The Girls In The Woods. Helen Phifer

walked over and bent to kiss Annie’s cheek.

      ‘Yes, she did, I cannot lie. The poor kid almost had to go cold turkey off the chocolate buttons because Alex banned chocolate from the house for a week. I missed you as well, though. You look really well, you look...’

      Annie slapped his arm.

      ‘Don’t you dare say that I’m blooming. I hate that expression. I have a bad back which is keeping me awake at night, can’t stop peeing and I still want to devour box after box of Coco Pops.’

      ‘Best not get you started on the haemorrhoids then.’

      He winked at her and began to laugh.

      ‘Suit yourself – I won’t say it then. Tell me, how was your holiday? That’s what I’ve come to see you for. I want to know every sordid detail, every cocktail that you drank and where was the most exotic location you two had sex?’

      ‘I’m not telling you that even though you are my bestie. What’s the matter with you?’

      Jake pouted.

      ‘Well, did you at least join the mile-high club?’

      ‘In case it’s escaped your notice, Jake, I’m six months pregnant – I could only just squeeze myself into the toilet on the plane. There was no room for me to manoeuvre, never mind Will! Come on, let’s go inside. I’ll make us a cool drink and fill you in on everything.’

      ‘Everything?’

      ‘Well, almost everything – there are some things a lady should never discuss.’

      He looked around the garden, ‘What lady?’

      She ignored him and walked to the front door, passing Alice to him so she could open it. It was cool inside. She hadn’t realised how warm it was outside until she stepped onto the cold tiled floor and kicked her shoes off. Jake ducked under the porch and followed her in.

      ‘No sign of?’

      He didn’t finish it; he knew the rules. Neither of them was to speak about that woman inside the perimeter of the house and gardens. Annie shook her head.

      ‘No, but I saw those two little boys earlier, looking out of the bedroom window, and I can’t help thinking that if she was around they wouldn’t be here, would they? They kept their distance when it was all going on and I don’t mind kids as long as they’re sweet and innocent like Sophie.’

      Sophie was the little girl whose soul had been stolen by the shadow man. Annie had never been so scared as the day she had to do battle with the dark entity that collected souls of the innocent and who had wanted Annie’s soul. Jake had been there in the church whilst Annie had done her very best to fight the shadow man and send him back to hell; she’d done it with a little help from Sophie and her mum, who had both died in 1984. All three of them had held hands and fought against him, managing to get rid of him for good – or so Annie hoped. She had watched Sophie be reunited with her mum, who she hadn’t seen for twenty years, and she’d known then that as scary as her newly found psychic gift was it was also very wonderful.

      ‘That’s good. In fact it’s more than good – it’s a huge relief. I mean, you have this fabulous house and it would be terrible if you had to sell it because of its ghostly inhabitants – not that anyone would want to buy it if they knew it was haunted. So come on then, what was Hawaii like? Am I going to want to get the next plane there?’

      ‘Oh yes, it was beautiful and the people were so nice – in fact they were amazing. I would seriously think about living out there if I didn’t have to worry about leaving you all behind.’

      ‘See, you’re a posh bird now. You’ve gone up in the world since you married into money. I’m surprised that you still talk to us lower-class heathens.’

      ‘Pft, Alex is by no means lower class, Jake, and you live in the poshest part of Barrow so stop talking rubbish. Who’d have thought it, though, I mean seriously – you ended up with the man of your dreams, who just happened to be rolling in it with a good job. And I met the man of my dreams, who I had no idea was rolling in it because he kept it so well hidden. I’m not going to lie; it’s a lovely feeling seeing the brown envelopes come through the door and not have to worry if my wages will be enough to cover the bills – but if I lost it all tomorrow it wouldn’t matter as long as I had Will and the baby.’

      ‘We did all right, didn’t we, kid? We’ve survived some scary shit but we’ve come out the other side. Bloody hell, we should be drinking champagne not…’ He took a sip from the tall glass filled with ice and juice that she passed him. ‘What is this?’

      ‘A non-alcoholic Pimm’s.’

      Jake spat an ice cube down the front of his shirt.

      ‘Since when did you drink Pimm’s?’

      ‘See, you don’t know everything about me. I do have some secrets.’

      ‘You’re a dark horse, Annie Graham – I mean Ashworth. I can’t get used to calling you that, by the way. You know you will always be Annie Graham to me, don’t you.’

      She nodded.

      ‘I know.’

      ‘Good, I love my plain old Annie.’

      ‘And I love my red hot Jake.’

      ‘Calm it down, woman – you know I’m a married man now.’

      But he winked at her, relieved to see that for once she had a lovely golden glow, wasn’t missing half of her hair, didn’t have any black eyes or bruises and wasn’t being stalked by a serial killer or a scary ghost. He just hoped that he wasn’t jinxing things by being so happy for her. She’d had such a rough couple of years he was amazed she wasn’t hooked on vodka and anti-depressants. Annie led them into the living room and flopped down onto the sofa.

      ‘You may have to haul me off this thing before you go or, if you can’t, hire a crane. I’m so tired all the time. I had no idea it would feel like this.’

      ‘I could haul you off there with one hand. You’re not that big.’

      ‘Really, because I feel as if I’m the size of a house. I’m scared to look in the mirror sideways or have a bath when Will isn’t here in case I get stuck and can’t get out – I don’t fancy sitting in a bath tub for hours on end.’

      He laughed. Alice was sitting on the soft cream rug by his feet playing with an assortment of toys Annie had brought in from the cupboard under the stairs. They both watched her play and Annie had to stop herself from sighing out loud. She couldn’t wait to watch their baby playing with Alice. The ball, which had rolled away from Alice and was too far out of her reach, began to roll back towards her. Annie watched it and smiled. Jake grabbed her arm.