Page 61 of Six Steps to Happiness
Ronnie rolled her eyes. “Spit it out.”
Willow turned to face her. “I know Grandmother’s sick,” she ventured. “And that’s where our focus needs to be, but, Mum, I’m going to say it anyway.”
“Say what?”
“You could do worse.”
Ronnie frowned. “You’re seeing something that isn’t there.”
“Oh, come on. He might not have admitted it yet, but believe me, PC Jack Shenton is besotted. And, dare I say it, so are you.”
“Rubbish.” Having admitted her feelings towards the man once, Ronnie wasn’t about to make that mistake again.
“Really? He hangs around hospitals for everyone, does he?”
“He might do. If he’s personally escorted them.”
Willow raised her eyebrows. “And you leteveryman you meet stroke your arm like that, do you? The bloke hasn’t kept his hands to himself since we landed.”
Ronnie felt herself blush. The truth was, she’d noticed Jack’s familiarity too. She was glad of it, but it also scared her, and unlike her daughter, Ronnie refused to let herself read too much into things. Jack had shown her affection before, they’d kissed, gotten passionate. And then when she was honest with him, he ran. As far as Ronnie was concerned, the man was only doing his job, a bit of crime prevention, no doubt. Knowing him, he probably thought she’d go on some sort of spree if he wasn’t around to keep an eye on her.
“The tension between the two of you is tan-gi-ble,” Willow said. “You need to sort yourselves out, talk things through. Or at least have a shag to get it out of your systems.”
“Willow!”
Her daughter put her palms up, feigning defeat. “I’m only saying.”
“Well, don’t. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
With nothing else to do except glance around the room again, Ronnie heard Nick before she saw him.
“I’m here about my mother,” he called out to the receptionist before he’d even properly stepped through the doorway.
Ronnie stiffened as she looked up to spot him, unfortunately with Gaye in tow.
“Why is she here?” Willow asked.
Nick scanned the waiting area, his eyes falling on Ronnie. “It doesn’t matter,” he said to the receptionist.
Ronnie rose to her feet as Nick headed directly for her. As he approached, she prepared to tell him what little she knew about Bea’s condition.
“What happened?” he asked, his voice demanding.
Willow jumped up, seemingly aligning herself next to Ronnie. “We’re still waiting to hear from the doctors.”
“I’m not talking to you,” Nick replied. “And besides, that doesn’t answer my question.”
With both Nick and Gaye’s eyes on her, Ronnie could tell that they weren’t in the mood for facts, that they already blamed her for events regardless. And seeing their impatience as they waited for her to speak, she felt under pressure to explain something she knew they’d refuse to understand. “I don’t know what happened. We were out clothes shopping. One minute everything was fine, then it wasn’t. Bea went pale and she felt dizzy, that’s when we brought her here.”
“Shopping? You mean you dragged a seventy-odd-year-old woman around town so you could buy some fancy clothes?”
“No, Nick. That’s not what I mean.”
“Dad,” Willow said. “This isn’t Mum’s fault.”
“Seventy-three,” Ronnie said.
“What?” Nick scowled, looking at her like she’d lost the plot.
