He was on his way to tearing up my upholstery and generally wrecking the place, so I had to make sure that he was going to be looked after today.'
'Hannah wasn't there?'
'No. I've been trying to get in touch with her, but she just sent me a text message to say that she was sorry and something had come up.'
'Is she often unreliable like that?'
'Not usually. Sometimes she'll forget the time if she's caught up in something, but she doesn't go out of her way to let people down. I think she's unsure of herself at the moment. She has a lot on her mind, and she tries to fit things in between looking after Jamie and doing her part-time job.'
'What kind of work is she doing?'
'She's working in an office at the moment—not today, but for several hours a week. It's not what she's used to, but she did some secretarial training before she started work as a buyer for one of the big stores. She used to have a really good job and she used to travel, but all that's come to an end.'
'I suppose it would be difficult to cope with a job like that now that she has a child. It's one thing to travel and work long hours when you're footloose and fancy-free, but it's not as simple when you have dependants.'
She nodded. 'You're right.' She was pensive for a moment or two. 'That was how she met Ryan—she was working abroad, and he was out there doing some engineering work for his company. They were both staying in the same hotel.'
'Didn't you say that Ryan had managed to keep his job?'
'Yes, I did. I'm not sure for how much longer he can do that, though. He has a problem with drink, and it can't be helping.'
'It doesn't sound as though that's his only problem. There must be a reason for him to keep getting himself in the state he was in the other night.'
Sarah shrugged. 'I dare say, but I don't know what that is.'
The ambulance had now arrived at their destination, a factory where bottles were labelled and packaged, and the crew jumped out and went to attend to their patient. He was a young man who had trapped his hand in a roller mechanism. The fire brigade team was already there, attempting to free him.
I don't think you've done any irreparable damage,' Mark said, examining the man's hand. 'It looks worse than it is, but we'll take you to hospital and get it X-rayed, just in case.'
Sarah felt sorry for the young man. He looked faint from shock, and although there was no dreadful damage he was suffering from severe bruising, and it would be a while before he would be able to use the hand again properly.
They waited at the hospital until their next call came through. 'We might as well grab some lunch while we have the chance,' Mark said.
'How can we do that?' Sarah asked. 'We could be called out at any moment.'
'I know that, but we'll get something to take out with us. Even if it's just a pack of sandwiches and some coffee, it will keep us going.' He sent her a long look. 'I don't suppose you thought to bring anything with you, did you?'
Sarah shook her head. 'I did pack some lunch, but it's still sitting on the kitchen table at home. I forgot all about it when I saw what Kingston had done to my sitting room.' She flicked him a sideways glance. 'Anyway, you can hardly talk—I don't see you with a lunch pack.'
'That's because I was called away to help one of the junior doctors. I was on call at the hospital overnight, and I meant to drop by the cafe and pick up something, but I didn't get the chance.'
Her mouth curved. 'You mean you forgot.' She stared at him for a moment. 'Perhaps you're not infallible after all.'
His dark brows met. 'Did I say that I was?'
'That's the impression I had. I'm the one who suffers from constant lapses. You made that clear enough this morning.'
'I don't recall doing that.' There it was again, that quizzical expression, his head tilted a little, as though he had his doubts about her, as though he would like to find out exactly what it was that made her tick.
'Weren't you annoyed because I was almost
'Hannah wasn't there?'
'No. I've been trying to get in touch with her, but she just sent me a text message to say that she was sorry and something had come up.'
'Is she often unreliable like that?'
'Not usually. Sometimes she'll forget the time if she's caught up in something, but she doesn't go out of her way to let people down. I think she's unsure of herself at the moment. She has a lot on her mind, and she tries to fit things in between looking after Jamie and doing her part-time job.'
'What kind of work is she doing?'
'She's working in an office at the moment—not today, but for several hours a week. It's not what she's used to, but she did some secretarial training before she started work as a buyer for one of the big stores. She used to have a really good job and she used to travel, but all that's come to an end.'
'I suppose it would be difficult to cope with a job like that now that she has a child. It's one thing to travel and work long hours when you're footloose and fancy-free, but it's not as simple when you have dependants.'
She nodded. 'You're right.' She was pensive for a moment or two. 'That was how she met Ryan—she was working abroad, and he was out there doing some engineering work for his company. They were both staying in the same hotel.'
'Didn't you say that Ryan had managed to keep his job?'
'Yes, I did. I'm not sure for how much longer he can do that, though. He has a problem with drink, and it can't be helping.'
'It doesn't sound as though that's his only problem. There must be a reason for him to keep getting himself in the state he was in the other night.'
Sarah shrugged. 'I dare say, but I don't know what that is.'
The ambulance had now arrived at their destination, a factory where bottles were labelled and packaged, and the crew jumped out and went to attend to their patient. He was a young man who had trapped his hand in a roller mechanism. The fire brigade team was already there, attempting to free him.
I don't think you've done any irreparable damage,' Mark said, examining the man's hand. 'It looks worse than it is, but we'll take you to hospital and get it X-rayed, just in case.'
Sarah felt sorry for the young man. He looked faint from shock, and although there was no dreadful damage he was suffering from severe bruising, and it would be a while before he would be able to use the hand again properly.
They waited at the hospital until their next call came through. 'We might as well grab some lunch while we have the chance,' Mark said.
'How can we do that?' Sarah asked. 'We could be called out at any moment.'
'I know that, but we'll get something to take out with us. Even if it's just a pack of sandwiches and some coffee, it will keep us going.' He sent her a long look. 'I don't suppose you thought to bring anything with you, did you?'
Sarah shook her head. 'I did pack some lunch, but it's still sitting on the kitchen table at home. I forgot all about it when I saw what Kingston had done to my sitting room.' She flicked him a sideways glance. 'Anyway, you can hardly talk—I don't see you with a lunch pack.'
'That's because I was called away to help one of the junior doctors. I was on call at the hospital overnight, and I meant to drop by the cafe and pick up something, but I didn't get the chance.'
Her mouth curved. 'You mean you forgot.' She stared at him for a moment. 'Perhaps you're not infallible after all.'
His dark brows met. 'Did I say that I was?'
'That's the impression I had. I'm the one who suffers from constant lapses. You made that clear enough this morning.'
'I don't recall doing that.' There it was again, that quizzical expression, his head tilted a little, as though he had his doubts about her, as though he would like to find out exactly what it was that made her tick.
'Weren't you annoyed because I was almost
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