Hurrah for tech support!” Yaz shouted, punching the air. Punched the air … for IT? Was she on drugs? “I’ll need your number so we add you into the WhatsApp. Monday is vegan curry night at The Raj just across the road and we can …” We arrived in Verity’s office where Verity attempted to shut the door on Yaz, but Yaz pushed past her. Christ, she was stubborn. He had already known this about her, but a whole month of cold indifference and blank expressions was impressive, even for her. You’re happy I’m - ?’ she started to say in a hopeful, breathless voice but was cut off as Tom pushed past Lou and snatched Frankie up in a fierce hug.

Having a disinterested orthopaedic surgeon on her team for six months had increased her workload but she’d managed. But over the few last months, since they had threatened to remove Dylan from the rotation, she had been covering for him in an attempt to make him look good, and now she was really struggling. The secondary characters in this book are awesome. My personal favorite is Benjie, a mouthy, brilliant little tyke. Not a moppet. He is such a character, literally, he needs his own book.Unfortunately Lou had had to lead by example, and that meant she’d had to pretend that her heart wasn’t broken, and force herself to be around Dylan as if nothing had happened. She lied to Frankie and the others, told them that the little scene in the mess was nothing, and that she was over it so they should be too. How she felt about Dylan had changed, but she still cared about him and she didn’t want him cut off from everyone. Is that a yes?’ Frankie wheezed. Dylan set her down and Lou could see his face was flushed and his eyes were wet.

So, by all accounts, Lou should have been chaffing at the bit for a big party, but when Frankie pressed her she just shrugged it off and claimed she couldn’t be bothered. Which actually wasn’t far from the truth. The extra hours she’d been putting in were wearing her down. Although she’d made it clear to everyone that the argument between them meant nothing, and that she was completely fine with him, he still hadn’t felt right hanging out at their flat to the extent he used to. And anyway Lou always found excuses to avoid him whilst he was there, or worse she would be polite. He gritted his teeth. Lou was never bloody polite, and certainly not with him; she took the piss incessantly, challenged, argued with, teased, criticized, needled, judged, provoked; all the while laughing, snorting, scowling, but never with the expressionless mask she wore whilst he was around currently. And the only thing I found funny was the little boy who pops up briefly in a couple of chapters. The rest must have been a very dark humour indeed. Luce, don’t be a wuss,’ she heard the blonde boy say to a sniffling pretty dark-haired girl beside him. Despite his exasperated tone, the boy put his arm around her and drew her in for a hug, causing both sets of parents behind them to smile at each other. Movement caught Angharad’s eye across the yard, and she watched as three miniature versions of the beautiful blonde and the handsome dark-haired man darted around the gravestones, playing hide and seek. I love you Louise Sands,’ he said softly, the same words he had repeated every morning for three months. He flipped open the small box and took the ring out from inside. Her left hand was lying against his chest, so he lifted it slightly and pushed the ring onto her ring finger. Lou froze for a moment and then held her left hand out in front of her face, blinking rapidly.Babes,’ he said patiently, ‘you and I both know that the junk in my trunk is most definitely the real deal; you’ve seen it often enough.’