The One You Really Want Read Online Free PDF

so upset.’ Nancy sounded close to tears.
    â€˜She’s your mother.’
    â€˜Exactly!’
    â€˜Take her home at lunchtime and go on to the party afterwards. ’
    â€˜How can I do that?’ Nancy let out a wail. ‘She’s all excited about staying with us until tomorrow night!’
    â€˜OK, so all three of you have to go to the party.’ Carmen was fast running out of options.
    â€˜I know, I know we will. But I keep having this horrible thought,’ said Nancy. ‘What if Jonathan’s girlfriend is there? That could be the reason he’s so determined to go.’
    â€˜Well—’
    â€˜Hang on, I can hear a car!’ There was the sound of a curtain being swished back, then Nancy hissed, ‘It’s Jonathan, he’s home. I have to go.’
    â€˜OK, good luck . . .’ but the line had already gone dead. ‘She’s all on her own,’ Carmen said defensively, because her eyes were starting to glisten and Rennie was about to make fun of her for being such a girl.
    â€˜She’s not on her own, she’s got her mother and her husband there with her. I bet she wishes she was on her own.’
    â€˜You’re all heart,’ said Carmen.
    â€˜I’m not so bad.’ Grinning across at her, Rennie said, ‘I’ve got hidden depths.’
    As he took out his mobile, Carmen eyed it suspiciously. ‘Who are you ringing now?’
    â€˜Calling a cab.’
    â€˜Where are you going?’ Her stomach contracted; she’d been perfectly all right on her own. But now that Rennie was here, she didn’t want him to leave.
    â€˜The Savoy.’
    â€˜You can stay here if you want.’ Carmen prayed she didn’t sound as needy as she thought she sounded.
    â€˜I know.’ Rennie winked to show he’d been teasing her. ‘I am staying here. But I’m already booked into the Savoy. I need to get over there and pick up my stuff.’
    Â 
    â€˜Here, cup of tea. Happy Boxing Day.’
    Hmm? From the depths of sleep, Carmen heard the clink of china and smelled toothpaste and soap. Her eyes snapping open in disbelief, she saw that Rennie had brought her a cup of tea. Not only that, but it was still pitch black outside. He was even wearing aftershave.
    â€˜Oh my God,’ squeaked Carmen, catching sight of the alarm clock. ‘It’s four o’clock in the morning!’
    â€˜I know, blame it on the jet lag. Now drink your tea,’ Rennie said bossily, ‘and chuck a few things into a case. Car’s going to be here in half an hour.’
    Was he hallucinating? Sleepwalking? Unbelievably drunk?
    â€˜What’s going on?’ Carmen eyed him with suspicion.
    â€˜I didn’t bring you a Christmas present. So this is it. We’re going on a little trip.’
    The trouble with Rennie was he had absolutely no concept of the words little trip. Last night he’d been talking about Australia and she’d mentioned that it was somewhere she’d always wanted to visit.
    Cautiously, Carmen said, ‘How are we getting there?’
    â€˜Plane. Don’t worry, I’ve already booked the tickets.’
    Oh God, it was Australia!
    â€˜I don’t know where my passport is.’ She rubbed her eyes.
    â€˜Come on, where’s your sense of adventure?’
    â€˜Gone walkabout.’ Then Carmen saw that he was laughing at her.
    â€˜You don’t trust me at all, do you? I wasn’t actually planning to whisk you off to the Australian outback.’
    â€˜Where then?’
    â€˜Thought we might try the Edinburgh outback instead. See what Boxing Day parties are like up there.’ Rennie ruffled her hair. ‘Give your friend Nancy a bit of moral support.’

Chapter 5
    Nancy nearly fainted when she answered the front door at ten thirty on Boxing Day morning and found Rennie Todd standing on the doorstep.
    â€˜Rennie? Good grief, what are you doing here?’
    The