One Night Only (224 page)

Bria
n
wa
s
a
t
th
e
gat
e
no
w
bu
t
ther
e
wa
s
n
o
fea
r
that
h
e
woul
d
g
o
an
y
furthe
r
.
W
ithou
t
Samanth
a
an
d
hi
s
moth
e
r
around
,
h
e
wa
s
weake
r
tha
n
eve
r
.

“I
tried
to
talk
them
round,”
he
said.
“I
told
them
you
h
a
d
a
righ
t
t
o
kno
w
bu
t
the
y
mad
e
m
e
swea
r
tha
t
I
wouldn
’
t
.
Y
o
u
don
’
t
kno
w
ho
w
man
y
time
s
I
almos
t
called
you
!
I
ha
d
n
o
ide
a
yo
u
wer
e
back
.
Ho
w
lon
g
hav
e
yo
u
been
back
?
Maybe
,
yo
u
kno
w
,
whe
n
al
l
thi
s
i
s
ove
r
,
w
e
c
an
c
a
t
c
h
up?
”

Rut
h
gav
e
th
e
summe
r
sea
t
on
e
las
t
heav
e
int
o
th
e
back
o
f
th
e
Jeep
.
I
t
wa
s
eas
y
a
s
Poll
y
ha
d
pu
t
th
e
bac
k
seat
s
down t
o
fi
t
i
t
i
n
an
d
th
e
doo
r
close
d
withou
t
an
y
problems
.

“Catc
h
up
?
Whe
n
it
’
s
al
l
over?
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
Sh
e
ha
d
her hand
s
o
n
he
r
hip
s
no
w
an
d
Poll
y
notice
d
tha
t
he
r
eyes
wer
e
ful
l
o
f
tears
,
despit
e
he
r
bravado
.
“
Y
o
u
chicken
!
Y
ou absolut
e
piec
e
o
f
stinkin
g
chicken-shit
!
I
f
I
wasn
’
t
good enoug
h
t
o
‘catc
h
up
’
wit
h
whe
n
ou
r
mothe
r
wa
s
here,
the
n
don
’
t
yo
u
eve
n
dar
e
thin
k
o
f
catchin
g
u
p
wit
h
me
whe
n
sh
e
i
s
gone
!
I
hav
e
bee
n
throug
h
hel
l
an
d
bac
k
over th
e
pas
t
fe
w
year
s
an
d
no
t
on
e
o
f
yo
u
gav
e
a
shi
t
about
m
e
the
n
an
d
yo
u
don
’
t
giv
e
a
shi
t
abou
t
m
e
now!
”

“Ruth
,
you’r
e
upset,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“Let
’
s
jus
t
g
o
home.”
Sh
e
pu
t
he
r
han
d
o
n
Ruth
’
s
elbo
w
bu
t
sh
e
shrugge
d
it awa
y
.

“
I
haven
’
t
finishe
d
yet,
”
sh
e
said
.
Sh
e
wa
s
cryin
g
no
w
.
Sh
e
wa
s
lettin
g
i
t
al
l
out
.

“I’
m
sorry!
”
sai
d
Brian
.
H
e
wa
s
grippin
g
th
e
to
p
o
f
the gat
e
an
d
h
e
looke
d
lik
e
a
littl
e
bo
y
.
H
e
reall
y
di
d
loo
k
like
h
e
wa
s
sorr
y
bu
t
fo
r
Rut
h
i
t
wa
s
to
o
lat
e
fo
r
apologies.
Sh
e
ha
d
waite
d
fo
r
so
,
s
o
long
.

“Al
l
I
wante
d
.
.
.
”
sh
e
sniffled
,
“al
l
I
wante
d
wa
s
just on
e
sign
.
Jus
t
a
sig
n
t
o
sho
w
m
e
tha
t
ther
e
woul
d
b
e
a
glimme
r
o
f
hop
e
tha
t
I
woul
d
b
e
accepte
d
b
y
yo
u
all again
.
Bu
t
tha
t
sig
n
neve
r
came
.
I
ha
d
t
o
g
o
lookin
g
fo
r
it a
t
th
e
hospita
l
an
d
I
foun
d
ou
t
tha
t
ther
e
neve
r
wa
s
a
sign.
That
’
s
wh
y
i
t
neve
r
came
.
Ther
e
neve
r
wa
s
on
e
i
n
th
e
first place
.
I
wis
h
yo
u
well
,
Brian
.
I
hop
e
yo
u
ar
e
prou
d
o
f
the
decision
s
you’v
e
mad
e
bu
t
I
ge
t
th
e
feelin
g
tha
t
it
’
s
your
loss
,
no
t
mine
.
Goodbye.
”