Page 52 of Sun, Sea & Strawberry Shortcake
Smiling, Maria bends to stroke Luna. ‘She’ll be absolutelyfine. Won’t you, Luna?’
Hearing her name, the little puppy pricks up her ears,probably hoping a snack might be on its way – a very good sign that she’s onthe mend.
‘Thanks so much,’ says Harry as we prepare to leave.
‘No problem. It’s lovely seeing Luna looking so muchbrighter today.’ She waves and ducks back into the surgery.
We’re just getting Luna settled on blankets in her crate,when Maria reappears.
‘I forgot to give you these. The cause of Luna’s problems.’She smiles. ‘You probably don’t want them back but here they are, anyway.’ Shehands me a plastic bag containing the pair of knickers, snaffled by Luna.
I stare at the red garment. Surely she’s mistaken?
A cold feeling is creeping through me.
Harry’s making a joke and Maria’s laughing and warning Lunanot to include any more underwear in her diet if she knows what’s good for her.She turns to me and I manage to raise a smile in response. But inside, I’mfeeling sick and light-headed, as if I might keel over .
The briefs are pretty and provocative. Just a wisp of red lace,really.
But they’re definitely not mine...
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
I tackle Harry in a lay-by on the way back to thehotel.
‘What’s going on?’ I dangle the red lacy knickers in their plasticbag in front of him.
He looks at them, puzzled. ‘What do you mean?’
‘They’re notmine, Harry!’
My heart is beating so fast, I feel light-headed and woozy.But deep down, I’m still holding on to the hope that Harry will have a logicalanswer for me... a perfectly reasonable explanation...
We’d delivered Emma and Luna into the safe hands of thegirls at Clifftop House, and I’d decided to wait until we were back at thehotel before I confronted Harry. But driving there, I could stand it no longerand I ordered him to pull into a lay-by.
‘They’re definitely not mine,’ I repeat. ‘So how thehelldid they manage to end up in Luna’s stomach?’
Harry stares at me as the cars fly past, and I can see inhis face the exact second it sinks in, what I’m telling him. His eyes widen andthe blood drains from his face. Then he looks away from me, staring ahead anddragging both hands through his hair. And my heart goes into sickening freefallbecause I know there’s going to be no easy explanation for how this could havehappened.
It’s not my underwear. And now Harry knows that.
He also knows exactly who the scrap of red lace belongs to.
There’s a long moment of silence as I stare at him, feelingmy world crashing down around me, and Harry stares ahead, his shoulders slumpedin defeat.
‘Look at me, Harry,’ I say at last. ‘Are they Vivien’s? Haveyou been sleeping with her?’
He swallows audibly and turns to me, and I know the answerto my question by the agony in his expression.
‘It didn’t mean anything, Jaz.’ His voice is a croak. ‘Youhave to believe me. It only happened once and I’ve been in hell ever since.’
The world is spinning around me. Or it might be my brainthat’s whirling at this devastating bombshell.
‘Youbastard!’ I spit at him, gulping for air as hestares at me miserably.
I can hardly breathe.
I need to get out.
