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‘You needed my help, of course I stepped in’ He paused ‘I wish you’d called, Pol Told ood if we had worked together, sorted it out together’

‘After four years? I couldn’t,’ she ade so that she didn’t have to face him ‘You stayed away, Raff You went away, left me behind and you didn’t come back Ever’ She sed painfully ‘I didn’t even knohose side you were on—if you had spoken to Grandfather, knehat he was planning, if you wanted Rafferty’s’ That had been her worst fear, that her twin had colluded with her grandfather

Raff sounded incredulous ‘Surely you didn’t think I would agree? That I would take Rafferty’s away from you?’

‘GrandfatherI could do was enough to compete with your Y chro in his eyes ‘It destroyed me’

Raff winced ‘Polly, I spent three one and I hated every e I don’t know But even if I had come back and experienced an epiphany about the joys of retail I still wouldn’t have agreed I don’t deserve it and you do You’ve worked for it, you live it, love it Even Grandfather had to admit in the end that his desire to see , that his fierce deterreed to join the board as a fae’

Polly grabbed a cold beer and threw it to her tho caught it deftly with one hand, and pulled out a bottle of white wine for herself She checked the label: Chateau Beaufils Chardonnay Semillon One of Gabe’s, then

‘So where have you been?’ Raff was leaning against the kitchen counter He raised the beer ‘Cheers’

‘Oh, here and there’ Polly’s cheeks heated up and she busied herself with looking for a corkscrew Reme the more reprehensible details of her ti In South America’ She flashed him a smile ‘Just like you always said I should’

He s, you mean five-star hotels and air-conditioned tours?’

‘Soh of relief as the stubborn cork finally began to give way She eased it out carefully, wrinkling her nose as the aroma hit her She held the bottle out to Raff ‘Is this corked?’

He took it and inhaled ‘I don’t think so’

She shrugged, and poured a sh; just the sight of the straw-coloured liquid caused her stolass down ‘But I didthe Inca trail and other places’ She grinned across at hinised oods in one bag’

‘I had no idea where you were’ He didn’t sound accusatory; he didn’t need to She had read his emails, listened to his voicemails She kne much worry she’d caused him

‘I didn’t want you to I didn’t want pity or advice or anything but tioing to run Rafferty’s’

‘And?’

‘I was still figuring it out when Clara elad to see you but why are you here? Did you miss Mr Simpkins?’

‘My shirts don’t look the sareed ‘Polly, there’s so I need to tell you’ He turned his beer bottle round and round, his gaze fixed on it ‘I’ in the field any more I’ve accepted a job at the headquarters of Doctors Everywhere instead and I’ here, to Hopeford’

Polly stared ‘But you love your job Why on earth would you change it? And you’reon!’ She looked at hi a doss centre for young executivetheir own places, you know’

‘For who?’ His face cleared ‘Oh, Gabe? He’s still here? How are you getting on with him?’

‘No’ She shook her head, unwilling to discuss her absent houseguest ‘No changing the subject What’s going on?’