‘I thought it was the best way to proceed,’ George seethed through gritted teeth.
‘And since when were Greeters paid to think?’ Arthur sneered.
George moved away and ran his hand over his hair. I could see the anger in his face.
‘Excuse me, Arthur,’ I said, moving to George. ‘Is there some sort of problem here?’
Arthur looked at George and laughed. ‘Yes, you could say that.’
‘Something about procedures?’
‘He doesn’t follow them.’
‘OK,’ I said as I straightened the lapels of Arthur’s jacket. ‘And can I just say I love the cut of this jacket.’ Arthur’s face softened as he nodded his agreement. ‘Anyway, about those procedures. Wasn’t this George’s first time as a Greeter?’ He nodded. ‘And wasn’t the plan that he help me to resolve my issues?’
‘Yes,’ Arthur agreed reluctantly.
‘Well, here I am. So what’s the problem?’
Arthur lifted his nose again and took another deep breath.
‘He didn’t follow procedures.’ Arthur took a step away. He stood with his hands in his pockets and a smirk on his face. ‘And I have to tell you,’ he said. ‘They took a very dim view to the relationship the pair of you have formed.’ George and I looked at each other. ‘A very dim view indeed.’ Arthur walked to the table and separated the top sheet from the rest. He put it to one side and tucked the rest under his arm. ‘I’ll leave that with you, George,’ he said. ‘Fill it in at your leisure and drop it into the office.’ He held out his hand to me, ‘It was nice meeting you, Ellen. Welcome to the Other Side.’
I shook his hand without saying anything. As he moved towards the door Arthur stopped and added, ‘When you do drop it off, George, you might also want to pick up your cards. The boss won’t be using you again.’
The door closed behind him.
‘Sorry.’ I didn’t know what else to say.
He shrugged. ‘Doesn’t matter.’
I moved a step closer to him. ‘For what it’s worth,’ I said, ‘I’m glad I got you.’
George put his arms around me and spoke into the top of my head. It sounded like, ‘And I’m glad I finally found you,’ but it couldn’t have been. That wouldn’t have made any sense.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A lot have people are responsible for getting me where I am today and I am indebted to each and every one of them.
John, John and Andrew – aka my men – thank you for your love and for not laughing at my dream.
My dear friend Jan Weiss, thank you for your encouragement over the decades. Only you truly know what it has taken for me to get here.
My parents and my siblings, thank you for always making me feel special. I just wish Mum and Dad could have lived another month so I could have told them about this book.
I have to give a special thank you to the staff of Sunderland Royal Hospital, especially those in ICCU, the renal unit and ward B28. You saved my life and then returned me to health and I will never be able to thank you enough.
Last be not least, thank you to everyone at Accent Press. I would like to give special mentions to Hazel Cushion for creating a beautiful place, Rebecca Lloyd for her guidance and to Alex Davies for making this book the best it could be.
If there is anyone that I have forgotten, please accept my apologies but know that you are forever in my heart.
If you lost everything in one night, what would you do?
Saffron is studying for a promising career in medicine until a horrific accident changes her life for ever. Needing to escape London, she moves to a small coastal town to live with her mother. Saffron hates the small town existence and feels trapped until she meets Joe, another outsider. Despite initial misgivings, they grow closer to each other as they realise they have a lot in common. Like Saffron, Joe has a complicated past … one that’s creeping up on his present. Can Joe escape his demons for long enough to live a normal life – and can Saffron reveal the truth about what really happened on that fateful night? Love is the one thing they need most, but will they – can they – risk it?
Redemption Song is a captivating, insightful look at what happens when everything goes wrong – and the process of putting the pieces back together again.
For more information about Jos Andrews
and other Accent Press titles
please visit
www.accentpress.co.uk
Things I Should Have Said and Done
© 2016 Colette McCormick
Colette McCormick asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. All rights reserved. This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United Kingdom. Any reproduction or other unauthorised use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited without the express written permission of the Publisher.
The story contained within this book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the Publisher.
Published in the United Kingdom by
Accent Press
www.accentpress.co.uk
Paperback ISBN: 9781786154248
eBook ISBN: 9781786150233
First Edition: November 2016
Category: Contemporary Women’s Fiction
Things I Should Have Said and Done Page 22