“I might have done.”
At least the woman was honest.
Dorothy added her knitting to the bag of provisions she’d put together. A flask of tea, bottles of water, oranges, crisps and a packet of biscuits; what Aunt Dorothy called essentials, Hannah called a picnic. “You didn’t exactly embrace your last training session, Hannah.”
Hannah sighed, forced to admit she had whinged more than usual during their one-to-one. Moreover, she hadn’t exactly welcomed him onto the team afterwards. All things considered, if Aunt Dorothy was hoping to upgrade Hannah’s reputation, she was on to a loser. “I suppose I was a bit of a baby.”
Dorothy laughed. “A bit?”
“In my defence, you didn’t see what he put me through. I’m telling you, as personality changes go, that man’s worse than Jekyll and Hyde.”
Dorothy laughed again, while a knock at the door indicated Gabe’s arrival.
“It might help if you remember you’re not entering the Olympics,” Dorothy said. “Charity runs are meant to be fun. At least try to enjoy yourself.”
“Easy for you to say.”
Gabe was back behind the wheel by the time Dorothy and Hannah exited the house. Hannah indicated her aunt sit in the front seat and locking the door behind them, she climbed into the rear with Dorothy’s provisions bag.
Dorothy and Gabe chatted amiably as they drove to the sports centre. She told him how much she was relishing her stay and he suggested a few local attractions that she might want to visit. Gabe behaved nothing like the drill sergeant he’d been the last time Hannah saw him. Gabe was relaxed and showed interest when Dorothy talked knitting patterns and was patient when she went into great detail about her favourite soap opera’s latest storyline.
Listening to the two of them, Hannah felt guilty for the things she’d said about Gabe. Maybe Dorothy was right. Maybe Hannah was taking the sponsored run too seriously. Maybe she took everything too seriously.
Gabe looked at Hannah through the rear-view mirror. “You’re quiet back there.”
Meeting his gaze, their eyes locked for a moment and Hannah had to blink herself free. “Just enjoying the ride.”
“She’s conserving her energy,” Dorothy said, clearly hell-bent on showing Hannah in a good light.
While Gabe returned his attention to the road, Hannah stared out of the side window. Watching the world go by, she was determined to enjoy that evening like Dorothy had suggested.
At last, reaching their destination, Gabe pulled up at the entrance so Dorothy and Hannah could alight, before he drove off to find a proper parking space. “Leave that,” he said as Hannah took hold of Dorothy’s bag. “I’ll bring it.”
Seeing Mel and Liv already there to greet them, Hannah smiled. She looked forward to a quick catch up before Gabe reappeared and put them to work. Spotting they weren’t alone, her expression froze and her stomach sank. “What’sshedoing here?”
CHAPTER27
Hannah frowned, as she watched Francesca stare at her own reflection in the sports centre panes of glass. The woman faffed with her hair, making sure her long brunette ponytail remained perfect. Anyone would think they were about to take part in a fashion show not a workout session.
“She overheard us talking about the race,” Mel said, keeping her voice low. “And invited herself onto the team.”
“We don’t want her here either, but we couldn’t exactly say no,” Liv said. “Not when it’s all for charity.”
Hannah appreciated their dilemma. Refusing to let Francesca join the team would have contradicted the public-spirited nature of the event. Plus, in her bid to be the best at everything, Francesca was bound to raise a tonne of money.
Suddenly clocking Hannah’s reflection in the glass, Francesca turned to face her. “Hannah. How lovely to see you.”
Francesca oozed confidence in her black Lycra leggings and the tightest of vest tops. Teamed with brilliant white trainers, the whole ensemble was obviously brand new, and Hannah would have put money on her buying the lot especially for the occasion. Hannah fake smiled. “Good to see you too.”
Francesca raised her eyebrows. “I hope you’re ready to run for your life.”
It was just like Francesca to issue a challenge, Hannah considered. The woman couldn’t seem to help herself. When they got down to it, she’d probably inform everyone they weren’t taking enough steps per minute the way she did calls per hour at work.
Francesca looked to Dorothy. “And you are?”
Dorothy beamed with pride. “The team captain.”
Francesca appeared momentarily confused, as if not sure she’d heard correctly. Suddenly, her expression relaxed, and she let out a laugh. “Good one,” she said, shaking her head as if Dorothy had been joking. Turning her back on Dorothy altogether, Francesca addressed Mel and Liv. “I’ll meet you inside.”
