Free The Accidental Guest by Tilly Tennant

been in by now. Let the professionals take care of things; you need to think about yourself for once. You’ve had a bad experience with George and his car and you need to remember that. Relax, let me and Jess take care of you and enjoy the rest of your day. If you’re still worried tomorrow we’ll call the hospital to see if he’s been claimed.’
    ‘You make him sound like a lost puppy.’
    ‘When you think about it, the situation isn’t all that different.’ Gina gave Hannah an encouraging smile.
    Hannah didn’t like it. In fact, every ounce of her wanted to argue, but even she could see how much sense Gina was making. She was getting far too involved in this man’s life and that would only complicate things in the long run – for her and for him. She already felt a connection, something that could be so right, but could also be very, very wrong. Maybe,much as she hated the idea, her involvement should end right here, with Tom going off to hospital. It was time to let the people who did this for a living take over now.
    ‘You can call the hospital later tonight, get an update,’ Gina added, ‘if that would make you feel better.’
    ‘It would,’ Hannah said. ‘Do you think they’ll keep him in?’
    ‘I’ve no idea, but I suppose that’s something we’ll find out when we call.’
    Hannah nodded. ‘Ok then. I’ll stay here.’
    *
    It had been a strange sort of goodbye. How do you part from someone who has been thrown into your life and entrenched themselves into it so quickly and completely that you can barely believe they hadn’t always been there, someone you hardly know and yet know in a way nobody else ever could, someone you don’t know anything about but already feel you know all you would ever need to?
    There had been an awkward moment, where Hannah wasn’t sure whether she was supposed to kiss or hug or show any kind of affection at all. So as the paramedics looked on with barely disguised looks of amusement, Hannah settled for a very formal handshake and a stiff wave at the door. Then the ambulance was gone, and so was Tom. Perhaps for good, but Hannah couldn’t let herself dwell on that possibility.
    Gina led her back inside. ‘Shall we get that dinner on now?’
    ‘It’ll taste disgusting,’ Jess said. ‘It’s been cooked about five million times.’
    ‘I think that might be a slight exaggeration…’ Gina cocked an eyebrow at her daughter. ‘But it can’t be helped. What were we supposed to do? None of today could be helped.’
    ‘I’m sorry,’ Hannah said. ‘This is not exactly the Christmas Day we’d planned, is it?’
    ‘Well,’ Gina replied brightly, ‘one day we’ll look back on it and laugh. And it’s not a complete wash out. We still have the rest of Aunt Dot’s presents to open, and I don’t know about you, but nothing says Christmas to me quite like a milkmaid figurine with only one bucket on her yoke.’
    ‘Or a half-full tube of dried up hand cream,’ Jess chipped in.
    ‘You got one of those?’ Hannah asked, ‘And you didn’t even share with us?’
    ‘That was last year,’ Jess laughed, ‘and it was too good to share so I gazed at it in secret in the dead of night when nobody else was there.’
    Hannah couldn’t help but giggle. Despite all that had happened, she could already feel her spirits lifting. If anyone could salvage the rest of the day and turn it into a proper Christmas celebration, Gina and Jess could.
    In the kitchen she stared at the chaos. It looked as though Jamie Oliver had been in and thrown a tantrum.
    ‘To be honest, I don’t feel like reheating all this now,’ Hannah said.
    ‘If I’m honest, I don’t really feel like eating it either,’ Gina agreed. ‘Sorry…’
    ‘Don’t be,’ Hannah said. ‘I feel exactly the same. It doesn’t feel like Christmas dinner with all the trimmings time now. Do you know what I think?’
    Gina raised an eyebrow in a silent question.
    ‘I think,’ Hannah continued, ‘that we