had not existed.

"The sun's in my eyes," she moaned and returned to being off-centre on the two-person table that was well away from the rest of the group, celebrating my niece's birthday. Rhea came to alleviate me of my credit card, and I smiled at the youthful look of my ex-partner who averted her eyes.

"It's just in Iceland, if an unmarried girl sits on the corner of a table it's said she will be single for seven years!" She laughed – more of courtesy than amusement - and licked her lips. I guessed her failures in her love life were a bit of a sore point, but it was a subject I had intentionally avoided until a few moments previous.

"And I probably will be single for another seven years," she said after a moment. "I am not lucky in that department."

"No ... me neither," I confessed and her characteristic smile returned. "I mean I did have someone. Someone who I loved a lot and had to be patient with, but we sort of messed it up."

She laughed and rubbed her hands together. "That could be any of your exes, right?" She rubbed her top lip and ran her hands through her hair, shaking it back behind her shoulder.

"And I know what happened with some of yours," I teased, and she poked her tongue out at me.

"So we both have trust or commitment issues," she remarked as she laid back on the chair. I took a gulp of my wine as Rhea reappeared with a credit card machine, and I punched in my four digit code; I had promised I would pay for her daughter's birthday party but wasn't sure how a meal for twenty-odd adults and a birthday party meal in the suite next door for around thirty children had come to over £2,500. My dining partner looked away as I passed the machine back and she stared at her plate.

"You've done well," she told me, moving the subject on and shrugged. "I mean, I always knew you'd do well in life, you have that ability but I didn't see you being an entrepreneur."

"Ahh yeah ... well that was Fiona. My ummm ... well the girl from Uni. Always a friend but not all that much of a girlfriend, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah I remember her," she said stoically. Her face didn't brighten up as I told her about the recent sale of the company and she just took a deep breath. "My place in Cheshire is closing ... well down-sizing or economising. I don't know the difference so I will be going back home which is not where I want to be." I went to open my mouth, and she just slowly shook her head; if I was going to offer financial help it would not be wanted.

It was the first part of the afternoon where our conversation had petered out, and I just hummed. She put her hands on top of mine on the table and squeezed them. "I mean ... if it's money," I started, unable to resist, and she shushed me.

"It would be wrong to accept any more of your hospitality," she told me with a firmness to her voice. "I..." She hesitated and wiped her eyes. "Sorry," she muttered. "You meant a lot to me, and I just wish things could have been different. But they weren't and ... I need to know what you are thinking."

"Thinking?"

"About me."

I spluttered and hummed. "Well ... I'm glad to see you. I know Rhea got you down with the best of intentions..."

" ... But you wish I hadn't come?" My ex-lover finished for me, and I shook my head with a scowl.

"Not at all." I retrieved her hands that she had removed from my grasp a few seconds previous and looked into her eyes. "It was unexpected. You've had hours, days, weeks, I don't know, to prepare for today. To work out what you think. I 'aven't. All I have is lots of raw emotions, and I loved you to bits. Really adored you and was heartbroken when it ended. So when I saw you, I felt butterflies and just..." I trailed off, and she averted her eyes.

"I'm sorry for how it ended," she told me. "But you were a bastard too especially at..."

"Yeah, I know," I admitted and tapped the table. "You hurt those who you love the easiest as you know them better," I told her philosophically and then smiled. "We both fucked up at different times. And it wasn't just with you. I messed up relationships with everyone."

She squeezed my hand again and giggled. "Then it's something we have in common," she told me as a waiter arrived at our table. Rhea appeared as our plates got cleared away and crouched down alongside our table with her familiar mischievous look in her eye.

"You seem to be getting on well again. Just one question, when you two get married..."

"Married?"

"Well, to be honest you two are getting on a bit and it's about time you both found someone and got married. The ole biological clock and all that. And I'm closer to being married than either of you have ever been and that's not on. Si and Mum were dropping hints up until a few months ago and I'm buggered if the little sister should marry before the big brother, Andy. So when you do I wanna be a bridesmaid. And Izzy, not to mention little Emma."

"Emma?" I asked, and she rubbed her belly. "How do you know it's a girl?" I enquired, and she shrugged.

"Of course it's a girl and I presume from the way you are holding hands and you've had that silly bovine look in your eyes all feckin' meal you will not be needing the spare room?"

I looked at my companion who giggled unexpectedly as she answered. "Oh come on Rhea, you know what we are like." I shrugged, and Rhea sighed.

"Good. Because it's t'other the end of the house and I want to sleep there if you two are going to be sleeping together. You've never had quiet sex with her; it was disgusting whenever I heard you."

We both laughed and looked at Rhea. "Haven't you let that one drop yet?"

Chapter 1 »