Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2025 i Take a Break Fiction Feast

Are you ready?’ Sarah said, as she wandered into Alison and Tim’s hotel room. ‘Ready for what?’ Alison asked. ‘We agreed to walk to the village this afternoon.’ ‘Yes, but that was before…’ ‘I’m not going anywhere.’ Tim interrupted. ‘I’m staying here.’ Chilling out in the hotel sounded perfect to Alison. Walking to the village equalled a round trip of four miles and Alison, who had come on holiday for a rest, was already exhausted. She wasn’t ready for a walk just yet. She might not even be ready for one by the end of the holiday. They had only just arrived at the hotel. Up since 5am for an early flight, the plane had been delayed due to a technical hitch. They’d had to wait another hour before it…

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Gertrude scowled at Amanda from the reception desk, as the young girl approached her with the collection tin. ‘Hello, Gertrude, how are you?’ she asked brightly. ‘Overworked and underpaid,’ said Gertrude, sounding sullen. ‘Aren’t we all!’ laughed Amanda. ‘Actually, I’m collecting for Mr Johnson’s leaving present. He’s been such a good boss to us all, and he’s worked here for such a long time.’ ‘I haven’t got any change on me,’ said Gertrude, not even bothering to check in her bag. ‘Well, shall I come back tomorrow?’ asked Amanda. ‘If you want to waste your time.’ Amanda sighed. ‘Look Gertrude, I know you don’t like giving to collections…’ ‘No, I don’t,’ said Gertrude. ‘Especially as you’re always collecting for someone who’s getting married, or having a baby – and often…

Karen worked from home and had been concentrating on her computer. She’d only vaguely been aware of the delivery outside, and all the to-ing and fro-ing and noise that went with it. Now, however, she’d broken the back of the report she was attempting to finish, and headed for the kitchen to enjoy a well-deserved cup of tea and a slice of cake. To her horror, she saw Simon, her tall, dark-haired neighbour, standing in his back garden, in the middle of removing their dividing fence! Already, she felt exposed. Abandoning all thoughts of tea and cake, Karen marched outside and demanded to know what was going on. He’d not said a word to her about this! ‘Oh, sorry,’ he shrugged. ‘I suppose I should have said something first. It…

I’ll never forget the day things turned sour between me and my next door neighbour, Zach Adams. When I got home from work, I could hardly believe my eyes. The tall hedge that divided our front gardens had been cut right back to a height of four feet. If I’m honest, it wasn’t the pruning that annoyed me – the hedge was out of control. It was the fact that Zach hadn’t told me he was having it pruned. I went straight round, all guns blazing. ‘You cut the hedge down! How could you do that without bothering to tell me? It’s a shared boundary,’ I protested. He said he thought I’d be pleased, especially as he’d paid to have the work done. ‘It was a bit of a mess.…

Mandy peered out of the kitchen window and watched her husband faffing about with his latest toy. ‘I wish Rob would stop polishing the car,’ she said. ‘Soon there’ll be no paint left on it. He should do some housework instead.’ ‘Don’t be too hard on him,’ her neighbour Val advised. ‘It’s not long since he lost his job. That must have been a massive blow to his ego.’ It was true. Rob had felt hurt and betrayed. But redundancy after 30 years’ service at the bank where he’d worked had given him a generous payout. He’d blown a sizeable chunk of cash on a souped-up gas-guzzler that had sent their insurance premiums through the roof. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll soon find another job,’ he’d said. Mandy had thought the same,…

I twirled about in my new fuchsia pink evening gown. I’d brought it before I’d travelled down from London. I’d come to stay at my sister’s flat for a very special reason. ‘How do I look?’ ‘Like an idiot.’ Amy frowned from her seat at the end of her bed. ‘Thanks.’ ‘You know what I mean. You’ve watched far too many thrillers, Sophie. This is real life.’ Exactly, I thought. In real life, there’s no guarantee of a happy ending. The bad guys always win when people stop fighting them. I felt like I should be on a soapbox instead of my three-inch heels. ‘This is for Dad and, if it fails, at least I tried.’ ‘Is that a dig at me… or Mum?’ asked Amy. ‘Neither. It’s a dig…

Hannah sat up in bed, taking a sip of her coffee. ‘I can’t believe I’m turning 40 next weekend.’ ‘You don’t look it, if that’s any consolation.’ Simon stood in the doorway, in his checked sleep shorts and an old white T-shirt. He looked as though he was going to say something else, but a young voice summoned him to the kitchen. ‘Uncle Simon, you promised us pancakes.’ Hannah was happy to stay in her warm bed, with coffee. Saturday morning’s chaos had begun. The clanging of dishes. Burning smells from the kitchen. The opening and closing of the bathroom door. Then finally, the banging of the front door, and two young voices shouting, ‘Goodbye, Aunty Hannah.’ Sam and William were on their way to football. The games were played…

