Page 51 of Playing for Keeps

“You think so? I always think she’s a bit nuts. I mean, she’s my best friend and I love her, but she can be airy fairy about some stuff.”

He tilted his head. “Surely you don’t debate that stress causes physical symptoms in the body?”

“No.” Her smiled faltered. “But not a torn rotator cuff.”

“But maybe stress causes tense muscles, which over a long period could make a person more prone to that kind of injury.” His lip twitched. “I don’t know, I’m just guessing.”

“Maybe,” she said cautiously. “But would it prevent an injury from healing?”

He gave another nonchalant shrug. “I guess if your body is under chronic stress, it won’t function at its optimal level. Which might mean healing takes longer.”

Allie looked out at the sea, spitting up white foam as it rolled onto the shore. Hugh was only saying what Bella had been saying for ages, but somehow it sounded much more convincing coming from him. A knot formed under her sternum at the thought that maybe all the time she’d spent on physical therapy might have been better spent taking care of herself in different ways.

“I wasn’t even that stressed,” she said, but knew that probably wasn’t true.

“Sorry,” Hugh said. “I shouldn’t give my medical opinion, but it’s difficult not to weigh in given how much Grey’s Anatomy I’ve watched in the last year.”

Allie’s face broke into a wide smile. “With Emmy?”

“Yes.”

She frowned. “Isn’t there a load of sex in that show?”

“Not really. A bit, but whenever anyone starts kissing, I cover Emmy’s eyes with a cushion and she does the same for me. We take it in turns to peek until the scene’s over.”

“That’s cute.”

His phone buzzed and he pulled it from his pocket. “Sorry. With Emmy away, I always have my phone on loud in case she calls.”

“It’s fine. Do you speak to her a lot when she’s with her mum?”

“We message quite a bit and speak every few days. Although, she hasn’t been in touch as much this time. Hopefully, that means she’s having fun.” A shadow fell over his eyes and he chewed his bottom lip.

“Something wrong?” she asked.

“No. Em was just acting a little strange before she left. Wanted me to sit with her at bedtime, which she hasn’t done for years. It was probably nothing.”

Allie smiled. “I meant in her message …”

“It’s not her.” His eyes darted to the phone screen. “It’s Leo giving his recommendation for a date.”

“What?” she asked, amused despite her confusion.

“Because I took Damian’s advice about surfing, Leo is now trying to convince me of his idea.”

“Which is?”

“A walk and a picnic on Dartmoor.” His eyes flicked from left to right over the screen as he read the message. “He says Caitlin has a specific spot that is the perfect place for a date.”

“Caitlin?”

“Leo’s girlfriend.” His head snapped up. “Is this really weird … them talking about where I should take you on a date?”

“No.” She beamed. “They’re talking about me specifically?”

His eyes narrowed and he looked thoughtful, like he was trying to figure out what the right answer was. “Not you, no,” he said coyly. “Any woman …”

She gave him a playful nudge with her shoulder. “I think I’d like to go to Dartmoor sometime … if you can’t find anyone else to go with.”

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