“We had such fun, Cassie,” Madison said. “We didn’t get to do any lessons today. It was thrilling. It was a real fire drill, for a real fire.”
“The fire started in our classroom. There was so much smoke, we could hardly see the door,” Dylan added.
“That sounds exciting, but a fire is always serious so I’m glad you’re OK and that you stayed calm. We’re going to stop by the pharmacy on the way as I need to pick up something.”
She was able to find a parking space just around the corner.
“I won’t be a minute,” she told the children before rushing inside.
The attendant recognized her.
“Back again?” she asked as Cassie gritted her teeth.
“The test didn’t work. I messed it up. I need another, please.”
“How long is it since your missed period?” the attendant asked, turning to the boxes.
“I—er.” Cassie’s mind whirled and for a moment she couldn’t remember. “No, I haven’t missed it yet. It’s due in a couple of days, but I’ve been feeling sick and wanted to make sure.”
“You want the early detection one, then. It should give results as early as five days before your period. There are two brands here—which one?”
“Whichever’s cheaper,” Cassie said faintly.
The woman slid the box across the counter.
To her horror, Cassie noticed that Dylan had come into the shop. He was standing nearby looking at something on the shelves and she had no idea how much he’d overheard.
She started shaking, fumbling the coins and dropping a pound coin so that she had to scrabble for it on the floor.
Dylan walked over to the counter.
“Could you buy me something for my throat? It’s sore from the smoke.”
“Yes, yes, of course.”
Cassie turned back to the attendant, praying the woman wouldn’t mention the pregnancy test, or recognize Dylan.
She saw her frown, as if she were trying to place him.
“Were you in the class with the fire? We’ve already had two others come in complaining of sore throats. I recommend these tablets and this syrup.”
She pushed a packet and a bottle across the counter.
“They should sort you out, soothe your throat, manage the pain and any coughing, and you’ll be as good as new tomorrow.”
“What about that one?” Dylan asked, pointing to a product high on the shelf behind her.
“Which one?” The woman turned and, after a few false tries, found the packet Dylan was indicating.
“Oh, no, love, those are straight painkillers. The syrup I gave you actually contains painkillers, as well as chest decongestants. So the syrup is better.”
“OK, thanks.”
Cassie paid for the medications and left the shop, and the chatty attendant, as quickly as she could. As soon as she got to the car, she opened the lid in the central console and quickly stashed the bag with the pregnancy test inside.
She drove home, with the children still rehashing what had clearly been the most exciting school day of their lives, and decided it would be better to leave the test in the car and come back for it later in the evening. That way, the children wouldn’t notice.
Cassie went straight to the kitchen and pulled together an early lunch for the children, since Dylan’s medication had to be taken with food.
She felt exhausted by the stress of the day and still in utter disbelief that Ryan could have sent her that text; such a blatant confession that he’d lied, and had no intention of leaving his wife.
Cassie was starting to suspect that he’d strung her along in order that she would willingly fit in with the plans he’d already made with Trish.
The fact her car was disabled hadn’t helped either. If the car had been drivable, Cassie was sure she would have left by now. She wouldn’t be stranded here, needing to wait till it was fixed.
Thinking about the car, Cassie felt like kicking herself. Last night, when Ryan was giving her gifts and whispering those meaningless sweet nothings in her ear, she could have asked him about it. Instead of empty promises, she could have had actual information on the progress of her car’s repairs.
“Lunch is ready,” she called to the children.
She hurried to the bathroom, but as she walked in she stopped dead.
Cassie felt dizzy with confusion. She must be going mad, and starting to do things without remembering them, because right there, on the bathroom counter, was a pregnancy test.
This was insane. How could she have brought it inside and left it out in full view on the counter? She remembered putting it away in the car’s cubbyhole and being careful not to open it as she hadn’t wanted the children to see.
Now here it was—but looking more closely, Cassie saw it wasn’t.
This was the more expensive version, the better of the two brands, the one she hadn’t chosen. There was no logical way that this item should be here at all.
She jumped as behind her, Dylan spoke, his voice filled with triumph.
“I stole it for you,” he said.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Cassie dropped the test on the counter and whirled round to face Dylan, appalled.
“What? You did what? Dylan, this is insanity! How did you—”
He stood in the doorway, smiling slightly, looking completely unfazed.
“I heard you asking for it and saying that the last one hadn’t worked. So I stole you another one. I’ve been practicing. You see, I used misdirection so that you and the attendant looked at the top shelf. Then you weren’t noticing my hands, so I grabbed a test for you. It was easy, really.”
Madison spoke from behind Dylan.
“Move over. I can’t see. What’s happening? What did you do?”
Cassie clapped her hand over her mouth as Madison pushed into the doorway next to Dylan.
“Did you steal something else?” she asked.
Her gaze focused on the pregnancy test, even as Cassie snatched it up.
“What’s that?”
“Nothing. It’s—” Cassie began, her voice squeaky with panic, but Dylan interrupted.
“It’s a pregnancy test, Maddie. It’s what you take to find out if you are going to have a
