chapter 1

Danny and Emily were glad to have some time to themselves after the wedding. They had both been the centre of attention for the last six months putting the day together. They could have saved their money and put down the deposit on a house for the money it had cost them to get married.
For now, they could enjoy themselves. Two weeks alone at an all inclusive Caribbean resort. Two whole weeks without the worry of work. They had two weeks to spend their days lying in the sun, drinking cocktails. Two weeks of romantic evening meals followed by a night of passion in their hotel room.
They were not there to take in the island's history or to shop for souvenirs. They did not have to leave the resort for anything. Why should they when all their meals and drinks were paid for?
Emily was keen to get their money's worth. She piled her plate high at the buffet and encouraged her new husband to do the same. Unfortunately, after two days, something mustn't have agreed with her. She was struck down with a stomach bug and had to be very careful what she ate for the rest of the holiday... at least that was what she told Danny. The reality was, there was nothing wrong with her, but she had no intention of gaining weight while on their honeymoon. Meanwhile, she encouraged her new husband to eat more. They were there to enjoy themselves. He did not have to worry about putting weight on. He'd soon lose it once he got back into a regular routine when they got home. He could even go on a diet if he had to.
Night after night he returned to his hotel room with a fuzzy head and a full belly and he'd be rewarded with amazing passionate sex.

On the flight home, he guessed he'd put on about 7 pounds over his honeymoon. His clothes were just that little bit tighter than they had been. But seven pounds was not much. He could lose that easily. As a prison officer, he had to keep himself fit to do his job. He would work out at the gym opposite the prison most days. His workout might be before work, at lunchtime or after work, depending on the shift he was working. Some of his colleagues were prizewinning body builders who hit the gym twice a day, every day.
The job itself could be physically demanding. He could be allocated to work at the far end of the jail, a mile away from the entrance. He could be on his feet most of the day, escorting prisoners from the wing to work, the gym, education, psychology or healthcare.
If an alarm went off on the radio, he might have to run to the scene to restrain a prisoner who had been involved in an altercation.
As tough as his job was, he enjoyed the challenge of it. However, when he came home, all he wanted to do was relax and wind down.

Emily's work at the bank was nowhere near as interesting, but it paid well and they were going to need plenty savings if they were ever going to afford a house of their own where they could have a family of their own.

They divided the jobs around their rented semi to suit their abilities. Danny could not cook, but Emily knew her was around the kitchen, so she prepared all of their meals. On the other hand, she was useless at DIY, but Danny liked fixing things, so he got all the household repairs to do. Emily looked after the bills and the money. He looked after the garden and kept the lawn mowed. She cleaned the dishes, emptied the dishwasher and kept everything else in the kitchen clean, while it was his job to keep the bathroom clean. He vacuumed once a week while she dusted. She washed and dried the laundry and he ironed it. Emily did all shopping for food and clothing, but he would do extra shifts when he could to bring in extra money.
It was a give and take relationship, based on mutual trust.