a son with the CEO

ish

ain, she’d had time to think about it. The soc

uld move i

carry out his duty. ‘Tomorrow.’ He paused. ‘Look—we really need to put Tyler f

if we really

on’t

’d have a trial period to make sure you suited each other.

n’t a job

be the fairest way for all of us. Give it

’t, then you’ll agree that I

le

t. ‘We’ll review it,’ he said. ‘

paused. ‘But if anything

tuation gets

ed for him

we go any further, I need to know something. Is the

ld you, I’m separated from Na

e woman you had

er in disbelief

main reason why marriage

. Usually

really th

t happen

ding, but at the end of the day a marriage certificate was just a piece o

my marriage broke up, but for the record ne

d her cheeks,

supposed. ‘There’s nobo

a house,’ he

to introduce the subject, maybe, because there was s

, I’m h

nobody,’ s

did she suddenly look tire

ng how he felt on her. Ti

news of the crash; and lon

this—well, he’d been in that cr

string of dates being paraded

t. Do you really think I’m dating?’ Despite the f

ke that back. It’s not your

ke that back. It’s not your

tar you with the s

omeone had let her down.

use he’d been more preoccupied with being anno

haircut. Her hair was defiantly plum: not a natural shade, but

he doing, thinking about E

e shock of bereavement. H

care of a baby, but that

ings civil between them. A

. It had taught him to steer clear, in future. He was better off on his own. It meant th

et of keys to Pete and

ded. ‘Yo

n the place while they’re

ld be a burst pipe or some

n’t get the words out. For

ally sp

ached across the table to

not pity. ‘Me, too. I kee

is all just some incredi

xcept I’ve woken up too m

at it’

nd Dylan knew there we

e were in no doubt. Surpr

And we’ve still got the

er hand. ‘I guess their pa

t

’s dad is elderly and All

to offer to sort it out fo

, I can a

ake the burden off their

e support front. Anything

e support front. Anything

’ll d

Dylan knew. The tears we

t out of here as fast as h

I guess we’d better exc

what

mobile phone from her ha

the details. ‘And we’ll m

o sort out

ll you when I

cup. ‘I’d better get back

of the café. The woman

he woman he was going t

owing him a curveball. And

ext morning, Emmy unlocked the do

, pressed in the code for t

down in t

or now, Ty,’ she said so

s sling and cradled again

t ‘—it’s going to be with

n, instead of y

ver the course of the day s

needed to bring from her

his cot, and make a basic s

was heat it through and

fter he’d f

om

think of this place as

Camden. It was small, but

tranger would be living t

she would be living her

d never have been able

and

like a

she’d alw

she’d alw

ylan, she amended. But E

ing a husband who loved

ad wanted, herse

ave it this way, Ally,’

eone who wouldn’t let

d’ve picked for her, give

ner had been

fantasising about was jus

either was the house. And

-guardian. She couldn’t th

ust as she knew that she w

ked. Chalk and cheese

might not be her flesh

dson. A baby she’d known f

cradled in her arms when h

best friend’s hospital bed

woman who’d been as cl