The Sun in Her Eyes
What Paige’s readers from around the world have to say about her books:
‘Whenever I feel like true love just doesn’t exist or that my life isn’t going anywhere, all I have to do is pick up one of Paige’s books and suddenly I know everything is going to be okay’ Meghan Ross
‘She makes me feel like I’m actually in the story. I feel the characters’ emotions and I can’t think about anything else until the story is long finished. And then I can’t read another book for ages as nothing else compares’ Angela Taylor
‘So relatable, so beautiful, everything I dream about. I don’t think I’ve ever recommended an author to so many people before, and they all say the same thing – she’s absolutely brilliant!’ Molly Lucitt-Rees
‘Her stories have seen me through pregnancies and children, late nights and early mornings, and lots of bonding with girlfriends. They’re guaranteed to make you smile’ Jo Leaper
‘I have read and loved every book and have never guessed the ending. The stories are all equally captivating without ever being repetitive’ Johanna Lederer
‘She makes you think that you know what’s going on, and then there’s always another surprise that you never saw coming. Whenever a new book comes out, I rush out to get it’ Line Bakmand
‘They’re stories about normal people getting themselves into abnormal situations. It’s very easy to relate to the characters – if they’re happy, I’m happy. If they’re confused and torn between two men, I feel confused and torn between two men’ Lesley-Ann Begg
‘Her stories are warm and feel so real that I think about the characters long after they have ended, wondering where they are now and what they are doing’ Gillian Howden
‘I have read a lot of chick-lit, but no one else comes close. It doesn’t matter how often I re-read her stories, they still make me feel jittery’ Anna Pyzalski
‘Reading a Paige Toon book is like a ray of sunshine and a spark of hope on a dank and dreary day! I love how every book has elements we can all identify with, regardless of age or gender’ Mary Lount
‘Her descriptions make me want to see the world. And, I’m sure everyone says the same, I can’t put her books down once I’ve started them’ Lauren Cowie
‘Each and every one of her books has the ability to capture your heart, break it, and piece it back together again. I’ve read Lucy in the Sky so many times the pages are falling out’ Heather Bosevski
‘The stories are always compelling and unpredictable – you’re kept on your toes as you read. Johnny Be Good is my favourite. What a guy!’ Clare Goldney-Gallagher
‘I borrowed Chasing Daisy from the library with barely any expectations, but I was completely hooked and couldn’t stop reading until it was finished at 6.30am. All of her books are absolutely amazing. She’s my favourite author’ Elin Borgström
‘Pictures of Lily in particular tugs at my heartstrings in a way no other book ever has. I feel like the life I should be living is written somewhere within the pages of a Paige Toon novel!’ Isabel Bianchini
‘When I read One Perfect Summer, I fell so in love with the characters. I was absolutely giddy to discover there was a follow up: One Perfect Christmas. It made me fall even deeper in love with her writing’ Tracy Scharf
‘Her books make me laugh, cry and give me butterflies. I’ve read The Longest Holiday five times and I still get goose bumps’ Rochelle O’Dwyer
‘I read Thirteen Weddings and, oh my, I was not a big fan of reading but I am now! I have worked my way through all of her books and I have another three friends hooked, too’ Sarah Pearce
‘Heart-warmingly romantic and refreshingly realistic, with ballsy female characters. The most enjoyable books I’ve ever read, and so easy to get lost in!’ Victoria Mercer
‘She writes love stories that every girl wishes would happen to them. The guys are sooo cute, sexy and funny that I end up getting crushes on them, which sucks because they aren’t real!’ Melany Bazdikian
‘Paige Toon books are like the circle of life in our house. I read them, then my sister does, followed by my mum. We love arguing over characters and who would play who if they were films!’ Eloise Jones
‘I love how she links her books so that we catch a glimpse of past characters as if we are passing them on the street – like a friend you lost touch with, but are happy they are still happy’ Suzie Longstaffe
‘Reading her books is like being on a rollercoaster: lots of highspeed drama with twists and turns around every corner. They leave me wanting more every time’ Claire Anderson
‘I’m a not-so-secret Paige Toonaholic. I often go back and reread my favorite scenes again and again, just to get my fix. The book hangover afterwards is delicious. No. I do not feel guilty’ Pernille Meldgaard Pedersen
‘I have read every book and each one makes me feel the same: overcome with emotion – whether happy or sad – and so gutted when they end’ Sophie Scott
‘I feel like I’m inside the characters’ heads, feeling what they feel, laughing when they laugh and crying when they cry. Her writing is truly inspirational’ Susann Heinrich
‘I find it hard to finish a book, but Paige’s books are the exception! They make me enjoy reading. It’s impossible to put her books down until they’re finished and then I want more’ Lucy Rogers
