One Night Only (211 page)

Samanth
a
looke
d
Rut
h
u
p
an
d
dow
n
i
n
disgust
.
“
W
e
though
t
w
e
ha
d
go
t
ri
d
o
f
you
,
onc
e
an
d
fo
r
all,
”
sh
e
said. “Bu
t
yo
u
ar
e
wors
e
tha
n
an
y
cance
r
.
Y
o
u
jus
t
won
’
t
go awa
y
,
wil
l
you?
”

Rut
h
clenche
d
he
r
fist
s
a
s
Poll
y
looke
d
o
n
i
n
horro
r
.
Cancer
?
Shit
!
Pleas
e
don
’
t
hi
t
he
r
,
sh
e
thought
,
eve
n
though th
e
gir
l
deserve
d
mor
e
tha
n
a
goo
d
sla
p
acros
s
th
e
ja
w
.

“
I
wil
l
no
t
le
t
yo
u
poiso
n
m
y
mothe
r
an
y
longe
r
,
”
said Ruth
.
“
Y
o
u
ar
e
th
e
cance
r
.
Y
o
u
ar
e
th
e
on
e
wh
o
too
k
my
plac
e
i
n
he
r
lif
e
an
d
convince
d
he
r
I
wa
s
som
e
sor
t
o
f
evil
offsprin
g
wh
o
wa
s
ou
t
t
o
rui
n
he
r
marriage!
”

“Whic
h
i
s
exactl
y
wha
t
yo
u
are!
”
sai
d
Samantha. “
Y
o
u
gav
e
u
p
you
r
plac
e
i
n
th
e
famil
y
whe
n
yo
u
mad
e
my
fathe
r
fee
l
lik
e
a
criminal
!
Ther
e
coul
d
hav
e
bee
n
roo
m
for bot
h
o
f
us
,
bu
t
yo
u
couldn
’
t
handl
e
th
e
fac
t
tha
t
your mothe
r
love
d
hi
m
mor
e
tha
n
sh
e
love
d
you!
”

Tha
t
wa
s
it
.
Tha
t
wa
s
th
e
fina
l
blo
w
fo
r
Ruth
.
She
couldn
’
t
liste
n
t
o
thi
s
veno
m
an
y
longe
r
.
Sh
e
woul
d
find he
r
mothe
r
,
i
n
whateve
r
war
d
sh
e
la
y
o
n
i
n
thi
s
hospital an
d
sh
e
woul
d
tal
k
t
o
he
r
,
ge
t
th
e
closur
e
sh
e
neede
d
and the
n
sh
e
woul
d
mov
e
on
.
Sh
e
didn
’
t
nee
d
permissio
n
from th
e
strange
r
wh
o
stoo
d
befor
e
he
r
.
Sh
e
wasn
’
t
afrai
d
of Samanth
a
Dillon
.
No
t
an
y
more
.

“Let
’
s
go
,
Poll
y
,
”
sh
e
said
,
stil
l
starin
g
int
o
Samantha
’
s
face
.
“
I
don
’
t
nee
d
t
o
loo
k
o
r
liste
n
t
o
thi
s
an
y
more
.
I’m
goin
g
t
o
fin
d
m
y
mothe
r
.
”

“
Y
ou
r
mothe
r
ha
s
cance
r
,
Ruth,
”
sai
d
Samantha
.
“She ha
s
ha
d
i
t
fo
r
months.
”

Rut
h
froz
e
t
o
th
e
spo
t
an
d
he
r
eye
s
blurre
d
an
d
her ear
s
hear
d
nothin
g
mor
e
tha
t
Samanth
a
ha
d
t
o
sa
y
.
Her mothe
r
wa
s
dying
.

“Ruth?
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“Ruth?
”

Polly
’
s
hear
t
wa
s
thumpin
g
an
d
sh
e
coul
d
fee
l
her whol
e
inside
s
shake
.

“Thank
s
fo
r
lettin
g
m
e
kno
w
,
Samantha,
”
sai
d
Ruth an
d
sh
e
slowl
y
walke
d
awa
y
,
leavin
g
Poll
y
t
o
follo
w
he
r
.
“
I
a
t
leas
t
deserve
d
t
o
know!
”

T
es
s
tie
d
he
r
hai
r
bac
k
i
n
a
lo
w
pony-tai
l
the
n
twiste
d
it int
o
a
bu
n
an
d
pinne
d
i
t
a
t
th
e
nap
e
o
f
he
r
neck
.
Sh
e
had dar
k
ring
s
aroun
d
he
r
eye
s
whic
h
wer
e
bloodsho
t
and sor
e
fro
m
lac
k
o
f
sleep
,
ove
r
-indulgenc
e
an
d
vomiting, an
d
he
r
ski
n
wa
s
past
y
an
d
dr
y
.
Sh
e
glance
d
a
t
th
e
white pape
r
ba
g
tha
t
sa
t
o
n
to
p
o
f
th
e
toile
t
cistern
.
I
t
was
challengin
g
he
r
t
o
tak
e
th
e
plung
e
an
d
fin
d
ou
t
on
e
way o
r
anothe
r
i
f
he
r
illnes
s
wa
s
connecte
d
t
o
impending unplanne
d
motherhoo
d
o
r
i
f
i
t
wa
s
simpl
y
th
e
strain
s
o
f
a
ver
y
heav
y
weekend
.