Photo Opportunity by Jess Dee Read Free Book Online Page A

with an intensity she couldn’t read and her heart began an unsteady pounding in her chest.
    Something was different between them. The air was charged in a way it had never been before and Daniel’s touch, once casual and friendly, now seemed…heated.
    Amy wanted to say something, but any further conversation was cut off as a woman swooped down on them. “Daniel! You’re here,” she boomed. “Come with me. There are so many people waiting to meet you. I’ve organized a mini press conference to start in ten minutes.”
    He gave Amy a helpless look as Valerie Carnell, the gallery owner, whisked him away into the crowd. Amy waved him off with an encouraging smile, hoping he’d relax as the evening wore on. She hoped she’d relax too. All this nervous energy between the two of them made her jumpy.
    She accepted a glass of wine from a passing waiter, took a few large sips and when she felt a little more in control, turned to the photographs. It was time to see what had affected Daniel so much over the past few months.
    The pictures were remarkable. Daniel had managed to capture the feel of the ward with uncanny accuracy. He’d brought the clinic to life. Amy was transported. The gallery dissolved away and she found herself standing in the middle of the hospital, watching the bustling activity taking place before her eyes.
    She saw nurses tending to their sick patients. The care they lavished on the children was so powerful, Amy felt an inexplicable need to try and help. Couldn’t she soothe away that small boy’s pain, ease the teenage girl’s hacking cough?
    Her heart twisted as she watched a mother sitting by her son’s side, holding his hand while he slept. A book lay forgotten in her lap as she stared down at him, her face haunted.
    From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a doctor on duty. His shoulders sagged and he looked downright exhausted. She could almost smell the coffee that steamed from his polystyrene cup, misting his glasses.
    For the first time, Amy had a real idea of how Daniel must have felt when his sister was a patient on this very ward. She blinked rapidly, forcing her tears away. God, what the young Daniel must have gone through. The fear, the dread he must have lived with. No wonder he hated speaking about that year. No wonder the memories were hitting him so hard now.
    She had a sudden compulsive need to find her friend, to throw her arms around him and comfort him. To take away the pain. Make the hurt disappear. Though she searched the room, there was no sign of him. He was probably busy with the press interviews.
    With no other choice, she finished looking at the photos and smiled at the last one. A picture of a little boy and his father leaving the hospital. A huge grin and a bunch of balloons spoke of happy outcomes.
    “Aren’t they incredible?” a voice from behind her asked.
    “Unbelievable.” She turned around to find Daniel’s mother, Molly, and his sister, Sarah. “Hello there.” She was genuinely happy to see them. “Lord, you must be proud,” she enthused, excited to have someone to rave to about the exhibition.
    “Oh believe me, I am,” Molly said. “I’ve been telling everyone I pass that the photographer is my son.” She didn’t look the least bit embarrassed.
    Sarah cringed. “Believe her. She’s been telling everyone !”
    Amy grinned. “I know what you mean. I’ve had this mad need to nudge people and tell them Daniel’s my best friend. Isn’t he the most brilliant photographer ever?”
    “Undoubtedly.” Molly smiled indulgently.
    “And without bragging, this is his best work yet,” Sarah added.
    Amy realized that despite the laughter, being at the exhibition couldn’t have been easy for Daniel’s family. “It must be tough on you both, seeing these pictures, reliving it all.”
    Sarah shrugged. “Not as tough as it’s been on Daniel. He really struggled with this shoot. I dealt with my illness a long time ago. Daniel never did. He just