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Sniggering when I hear Tilly’s voice, I ask, “Tills, what’s up?”

“I may have an office manager for you.”

Immediately, she has my attention; I sit up, “Yeah,” I reply. “Who you got?”

Tilly hesitates a bit, piquing my curiosity.

“Ally.”

“Ally,” I echo, surprised.

“Yeah,” Tilly sighs, then admits, “I’m worried about her. She’s not sleeping and has nightmares. “She’s only been out of the hospital for a month,” she sighs again.

I can hear the concern in her voice as she adds. “This time.

“I’m worried she’s rushing it, but last night… well, early hours of this morning really, she told me she’s going to look for a job because she’s done letting that dickface ruin her life and she wants to take control.

“The thing is, you and I both know Adam is going to freak out not having her near us. It really did a number on him finding her like that. It was bad enough hearing about it, but for months afterward, he couldn’t sleep. He still gets up at night to check on her as well as the other kids.” Tilly sighs, sounding exhausted before she continues, “Actually, this might be good for everyone. Ally gets her independence, and Adam can heal, knowing she’s in a safe place.

“Sorry for all the word vomit I’ve just laid on you. And I’m sorry I’m in no way telling you to hire Ally, but if you could interview her and see if you think she’ll fit. She has the qualifications, and she’s worked for both JoJo and me from the age of sixteen.”

My heart hurts for my friend, and now that she’s mentioned it, Ally would be perfect. I know she’s capable.

“Children, hey, Tilly. I was just thinking that it doesn’t get easier being a parent. If anything, it gets harder,” I say.

“And never worry about laying it all on me. That’s what friends are for. And I’d be happy to interview Ally for the position, as long as she’s healthy enough to work.”

“She is,” Tilly assures me. “When would you want to interview her?”

“This afternoon, if possible.”

“Hang on a sec,” Tilly replies, covering her phone as she talks to someone. “This afternoon is fine. Thank you, Abby.”

“No need to thank me. It’s what friends are for. Maybe I’ll get Reaper to reach out to Adam—see if he can get him out of his head a bit. Even if they all go for a ride for the day.”

“That would be good,” Tilly replies, and I can tell right away she’s feeling lighter than when I’d first picked up the phone. “We’ll see you this afternoon.”

“See you later, babe,” I reply, ending the call and deleting the job advertisement I’d been working on. I’d rather recruit someone I know. The interview would be a formality. I knew Ally, trusted her, and I’d train her to do anything she didn’t know.

I’m feeling a lot better about everything all of a sudden, and after the interview with Ally, going over what she did and didn’t know, I was feeling more confident. This was the right decision.

Sam didn’t care who did the job as long as he didn’t have to do it anymore. Typical bloke, my son.

I’d not seen Ally since she’d been in the hospital a few days after she’d come out of surgery.

She’s half the girl she used to be. She’s still gorgeous, with her long black curly hair and big blue eyes. There’s no hiding the toll the last few months have taken on her, though, by how thin and gaunt she is. The dark rings around her tired eyes seem to make them look bluer. But when she smiles, the old Ally shines through, and I hope that with her working and gaining independence, she’ll get her confidence back.

***

By the time Ally left that afternoon, I was confident that I’d made the right decision in hiring her.

CHAPTER 6

ALLY

Phew, I got the job, and now I wasn’t sure how to feel. Excited. Nervous. Sick to my stomach at the thought of having to drive myself every day to the next village. I felt all of those things, but most of all, I felt proud. Proud that I’d taken this step. Now all that was left was to let my dad know.

I had a plan on how to break the news to my dad. I’d shooed my aunts and mum out of the kitchen. We all still ate together every evening. Tonight, I was cooking Dad’s favourite meal of roast lamb, roast potatoes with all the trimmings, as well as a trifle for pudding. I figured I’d tell him after pudding.