Part 5 (2/2)

He could see that her teeth were gritted as she tackled far bigger weights than were on her toning programme. He should have gone over and told her she needed to do more reps on smaller weights, otherwise she would end up like a miniature Hulk Hogan, but he sent Hilary over instead because he would not have been able to resist asking how things were and she, no doubt, would have replied with some c.o.c.ky remark that made him even more disgruntled than he was already.

The seven nights in bed without Jo's body beside him were hard enough, but the last two had hurt more than all of them put together, knowing all her wardrobes were empty and her jewellery and toiletries and make-up were gone from cupboards and drawers. Poignantly, she had left her long, pink toothbrush behind. It leaned against his own in the gla.s.s.

He knew he had played it like a master when she walked through the door looking beautiful and tanned and glowing and telling him how wet Wales was. Like he had tried to say to Mrs Universe over therebasic psychology. Jo had been shaking when she left him, and even though she had gone out of his door with her suitcases, climbed in her car and driven offno doubt to the arms of her loverhe would have bet his own car on the fact that Round 1 had been to him.

'Mummy, is ”happily” an adverb?'

'Yes, it is, love,' said Stevie, changing his wet pyjama top. Now his Superman short bottoms were teamed up with a Shrek T-s.h.i.+rt, 'as in ”Danny Honeywell chews his pyjama collar happily”.'

'Sorry, mummy,' said Danny.

'It's okay.'

'Can I wear my Dannyman top instead?'

'It's in the wash, pet.'

'Mummy?'

'Yes, Danny?'

'Where's Matthew?'

'Weeelll...' she began, then realized she hadn't a clue how she was going to answer that, or even if she could because her voice felt as if it would be too wobbly to deliver the words, if she opened up her mouth. She wasn't quite sure where tears came from, but they seemed to be taking a fast-speed train up to her eyes these days, and the pressure of holding them back physically hurt.

'He's just living somewhere else for a while and we're going to live somewhere else for a while,' she said, trying to make it sound like a jolly adventure.

She knew this wouldn't be enough to satisfy his inquisitive little mind though and, sure enough, four seconds later he asked, 'Why?'

'Because that's what grown-ups do sometimes.'

'Why?'

Oh farts!

'Because they sometimes live apart to see if they miss each other. You see, when they get married, they want to make sure they live happily ever after.'

'”Happily” is an adverb, isn't it?'

'Yes, Danny,' said Stevie, seizing him and putting him on her knee and cuddling him tightly. 'Yes, ”happily” is an adverb.'

She put him to bed after reading him The Useless Troll yet again. He knew what the ending was and still delighted in hearing the gruesome 'sting'. Stevie wished she knew what the ending to her story was, and whether it was one she could look forward to with as much enthusiasm, although she also hoped her ending would be less hideous. Then again, with her luck, it would probably be worse.

Admittedly, she had not done a thing as regards finding somewhere else to live. The thought of leaving Matt's house was awful, but she knew she mustand soon. It would be far better, she supposed, to play the game and make all the necessary arrangements and then have to cancel them at the eleventh hour when Matthew came to his senses than dither and risk Danny and her being thrown forcibly out. That wouldn't exactly help any future reconciliation plans.

It had been Matthew who had badgered her to move in with him, with the 'two could live as cheaply as one' philosophy, although she had ended up paying most of the bills and the mortgage since she'd been there. She had even cleared a few of his arrears, thanks to a nice profit from the sale of her old house. She had also recently paid for her own wedding dress, Matthew's wedding suit (which cost more than her whole outfit, accessories included), Catherine's bridesmaid dress, Danny's pageboy outfit, the rings and the deposits on the reception, flowers and honeymoon. At least the money for the balances was safe in her own account, thank goodness.

Matthew's plans to contribute were tightly bound up in procrastinations, not that she minded because life with someone was about sharing, wasn't it? After Mick, she had thought she would never trust anyone enough again to unlock the door to her heart and throw it open. Until Matthew. Maybe she should have realized she wasn't destined for happiness and that keeping the chain on might have been a safer option.

So Stevie settled down with a coffee and the Properties section of the local newspaper. Buying somewhere wasn't an option at this stage, just in case Matthew came to his senses and asked her to come back, so, as far as rental accommodation went, it had to be somewhere nearby for Danny's school, which ruled out most of the houses available. Of those that were geographically suitable, one was a seven-bedroomed barn conversion and the other a one-bedroomed flat in an infamous drug-riddled street. Of course, the cottage across the lane was featured, as always, but the bond alone was enough to have most people voicing the message to the landlord, 'Hope the sun s.h.i.+nes for yer, mate!'

Stevie made a mental note to ring some estate agents very soon, but the thought filled her with dread and she knew she was stalling, waiting for a miracle to rescue her. The miracle that was, unbeknown to her then, just around the corner.

Chapter 15.

Jo was drying her hair at the dressing-table after a dribbling shower. Matthew watched her fondly, the expression of a love-struck Labrador pup on his face.

'What's the matter?' she said, catching his eye.

'Nothing, I'm just looking at you.'

'Well, stop it,' she said, and carried on wafting the hairdryer and trying to pretend that she wasn't being scrutinized quite so thoroughly.

Coming up behind her, he planted a kiss on her neck.

'Not now,' she said, wriggling away. 'I'm late for work.'

'We're late for work,' he said, 'but at least we can occupy a car-sharing parking s.p.a.ce. They're always in plentiful supply.'

'Great,' said Jo sarcastically, which made his little Tigger bouncing heart deflate a little.

'You okay?' he said.

'Well, no actually,' she said, winding the cord around the hairdryer as if she was wrapping it around someone's neck. 'I don't enjoy living out of a suitcase one bit. I just want to move into your house as soon as possible.'

'I know it's hard, sweetie,' said Matthew sympathetically because he recognized that it was a lot easier for a bloke living in a hotel room than a girl with all her essential accoutrements. 'We'll be in there soon enough.'

'How soon is ”soon”?'

'Well, I have to give Stevie a few days at least.'

'Of course,' said Jo, putting down the hairdryer and coming over for a snuggle. 'I'm sorry, I'm being selfish even asking. Forgive me, it's just that if I think too much about Stevie, I'll start to feel awful. I know she didn't deserve what we did to her and that's what makes this so hard. I betrayed my friends.h.i.+p with her to get you, and the awful thing is that I would do it all over again if I had to. It doesn't make me feel very good about myself. Sorry. This must be a terrible time for Stevie. I've been trying to think of what we could do to make all this easier for her.'

Matthew's arms closed around her tightly. Building a relations.h.i.+p on the ruins of another wasn't what either of them had wanted, but it had happened. The whole Stevie thing had brought tears to Jo's eyes many times, because neither of them were the sort of sick people who went around hurting others for fun. It was just that when love like this called, you didn't hide and pretend you were out, you flung open the door, invited it right on in to sit in your most comfortable chair and fed it your best tin of biscuits.

Jo sighed and rubbed the back of her long, swan-like neck.

'I'm so stressed out. I'm waiting for Adam's next move and I just want to be safe in your house with you rather than in some place where he could easily get to me if he wanted.'

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