Free The Nearly-Weds by Jane Costello Page B

holds up a can of Coke.
    Barbara’s eyes ping open.
    ‘Oh,’ I say, grabbing the can from her, ‘that’s just for you, sweetheart.’ I turn to Barbara, feeling the need to explain. ‘The other children had something different,’ I tell her. ‘Ruby’s daddy doesn’t mind her having fizzy drinks.’
    She purses her lips. ‘So Ryan Miller lets his little girl drink Coke all day. Why doesn’t that surprise me?’
    ‘Oh, well, I wouldn’t say all day ,’ I mumble, wondering why I’m trying to defend him. ‘It’s just—’
    ‘Don’t worry, honey,’ says Barbara. ‘If you’re living with Ryan Miller, that’s the least of your worries, believe me.’

Chapter 17
    The keys to the garage are apparently in the hall drawer. The problem is, so is everything else. Determined to dig out the children’s bikes so we can do something active and fun this afternoon, I spend ten minutes rifling through the drawer before giving up and tipping it out on the floor.
    The kids think sifting through the contents is enormous fun, at least for the first five minutes. I’m less impressed, largely because I’ve got better things to do than untangling phone chargers from balls of Plasticine, old bandages, a tape-measure, a half-eaten jam tart and various other bits of detritus.
    When I locate the keys, I fight my instinct to sort through the rubbish and instead pile it back into the drawer. I’m about to call the kids back to tell them we’re one step closer to getting at their bikes, when I spot a mildly intriguing piece of paper. Slightly creased, but relatively unscathed compared with the other items in the drawer, I open it up and am unable to stop myself reading it.
Darling Ryan ,
I have so many conflicting thoughts about you at the moment, I barely know where to begin. So, I suppose I’ll get straight to the point. I love you. There, I’ve said it. Whether you like it or not, that’s the situation. Which both of us now have to deal with, one way or the other.
Predictable as this sounds, I knew I loved you the minute I met you. It wasn’t just your looks that won me over. It was your soul, your mind – a mind most women couldn’t begin to understand. I knew instinctively that beyond your impenetrable exterior was a man with so much to give. I believe I have reached out and seen the real Ryan – and now I’m determined to see more of him.
I should tell you that the very fact I’d loved you in secret for so long before something happened between us made that moment all the more perfect. As I’m sure you already know, I’m a woman who strives for perfection. And that is why I don’t want to let this go. The first night we spent together wasn’t just special, it was beautiful. Life-changing, in fact. And I will not let you throw it away like yesterday’s pizza.
Now that I’ve opened my heart to you, Ryan, it’s time to be frank – so forgive me in advance for being so, but this is my request: I want you to reconsider what you said about not seeing me again. A simple one, I know you’ll agree, but one that could change both of our lives for the better.
Yours for ever ,
Juliet
XXX
    ‘Zoe, have you found them yet?’ asks Ruby, impatiently.
    ‘Here we are!’ I reply, dangling them in front of her.
    ‘Great! Come on, Samuel – race you to the garage!’ she cries, grabbing his hand and deliberately letting him get ahead of her.
    I fold the letter, and stuff it into the back of the drawer, which I close decisively. Then I follow the children outside to focus on what I should be focusing on.

Chapter 18
    To: [email protected]
    From: [email protected]
    Dear Zoe,
    How is America? I’ve been watching a lot of TV lately and thinking about you and what life is like over there. I had to turn Cagney and Lacey off the other night – you know what it’s like when your mind runs away with itself.
    Desy kept going on at me that Cagney and Lacey is set in a completely different city, is twenty-odd years