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He turned again to see her, but she had turned her head to stare out of the

He reached for her hand, squeezed it ‘Everything OK?’

‘Yes, of course Obviously I want to get back to work as soon as I can Now that I’ for long’

‘Obviously,’ he said, turning resolutely back to face the road ‘It should all be tied up one way or the other in about ten days That’s not too long to be away, is it? It is your wedding, after all’

They rolled along in silence but he could hear her thinking as clear as day

It’s not a real wedding, though, is it?

And he knew that He knew it all the way fro in the pit of his sto toto bind her to hier so badly

But, more than that, he wanted his little family

Yes, he did

He wanted his little girl and he wanted her et it—because he had to He had to make this work He had to move those wheels, push all those pieces into position himself

It was the long ga it his whole life If he didn’t push on with this, then what? The bank would sink into oblivion and this wouy would marry her

No!

He sla wheel with his open hand so suddenly that the car veered slightly off the road and Ruby turned round, alarmed

‘What’s wrong?’

‘I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to do that’ He shook his head, furious at his lack of coer, not alcohol, nothing ‘Ruby, I really want this to work’

‘I know you do’

‘No, I mean really I really want this to work It would mean the world to et it out of ’