Ronan placed his hands on either side of my face. He stared intently. “I love you, Lizzie. I’ve told you. I know what I want, but I don’t want to put that on you. It has to be your decision.”
“Maybe you could give me a hint as to what you want? It might actually make it easier for me, you know,” I said.
He sat back and straightened as if about to give a speech. “I want us to live together, both here and in Scotland. I know it’s a lot to ask. I will have to be in the two places until maybe one day we decide which one to settle in. I want… No, I need you by my side. I have a second chance here that I don’t want to let go of. I loved Demi, but I love you more.”
“You can’t say—”
“I can, and I have. I’m not wasting words. I spent two months thinking of you, pining for you, as Maggie would say. Every day was torture, I felt like I couldn’t breathe, and my heart hurt. I was devastated when Demi died, of course. But you telling me to leave felt so different. I can’t explain, other than to say I didn’t want it. I don’t want to miss you anymore.”
“When you say you want us to live together, where?” As much as I loved the idea, his previous behaviour left me a little cautious. I loved him, and I knew we’d end up together but the timing… I shook my head; spontaneity had taken over from my usual dithering on important matters.
“Wherever you want. Here, my cottage, a new house. I don’t care as long as it’s together.”
“Here, Ronan, if that’s okay. It’s larger, and if I’m here and you’re in Scotland, I’m not so isolated.”
His smile started and didn’t stop until he was beaming. “So that’s a yes then?” he asked.
I threw myself into his arms. “It’s a yes.”
Ronan laughed, and Max jumped around, leaving a little trail of excited pee as he did. I texted Joe to give him my news, and I received a voice message that was simply a scream of happiness, so he had to translate. It made me laugh, although Max wasn’t so sure, so he peed a little more.
Life was about to take a turn for the better, I was sure. I was happy to commute between Scotland and Kent. I loved both homes. In fact, I really didn’t care where we ended up, as long as we ended up together.
“I’ve loved you from the beginning,” I whispered, and I felt tears brim in my eyes.
“I’ll rent my cottage out, and the new one when it’s renovated. We’re only ten minutes from Mrs Sharpe if she needs me,” he rambled, excitedly making plans, and I started to laugh.
Ronan pulled me into a hug, and by the light of the log burner and the twinkling Christmas tree I watched the snow falling heavily outside the window, and we started to plan our future together.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Readers, it’s me, Tracie! I highjacked you and I’m sorry, but there is a reason for this. I need you to read this chapter…
So, I see you roll your eyes at Lizzie. Go on, admit it, you did! I hear you, also, muttering those words, ‘never in a million years would she not know about being drugged!’ You did, didn’t you? Email me, tell me I’m correct. Shall I tell you how I know? Settle back, my lovelies, and let me tell you a short story.
I’ve said the same words myself. I’ve rolled my eyes until they ached.
Lizzie is my mum – bet you weren’t expect that, were you?
Lizzie isn’t my mum’s name, of course, and this is a fictional story. BUT (caps for emphasis) a lot of what Lizzie has done was from memories of the same things my mother did. You need to understand why so you can stop rolling your eyes, you’ll make them bleed ;)
My mum was fifteen-years-old when she met my dad (nearly sixteen, let’s make it legal!). She had just turned seventeen when I was born. She had a second child eighteen months later. She was a teenage mum living in a terraced house on a street in South-East London with other teenage mums. We had an amazing childhood, partly because my mum wasn’t much out of being a child herself. Anyway, I digress…
When my mum turned fifty she divorced my dad and it hurt her, greatly. Now, my mum doesn’t really do single. She’s never been single. She dated one man and then, she finds herself wanting to date, wanting to meet someone new. But it’s been fifty years, readers! The changes to how we lived and dated in that time were off the scale.
The things that Joe told Lizzie? Those were the things I told my mum. She didn’t believe anyone would want to drug a fifty-year-old; I wasn’t taking the chance. She didn’t believe someone would want to assault a fifty-year-old; I wasn’t taking the chance.
My mum hadn’t done what most of us had. We dated, we met the arsehole and we had our heart broken, we met the nice guy and he wasn’t exciting enough. We explored–she didn’t, until she was fifty and single.
The second thing I want to bring to your attention. There are women like Lizzie, like my mum, that are very forgiving. I honestly believe that the older you become, the more tolerant, the more understanding, you are likely to be. My mum is way more forgiving that me. Just because we might have kicked Ronan to the kerb a while ago, doesn’t mean it’s wrong for another not to.
Forgiveness takes courage and strength.
That’s all I want to tell you, readers, and I hope you’ll forgive me for highjacking this ending.
If you enjoyed Limp Dicks & Saggy Tits, then can I recommend A Virtual Affair to you? Although not a romcom, this book is very personal to me:
You can read A Virtual Affair as part of your Kindle Unlimited subscription…
http://mybook.to/AVirtualAffair
Love, Tracie, and the eternal teenager, her mother, Janet xx
Acknowledgments
Thank you to Margreet Asslebergs from Rebel Edit & Design for yet another wonderful cover. I don’t know how many it’s been now!
I’d also like to give a huge thank you to my editor, Lisa Hobman, and proofreader, Claire Allmendinger from Bare Naked Words.
A big hug goes to the ladies in my team. These ladies give up their time to support and promote my books. Alison ‘Awesome’ Parkins, Karen Atkinson-Lingham, Ann Batty, Elaine Turner, Kerry-Ann Bell, Lou Hands, and Louise White – otherwise known as the Twisted Angels.
My amazing PA, Alison Parkins keeps me on the straight and narrow, she’s the boss! So amazing, I call her Awesome Alison. You can contact her on [email protected]
To all the wonderful bloggers that have been involved in promoting my books and joining tours, thank you and I appreciate your support. There are too many to name individually – you know who you are.
About the Author
Tracie Podger currently lives in Kent, UK with her husband and a rather obnoxious cat called George. She’s a Padi Scuba Diving Instructor with a passion for writing. Tracie has been fortunate to have dived some of the wonderful oceans of the world where she can indulge in another hobby, underwater photography. She likes getting up close and personal with sharks.
Tracie likes to write in different genres. Her Fallen Angel series and its accompanying books are mafia romance and full of suspense. A Virtual Affair, Letters to Lincoln and Jackson are angsty, contemporary romance, and Gabriel, A Deadly Sin and Harlot are thriller/suspense. The Facilitator & The Facilitator, part 2 are erotic romance.
Website:
www.TraciePodger.com
Email:
[email protected]
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TraciePodgerAuthor/
Sign up for my newsletter and receive a copy of my novella, Evelyn: https://www.subscribepage.com/v8h1g0
Also by Tracie Podger
Fallen Angel, Part 1
Fallen Angel, Part 2
Fallen Angel, Part 3
Fallen Angel, Part 4
Fallen Angel, Part 5
Fallen Angel, Part 6
The Fallen Angel Box Set
Evelyn - A novella to accompany the Fallen Angel Series
Rocco – A novella to accompany the Fallen Angel Series
Robert – To accompany the Fallen Angel Series
/>
Travis – To accompany the Fallen Angel Series
Taylor & Mack – To accompany the Fallen Angel Series
Angelica – To accompany the Fallen Angel Series
A Virtual Affair – A standalone
Gabriel – A standalone
The Facilitator – A duet
The Facilitator, part 2 – A duet
A Deadly Sin – A standalone
Harlot – A standalone
Letters to Lincoln – A standalone
Jackson – A standalone
The Freedom Diamond – A novella
Limp Dicks & Saggy Tits – A standalone
Limp Dicks & Saggy Tits Page 33
