‘Help yourself if you’d like more,’ said Rhonda.
Maddy turned to face the elegant middle-aged woman sitting across the table from her. ‘I’m fine, thank you,’ she said, breaking into another smile.
‘Me too, thank you,’ echoed Rebecca.
Looking at her daughter again, Maddy swelled with pride. Somehow she’d known she wouldn’t let her down, displaying her good manners just as she’d taught her. She was such a good girl, and was growing up quickly. It was hard to believe she was ten already and was turning into a little lady.
She marvelled again at how well Rebecca had come through the events of two years ago. In fact, she’d done well to come through everything she’d been through for the last few years, ever since the divorce.
Maddy was glad things were back on course between her and Andy. She felt sure that their close relationship had a lot to do with the reason Rebecca had remained so well balanced. Eventually he had come to accept that they were friends and nothing more, and he’d moved on with his life. He had now been seeing a lovely lady for almost a year, and his new partner understood his friendly relationship with his ex-wife. It made it so much easier all round, Maddy thought.
She was broken out of her reverie by someone calling her name, and she turned to her left to see Craig with a bottle of wine hovering over her glass.
He laughed in that endearing way of his. ‘You were miles away,’ he said. ‘Do you want a refill?’
‘Yes, please,’ said Maddy, smiling again.
She’d been seeing Craig for a few months now. Craig, a banker, was two years older than her, and handsome in a mature way. He was also wonderful to be with: kind, considerate, witty and gentle. But, despite all his many attributes, Maddy had been cautious up to now. Her relationship with Aaron had put her on her guard and she was wary of rushing into anything.
Realising she had been hurt in the past, Craig was patient. Nevertheless, she’d agreed to meet his parents. In fact, this was a very important step to Maddy, and even getting as far as meeting them was an achievement as far as she was concerned. At least they were real.
They’d invited her and Rebecca for a meal at their home, a beautiful Victorian semi in Heaton Mersey. Maddy had been a bit nervous about meeting them at first, but any anxiety had melted away as soon as she’d walked through the door.
Rhonda and Ged couldn’t have been lovelier. They were everything she would have expected of Craig’s parents, and did everything they could to make her and Rebecca welcome. It was easy to see where Craig got his humour and his affable charm from. Nothing was forced with them; it was all completely natural.
Maddy felt more than relief. She was happier than she had been for a long time. Looking round the table at them all, Craig and his father sharing light-hearted banter and Rhonda making a fuss of Rebecca, she felt sure that her future with Craig would be everything she could have wished for. At last she had found a genuine guy. And next week she was going to a works do with him to meet his friends and colleagues. Because, despite her happiness, she knew she wouldn’t settle until she felt absolutely sure that he was 100 per cent genuine.
Acknowledgements
I am so excited to have started work on my new series of books, The Working Girls, and would like to thank my editor Sarah Ritherdon for welcoming my ideas for the series with such enthusiasm. As always, Sarah has been a joy to work with and I appreciate her backing and support.
Big thanks go to all the other staff at Aria who are a dedicated and hardworking team. I’d particularly like to mention Hannah Smith, Victoria Joss, Nikky Ward, Laura Palmer and Sue Lamprell. It is a privilege to work with all of you.
I would also like to give special thanks to Caroline Ridding. It is down to Caroline that my career with Aria began and although Caroline has moved on to pastures new, I would like to acknowledge the part she has played in my writing career and wish her well with her future.
Special thanks go to the Writers Bureau where my writing career started twenty years ago when I took a creative writing diploma with them. This year I have had the privilege of being featured in the Writers Bureau advertising campaign as one of their success stories. I feel both grateful and humbled to have been chosen to appear in their ads. The Writers Bureau is an excellent writing school which has helped to launch the writing careers of many successful authors and writers, and I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending their creative writing course.
As always I would like to thank all my readers for continuing to buy and review my books. Thanks also to the book blogging community who perform a very valuable role in bringing authors’ work to the attention of readers. I hope that you will all enjoy this new series as much as I am enjoying writing it.
Last but not least I would like to thank all my family and friends for their ongoing support.
About the Author
Heather Burnside spent her teenage years on one of the toughest estates in Manchester and she draws heavily on this background as the setting for many of her novels. After taking a career break to raise two children Heather enrolled on a creative writing course. Heather now works full-time on her novels from her home in Manchester, which she shares with her two grown-up children.
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