The Cotswolds Cookery Club: A Taste of France
Page 14
He could, of course, tell Alison. In fact, he didn’t know why he already hadn’t. During the time they’d been together, he’d never had any secrets from his wife. But he didn’t feel ready to share this one. Not until he’d come to terms with it himself. Which, he suspected, might take quite some time.
‘Dad, hurry up. Tea’s ready.’
As Bethany’s voice hollered up the stairs, Rich leapt off the bed.
‘Be there in a second,’ he called back, tugging on a pair of shorts. He’d try not to think about the Candi situation for the rest of the evening. He’d try to relax; spend an enjoyable couple of hours with his family. Family. Oh, God. The stark realisation that it could well now include another member made him want to throw up.
Pulling a T-shirt over his head, he ran his fingers through his damp hair and ran down the stairs. As he crossed the hall the doorbell rang.
It was Joe, the window cleaner.
‘Don’t tell me we owe you more money, Joe,’ joked Rich from the open doorway.
‘‘Fraid so, Mr Stevens. Ten pounds, please,’
Rich fished about in his shorts pocket and pulled out a ten-pound note. ‘Round going well, is it?’
‘Better than could be expected.’
‘Pleased to hear it. A hard-working young lad like you deserves to do well.’
‘Thanks,’ said Joe. ‘Well, I’d best be off. See you in a couple of weeks.’
As Joe sauntered down the path, Rich remained in the open doorway. There was a lad who didn’t have a care in the world, he mused. No worrying about sales figures, no humongous mortgage, and no unexpected daughters popping out of the woodwork.
For a brief moment, Rich experienced an unaccustomed pang of envy.
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Copyright
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd.
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First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2017
Copyright © Alice Ross 2017
Alice Ross asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
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E-book Edition © September 2017 ISBN: 978 0 0008 244 958