Soldiers' Wives by Fiona; Field Read Free Book Online Page B

doesn’t run, then?’ asked Chrissie.
    Lee guffawed. ‘Jenna? You must be joking. Her idea of a workout is turning the pages of a fashion mag. Don’t get me wrong, she looks after herself…’
    â€˜But not in this sort of way.’
    â€˜No. And she couldn’t do the stuff you do.’
    â€˜I couldn’t dye hair,’ Chrissie countered. No, she thought, working in a hairdresser’s would be like being buried alive.
    â€˜You could if you were trained.’
    â€˜Maybe.’
    â€˜It takes a lot to cope with blood and guts.’
    Chrissie slid a sideways look at him at the word
guts
. Had it been deliberate? She caught Lee staring back at her, one eyebrow lifted. Yes, it bloody was.
    â€˜It was a rotten trick, that,’ he said.
    â€˜So you’ve known all along who I am.’
    He nodded.
    â€˜You won’t tell anyone else, will you? I mean, I think it’s just you, me and Phil who are in the picture. I am so embarrassed at making a fool of myself like that.’
    â€˜Hey.’ Lee looked at her as they ran side by side. ‘You had a funny turn, that’s all. You got over it, carried on, did your job. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about there. The whole incident was designed to test the medics to the max.’
    â€˜Maybe. But being sick over a casualty isn’t in the Patient Treatment Handbook.’ As she said it, she was aware that he’d remembered her from that incident, had deliberately caught up with her today, and was being really kind about how she’d made such a prat of herself. Nice guy, she thought.
Jenna’s
nice guy, she reminded herself again. Anyway, even if he wasn’t spoken for she didn’t want a relationship, did she. Right? Right!
    They’d reached the edge of the local town. ‘Where now?’ asked Lee.
    â€˜Around the dual carriageway and then back over Brandon Hill.’
    Lee’s eyes widened. ‘The long way?’
    â€˜Why not? Race you.’ And with that she shot off. She was several hundred yards on before Lee caught up with her.
    â€˜Jeez, Chrissie,’ he panted. ‘
You
might be able to run like Paula Radcliffe, but I’m no Mo Farah. Slow down a bit.’
    Chrissie slackened the pace a little. ‘I like to delude myself I’m like Jess Ennis.’
    Lee glanced at her. ‘Good shout.’
    â€˜Don’t be daft.’
    â€˜Jess is well fit.’
    â€˜Yes,
she
is.’
    â€˜So are you.’
    â€˜Thanks.’ For a second she hoped he was referring to her looks, rather than to her athleticism, but then reality kicked in. Of course he didn’t think she was fit in the ‘good-looking’ sense, not when he was married to the luscious Jenna. She changed the subject. ‘Immi says you’ve been away on a load of courses.’
    â€˜The old platoon commander thought I had potential, so I’ve been away a lot, getting some education and stuff that I’ll need, if I get promoted. Got to hope this new guy, Captain Fanshaw, thinks the same.’
    â€˜I’m sure he will.’
    â€˜And then, just before the exercise, I tried SAS selection.’
    â€˜No!’ Chrissie was hugely impressed. ‘Really? How did you do?’
    â€˜Failed. I went down with flu. One minute I was doing well, tabbing up the Brecon Beacons, the next I was being stretchered off with a temperature of 104.’
    â€˜No way. But you must have felt shite long before then.’
    â€˜I did a bit, but I thought they’d just put me down as some sort of malingering loser.’
    â€˜So it was a
genuine
case of man flu.’
    Lee nodded. ‘And if I ever get a head cold, I will
never
say I’ve got flu. Flu is evil.’
    â€˜And you’re running already? Shit, you’re well hard.’
    â€˜I’m not running
well
though, am I? My fitness took a real knock. And that’s why I wasn’t much cop on the exercise