‘Each story is realistic, emotional, heartwarming and so easy to relate to. You get lost in the wonderful world that Paige creates. They are the perfect modern day, 21st century fairytale’ Donna Scammell
‘No summer holiday is the same without my Paige Toon fix! My teenage daughter is now a fan. The books appeal to all ages!’ Sally Ball
‘These books bring to mind heart-melting feelings of first love and absent-minded evenings next to my husband while I enter the Toonzone!’ Janin Katterle-Richter
‘The characters seem very real, like you could actually bump into them one day. Each story is unique and surprising – a rarity in chick-lit, which can be so formulaic’ Kate Berney
‘When the whole world seems to be obsessed with sex and no story, I’m exceptionally happy with these amazingly written books. Love, laughter, tears, angst, and what I love the most – a perfectly happy ending’ Laura Dobb
‘I love the description of the different cities and places. I live in Mexico, but when I am reading these books I feel like I am on another continent!’ Ale Sada
‘I am addicted to Paige’s books. I’ve got so many people reading them and they get as hooked as I do. If only she could write quicker!’ Kelly Meylan
‘Her books are A-MAZ-ING!!! They make me feel that anything is possible. I always feel positive and uplifted when I’m reading one of her books’ Victoria Price
‘I devour each book in one sitting and I’ll always be hungry for the next! I think the day Paige stops writing, I might stop reading’ Criscilla Kay
First published in Great Britain by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, 2015
A CBS COMPANY
Copyright © Paige Toon 2015
This book is copyright under the Berne Convention.
No reproduction without permission.
® and © 1997 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.
The right of Paige Toon to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
Simon & Schuster UK Ltd
1st Floor
222 Gray’s Inn Road
London WC1X 8HB
www.simonandschuster.co.uk
Simon & Schuster Australia, Sydney
Simon & Schuster India, New Delhi
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-4711-3841-6
Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-4711-5229-0
eBook ISBN: 978-1-4711-3842-3
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Typeset by M Rules
Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY
A letter to my readers
Hello!
I know this is a little unconventional, but before you get stuck in to reading The Sun in Her Eyes, I wanted to say a few words.
First of all, thank you for buying this book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you’re on Twitter or Facebook, I would love to hear from you so please visit me @PaigeToonAuthor or Facebook.com/PaigeToonAuthor to say hi. I try to reply to everyone – your messages really do mean the world to me.
Thousands of you already know that last year I launched a unique book club called ‘The Hidden Paige’. I wanted to be able to give something back to my lovely readers in return for all of their support over the years. So, every so often, I email my members directly with free short stories and news about competitions and upcoming book signings.
At the end of this book, you can check out the exclusive short story I wrote for ‘The Hidden Paige’ last autumn, but please sign up at paigetoon.com if you don’t want to miss out in the future.
Lots of love, and I hope to hear from you soon!
Also by Paige Toon
Lucy in the Sky
Johnny Be Good
Chasing Daisy
Pictures of Lily
Baby Be Mine
One Perfect Summer
One Perfect Christmas (eBook short story)
The Longest Holiday
Johnny’s Girl (eBook short story)
Thirteen Weddings
The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson (Young Adult)
For my brother Kerrin, my sister-in-law Miranda, and my gorgeous little nephew Ripley. I love you all to bits.
Contents
Prologue
The Story of Amber Church, the Girl With the Sun in Her Eyes
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Meanwhile…
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Eleven Months Later
Epilogue
Prologue
Recently Doris had not been able to stop thinking about the little girl. Of course, she had thought about her ceaselessly after the accident, but that had been over twenty-six years ago and Doris was now in her nineties with decades of memories at her disposal.
‘Please… You have to tell her…’ the woman had said with her last few breaths. The memory made Doris wince, the pain almost as potent now as it had been back then.
Doris tried to shut out the images that filled her head, but it was no use. The woman would not be silenced, not then and not now. Even sleep brought Doris no peace, and she was so very tired these days.
Doris had taken the woman’s hand, not knowing how to tell her that her daughter was unconscious in the back of the car she was driving. But a moment later, the woman was gone, her dying words ringing in Doris’s ears.
The little girl had stirred, a stuffed toy clutched in her arms, and Doris’s fractured heart had split at the sight of two cobalt-blue eyes opening and flinching at the same sunlight that had been the likely cause of her mother veering off the road.
