Where the River Ends

by Jacqui Penn

  ‘That’s what I’m like. Sorry, I’ve interrupted.’

  He smiled. The waiter put the breakfasts on the table and checked if they had everything they needed.

  ‘So it’s not just me that’s mad. I’m relieved to hear it.’ He picked up his cutlery, looked down at his breakfast then put the knife and fork back on the table. He looked her straight in the face. ‘I love you, and I know I shouldn’t be saying that, but I do; there’s no getting away from it. I just love you. There… I’ve said it!’ He picked up the cutlery and cut into the hash brown, keeping his eyes focused on his plate.

  ‘I love you too.’

  Gio looked up and nodded. ‘It’s hard, isn’t it? Both of us stuck somewhere we don’t want to be.’

  Sophia sipped her coffee. ‘I’m happy where I am, I just feel like there’s more and I can’t have it.’

  ‘You will never know how many times I wished I hadn’t walked away so easily.’ He cut his egg and the yolk spread. ‘I should have fought harder for you. You weren’t even married at the time.’

  Sophia sighed. ‘I thought I was doing the right thing. I put Simon and the boys before what I really wanted; in fact, at the time, it was all so confusing. I’d spent my whole life being blamed for everyone else’s misery and I couldn’t bear the thought of hurting people again.’ She shrugged her shoulders. ‘It turned out alright in the end, it just took a while to get there.’

  Gio swallowed his food. ‘I really am happy that the marriage worked out for you—’

  ‘It didn’t. Simon and the boys live in Spain…’

  Gio dropped his knife and as he went to grab it he knocked his coffee cup, the contents spilled onto both breakfast plates and down Sophia’s top.

  He leapt up from the table and mopped her top with his serviette, while the coffee on the table dripped to the floor. ‘What an arsehole. I’m sorry, are you burned?’

  Sophia relieved him of the napkin and continued to rub her blouse. ‘No. Don’t worry. I’m fine. We’d better call the waiter.’ She looked across the restaurant and raised her hand with a small wave to the waiter.

  ‘They live in Spain? So you don’t live with them? You split from Simon?’

  Sophia nodded her head. ‘Yes, I split from Simon.’ Then to the waiter who arrived at the table, ‘sorry, we had a bit of a mishap.’

  ‘Not a problem. If you’d like to move to another table, I’ll get you some more food and coffee.’

  ‘No, it’s okay. We’ll just have two more coffees, please. Sorry, this was my fault,’ Gio said. They moved to the next table. ‘So you’ve separated. For good or just for now?’

  ‘For good. I didn’t love him and to be honest, it was a mistake for both of us.’

  Gio grabbed his hands together and squeezed tightly. ‘So who do you live with?’

  ‘Giorgia.’

  Gio’s hand went to his mouth. ‘So you’re on your own?’

  Sophia giggled. ‘Yes.’

  Gio stood and walked around to her side of the table and bent down to kiss her lips. She responded for a moment as she melted at his touch and then pulled back. ‘You have a wife and child—’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Your dad had been to visit your new baby.’ Now Gio stood at her side with his mouth open. ‘My brother. He’d been to visit my brother, I went to collect him and take him home. I have no wife or baby.’

  Now Sophia’s mouth dropped. ‘You’d better sit down.’ Gio went back to his chair as Sophia tried to find the right words. She took a deep breath. ‘Giorgia is yours.’

  ‘Mine! She’s mine? Really?’ He stared at her, a puzzled look on his face. ‘How… Oh, my, God! Are you sure?’

  ‘You only have to look at her.’

  Gio’s chair scraped on the floor as he pushed it back and stood. He rushed out of the restaurant and down the hill. Sophia could see him running along the promenade back towards Nellie and Giorgia. The waiter put two coffees on the table. ‘Thank you,’ Sophia said. ‘Could I have the bill, please?’

  Her heart pounded as she stirred sugar into her coffee. She just needed a moment. He didn’t have a wife and child. Her mouth was dry. She picked up her coffee and then put it straight down again before she spilt it with her unsteady hand.

