‘It’s great for me, too. Sophie and I work the early shift, so Mum gets Sam up and takes him to school and then I’m there to pick him up.’ She smiled lazily. ‘Mum’s joined a book club and the local women’s guild. She’s a busy women these days.’
‘Not so much at first, then? After your father died?’
‘No. My dad was her whole world. It took a while before she was able to pick herself up again when he died.’
Supporting her mother through her grief, and looking after a child on her own. It can’t have been easy for Hannah. Maybe her fierce determination had been forged in that fire. ‘It must have been difficult for you, too.’
Her finger started to tap on the side of her glass, the rhythm suggesting stress. ‘I made my mistakes. Not being there when my dad died. Getting pregnant with someone who didn’t want to know.’
‘You were just...living your life, weren’t you?’
Hannah gave a dry laugh. ‘I’d feel better about it if I had been. I’m not sure that I actually was living my life, my ambitions were always to go into medicine. I was just blindly following someone who turned out to be the wrong guy.’
Matt knew he was the wrong guy, too. He had a lot in common with Sam’s father, he couldn’t stay in one place for too long, and he didn’t know how to take on the responsibility of being a father. A concerned and dedicated doctor was about as much commitment as he could manage.
He had no answer for Hannah. But she smiled suddenly, providing her own.
‘We live and learn, though. I know that I belong here.’
‘It’s a good place to belong.’ A great place. Hannah had attained her ambitions work-wise and she was raising a happy little boy who wasn’t afraid of the world.
Sam ran out of the kitchen, wearing a super-hero apron. He flung himself across Hannah’s legs, dislodging the ice-pack which slithered onto the decking.
‘Aunt Sophie says I’ve got to come and see if you’re moving.’
‘Well, you can tell her I’m staying absolutely still.’ Hannah smiled, stroking her son’s hair.
‘I mixed the burgers.’ Sam decided that he should report on his own progress.
‘Did you? I can’t wait to taste them.’
Sam nodded sagely. ‘Aunt Sophie’s got to cook them first or they’ll make you ill. You’ll have to wait.’
‘Yes, I dare say I will. Did you wash your hands?’
‘Yes.’ Sam held out his hands, and Hannah went through the motions of inspecting them. Then he scooted back into the kitchen, clearly not wanting to miss anything that was going on in there.
‘So... Are we good for next week?’ Sam had broken the train of thought that had been carrying Matt to the inevitable conclusion that he would never be able to touch Hannah in the way he wanted to. That was just as well, it was better not to even consider the prospect.
‘We’re good.’ She flashed him a mischievous smile. ‘Since I’m not supposed to move, I can’t pick that ice-pack up, can I?’
Matt went to stand, then leaned back in his seat, realising that Hannah was teasing him. ‘It’s a therapeutic measure. I’ll give you a special dispensation.’
She snorted with laughter, leaning forward and grabbing the ice-pack from the ground, gesturing towards him with it as if she were about to lay it on his skin, and Matt chuckled. Hannah was enchanting, and he couldn’t help wanting to know her better. Wanting to feel her again, hugging him as they won another victory together. If he had to wait another week for that, then patience was his new best friend.
CHAPTER SEVEN
THERE WAS A subtle difference in the way that Hannah greeted him the following Saturday. Something had changed.
They were both still nervously anticipating what the day might hold. But they were a team now. Ready to push each other to the limit, instead of just pushing themselves. The competitors were sent to separate rooms on the ground floor of the yellow team’s hospital, and after a few minutes a production assistant entered.
‘One of you is to come with me.’
Which one? Before Matt could volunteer to go, Hannah spoke.
‘I’ll go.’
He swallowed down the questions about whether her knee was all right now, and if he shouldn’t be the one to pave the way. Hannah was fearless, and she wanted to be first.