I’m taking the dog out,’ Sam had called up to me earlier as I huddled under the duvet. I hadn’t reached the age of 35 without a few tears, mainly because I’d invested a lot of time in doomed relationships. Only now I’d done it! I’d found the man of my dreams, a man who’d sit and listen, a man with a sense of humour, a man who adored me. I could depend on him even for the little things – tea in bed, then him taking Rufus out for a morning stroll. Meantime, I’d doze and anticipate his return. I’d make bacon and eggs, then, or he would. We’d have a lazy weekend just the two of us, reading the papers and chatting about the state of the world.…

Erica was sitting in the kitchen thinking about money when she heard a sound in the hallway. But that was hardly surprising. In the two years since Alan had died, she always seemed to be thinking about money. Mostly because there was never enough of it. Oh, Alan, she thought. Why didn’t you tell me how much trouble we were in? Alan had been a lovely man. They’d got married when they were 20 and now, aged 42 and two years into widowhood, Erica missed him terribly. She laid the paper down and frowned when she read the headline on the front page She missed his way of making a joke from almost anything, his enthusiasm for the simplest things – a meal out, say, or a trip to the…

My son has always been a fussy eater. He used to spit everything out when he was a baby, and he’s refused to eat most of the things I’ve put in front of him since, so I was worried sick when he was invited round to a friend’s house for the first time. ‘Please don’t worry if he doesn’t eat anything,’ I said to Tyler’s mum, when I spoke to her in the playground. ‘He’s very fussy and he’s really not keen on anything other than chips and ketchup.’ ‘Oh, he’ll be fine,’ Maria said breezily. ‘I’ll do my special toad in the hole. Tyler loves that.’ ‘OK,’ I said, thinking that Noah really wouldn’t be impressed. ‘He’ll be fine,’ Maria said again, as she patted my arm. ‘But I…

Maggie Clarke loved nothing more than to take a stroll around the gardens at the retirement home where she lived. They were so serene and tranquil that they were like a little slice of paradise. As she wandered in the direction of the rose garden, Maggie heard a rustling nearby. Whatever was making the noise sounded too large to be a squirrel. Intrigued, Maggie was just about to investigate when Beryl emerged from behind a nearby hedgerow. Slightly dishevelled, Beryl looked as if she had hastily re-dressed. ‘Morning, Maggie,’ Beryl blurted out. ‘What were you doing behind there?’ Maggie asked. ‘Nothing!’ Beryl exclaimed. Before Maggie could question her any further, Beryl excused herself and beat a hasty retreat. Curious as to why Beryl seemed so flustered, Maggie decided to investigate.…

The thing is, Mum, I’ve two bits of news and…’ my daughter Isla hesitated. As Isla and I both worked part-time in admin, we met for lunch on Fridays for a catch up. This week, it was held at my place. Two bits of news? My heart raced. This could be a job promotion, a house move or an engagement… I really hoped for the latter. Thirty-two-year-old Isla lived with her partner, Dylan. A successful estate agent, he was considerate, hardworking, cheerful, generous and loving. Me and Isla’s dad, Ed, liked him. He was good for her. ‘Go on,’ I urged. She twisted her hands together. ‘I’ll give you the most difficult news first. Dad and Chloe are expecting a baby.’ Crikey… I gulped. Well, that was a bolt from…

The only thing that Anna wanted was a quiet cup of tea on the veranda before going to bed. Was that too much to ask? It had been a long, hard day at the office, battling disgruntled customers who wanted to claim on their household insurance for things that weren’t covered. To make matters worse, she’d somehow managed to lose her new purse on the way home. She felt the skin on the back of her neck tingle and her knees grow weak It had contained the £150 she’d drawn out to pay the plumber tomorrow. As she sipped her tea, she heard next-door’s dog Forrest give his deep, low, warning growl. She felt the skin on the back of her neck tingle and her knees grow weak. Forrest was…

What did you pack these for?’ Angie picked up a pair of her husband Leon’s swimming trunks in shocked surprise and stared at him. Their flight to Majorca had been delayed and she was feeling snappy. Tired too as they’d had to be up at stupid o’clock to get to the airport. She just wanted to be relaxing by the pool with a cocktail in hand not still unpacking in their hotel room. At least with it being an early morning flight they still had plenty of time to enjoy the hot sunshine. ‘Huh?’ Leon looked over having been admiring the view from their balcony. ‘These.’ She waved the offending bright red trunks at him. ‘Seriously, they’ve had their day. Besides you’ve got those lovely new ones we bought recently.’…