  She felt wobbly and daren’t stand before she’d calmed down. All that time! All that time wasted. She felt sickened. He loved her. He said he loved her! At the time it hadn’t seemed important; he was married! Now. Oh my God! Now… She couldn’t think straight. Her breath was coming in gasps. She wiped her face on her napkin. As she looked up she saw Gio pushing Giorgia in the pushchair and Nellie struggling up the hill behind him.

  Gio parked the pushchair next to Sophia. He looked like he’d been crying. ‘I’ll just go and help Nellie.’

  Sophia was in a daze. She sat and watched everything around her as though it were happening in slow motion. Her body trembled as Gio arrived back, pushing Nellie.

  ‘Would you like a coffee, Nellie?’ Gio said.

  ‘Oh, yes please,’ Nellie said. Gio disappeared off to the counter. ‘You told him then. He came running at such a speed he could hardly breathe. Then he looked at Giorgia and cried. Have to say it made my eyes water just seeing his face. He’s a lovely man.’

  Sophia’s breathing was still erratic. ‘He hasn’t got a wife or child; it was his brother.’

  ‘Wow! That’s incredible. So there’s nothing to stop the pair of you… He’s certainly chuffed about Giorgia. Oh, Sophia, I’m so happy for you both.’

  Gio sank heavily onto the chair he’d vacated some time before. ‘So, actually, we’re both on our own?’ Sophia nodded. ‘He darted out of his chair and around the table to her side. Sophia laughed. ‘Would you like to marry me?’ Nellie stared as the scenario played out.

  Sophia nodded. ‘Yes.’

  He bent and kissed her before returning to his seat and taking a large gulp of coffee. ‘I just needed to get that sorted before we got any more wires crossed.’ He tipped his cup to get the final dregs. ‘I will ask you properly, of course I will, I just can’t get my head around all this.’

  ‘None of us can,’ Nellie said, ‘but I wish you both all the happiness in the world and I already know you’ll have a wonderful life ahead of you.’

  Gio looked into Sophia’s eyes, reached across the table for her hand and squeezed it. Nothing needed to be said, words were unnecessary.

  Did you like the secrets in Where the River Ends? If so, you’ll love the twists and turns in Ripley. She had the perfect life, until she didn’t.

  As a secret unfolds, the truth can be cruel.

  Get it here!

  Did you download your free copy of Husband Unknown? If not, follow this link. I’ll keep you up to date with new releases, freebies and sneak peaks into my writing world.

  If you enjoyed Where the River Ends, please leave a review to help other readers find the books they love.

  Also by Jacqui Penn

  Ripley

  A secret. A suspicion. A shattered heart.

  Ripley Bradford’s world is torn apart. Her lover and best friend, Joe, has mysteriously disappeared without trace, and everything points to her father, who she suspects has been involved in foul-play in the past.

  Years pass, and with the realisation that Joe is gone forever, Ripley marries. Her husband, Alex, is a controlling, manipulative bully who gives her everything money can buy, but no love. She had doubts on her wedding day and escapes with her life only a few months later.

  Settling for a life alone, a family secret is revealed threatening once more to break her heart. Only one person can unlock the past and set Ripley free to love again.

  If you like riveting, fast paced romantic fiction, you’ll love Jacqui Penn’s dramatic look at lost love and discover how a burning secret can set your world ablaze.

  More books by Jacqui Penn

  Ripley

  Husband Unknown

  The Reality Series:

  Harsh Reality (Book 1
)

  Surviving Reality (Book 2)

  Facing Reality (Book 3)

  After the Book Series of 5 novellas

  After the Secret (Novella 1)

  Just Friends (Novella 2)

  After the Rain (Novella 3)

  Another Life (Novella 4)

  Her Secret Life (Novella 5)

  About Jacqui

  Jacqui Penn spent her school years writing stories and plays, which her childhood peers acted out. With a wild imagination and a colourful life, the scene was set for an author.

  She published her first novel, Husband Unknown, after winning an award for a short story. She spends her time between Kent, England, and the Andalusian hillsides in Spain. When she’s not writing, she can be found walking her dogs and gathering ideas for her next book.

  Copyright © Jacqui Penn

  The author or authors assert their moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author or authors of this work.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the copyright holder, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  All the characters in this book are fictitious and any resemblance or similarity to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental.