by Lucy Diamond
Josie pulled her coat a little more tightly around herself as she set off, walking into the wind. It tugged at the overnight bag on her shoulder, pulled at her hair. God, it felt truly wintry today. It had been frosty at home that morning, the garden covered with sparkling ice crystals, and the car had played awkward buggers and refused to start at first so that they’d all sat there, dragon breath steaming out from their mouths, as she tried the engine again and again. Barbara was having the kids for her this weekend; Pete and Sabine had gone away somewhere hot and tropical. You could do that when you didn’t have the school terms to book your holiday around, couldn’t you?
Josie grimaced as she walked a little faster, her kitten heels echoing on the pavement. He was so predictable, Pete. Straight back to Sabine, after she’d turned him down that night in October. Flat purchased and moved into. Talk of introducing Sabine to the boys after Christmas … she was dying to meet them, apparently …
Josie paused as she came out on the Strand, feeling taken aback suddenly by the rushing red buses, the beeping taxis, the people bustling along loaded down with carrier bags. The Christmas lights twinkled above the road, it would be dark soon, even though it was only three o’clock. She turned left, frowning a little as she tried to get her bearings. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about the boys meeting Sabine. Rationally, she knew that they’d always love their mummy best, no matter how many sweets and treats another woman might bribe them with, but all the same … They were only four. They were well up for a bit of cupboard love and bribery, ripe for the picking.
She plunged her hands deeper into her pockets as she passed a coffee stand, sniffed appreciatively at the smell of roast coffee beans that mingled with the exhaust fumes and fag smoke all around. She was looking forward to Christmas, and then the year being over. New Year was a good time to make plans for the future.
Oh, there it was, the pub, right on the corner across the road. She smiled to herself as she waited for the traffic lights to change, shifted her bag into a more comfortable position on her shoulder. She was going to stay at Stu’s tonight, was looking forward to catching up with him and Melanie again. She was definitely up for a bit of silly dancing with Nell after a few beers, and maybe even with Lisa too. She’d always been a bit of a mover on the dance floor, had Lise.
The green man was flashing, and Josie crossed over with a crowd of other people. Her, Nell and Lisa, all back in London together again. It was a kind of symmetry. But how everything had changed!
She reached the other side of the road and headed for the pub. She was hoping that Rob would be there too. According to Nell, his plane should have arrived at Heathrow yesterday but of course delays happened, flights were cancelled, jetlag kicked in. He might not show.
He’d been in touch regularly over the last few weeks, with news of a job here in London at the Volunteer Africa office, plans to share a flat with a mate in Crawley until he got his own place …
Josie tucked her hair behind her ears, suddenly nervous as she approached the pub doors. It wasn’t as if she’d been pinning all her hopes on this big reunion with Rob. She’d proved to herself and everyone else that she could manage without a man. And yet …
Crawley was just a fifteen-minute drive from where she lived. If Rob was interested, it would be easy enough for them to meet up.
It was a big ‘if’, of course. She might have misread the signals back in the summer, have flattered herself that he liked her as anything other than a friend. But the main thing was, Josie felt ready for something to happen again. She was over Pete. She was mended, cured of him. She was ready.
She pushed open the door, heart thudding, looking around for a familiar face as she walked in. There was Nell, holding court, of course, regaling everyone from where she sat at a long table over on the left. Gareth was next to her, rolling his eyes at what Nell was saying, a protective arm slung around her shoulders. A couple. A happy couple. Oh, and Lisa was on her other side, tipping back her head laughing so that her dark hair fell in long, glossy waves over her shoulder. And there was Melanie, spotting her and nudging Stu, who looked around and waved.
Josie waved back, smiling at them all as she went over to the table. Her eye flicked through the crowd of Nell’s other friends, her mouth suddenly dry.
There was no sign of Rob. Maybe he wasn’t going to show after all. Never mind. It was still great to see the others.
‘Hiya,’ she said, as she reached the table. ‘I’ll just get a drink. Anyone need anything?’
No one did. Nell flashed her a wink and then, as Josie turned and made for the bar, she saw him. Rob, leaning on an elbow as he stood there, waiting to be served.
Her heart skipped a beat. She forgot all about Nell and Gareth and Lisa and Stu. She forgot about catching up, and beers, and silly dancing. She walked up to the bar, set her bag down on the floor and stood next to him. Rob.
He turned his head and grinned at her. He was tanned and fit-looking, his hair short, his eyes a brighter blue than she remembered.
‘I was hoping you’d be here,’ he said, reaching out on impulse and hugging her. ‘Hello, Josie. It’s good to see you.’
She smiled and put her arms around him. I am ready for this, she thought, filling up inside with joy. I am ready.
She hugged him tightly, close enough to feel his heartbeat. ‘It’s good to see you too,’ she replied. ‘Welcome back.’
Epilogue
Eighteen months later
‘Look! Over there! An elephant!’
Josie thought Toby’s eyes were about to fall from his head at the sight. He could hardly get the words out in his excitement.
Two elephants!’ Sam cried, clutching the side of the Jeep. ‘Look, there’s another one!’
Rob turned the video camera towards them. ‘Here we are in Kenya, first day of the holiday, on safari in Tsavo National Park. Tobes, Sam, are you having a good time?’
‘YEAH!’ Toby bellowed, throwing his hands in the air.
‘This is so COOL!’ Sam beamed, waving into the camera then turning back to the elephants. ‘Oh, look, that one’s picked something up in his trunk!’
‘Why are they all red?’ Toby wanted to know.
‘It’s the dust,’ Rob explained. ‘Look – see how red the earth is? Maybe those elephants have just had a dustbath.’
The driver of the Jeep slowed so they could have a closer look. ‘There are giraffes in the distance, see?’ he said, pointing them out.
