bet you how long it would be before you had to go to the loo again. He had a girlfriend and sometimes she'd show up at a poker game with their kid and beg him not to spend their money. He'd tell her to shut up nagging and send her home. One night, when he was completely cleaned out, he bet their flat. It was the only possession they had left and he gave it away, just like that.'
Dee gasped. She had been taking everything he said with a grain of salt but the look on his face told her that this was true. 'What did she do?'
'She took the kid and went home to her mother.'
'And what happened to him?'
He shook his head. 'I don't know. I never saw him after that. It was the wake-up call I needed and I joined Gamblers Anonymous.' He looked down at Sam's picture and smiled. 'I was probably at my first meeting the week this guy was born.'
'It's a pity you didn't feel I was worth changing for,' she said bitterly, 'and then you could have been with him instead of alone in Spain.'
He nodded. 'I know, I'm sorry. I suppose I had to hit rock bottom before I could start to climb back up again. Anyway, I started to work long hours so that I wouldn't have time to even think about gambling.'
'Were you still working as a barman?'
He shook his head. 'No, there was way too much temptation in the bars. I got a job as a bus driver. I took tourists back and forth between the hotels and the airport and when I wasn't working I'd go back to the flat. It was almost fifty miles inland and by the time I'd get there I'd only have time for a few hours' sleep before going back to work; there was little opportunity for me to get up to anything.'
'That was a clever move,' Dee admitted.
He nodded. 'It worked for me. Don't get me wrong, I had a few slips along the way, but I came out the other side. I've turned my life around, Dee. I saved every penny and when my boss decided he'd had enough of the sun, I bought him out.'
Dee frowned. 'When was that?'
'Just a few months ago.'
'So you're making Spain your permanent home.'
He shrugged. 'I'm not sure yet. I'm thinking of starting up a branch here.'
Dee's eyes widened. 'I see.'
'I'll be around for a few months anyway.' He looked at her and then reached into his pocket for a business card. 'I'd love to meet Sam, I'd like to get to know him, but I can understand that you might need time to think about it.'
'Neil, I really don't think—'
He stood up. 'Please, Dee, don't say anything now, just think about it. You can phone me anytime, anytime at all.'
Dee followed him out into the hall and opened the front door. For the first time she noticed the gleaming BMW convertible outside the door.
Neil followed her gaze and shrugged. 'Business is good.'
She turned the business card over and over between her fingers. 'Don't expect anything, Neil. I'm going to have to give this a lot of thought.'
'I understand that, Dee. You say when, the ball's in your court.' He touched her arm lightly, and smiled. 'Thank you for listening. I can't tell you how much it means.'
Dee watched him walk down the path and climb behind the wheel of the expensive car and then went back inside. In the kitchen she opened the envelope and stared at the cheque. Five thousand euros! That was almost three times what he had taken from her and even with interest it was way too much. She'd have to return it. The last person she wanted to be beholden to was Neil Callen.
Chapter 8
'You bloody won't return it!' Lisa had retorted later when they were sitting at the kitchen table with two mugs of tea.
Dee had abandoned her cooking plans and just dumped the prepared vegetables in a large pot for soup. She had wandered around the house after Neil had left, running through their conversation and staring at the cheque in her hands. Finally, confused and distracted, she'd called Lisa. Ger was off playing golf for the day and Lisa was at a loose end so she'd agreed to come straight over.
'I can't believe it,' Lisa said, 'after all this time. How
Dee gasped. She had been taking everything he said with a grain of salt but the look on his face told her that this was true. 'What did she do?'
'She took the kid and went home to her mother.'
'And what happened to him?'
He shook his head. 'I don't know. I never saw him after that. It was the wake-up call I needed and I joined Gamblers Anonymous.' He looked down at Sam's picture and smiled. 'I was probably at my first meeting the week this guy was born.'
'It's a pity you didn't feel I was worth changing for,' she said bitterly, 'and then you could have been with him instead of alone in Spain.'
He nodded. 'I know, I'm sorry. I suppose I had to hit rock bottom before I could start to climb back up again. Anyway, I started to work long hours so that I wouldn't have time to even think about gambling.'
'Were you still working as a barman?'
He shook his head. 'No, there was way too much temptation in the bars. I got a job as a bus driver. I took tourists back and forth between the hotels and the airport and when I wasn't working I'd go back to the flat. It was almost fifty miles inland and by the time I'd get there I'd only have time for a few hours' sleep before going back to work; there was little opportunity for me to get up to anything.'
'That was a clever move,' Dee admitted.
He nodded. 'It worked for me. Don't get me wrong, I had a few slips along the way, but I came out the other side. I've turned my life around, Dee. I saved every penny and when my boss decided he'd had enough of the sun, I bought him out.'
Dee frowned. 'When was that?'
'Just a few months ago.'
'So you're making Spain your permanent home.'
He shrugged. 'I'm not sure yet. I'm thinking of starting up a branch here.'
Dee's eyes widened. 'I see.'
'I'll be around for a few months anyway.' He looked at her and then reached into his pocket for a business card. 'I'd love to meet Sam, I'd like to get to know him, but I can understand that you might need time to think about it.'
'Neil, I really don't think—'
He stood up. 'Please, Dee, don't say anything now, just think about it. You can phone me anytime, anytime at all.'
Dee followed him out into the hall and opened the front door. For the first time she noticed the gleaming BMW convertible outside the door.
Neil followed her gaze and shrugged. 'Business is good.'
She turned the business card over and over between her fingers. 'Don't expect anything, Neil. I'm going to have to give this a lot of thought.'
'I understand that, Dee. You say when, the ball's in your court.' He touched her arm lightly, and smiled. 'Thank you for listening. I can't tell you how much it means.'
Dee watched him walk down the path and climb behind the wheel of the expensive car and then went back inside. In the kitchen she opened the envelope and stared at the cheque. Five thousand euros! That was almost three times what he had taken from her and even with interest it was way too much. She'd have to return it. The last person she wanted to be beholden to was Neil Callen.
Chapter 8
'You bloody won't return it!' Lisa had retorted later when they were sitting at the kitchen table with two mugs of tea.
Dee had abandoned her cooking plans and just dumped the prepared vegetables in a large pot for soup. She had wandered around the house after Neil had left, running through their conversation and staring at the cheque in her hands. Finally, confused and distracted, she'd called Lisa. Ger was off playing golf for the day and Lisa was at a loose end so she'd agreed to come straight over.
'I can't believe it,' Lisa said, 'after all this time. How
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