Free No Child of Mine by Susan Lewis Page A

street – she heardher personal mobile ringing and started to dig around for it in her bag. With a quick glance she saw it was Jason, and hoping there were no police around she clicked on.
    You think rules were written just for you to break , she could almost hear her mother, Myra, sighing.
    ‘Hi, everything OK?’ she asked, slowing to go over a speed bump on Tannet’s Hill.
    ‘Yeah, I’m cool, you?’
    ‘Busy day, but coping. Please tell me you’re still on for the tech run later.’
    ‘Absolutely. As luck would have it I’m going to end up close to home for my last appointment today, so I’ll probably be there before you.’
    Being a builder with his own small business he’d presumably been asked by a neighbour to take a look at something, which was great, if it turned into cash, because he hadn’t been inundated with it lately. ‘That’s brilliant,’ she told him. ‘It’ll give me a chance to drop into the care home to check on our dear old ex-neighbour Millie on my way back, seeing as she was asleep when I went on Sunday. Did you get a text from Gabby about the weekend?’
    ‘I did. Are you sure you want to go all the way to Devon the day after opening night?’
    ‘It’s only a forty-minute drive, depending on traffic, and I don’t want to let her down. Does it work for you?’
    ‘Sure, but I’ll have the kids that day, remember.’
    Alex’s heart sank. She’d forgotten, or more likely wiped it out of her mind.
    ‘Provided it’s all right with Gabby,’ Jason continued, ‘I guess there’s no reason why we can’t take them too.’
    Thinking there were quite a few reasons, such as how mean his eldest could be to the twins, she refrained from saying so and replied sweetly, ‘That would be lovely. Don’t you have them one night this week as well?’
    ‘Thursday,’ he confirmed. ‘Is that OK, do you mind?’
    ‘Of course not,’ she lied. ‘I’ll think of something special to cook for them. Or maybe we’ll bring them into town for a pizza.’
    ‘They’d like that. Now, I guess I should let you go. Call me when you’re on your way home. Actually, there’s something I want to talk to you about after the tech run. Nothing bad, so don’t start getting worked up about it.’
    Laughing, she assured him she wouldn’t, and after ringing off she spent the next few minutes trying to imagine what it might be and not doing a very good job of stopping her thoughts from hiking off down the matrimonial aisle. However, the issues of her day were soon crowding to the front of her mind again as she indicated to turn into the Fenns’ drive and found the way partially blocked by a very sleek Mercedes. Managing to squeeze her Punto in off the kerb behind it, she scooped up her bag and went to knock on the front door.
    ‘Coming!’ a voice called from inside, and a moment later Maggie Fenn was ushering her in. ‘Sorry about the lack of parking,’ she said. ‘That amazing beast belongs to my brother, Anthony. He leaves it here sometimes while he goes fishing with friends, over on the Taw. They take it in turns to drive. He’s a barrister,’ she added proudly. ‘In London.’
    Touched and amused by her pride, Alex said, ‘So how did you get along with Daniel at the weekend?’
    Maggie brightened. ‘Actually, very well indeed,’ she declared. ‘In fact, we’re feeling rather sorry to see him go.’
    Alex wasn’t quick enough to hide her surprise.
    Maggie Fenn smiled. ‘He’s very good company,’ she told her quietly. ‘My goodness, the stories he can tell ... Oliver has really taken a shine to him. You’ll see.’
    Not sure she wanted to imagine Daniel’s stories, while delighted to hear that he’d got along with Oliver, Alex said, ‘I have to admit, this wasn’t exactly what I expected to hear, but it pleases me no end.’
    Maggie gave her a wink and turned to look up the stairs as her husband came halfway down. ‘Maggie, I think you’ll have to go to Oliver,’ he said. ‘He’s