One Night Only (245 page)

“Numbe
r
three!
”
(o
r
fou
r
o
r
five
)
“Ca
n
yo
u
believe
it?
”
T
ori
a
woul
d
sa
y
a
s
lou
d
a
s
sh
e
could
,
obliviou
s
to th
e
fac
t
tha
t
he
r
word
s
wer
e
makin
g
Natalie
’
s
eye
s
prick a
s
sh
e
fel
t
th
e
emptines
s
o
f
he
r
wom
b
insid
e
he
r
.

“Congratulations,
”
Natali
e
woul
d
repl
y
wit
h a
smile,
he
r
hear
t
yearnin
g
fo
r
th
e
lates
t
littl
e
bundl
e
o
f
pin
k
or
blu
e
tha
t
la
y
snuggle
d
i
n
th
e
bab
y
carrie
r
besid
e
hi
s
or he
r
yumm
y
mumm
y
an
d
he
r
expandin
g
famil
y
.

T
ori
a
wor
e
designe
r
clothe
s
an
d
he
r
parent
s
ha
d a
hug
e
holida
y
hom
e
o
n
th
e
outskirt
s
o
f
Portstewart
.
She
ha
d
honey-blond
e
hai
r
,
glistenin
g
supe
r
-whit
e
teet
h
and wor
e
a
n
all-yea
r
-roun
d
Algarv
e
ta
n
fro
m
thei
r
‘real’
holida
y
destination.

Jus
t
th
e
typ
e
o
f
gir
l
yo
u
woul
d
lov
e
t
o
thro
w
dart
s
at, reall
y
.

“
I
thin
k
we’l
l
cal
l
i
t a
da
y
no
w
,
”
he
r
gorgeou
s
husband
woul
d
pip
e
u
p
ever
y
singl
e
yea
r
.
He
,
o
n
th
e
othe
r
hand
,
was
th
e
typ
e
o
f
ma
n
yo
u
woul
d
lov
e
t
o
bottl
e
u
p
an
d
keep
.
“It
feel
s
lik
e
ou
r
hous
e
i
s
burstin
g
a
t
th
e
seam
s
alread
y
.”

Bu
t
sur
e
a
s
eve
r
,
whe
n
they’
d
retur
n
th
e
following
yea
r
i
n
thei
r
hug
e
Aud
i
Q7
,
T
ori
a
woul
d
com
e
i
n
wit
h
a
newl
y
rounde
d
bum
p
an
d
tal
k
o
f
name
s
an
d
du
e
dates, an
d
customer
s
admirin
g
he
r
natura
l
motherl
y
instincts an
d
glowin
g
ski
n
woul
d
cu
t
Natali
e
t
o
th
e
core.

Natali
e
wasn
’
t
greed
y
.
Sh
e
didn
’
t
wan
t
thre
e
o
r
four childre
n
lik
e
T
ori
a
had
.
Sh
e
didn
’
t
eve
n
wan
t
a
n
Audi Q7
.
Jus
t
on
e
o
r
tw
o
childre
n
woul
d
b
e
nice
.
Jus
t
on
e
or two.

“Bus
y
thi
s
morning
,
Dad?
”
sh
e
asked
,
automatically
fixin
g
table
s
ahea
d
o
f
th
e
lunchtim
e
rush
.
Th
e
pal
e
blue- and-white-checke
d
tablecloth
s
wer
e
a
s
fade
d
an
d
ancient a
s
th
e
men
u
i
n
Nellie
’
s
but
,
accordin
g
t
o
he
r
fathe
r
,
that wa
s
th
e
secre
t
t
o
th
e
succes
s
o
f
th
e
littl
e
weathe
r
-beaten café.

“Th
e
usual,
”
h
e
sai
d
an
d
the
n
leane
d
i
n
t
o
whispe
r
,
“Ros
s
i
s
pressin
g
o
n
wit
h a
ne
w
men
u
despit
e
m
y
efforts t
o
kee
p
thing
s
exactl
y
ho
w
the
y
are
.
H
e
jus
t
doesn
’
t
seem
t
o
b
e
listening
,
Natalie
.
Y
ou’l
l
hav
e
t
o
hav
e a
wor
d
with him
. A
goo
d
ster
n
wor
d
a
s
n
o
matte
r
wha
t I
sa
y
around here
,
i
t
jus
t
goe
s
i
n
on
e
ea
r
an
d
ou
t
th
e
othe
r
. I
don
’
t
kno
w
wha
t
they’r
e
teachin
g
hi
m
u
p
a
t
tha
t
college
,
but
he
’
s
speakin
g
o
f
foodstuf
f
tha
t
I’v
e
neve
r
hear
d
of!”

Natali
e
pu
t
he
r
ar
m
aroun
d
he
r
dad
’
s
shoulders, whic
h
sh
e
wa
s
sur
e
wer
e
becomin
g
mor
e
narro
w
b
y
the da
y
.
“H
e
mean
s
well
,
Dadd
y
.
He
’
s
a
n
ambitiou
s
bo
y
and w
e
kne
w
whe
n
w
e
gav
e
hi
m
th
e
jo
b
tha
t
ther
e
ar
e
only s
o
man
y
Cowbo
y
Supper
s
h
e
ca
n
serv
e
u
p
befor
e
h
e
gets bored
.
Thin
k
o
f
i
t
thi
s
wa
y
,
it
’
s
bette
r
t
o
kee
p
hi
m
o
n
the tea
m
tha
n
hav
e
hi
m
leav
e
fo
r
pasture
s
ne
w
.
Hasn
’
t
Nellie
’
s
alway
s
bee
n
manage
d
wit
h
famil
y
a
t
th
e
reins?”
Bil
l
McKenn
a
sighed
.
“
I
tr
y
no
t
t
o
thin
k
abou
t
that
to
o
muc
h
thes
e
days
.
Th
e
whol
e
famil
y
thing
,
tha
t
is
.
I
mean
,
yo
u
hav
e
alway
s
fel
t
suffocate
d
an
d
it
’
s
no
t
a
s
if
w
e
hav
e
famil
y
member
s
beating
down
the
doors
wantin
g
t
o
tak
e
ove
r
fro
m
m
e
whe
n
I’
m
n
o
longe
r
fi
t
to loo
k
afte
r
th
e
place
.
I
f
yo
u
an
d
Ros
s
go
,
w
e
migh
t
a
s
well shu
t
u
p
shop
.
I
t
jus
t
wouldn
’
t
b
e
Nellie
’
s
an
y
more withou
t
a
McKenn
a
callin
g
th
e
shots.”