Being my own boss has both advantages and disadvantages. One of the former, is that if I’m on top of work, I could head off into the country for a long weekend whenever I felt like it. As I already lived in the county I’ve had more than a few questions along the line of ‘why I’d want to go into the country as I was already there’. It takes all sorts to make this world we live in.

That was true but… I was less than thirty miles from central London. Then the roads around my part of Surrey get pretty clogged up at weekends with cyclists. That isn’t bad but the ‘townies’ who come down from London at weekends in their monster Chelsea Tractors seem to think that the roads should be reserved for them and them only. This is not my idea of tranquillity. Ergo, I need somewhere that is deep in the country to relax and be myself.

As much as I adored meeting the Claypooles and staying at their charming B&B, as well as the refuge of Tina's room after my vaguely remembered but utterly mortifying 'girls night out' with her friends, it was heaven to return to the comfort of my own bed.

The bliss was short-lived as I quickly returned to the crushing routine of Tom's workday. I struggled through the first day back and slowly settled into my groove ….or was it a rut?....

Author retains all rights to this original work of fiction.

Julia glances in her rear view mirror at the two Native American kids she was taking home with her. She felt sorry for them after what their parents had done to them. Both had been physically and sexually abused by their father. Their father had molested the girl and the boy had been used as a punching bag by his father, every time he tried to protect his sister.