One Night Only (183 page)

“Don
’
t
le
t
anyon
e
eve
r
brin
g
yo
u
down
,
Ruthie,
”
he use
d
t
o
tel
l
he
r
o
n
repeat
.
“Whe
n
th
e
whol
e
worl
d
seems
agains
t
you
,
ris
e
abov
e
i
t
an
d
tak
e
a
bi
g
ste
p
back
.
Neve
r
,
eve
r
hol
d
a
grudg
e
agains
t
anyone
.
Lif
e
i
s
to
o
shor
t
to hol
d
a
grudge
.
Alway
s
b
e
th
e
bette
r
perso
n
an
d
neve
r
be afrai
d
t
o
sa
y
sorr
y
.
”

Sh
e
ha
d
alway
s
bee
n
a
daddy
’
s
gir
l
–
sh
e
coul
d
never
den
y
that
.
I
t
wa
s
a
s
plai
n
a
s
th
e
nos
e
o
n
he
r
face
.
I
t
used t
o
caus
e
row
s
betwee
n
he
r
parents
,
ho
w
h
e
favoure
d
her ove
r
anyon
e
wh
o
cam
e
hi
s
wa
y
.
I
t
wa
s
lik
e
h
e
was
mesmerise
d
b
y
he
r
an
d
sh
e
b
y
hi
m
too
,
s
o
whe
n
her mothe
r
decide
d
t
o
en
d
th
e
marriag
e
t
o
b
e
wit
h
Raymond Dillon
,
i
t
wa
s
n
o
surpris
e
tha
t
Rut
h
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
despise
th
e
man
.

Bu
t
bot
h
me
n
wer
e
gon
e
no
w
an
d
sh
e
neede
d
closure.
Sh
e
wante
d
t
o
kno
w
tha
t
sh
e
ha
d
don
e
absolutel
y
everythi
n
g
sh
e
possibl
y
coul
d
t
o
sho
w
he
r
mothe
r
tha
t
sh
e
ha
d
room i
n
he
r
hear
t
fo
r
bot
h
he
r
parents
,
eve
n
i
f
sh
e
resente
d
the
choice
s
he
r
mothe
r
ha
d
mad
e
i
n
th
e
past
.
Perhap
s
without Raymon
d
Dillo
n
i
n
thei
r
live
s
the
y
coul
d
rebuil
d
a
relationship
,
ge
t
t
o
kno
w
eac
h
othe
r
again
,
b
e
a
s
clos
e
as the
y
coul
d
b
e
considerin
g
thei
r
past
.

Rut
h
sli
d
dow
n
i
n
he
r
sea
t
whe
n
sh
e
sa
w
movement
insid
e
th
e
house
.
Sh
e
wasn
’
t
clos
e
enoug
h
t
o
b
e
noticed bu
t
he
r
hear
t
wa
s
racin
g
a
t
th
e
though
t
o
f
layin
g
eye
s
on he
r
mothe
r
.
The
n
th
e
doo
r
opene
d
an
d
sh
e
leane
d
forward again
,
takin
g
of
f
he
r
sunglasse
s
t
o
ge
t
a
close
r
look
.
I
t
was Samantha
.

Sh
e
hadn
’
t
change
d
a
bit
.
Sh
e
wa
s
stil
l
peroxide-blonde,
stil
l
a
bi
t
overweigh
t
an
d
stil
l
a
s
roug
h
a
s
a
badger
’
s
backsid
e
.
Sh
e
ha
d
a
toddle
r
b
y
th
e
han
d
an
d
anothe
r
olde
r
child
followe
d
he
r
ou
t
throug
h
th
e
doo
r
.
Rut
h
fel
t
lik
e
sh
e
was
bein
g
stabbe
d
al
l
ove
r
.
Samantha
’
s
childre
n
wer
e
i
n
an
d
out a
s
i
f
the
y
owne
d
th
e
plac
e
whil
e
Be
n
an
d
Melani
e
were
treate
d
lik
e
the
y
wer
e
invisible
.
N
o
matte
r
wha
t
Rut
h
had don
e
t
o
upse
t
th
e
applecar
t
wit
h
Raymon
d
Dillon
,
i
t
pained he
r
t
o
thin
k
tha
t
he
r
ow
n
famil
y
ha
d
chose
n
hi
s
daughter an
d
h
e
r
c
h
il
dr
e
n
o
ve
r
thei
r
ow
n
fles
h
an
d
blood
.

Sh
e
wante
d
t
o
ge
t
ou
t
o
f
th
e
ca
r
an
d
approac
h
Samantha
Dillo
n
an
d
le
t
he
r
kno
w
jus
t
ho
w
muc
h
he
r
a
c
t
i
on
s
really
di
d
hur
t
he
r
.
Sh
e
longe
d
t
o
screa
m
ou
t
al
l
th
e
ange
r
that ha
d
festere
d
i
n
he
r
sinc
e
sh
e
wa
s
a
teenage
r
whe
n
her mothe
r
dismisse
d
he
r
pregnanc
y
wit
h
Be
n
an
d
tol
d
he
r
to
‘ge
t
ri
d
o
f
it’
.