Josie looked over to where a procession of slow, stately giraffes were making their way across the sweeping plain, necks bobbing slightly as they walked.
‘Giraffes!’ Sam marvelled, bouncing up and down on the seat. ‘Giraffes, Toby!’
‘Wow,’ Toby breathed, pressing against the window. ‘Real, live giraffes!’
Josie smiled at their faces, alight with happiness. ‘This was such a brilliant idea, Rob,’ she said. ‘I’m so glad we’re here.’
Rob turned the camera on her. ‘Go on, say it again for the record, Jose. The bit about my brilliant idea.’
She winked at the lens. ‘You’re just brilliant full-stop, darlin’,’ she told him. ‘Did you know that?’
He put the camera down and leaned over to kiss her. ‘You’re not so bad yourself, you know,’ he replied.
‘Ugh, yucky,’ Sam moaned. ‘Mummy and Rob, sitting in a tree …’
‘K-I-S-S-I-N-G!’ Toby joined in. ‘Yuck, do you have to?’
Josie laughed, and ruffled his hair. ‘Sorry, guys, but yeah, we absolutely have to,’ she replied.
Rob looked over at the elephants thoughtfully. One was tromping heavily across the ground towards a pool. ‘Actually, do you know what, boys?’ he said. ‘That elephant there, that really enormous one, reminds me of someone. Can’t quite think who …’
Josie narrowed her eyes. ‘I hope you’re not trying to say …’
The boys hooted with laughter. ‘Mummy!’ spluttered Toby, prodding her belly.
‘Bi
g fat Mummy!’ Sam chortled.
‘Oi!’ Josie said, clutching her belly protectively. ‘Leave it out, this isn’t fat! This is your new baby brother or sister in here!’
‘She’s right, boys, she’s right,’ Rob said, in a more serious voice. ‘In fact, Jose, I was wondering … Maybe if it’s a girl, we could call her … Ella?’
‘What, after the elephant? You cheeky … !’ But Josie’s words were lost in the volley of guffaws from her boys. The baby somersaulted in her belly just then, and she stroked her bump tenderly. ‘Just ignore them, baby,’ she said. ‘No elephant names for you, my love.’
Rob reached out to grab her hand. ‘Only joking, Jose,’ he said. ‘You’re nothing like an elephant. In fact, I can’t believe Toby and Sam could even suggest such a thing.’
‘Hey!’ they cried. ‘We never said that!’
‘That’s a relief,’ she said. ‘Because there’s still three months to go, and I’m only going to get more elephantine.’
‘Jose, even if you’re a whale, you’ll still be a gorgeous whale,’ Rob said, his eyes crinkling at the edges. ‘The most beautiful whale ever to wobble through the ocean.’
Josie laughed. ‘Darling, you say the nicest things,’ she said, rolling her eyes.
Rob put his arm around Josie and hugged her. ‘I do my best,’ he said.
Sam let out a theatrical groan as he saw them. ‘Oh no, not more kissing,’ he said, turning away to look at the giraffes again.
‘Yeeeeuck,’ Toby said, pretending to vomit over the seat.
Josie laughed again and leaned against Rob. ‘Come on, let’s ride off into the sunset together,’ she murmured to him.
He stroked her hand. ‘But we’ve only just got here,’ he replied.
‘I know,’ she said happily. ‘Aren’t we the lucky ones?’
Over You
Lucy Diamond lives in Bath with her partner and their three young children. Over You is her second novel
www.lucydiamond.co.uk
By the same author
Any Way You Want Me
Acknowledgements
I’d like to thank the following people, who helped me nwith this book.
Jo White, Jo Thulborn, Hayley Bangs and Kate Tilley all read early drafts and gave me brilliant feedback and encouragement. Liz Withers helped enormously too – thank you all so much.
Super-agent Simon Trewin gave sound editorial advice and great pep-talks – cheers, Simon!
Imogen Taylor and Trisha Jackson at Pan – thank you for the title, and for persuading me (in the nicest possible way) that the X-rated office scene of the first draft needed to go – you were so right, as always!
Cheers to everyone else at Pan – Ellen, Emma, Fiona, Steph, Anna, Michelle and all the other lovely people there who make publishing seem so glamorous and such fun.
The Novel Racers and Bloggers with Book Deals are my cyber-colleagues – thanks to all of you for your constant support, advice and enthusiasm, especially Kate Harrison and Milly Johnson.
Thanks too to everyone who bought the first novel and wrote to say they enjoyed it – I can’t tell you how much I appreciated those emails.
Hugs to my mum and dad, who are on good terms with every bookseller in the East Midlands by now, and thanks to Phil, Ellie, Fiona, Ian and Saba.
Big kisses to Hannah, Tom and Holly Powell for bringing such sparkle and laughter to my life.
And finally, lots of love and thanks to Martin, as ever. You’re the best.
First published 2008 by Pan Books
This electronic edition published 2010 by Pan Books
an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
Pan Macmillan, 20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
Basingstoke and Oxford
Associated companies throughout the world
www.panmacmillan.com
ISBN 978-0-330-47833-5 PDF
ISBN 978-0-330-47832-8 EPUB
Copyright © Lucy Diamond 2008
The right of Lucy Diamond to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
The Macmillan Group has no responsibility for the information provided by any author websites whose address you obtain from this e-book (‘author websites’). The inclusion of the author website addresses in this e-book does not constitute an endorsement by or association with us of such sites or the content, products, advertising or other materials presented on such sites.
You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Visit www.panmacmillan.com to read more about all our books and to buy them. You will also find features, author interviews and news of any author events, and you can sign up for e-newsletters so that you’re always first to hear about our new releases.