Page 19 of Love on the Run
Although glad to hear it, Hannah couldn’t blame him for wanting to leave. As first impressions went, she supposed as a family, they’d proved themselves a treat.
“Not on our account, I hope,” Mum said.
Who else’s?Hannah thought.
Gabe turned his attention to Hannah. “Take care of that ankle, yeah?”
She nodded.
“And please get some trainers that fit.”
As far as Hannah was concerned, she didn’t need to. Her running days were over. She fixed Gabe with a smile. “While we’re dishing out advice, you might want to get your eyes tested.”
“What are you talking about? What’s happened to her ankle?” Janice asked.
Hannah shook her head in despair. If her mum hadn’t been ogling, she’d have noticed Hannah’s injured foot for herself. “I tripped and fell.”
“While you were out jogging, I suppose?” Janice sniffed. “If God wanted us to run, he’d have made us all as fit as your boyfriend here.”
“Again, he’s not my boyfriend.”
Janice ignored Hannah. “Isn’t that right, Gabe?”
Moving to leave, he clearly found the situation funny.
It was the first time Hannah had seen him properly smile. If he was handsome when he was annoyed, he was even more lovely when he wasn’t.
“Nice to meet you, ladies,” he said. Giving Hannah a parting wink, Gabe made his exit.
Janice and Dorothy craned their necks to watch him go, leaving Hannah unable to believe what she was seeing.
As soon as the front door closed behind Gabe, Janice turned to Hannah with a smirk.
“Well, well, well. Aren’t you the dark horse.”
“Curb your enthusiasm, Mother,” Hannah said. “I’ve already told you things aren’t what you think.”
Janice’s face fell. “They’re not what I’d hoped, you mean.” She sighed. “I should have known it was too good to be true.”
“Yes, you should.” Hannah snickered to herself, remembering the time Janice assumed the chap from the electricity board was Hannah’s new suitor. The poor man had only called to read the meter. While on another occasion Janice mistook the window cleaner for a person of interest. Anyone else and the fact that he carried a squeegee and was at the kitchen sink filling up a bucket of water would have been clue enough.
“Before you say it,” Janice said, as if reading Hannah’s mind. “I’m not the only one to have thought window cleaners were a thing of the past.” With a wounded expression, she turned to Dorothy. “Am I so wrong for wanting my daughter to experience even a smidgen of happiness?” She looked back at Hannah. “No one’s trying to marry you off. It’s called getting out there and enjoying yourself once in a while.”
“I do have fun as a single woman, you know.”
“Really?” Janice said. “I can’t say I’ve noticed.”
Janice had made it clear that she hated Hannah’s single status. She seemed convinced that if she didn’t do something about it, Hannah would end up with a house full of cats in her dotage. Hannah opened her mouth to defend herself, but Janice shut her down.
“And please don’t give me that rubbish about being too busy caring for Beth and Archie to even think about having a life. The twins are practically adults.”
Hannah looked at her mum, aghast. “They’refifteen.”
“Exactly! They’ll be off to university in a couple of years or so.” Janice scoffed. “What excuse will you come up with then?”
Hannah threw her head back against the sofa arm. “I give up.”
“Believe me, you did that a long time ago.” Janice returned her attention to Hannah’s aunt. “Now, where do you want Denis?”
