Lizzie watched on from the kitchen. She’d cleared away their dinner plates and discovered another bottle of wine in the fridge. Her heart broke for Anna. This woman had dropped everything as soon as she’d found out about Dan’s struggles after his accident. She’d been a rock for him during his recovery and, when Lizzie had met her for the first time, she’d liked her immediately.
Lizzie grabbed the wine and sat down next to Dan. He moved so she could sit in the crook of his arm, his strong hand on her shoulder, his warm body touching hers. When he looked down at her, smiling, she felt the still unfamiliar fluttering in her stomach. Anna’s words to her, the night of Ry and Julia’s wedding, came back in a warm flood: ‘Dan is truly one of the best guys I know. Please believe that I’ve wanted nothing more than for him to find the happiness he deserves. And he’s found it, Lizzie. I hope he’s the one to make you happy, I really do.’
Anna wasn’t just tough. She was wise and had a heart as big as Phar Lap’s. Together, she and Dan had to help Anna find her peace.
‘What are you two up to?’ Lizzie sighed, resting her head against Dan’s chest.
Anna teased the strands of her hair between her fingers, the slightest twinkle of mischief in her eyes. ‘We’re trying to come up with twenty ways to kill a cheating husband.’
‘I reckon we should go with my idea and run him down in your car,’ Dan said with a grin. ‘The blood won’t show on that red paintwork.’
‘But it might dent the bonnet,’ Anna said.
‘Damn.’
‘You know what they say about revenge – not that I believe in it in any shape or form – is that it’s a dish best served cold,’ Lizzie said, meeting their eyes in turn.
Anna laughed heartily. ‘Not when you’re Italian, bella.’
Dan whistled. ‘Tell me about it.’
‘Believe me, I’ve done a lot of talking about it. Talking, shouting, crying. Staring at the mirror after a night of no sleep and not recognising myself. Ate until I felt sick, then not eaten for days. I’m so over that part now. But I don’t quite know what stage of grief I’m up to. What’s the one called where you still want to cut their balls off?’
‘He deserves everything you throw at him, the cheating prick.’
Anna was touched by the tone of anger in Dan’s voice. She loved his loyalty to her and it brought a lump to her throat.
‘Dan,’ Lizzie frowned and elbowed him in the ribs. ‘While the guy clearly deserves it, I’m not sure all this talk of revenge is really helping.’
‘Oh yes, it helps, Lizzie,’ Anna nodded her head furiously. ‘Believe me.’
‘When did you find out?’ Lizzie waited in anticipation for an answer and then clamped her hand to her mouth. ‘Shit. I said that out loud, didn’t I? I’m sorry, Anna. It’s none of my business.’
Anna shrugged her shoulders and waved off the question. ‘No, it’s all right. It was a few weeks before Ry and Julia’s wedding. I didn’t walk in on him or anything like that. God, that would have been too The Bold and the Beautiful , wouldn’t it?’ Anna reached for her wine glass and without having to ask, Dan was already refilling it. To the brim. She took a sip and settled back on her chair. ‘Credit card bills don’t lie.’
‘Oh no,’ Lizzie murmured.
Dan shook his head. ‘I still think you should run him over in your car.’
‘You’re forgetting one thing, Dan. Being a medical professional I’d be obliged to obey the Hippocratic oath. I’d have to get out and save the bastard’s life.’
They all laughed at the idea of it. Anna thought she sounded convincing but a wave of sadness seeped inside her. Seeing Dan and Lizzie so happy only put her own life into stark and cold relief.
‘But that’s enough about my sordid life,’ she managed. ‘Look at you two, loved up and adorable.’
Lizzie and Dan exchanged glances.
‘She’s pretty adorable,’ he said quietly.
‘And yeah, we’re pretty
Lizzie grabbed the wine and sat down next to Dan. He moved so she could sit in the crook of his arm, his strong hand on her shoulder, his warm body touching hers. When he looked down at her, smiling, she felt the still unfamiliar fluttering in her stomach. Anna’s words to her, the night of Ry and Julia’s wedding, came back in a warm flood: ‘Dan is truly one of the best guys I know. Please believe that I’ve wanted nothing more than for him to find the happiness he deserves. And he’s found it, Lizzie. I hope he’s the one to make you happy, I really do.’
Anna wasn’t just tough. She was wise and had a heart as big as Phar Lap’s. Together, she and Dan had to help Anna find her peace.
‘What are you two up to?’ Lizzie sighed, resting her head against Dan’s chest.
Anna teased the strands of her hair between her fingers, the slightest twinkle of mischief in her eyes. ‘We’re trying to come up with twenty ways to kill a cheating husband.’
‘I reckon we should go with my idea and run him down in your car,’ Dan said with a grin. ‘The blood won’t show on that red paintwork.’
‘But it might dent the bonnet,’ Anna said.
‘Damn.’
‘You know what they say about revenge – not that I believe in it in any shape or form – is that it’s a dish best served cold,’ Lizzie said, meeting their eyes in turn.
Anna laughed heartily. ‘Not when you’re Italian, bella.’
Dan whistled. ‘Tell me about it.’
‘Believe me, I’ve done a lot of talking about it. Talking, shouting, crying. Staring at the mirror after a night of no sleep and not recognising myself. Ate until I felt sick, then not eaten for days. I’m so over that part now. But I don’t quite know what stage of grief I’m up to. What’s the one called where you still want to cut their balls off?’
‘He deserves everything you throw at him, the cheating prick.’
Anna was touched by the tone of anger in Dan’s voice. She loved his loyalty to her and it brought a lump to her throat.
‘Dan,’ Lizzie frowned and elbowed him in the ribs. ‘While the guy clearly deserves it, I’m not sure all this talk of revenge is really helping.’
‘Oh yes, it helps, Lizzie,’ Anna nodded her head furiously. ‘Believe me.’
‘When did you find out?’ Lizzie waited in anticipation for an answer and then clamped her hand to her mouth. ‘Shit. I said that out loud, didn’t I? I’m sorry, Anna. It’s none of my business.’
Anna shrugged her shoulders and waved off the question. ‘No, it’s all right. It was a few weeks before Ry and Julia’s wedding. I didn’t walk in on him or anything like that. God, that would have been too The Bold and the Beautiful , wouldn’t it?’ Anna reached for her wine glass and without having to ask, Dan was already refilling it. To the brim. She took a sip and settled back on her chair. ‘Credit card bills don’t lie.’
‘Oh no,’ Lizzie murmured.
Dan shook his head. ‘I still think you should run him over in your car.’
‘You’re forgetting one thing, Dan. Being a medical professional I’d be obliged to obey the Hippocratic oath. I’d have to get out and save the bastard’s life.’
They all laughed at the idea of it. Anna thought she sounded convincing but a wave of sadness seeped inside her. Seeing Dan and Lizzie so happy only put her own life into stark and cold relief.
‘But that’s enough about my sordid life,’ she managed. ‘Look at you two, loved up and adorable.’
Lizzie and Dan exchanged glances.
‘She’s pretty adorable,’ he said quietly.
‘And yeah, we’re pretty
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