Free How To Save a Marriage in a Million by Leonie Knight Page A

her.
    ‘Oh, yeah?’ she said with a grin as she placed the glossy on the counter. ‘I’m going to treat myself. What was that about the coffee?’
    ‘On the house, sort of. I’ve got instructions from a secret admirer.’ The middle-aged woman giggled like a schoolgirl and Joanna wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly.
    ‘Pardon, what did you say?’
    Marnie’s gaze fixed on something behind her and Joanna turned to see, of all people, Richard emerge from behind a large display of dried flowers. If she hadn’t been so surprised, she would have laughed. He and Marnie were looking at each other conspiratorially.
    ‘What’s all this about?’ Joanna asked, with a sudden urge to turn around and head out the way she’d come in.
    ‘I’ll leave it to the doctor to explain. Coffee for two, I presume.’
    ‘Thanks,’ Richard said as he led Joanne to a table by a large window at the back of the shop.
    She wondered if it was more than coincidence that she kept bumping into him at every turn.
    * * *
    ‘Richard…er…what a surprise,’ Joanna said with a twinkle of what Richard assumed was amusement in her eyes. She was definitely more relaxed than the last time he’d seen her outside the workplace.
    ‘Just needed a break and some real coffee for a change. I thought you’d finished for the day.’
    She certainly looked different in her civvies. The clingy, watermelon-pink T-shirt, scooped low at the neckline, highlighted the delicious fact that she had generous curves but in all the right places. And she had gorgeous legs, snugly denim-clad and stretching right up to…She was as beautiful as the day he’d met her.
    ‘Please sit down and join me.’
    ‘Thanks.’
    ‘I thought as soon as you downed tools you’d be heading off to relax.’
    A wayward hand went up in the direction ofher hair. Nervous? It was the only indication she gave. He smiled.
    ‘Phantom hair?’ He couldn’t resist the jibe. The conversation was flowing smoothly and he didn’t want the tone to change, not just yet.
    ‘Pardon?’ she said, obviously not understanding his light-hearted remark.
    ‘You know, like a phantom leg. A person who’s had an amputation can still experience sensations like itching or pain where the limb used to be.’ He paused, waiting for a response, but her face was expressionless. ‘You have phantom hair,’ he repeated.
    ‘Oh, I get it,’ she conceded, but concentrated all her attention on making patterns with her spoon in the froth in her cup.
    ‘So why aren’t you heading off for some down-time?’
    She looked up and stared straight into his eyes, as if deciding whether it was worth the effort to reply with the sort of explanation she assumed he wanted to hear, or take the simpler option of telling the truth.
    ‘Sometimes I visit a particular child, or parent even, as a friend, when I’m off duty. It’s not easyto spend the time with them they need if you’ve got dressings to do, medications to give. You know what I mean. I particularly wanted to see Danny.’
    ‘Danny,’ he repeated softly. Of course she’d want to do everything she could for Danny and his family. She would know that his chances of getting through the next year or two were slim. His cancer had already spread.
    ‘He’s staying overnight…but of course you know,’ she added, flushing slightly.
    ‘Yes.’
    He wanted to ask her if she was okay, but he wouldn’t. It wasn’t the time or place. He guessed no one else in the hospital knew about her past, about Sam. And he had to respect that.
    Marnie appeared with more coffee.
    ‘Sorry I took so long,’ she said with a grin. ‘Everyone decided to come at once.’ She glanced over at a table where a family of four sat with what looked like a mountain of sandwiches, cakes and bottled soft drinks. ‘Can I get you anything else?’
    Richard shook his head and glanced at his companion.
    ‘Nothing for me,’ she said.
    He pushed his empty cup out of the way and began absently