Two-Hundred Steps Home Volume Three
()
About this ebook
Claire's life revolves around Starbucks, stilettos and her career as an Advertising Account Director for AJC. That is until her boss Carl decides to send her on a mission to visit every one of the 200 YHA hostel in England and Wales as part of a marketing campaign. More used to five-star spa resorts than 'flea-infested hostels' Claire only takes the assignment to save face. It becomes clear to her the 'mission' is a ruse to make her resign.
Volume Three follows Claire to the Derbyshire Dales, where she tries to understand Josh's revelations and her feelings for Michael. She also has to undertake the tasks presented by her boss's nasty PA Julia.
However, Claire's biggest challenges are yet to come.
Amanda Martin
Amanda Martin was born in Hertfordshire, England. After graduating with first class honours from Leeds University she wandered around the world trying to find her place in it. She tried various roles, in England and New Zealand, including Bar Manager, Marketing Manager, Consultant and Artist before deciding that WriterMummy summed her up best. She lives in Northamptonshire with her husband, two children and labradoodle Kara. She can mostly be found at http://writermummy.wordpress.com
Read more from Amanda Martin
Two-Hundred Steps Home Two-Hundred Steps Home: The Complete Journey Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRefuge at Riley Road Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Two-Hundred Steps Home Volume Three
Titles in the series (12)
Two-Hundred Steps Home Volume One Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwo-Hundred Steps Home Volume Three Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwo-Hundred Steps Home Volume Two Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwo-Hundred Steps Home Volume Four Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwo-Hundred Steps Home Volume Five Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwo-Hundred Steps Home Volume Six Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwo-Hundred Steps Home Volume Eleven Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwo-Hundred Steps Home Volume Seven Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwo-Hundred Steps Home Volume Ten Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwo-Hundred Steps Home Volume Eight Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwo-Hundred Steps Home Volume Nine Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwo-Hundred Steps Home Volume Twelve Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related ebooks
The Eyes Have No Soul Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCovert Justice: Faith in the Face of Crime Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Lions, Tigers, and Sexy Bears Oh My! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Good Inventor Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Trooper's Treasure: Fuller Family in Brush Creek Romance, #3 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Of Elves and Fae Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwo-Hundred Steps Home Volume Seven Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCowboy's Redemption & Premeditated Marriage Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Penthouse Pact Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Prison Break Hostage Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsColor of Grace Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKeeping Secrets Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Wedding In Montana Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDeadly Secrets Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSolidify (Woodland Creek) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFederal Offense Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWith Murderous Intent Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsColton 911: Desperate Ransom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ms. Emily, The Ignis Fatuus Ploy: The Gift, #6 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Rancher Bodyguard Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsVision of Shadows: The Vision Series, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCowboy's Redemption Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAbandoned Hearts Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsI'll Be Home For Christmas: Coming Home For Christmas, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwo-Hundred Steps Home Volume Four Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Wealth of Stories Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Up In The Air With You Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCovert Justice Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Vision of Shadows Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings25 Random Facts Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Action & Adventure Fiction For You
Wool: Book One of the Silo Series Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Swamp Story: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Leave the World Behind: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shift: Book Two of the Silo Series Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Billy Summers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Kingdom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shantaram: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Eight Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Learn German! Lerne Englisch! ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND: In German and English Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dust: Book Three of the Silo Series Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Count of Monte Cristo Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Prodigal Summer: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Learn Italian! Impara l'Inglese! ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND: In Italian and English Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Scarlet Pimpernel Books Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bean Trees: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Most Dangerous Game Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Outlawed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Golden Notebook: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Our Town: A Play in Three Acts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Darkness That Comes Before Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Grace of Kings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Termination Shock: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5We, the Drowned Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Huckleberry Finn Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Postman Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related categories
Reviews for Two-Hundred Steps Home Volume Three
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Two-Hundred Steps Home Volume Three - Amanda Martin
AMANDA MARTIN
TWO-HUNDRED STEPS HOME
VOLUME THREE
Amanda Martin was born in Hertfordshire in 1976. After graduating with first class honours from Leeds University she wandered around the world trying to find her place in it. She tried various roles, in England and New Zealand, including Bar Manager, Marketing Manager, Consultant and Artist, before deciding that Writer/Mummy best summed her up. She lives in Northamptonshire with her husband, two children and labradoodle Kara and can mostly be found at http://writermummy.wordpress.com or on Twitter or Facebook.
Two-Hundred Steps Home is her latest work. Amanda is writing the novel in daily instalments on her WriterMummy blog as part of her 2013 365 post-a-day challenge. This ebook is Volume 3 and contains the 31 instalments from March. Download Volumes One and Two here.
