One Night Only (153 page)

H
e
leane
d
forwar
d
t
o
kis
s
he
r
an
d
hi
s
le
g
brushed agains
t
he
r
toe
.

“
Ow!
”
sh
e
yelpe
d
an
d
h
e
pulle
d
awa
y
.

“Oh
,
I’
m
sorry!
”
h
e
said
.
H
e
kisse
d
he
r
gentl
y
,
reached fo
r
th
e
remot
e
contro
l
an
d
gav
e
i
t
t
o
he
r
,
the
n
pulle
d
a
furr
y
thro
w
fro
m
of
f
th
e
bac
k
o
f
th
e
sof
a
an
d
pu
t
i
t
round he
r
.

“Wha
t
di
d
I
eve
r
d
o
t
o
deserv
e
you?
”
sh
e
asked
.

“
I
as
k
mysel
f
tha
t
questio
n
ever
y
da
y
,
”
sai
d
Ro
b
an
d
T
ess
thre
w
a
cushio
n
a
t
him
.
“No
w
,
d
o
yo
u
fanc
y
a
cuppa
?
Or
somethin
g
stronge
r
t
o
eas
e
th
e
pain?
”

T
es
s
didn
’
t
.
Th
e
ver
y
though
t
o
f
an
y
foo
d
o
r
liqui
d
was enoug
h
t
o
mak
e
he
r
nauseous
.
Ro
b
hadn
’
t
ha
d
a
hangover
sinc
e
hi
s
teen
s
an
d
eve
n
the
n
the
y
wer
e
mil
d
fro
m
wha
t
he ha
d
tol
d
he
r
.

“
I
migh
t
jus
t
wai
t
a
while,
”
sh
e
whispered
.
“I
t
wa
s
a
lon
g
journe
y
an
d
I
fee
l
lik
e
I
nee
d
t
o
res
t
up
,
wha
t
with thi
s
sor
e
to
e
an
d
everything.
”

Ro
b
stoo
d
a
t
th
e
doorwa
y
.
Fo
r
a
momen
t
sh
e
thought h
e
coul
d
se
e
righ
t
throug
h
he
r
.

“
W
ell
,
I’l
l
b
e
i
n
th
e
kitche
n
i
f
yo
u
nee
d
anything,
”
he said
.
“Jus
t
call.
”

H
e
reall
y
wa
s
to
o
goo
d
t
o
b
e
true
.
Sh
e
couldn
’
t
tel
l
him no
w
.
I
t
woul
d
burs
t
hi
s
bubble
.
I
t
woul
d
rui
n
hi
s
da
y
off. “Oka
y
babe,
”
sh
e
sai
d
an
d
whe
n
h
e
lef
t
th
e
roo
m
she
close
d
he
r
eye
s
tight
.
Wha
t
wa
s
th
e
nam
e
o
f
tha
t
Patron
Sain
t
o
f
Hopeles
s
Case
s
again
,
sh
e
thought
?
O
h
yeah
,
St
J
ude
.
Sh
e
woul
d
us
e
thi
s
tim
e
t
o
hav
e
a
goo
d
ol
d
wor
d
with he
r
budd
y
,
S
t
Jude
.
H
e
woul
d
b
e
abl
e
t
o
help
,
wouldn
’
t
he
?

“S
o
wha
t
happene
d
t
o
T
ess?
”

Poll
y
fel
t
he
r
cheek
s
bur
n
s
o
sh
e
turne
d
awa
y
fro
m
her husband
,
pretendin
g
t
o
b
e
bus
y
unpackin
g
he
r
bag
.
There wa
s
n
o
wa
y
sh
e
wa
s
tellin
g
Jame
s
th
e
ful
l
stor
y
.
I
t
would b
e
righ
t
u
p
hi
s
stree
t
t
o
hea
r
tha
t
T
es
s
go
t
int
o
trouble.
T
es
s
neve
r
go
t
int
o
trouble
.
No
t
sinc
e
sh
e
me
t
Rob
,
anyho
w
.
I
f
Jame
s
kne
w
tha
t
sh
e
ha
d
bee
n
arrested
,
h
e
woul
d
break int
o
a
Riverdanc
e
righ
t
ther
e
o
n
th
e
kitche
n
floo
r
with
delight
.

I
t
wasn
’
t
tha
t
h
e
dislike
d
T
es
s
a
s
suc
h
–
i
n
fac
t
they wer
e
ver
y
simila
r
character
s
i
n
man
y
ways
.
The
y
eac
h
had to
o
muc
h
t
o
sa
y
an
d
the
y
wer
e
no
t
afrai
d
o
f
sayin
g
i
t
and
sometime
s
tha
t
wa
s
funn
y
,
bu
t
sometime
s
i
t
crosse
d
the
lin
e
an
d
the
y
woul
d
ente
r
a
full-blow
n
argumen
t
over
subject
s
tha
t
range
d
fro
m
th
e
politica
l
stat
e
o
f
Northern Irelan
d
t
o
th
e
benefit
s
o
f
cottag
e
chees
e
whe
n
watching you
r
weight
.
Anything
,
ye
s
anything
,
coul
d
spar
k
a
row betwee
n
T
es
s
an
d
Jame
s
an
d
thi
s
woul
d
b
e
enoug
h
t
o
give
hi
m
ammunitio
n
agains
t
he
r
fo
r
th
e
res
t
o
f
thei
r
days
.