One Night Only (193 page)

Wha
t
a
differenc
e
a
da
y
made
,
sh
e
thought
.
Wha
t
a
huge
differenc
e
on
e
nigh
t
awa
y
coul
d
mak
e
o
n
fou
r
ver
y
ordi
n
a
r
y
lives
.

Poll
y
awok
e
befor
e
th
e
alar
m
t
o
th
e
soun
d
o
f
birdsong an
d
fo
r
on
e
blissfu
l
momen
t
didn
’
t
remembe
r
wha
t
had happene
d
th
e
nigh
t
before
.
Th
e
su
n
streame
d
i
n
through he
r
windo
w
an
d
sh
e
coul
d
fee
l
th
e
weigh
t
o
f
James
’
s
arm aroun
d
he
r
waist
.

“Are
you
awake?”
she
whispered
but
he
didn
’
t
answer
s
o
sh
e
snuggle
d
furthe
r
int
o
hi
m
an
d
close
d
he
r
eye
s
t
o
try an
d
savou
r
th
e
moment
.
Sh
e
remembere
d
th
e
goo
d
days whe
n
thi
s
wa
s
al
l
i
n
lif
e
tha
t
mattere
d
.
.
.
a
tim
e
whe
n
she
fel
t
s
o
secur
e
i
n
hi
s
arms
,
whe
n
everythin
g
woul
d
b
e
okay
i
f
h
e
wa
s
b
y
he
r
side
.
No
w
,
eve
n
thoug
h
h
e
wa
s
physically
righ
t
besid
e
he
r
,
an
d
n
o
matte
r
ho
w
muc
h
sh
e
trie
d
to rela
x
an
d
fee
l
secure
,
sh
e
fel
t
lik
e
sh
e
wa
s
a
worl
d
away fro
m
he
r
lif
e
a
s
sh
e
onc
e
kne
w
it
.

Sh
e
turne
d
i
n
th
e
be
d
t
o
loo
k
a
t
hi
m
an
d
thei
r
faces
wer
e
s
o
clos
e
the
y
wer
e
almos
t
touching
.
Sh
e
coul
d
feel
hi
s
breat
h
o
n
he
r
fac
e
and
,
whe
n
sh
e
watche
d
hi
m
sleep,
sh
e
coul
d
almos
t
se
e
th
e
pai
n
an
d
worr
y
i
n
hi
s
face
.
What wa
s
h
e
dreamin
g
of
?
Wha
t
o
n
eart
h
wa
s
goin
g
o
n
i
n
his
min
d
tha
t
mad
e
hi
m
see
m
s
o
fa
r
away
?

“
Y
o
u
awake?
”
sh
e
aske
d
again
,
wantin
g
hi
m
t
o
stir
eve
n
thoug
h
sh
e
kne
w
h
e
wa
s
mile
s
awa
y
i
n
a
lan
d
of unsettle
d
dreams
.
H
e
ha
d
tosse
d
an
d
turne
d
al
l
nigh
t
and th
e
empt
y
bottl
e
o
f
whiske
y
tha
t
greete
d
he
r
whe
n
she
cam
e
hom
e
tol
d
he
r
tha
t
h
e
wa
s
hidin
g
somethin
g
from he
r
tha
t
sh
e
couldn
’
t
convinc
e
hi
m
t
o
tel
l
he
r
.

H
e
groane
d
an
d
turne
d
o
n
th
e
be
d
t
o
fac
e
th
e
opposite direction
,
s
o
sh
e
crep
t
ou
t
fro
m
beneat
h
th
e
cover
s
and walke
d
t
o
th
e
en-suit
e
bathroom
,
hopin
g
tha
t
a
warm showe
r
woul
d
eas
e
som
e
o
f
he
r
worrie
s
awa
y
.
Sh
e
stood beneat
h
th
e
pulsatin
g
wate
r
,
inhalin
g
th
e
fres
h
smel
l
o
f
the tea-tre
e
showe
r
ge
l
an
d
leane
d
he
r
hea
d
bac
k
s
o
tha
t
the warmt
h
ra
n
righ
t
dow
n
he
r
back
,
tinglin
g
he
r
ski
n
and washin
g
he
r
whol
e
bod
y
ou
t
o
f
th
e
cocoon-lik
e
feelin
g
of
sleep
.

I
t
ha
d
bee
n
almos
t
on
e
o’cloc
k
whe
n
she’
d
finall
y
left
th
e
hospital
.
Sh
e
ha
d
bough
t
a
to
y
aeroplan
e
t
o
replace th
e
on
e
tha
t
ha
d
bee
n
destroye
d
i
n
th
e
acciden
t
an
d
placed i
t
i
n
besid
e
Dann
y
,
kisse
d
hi
s
forehea
d
an
d
whispere
d
that
hi
s
mumm
y
woul
d
b
e
abl
e
t
o
se
e
hi
m
soon
.