Brian Thomas had owned the cinema since the nineteen-fifties, and it had flourished in the next couple of decades; then it had floundered with the rise of multiplex cinemas and customers demanding something more sophisticated than an old, slightly shabby picture house. One article even described ...
“The hospital’s really pleased with the way Gram’s responding to the physical therapy and the speech therapy. They said today she’ll be back with me as normal in a week, so can I assume it’s fine to bring her back here?” Jolene blew out a breath. “Ry, that’s a hard one. Yes, we can do that – but ...
Chapter Eight AMY’S skin suddenly felt too tight. Talk about it. No. She’d resisted the idea of counselling for a good reason. ‘Talking won’t change a thing.’ ‘Funny, someone told me not so long ago that it would make a difference. That talking won’t change the past, but it might change the way y...
Oh, for pity’s sake. This was the sort of summer evening event that was often held in the park of a stately home, or possibly in a municipal park or seaside resort as part of a week’s carnival event. He couldn’t believe that there was only one event available that evening....
She hadn’t walked in, but she couldn’t move away from the door frame. It was girlie, but not over-the-top—pink walls so soft in color that they were almost white and pretty polka-dot curtains that reminded Poppy of her own room when she was a child. It was the room she’d l...
For once, his car stereo was silent, and the grim set of his jaw told Flora that he wasn’t in the mood for conversation, either. He parked outside one of the cottages near the cliffs, and she noticed his hand was shaking as he opened the front door. He took a deep breath when he stepped inside, t...
Although it was still relatively early on a Saturday night, most visitors had obviously gone home because it was easy to find a space in the hospital car park. They had enough change between them to feed the parking meter, and at last they were striding down the corridors to the coronary care uni...
‘Even if she’s not in a good mood to start with,’ Erin said, ‘bouncing about will get her endorphins going. And it’s not just jumping on a trampoline. There’s an obstacle course and an airbag, and you can play dodgeball—so she can enjoy chucking a ball at you. In fact, she can have a competition ...
Marina was working with Max in Resus, and there was a constant stream of cases—a woman with chest pain, a man with severe abdominal pain and an elderly man with a transient ischaemic attack. The team was working flat out, and they had just about enough time to grab half a sandwich before the next...
Rico didn’t usually ring her during office hours. Was something wrong? ‘Hello, Rico?’ ‘Ella bellezza, do you have your diary handy?’ ‘Yes. Why?’ ‘I need to book a meeting with you.’ ‘You’re seeing me tonight,’ she said. ‘Why do you need to book a meeting with me?’ ‘Because the meeting’s going to ...
And I’d like to draw your attention to a very romantic gesture. There’s a single red rose on that tray.’She smiled. ‘For a student, you know, that’s terribly extravagant.’He laughed, leaned back against the pillows and pulled her into his arms. ‘I’m not your average student.’‘You’re not average a...
She’d never been very good at holding her liquor. But at least the delicious, nutmeggy rum had managed to do what every piece of clothing she’d packed—plus the patchwork quilt off the bed—hadn’t. She was warm right down to her bones. Even if she did look like Kenny from South Park with the faux-f...
And thought about it some more. Luke had been honest with her. Totally open. If she chose to see where this took them, her whole life would change. She’d be dating someone in the public eye. Everything they did would be reported. Sometimes it would be twisted, simply to sell a news story, totally...
Can’t do this any more. Wish I could be different. Serena stared at the screen. Was she really reading this, or had she fallen asleep and was having some kind of nightmare? She flicked out of the message and back in again, just to check; but it still said the same. &...
Her consulting room was exactly as she’d left it, with a framed photograph of Oliver and the children on her desk and the walls decorated with a lion made out of Sophie’s handprints and a robot painted by Robin when he’d first started school. The one thing Caroline had left—in extremely neat hand...
Chapter Two ‘SO THAT’S us,’ Bill said with a smile. ‘Well, me, anyway. You really need to meet my number two.’ Daisy Bell: the woman from the photograph, according to the article. Deputy manager of the fairground. Felix was annoyed with himself for being so keen to meet her. For all he knew, she ...
And he was cross with himself for not being able to get her out of his head. This was crazy. He didn’t have room for a relationship in his life. He’d made sure of that, filling his time with work and his horse. When he wasn’t at the hospital, he was at the stables. He went on team nights out with...
‘Oh, and you might like to see this.’ He handed over a press cutting. ‘It’s about your calendar. Which is selling like hot cakes from the clerks’ room, I might add. We’re getting people from every set of chambers around here coming in to buy them.’ Nick rolled his eyes. ‘The next person to ask me...
Trying to work out why, she shifted position and opened her eyes—and realised immediately that this wasn’t her bedroom. And it most definitely wasn’t her bed. The room was stark, functional and very masculine: it had to be Quinn’s bedroom, because she couldn’t remember a t...