been trying to meet Carson Page for months.’
So that was it. She couldn’t really blame Dan. He worked hard and he had his way to make in the world. But tonight had been about Joey and his needs, and Dan’s opportunism jarred with her.
While Joey got into the shower she returned to his room to fetch the towelling robe she’d seen hanging behind his door. On the way back, she stopped and looked over the banisters. She could just see where Dan and Carson were sitting together, talking. At least, Dan was talking. All she could see of Carson was his back, but something in the set of his shoulders told her that he was finding Dan’s monologue hard going.
Joey turned off the shower and came out straight into the bathrobe she was holding up for him.
‘An—ooo!’ he said painfully. Thank you.
She put him to bed, and asked him, signing, if he wanted to read. He shook his head and lay looking up at her from his pillow, smiling. He seemed relaxed and happy, quite different from the tense, nervous child of the afternoon. Impulsively Gina leaned down and kissed him.
‘Is he ready to go to sleep?’ Carson asked from the door.
‘Just waiting for you to come and say goodnight,’ Gina told him.
She stood back so that father and son could hug each other, but Carson only said awkwardly, ‘Goodnight, son.’
Joey struggled to say goodnight, and managed the word pretty well, but Gina could feel Carson’s tension.
‘Goodnight, Joey,’ she said.
She was about to turn away, but Joey detained her with a hand on her arm. She sat on his bed and watched as he pointed at himself, then curled over the middle three fingers of his hand so that the thumb and the little finger made a Y shape. With this he made a gentle waving motion, then finished by pointing at her. A shy smile touched his lips.
‘What did he say?’ Carson asked.
‘He says he likes me.’ Smiling, Gina indicated herself, made the Y gesture, then pointed at Joey.
I like you.
Suddenly she was gasping for breath as a pair of young arms tightened around her neck in an embrace that was both eager and desperate. She hugged him back, but it was some time before she could make him release her.
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