COPYRIGHT
Published by 3AD Publishing at Smashwords
Copyright © Amanda Martin 2013
Amanda Martin asserts the moral right to be
identified as the author of this work
Also by Amanda Martin:
Two-Hundred Steps Home: The Complete Journey
Dragon Wraiths
Baby Blues and Wedding Shoes
This novel is entirely a work of fiction although based loosely on the YHA Hostels of England and Wales. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy at Smashwords.com, where they can also discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.
http://www.amanda-martin.co.uk
http://writermummy.wordpress.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title
Copyright
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Six
Twenty-Seven
Twenty-Eight
Twenty-Nine
Thirty
Thirty-One
Follow the Blog
ONE
Claire peered through the windscreen at the blue sign and swore. It was time to edge her way between the rows of traffic, to change lane and leave the motorway. Gritting her teeth Claire tried to see her mirrors through the lashing rain and cursed when she realised the wake of a passing lorry had pushed them out of position. She muttered a quick prayer and squeezed between two dirt-encrusted HGVs, wincing at the sound of horns as the rear one was forced to apply his brakes.
Her hands were shaking by the time she reached the exit and her temples ached. I’ve only been gone a couple of weeks. How can you forget how to drive like a normal human being in that time? Stupid car. I’d have been fine in my Audi.
She drove the familiar route into the city, relieved that the rain was beginning to stop. Even at midday the sky was dark, casting a gloomy light across the buildings and cars around her. Landmarks loaded with memories whisked past the window like luggage on a carousel. She exhaled. Not really the homecoming of the prodigal Marketing Director.
Why the sigh?
Claire looked at her passenger and gave a small shrug. I didn't think I'd be back so soon. Well, actually I did, but I thought it would be because Carl had changed his mind about trying to sack me or because I was booked on a flight to the Maldives, or...
She stopped.
Josh raised an eyebrow but she didn't accept his invitation to elaborate. She wasn't the one with explanations owing.
As the rain eased Claire was able to take some of her attention from staying on the road and apply it to the prickly problem sitting in her passenger seat.
So, when are you going to tell me what this is really all about?
Claire threw the words out there knowing they would fall on sterile soil. She’d tried to prise information out of Josh the night before, without success. Instead he'd introduced himself to Maggie and retreated back behind the backpacker persona. It had been the same at breakfast and during the two-hour rain-drenched journey to Manchester.
Tell me why I am ferrying your arse to the airport to meet your wife when you won't give me a damn thing.
Josh hitched up his cheekiest smile and fluttered his eyelashes. Because I'm a handsome Aussie bloke and you're a swell Sheila who can't resist me.
Claire fought the grin but it crept across her face in betrayal.
Ah ha see! No chick can withstand my charm.
And how are you going to explain that to Fiona?
Claire pictured their near kiss at the Observatory, thought about Beth and Chloe, and the anger returned.
Your poor wife
, she bit out the words. And children, I'm sure you mentioned children before you invoked your own Official Secrets Act.
The smile dissolved from Josh's face. Claire thought he was going to defend himself but he turned to look out the window. As she negotiated the busy streets into her home town she tried to ignore the growing tension. Do I push it or let him explain in his own time?
Angry words bubbled beneath the surface as she recalled the events of the previous evening. Josh’s highhanded summons, his shock revelation. Finding out he had kids after his avowed dislike of ankle-biters. Forgot to mention he had some of his own. Finding out he was married. What about all the women he's come on to, for Christ’s sake, and done lord-knows-what with? What about me? How am I meant to face his wife at the airport? Just because nothing happened. It might have done. If he'd tried again. Which he hadn't. Now she thought about it she had never actually seen Josh embracing anyone.
You'll have to talk to me eventually. You asked me to help you create a believable story for Fiona. I can't do that if I don't know the plot, or the key characters and their motivations.
She let her words hang in the air as she followed her Sat Nav to the hostel. She passed bars and shops that beamed like pictures in a family album.
I'm not here. No one can know I'm here.
Claire averted her eyes and gripped the wheel until her knuckles went white. A stab of sunlight broke through the clouds as she turned the car into a wide street bordered by three-story Georgian houses. Something sparkled ahead and Claire looked up to see the looming monstrosity of the Hilton Tower dominating the skyline. She was glad when the Sat Nav sent her right, down a cobbled street, and she spied the green triangle of the YHA.
Pulling into a parking space she cut the engine and sat with her hands resting on the steering wheel, waiting to see if Josh would say anything before they left the private cocoon of the car to join the cacophony of a busy city hostel.
She was about to open her door and get out when she heard Josh inhale and sensed he was about to break the silence.
His words fell between them like rocks.
"I don't want to