Can you trust your memories?
When Laura Murphy returns home ten years after the death of her childhood sweetheart Ryan Taylor, her past begins to unravel and memories she’d long pushed aside begin to surface.
Having trouble reconciling truth and memory, Laura reconnects with her friend Tom to try and find closure, but Tom has issues of his own. Not only is he faced with the threat of losing his farm, but he is also hiding a secret that could change everything for them both.
Will Laura and Tom find the answers they need to move forward, or will they discover that memories can’t always be trusted?
Extract
Excerpt from Chapter 24
In that moment, Tom felt the world was perfect. Dinner, good wine, Laura across the table, and a puppy curled up next to his feet. The gentle breeze rustled the fronds of the date palm against the roof, and the dull chirp of the crickets outside gave Tom an idea to make it even more perfect.
‘Come on,’ he said, getting to his feet and clearing their plates. He poured the dregs of the wine into their glasses and motioned for Laura to follow.
Once outside, it took a moment for his eyes to adjust, but he took Laura’s hand and they made their way over to the old wooden swing his dad made when Tom was eight. It was a huge plank of hardwood big enough for three. The moon poked its head through the clouds, casting just enough light for Tom to grab an old gum branch and dust away any cobwebs. Then with the back of his sleeve, he wiped off the drops of rainwater from the swing. Laura looked like she didn’t think he expected her to hop on.
‘It’s okay. Smiddy’s kids use it all the time. It’s safe and spider free. I promise!’
Laura still didn’t look too sure but followed his lead as he sat down on the swing and patted the wood next to him. She sat cautiously. Now, it was perfect.
They gently rocked back and forth, the wine casting a happy haze on Tom’s thoughts. He watched Laura as she looked up into the night sky and wondered what she was thinking.
Her skin had a translucent milky glow under the moonlight, and her dark hair fell in brilliant contrast as it gently lapped against her cheek. He wanted so much to touch her. To softly tuck her hair behind her ear, like he’d noticed she always did. To lean in and kiss the small of her neck and feel how delicately soft her skin would be on his lips. To breathe in the scent of her. If there was ever going to be a moment, it was now.
Thank you, Jodi Gibson and Love Book Group Tours.
About the author
Jodi Gibson is an Australian author of women’s contemporary fiction. She writes in two genres – character-driven drama, and rom-com.
Jodi lives on a mini-farm in regional Australia with her husband, daughters and a menagerie of animals. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her with her nose in a book, or in the kitchen baking and dreaming of her next traveling adventure.
Social Media Link
Website : https://jfgibson.com.au/
Book Link
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