Free The One You Really Want by Jill Mansell Page B

do - truth be told, he was on the verge of finishing with Clodagh - but she had insisted, booking them into a nearby country hotel for a long weekend as an incentive.
    The wedding was taking place in Donegal, and the hotel contained a health and beauty spa. Arriving there on Friday morning, Clodagh announced that as an extra treat she had booked both of them into the spa for the entire afternoon, for a mud wrap, massage, pedicure, manicure, Reiki healing and a sunbed. It was at that moment that Connor knew for sure that their relationship was over.
    â€˜I don’t want any of that stuff,’ he told Clodagh.
    Bewildered she said, ‘Why not? You’d love it.’
    â€˜I promise you, I wouldn’t. You’d love it.’ Connor reached for his jacket. ‘I can’t think of anything more horrible. You go ahead, have your pampering session. I’ll see you back here at six.’
    It was a hot sunny day in July. Wandering through the town, he had come across a small Friday market with stallholders selling a variety of cheeses, sausages, Irish linen, vegetables, pottery, souvenirs for visiting tourists and hand-woven baskets. Hungry, Connor stopped off at a small pub selling food and sat at one of the tables outside to drink his pint of Guinness, enjoy a plate of ham and eggs with fried potatoes and watch the world go by. He was in no hurry, he didn’t have to be back at the hotel until six o’clock. Maybe after lunch he’d drive on down to the beach and watch the surfers. Or walk the cliff path and admire the spectacular scenery. Or find a betting shop and decide if he was feeling lucky enough for a flutter.
    Idly he watched a small girl in dirty orange dungarees fighting a losing battle to persuade her dolls to sit upright. The girl’s blond hair hung loose down her back. Her T-shirt was indigo, her feet bare and she was kneeling on the pavement arranging the four shabby stuffed dolls along the top of an upended packing crate. Like spinning plates, every time she reached the fourth doll one of the others would topple over. Amused, Connor realised that the girl was talking to the dolls, threatening to get very cross indeed if they didn’t all sit up straight .
    â€˜Now behave, or I’ll give you a big smack,’ she declared bossily. The first doll promptly keeled forward and landed face down on the pavement. Picking it up, the girl said, ‘Did that hurt? Well, serves you right. Don’t do it again. You’re all very naughty.’
    â€˜I think she hit her teeth,’ said Connor and the girl looked over at him as if he were mad.
    â€˜She hasn’t any teeth. She’s a doll.’
    Tempted to get competitive, Connor almost asked why she was bothering to speak to the dolls then, seeing as they didn’t have any ears either. But since arguing with a small child in the street wasn’t entirely dignified, he said, ‘You’re right, I’m sorry,’ and took a gulp of Guinness instead. Reaching for a cigarette, he was about to light it when a stallholder to his left suddenly rose from her seat in order to serve a customer. Moving forward, her long purple skirt swirled around her legs and in that split second Connor recognised her. He stared in shock as she piled courgettes into a brown paper bag, handed them to her customer and slipped the money into a shabby leather purse slung round her waist.
    It had been almost five years. He was looking at his first love. How incredible to see her again now. Realising that the cigarette was still dangling unlit from his lips, he wrenched it out - ouch - and rose to his feet.
    â€˜Laura!’

Chapter 10
    Laura turned as the customer wandered along to the next stall. Their eyes met and the first thought that flashed through Connor’s mind was that she didn’t seem nearly as delighted to see him as he was to see her.
    Did she think he was going to declare his undying love for her? Sink to his