If only she knew what had happened to the girl, perhaps she could let go, move on, sleep without the nightmares. She had told the policeman what the woman had said before she had died, but had not made certain that the message was passed on to the child. Should she have told the girl herself, as she had promised?
In that instant, Doris knew what she needed to do. She would write a letter, and she would ask her son to help her track down the child, who would of course be a grown woman by now. Her name was Amber, Doris hadn’t forgotten. Amber Church. It was time to come good on her promise.
The Story of
Amber Church, the Girl
With the Sun in Her Eyes
Chapter 1
It has been a shit of a day.
It started off badly when I woke up for the second time that week to find myself in bed alone without my husband beside me. Ned had been socialising with his boss – again – and I found him out cold on the sofa, reeking of stale booze and cigarettes. Her cigarettes, to be precise. His boss is very much female and very much attracted to him. Or so I suspect.
My first thought was to pour a glass of water over his head, my second was that it might ruin our brown-suede sofa, so I resisted. Then I spied a little pile of vomit on his shoulder and soon realised that it was not so little and not entirely on his shoulder.
‘Ned, you idiot!’ I shouted at the top of my voice, making him jolt awake, his hazel-coloured eyes wide open with terror and his sandy hair sticking out every which way.
‘What?’ he gasped.
‘You’ve thrown up on the sofa! Clean it up!’
‘No! I’m sleeping,’ he snapped. ‘I’ve got a pounding headache,’ he added, throwing his arm over his face. ‘I’ll do it later.’
‘Get up and do it NOW!’ I yelled.
‘NO!’ he yelled back, just as vehemently.
It was safe to say that our honeymoon period was well and truly over.
I was seething as I got ready for work, banging about and ranting about how selfish and pathetic my husband was. I didn’t give a second thought to the couple who have just moved in downstairs, so when I slammed the front door and stomped down the communal stairs, I was a bit surprised to come face-to-face with one of them.
‘Thank you very much for waking up my baby,’ the woman of about my age had said sarcastically, her face purple with rage as a child screamed blue murder in the background. ‘He only got to sleep two hours ago after being up all night. I was lucky enough to get a whole hour before the banging in your flat started.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ I replied, shamefaced. ‘I had an argum—’
‘Just keep it down in future, yeah?’ she interrupted.
I felt guilty and on edge for the entire walk to the Tube station.
That was when the fun really began.
Thanks to severe delays on the Northern Line, the station was backed up with commuters mimicking bumper-to-bumper traffic all the way down into the darkest depths of the tunnels.
By the time I arrived at work, I was hot, flustered and forty-five minutes late. Not only that, but the heat from the Underground had made my wavy auburn hair go lank and sweaty. It was a bad-hair day, to boot.
I hurried into the office, so full of apologies that I thought I might burst, and then came to a sudden stop. I work as a commodities broker in a start-up company in the City, and the flurry of activity that usually greeted me somehow seemed off. Spying me, my boss clicked his fingers and motioned for me to join him.
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‘You’re late.’
‘I’m sorry—’
‘Never mind,’ he interrupted. ‘HR want to see you.’
He nodded to his office, and I headed warily towards it. Most of my colleagues were carrying on as normal, but I noticed a few empty seats. I caught my next-door neighbour Meredith’s eye and registered pity, but by then I’d reached my boss’s office.
The two people from HR asked me to close the door and take a seat.
I was being made redundant. Five of us were going, right then, right now. In fact, four had already gone.
I would be paid three months’ salary, but would be missing out on my substantial bonus that was due in less than two months’ time.
I felt sick to my stomach.
Brokering is not the most reliable employment, nor is it something I wanted to do. I chose to go into teaching when I left university, after getting a First in Mathematics. Some of my fellow students thought I was mad not to opt for a better-paid job when I had so many choices laid out in front of me. I bumped into one of them last summer and he told me that he’d got involved in a start-up company that was raking in millions. He gave me his card and said that he could put me in touch with someone if I was interested in quitting my teaching job. He caught me at exactly the right time. I needed a change. Unfortunately, I was unwittingly destined for another one.
Bob, one of the building’s security guards, kept me company while I packed up my stuff. His presence wasn’t necessary – I wasn’t going to stash my PC in my handbag. Although, saying that, I did swipe a couple of pens when he was looking the other way.
Then I had to do the hellish journey in reverse, this time my head spinning with questions about what I was going to do next.