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‘Well done,’ she said, standing back when the session was over ‘That can’t have been much fun’

‘Fun?’ Turning over, he grimaced ‘If torture is fun, that was hilarious You’re a lot stronger than you look’

Wasn’t that the truth? Helping her father out of his financial difficulties was only half the story When her ht nu, only now he had a hangover to cope with, while Jess changed his sheets, washed his clothes and begged him to please take a shower She suspected that these were secrets many other families were forced to keep

As much as it had hurt like hell, the whole sorry experience hadas well as mentally robust The first time she’d picked him up off the stairs, she’d strained her back A refresher class in recovering unconscious patients from the floor had reminded her of techniques she should use to avoid injury One step at a ti for the broken man her father had become ‘One step at a time,’ she’d whispered when he sobbed in her arms

Now, thanks to the sale of the ponies, those dark nights were behind hi and took a shower every day The washing ular cycle Jess rejoiced to see him recover, but if she was totally honest she could see that being strong for her father had left her with no ti her jaw She had responsibilities, and a job to do, which she was good at

What had caused the shadows in Jess’s eyes? Dante reflected Had someone hurt her?

Dante didn’t invite questions into his life, and if Jess wanted to tell hi omen who had so many onion skins to peel away before their true self was revealed, or maybe he’d never had the time or the inclination to do so before Compared to Jess, those other women seemed like mannequins to him now Jess was real—so real he missed the rapport they’d shared before their spat in the car Their banter enlivened hiely down to hi back to full fitness i her best to help

‘Don’t rush off,’ he said as she packed up her kit Swinging off the couch, he tested his legnot too bad ‘A lot of water has passed beneath the bridge since that kitten peed down your front, and you’ve shared so little with me’

‘While you’ve been incredibly forthco,’ Jess observed dryly

‘Touché,’ he conceded with a shrug and a sise’

That stopped her dead in her tracks ‘I’m sorry?’

‘I was unreasonable in the car’

‘You were in pain’

He didn’t want understanding; he wanted a return to the up and down relationship they’d shared before That was never boring Professional civility was borderline ‘We can continue to snipe at each other or—’

‘Iinto the woies,’ she added

‘For caring for a kitten?’ He grinned ‘Apology unnecessary’

‘They were cute, weren’t they?’

She looked wistful as she thought back, no doubt re her to theher how to care for kittens How lovely she was

‘I have to go,’ she said, breaking the spell ‘Apologies again, but I can’t stay to chat I pro I can do to help with the wedding’

‘That’s very kind of you’

‘I am kind’

Yes, she was, and he’d almost lost her Even noas as if the connection between them had been reduced to the slimmest of threads He wanted to kiss her, reassure her, and banish that sad look in her eyes, but not yet This was not the time

‘Dante?’ she queried ‘What are you thinking? You look so far away, yet so intense’

He snapped to i about your charity event’

‘It was a good day, wasn’t it?’

‘A very good day Successful, I hope?’

‘Massively,’ she admitted ‘Mostly thanks to you’

He shrugged this off ‘It was your day You organised it’ Jess was always thinking up ways to help others Why hadn’t someone helped Jess?

‘Theto me is that it lifted my father’

He nodded in agreea of Jireat man had been devastated by the death of his childhood sweetheart When his wife had died Jiround and hadn’t been seen for several seasons Surely souessed she’d put on a brave face because that ho she was Her father had relied on her co Jess had achieved personally, or for hirit She didn’t deserve to be abandoned noith no one to confide in

‘Three sessions too