‘Oh, no, it’s OK. I’m not at home. I’m staying at my dad’s for a few days, till the coast’s clear.’
‘Ah, good. Where does he live then?’
‘Other side of town, the new estate. Nobody knows me round here. I reckon I’m OK, as long as I keep my head down for a bit.’
‘Well, if you’re sure …’
‘Honestly, I’m safer here than there. After all, Lawrence got into your garden. I’d look into that, if I were you.’
‘Yes, that’s a good point. I will. Thanks, Kayley. Take the week off, eh? We’re going to mooch about for a bit, before getting stuck into planning the gala for the end of the month. I’ll need you for that, of course.’
‘Of course! Looking forward to it! Bye then.’
Jenna hung up, thinking about Lawrence Harville and his unexpected appearance in the garden wilderness.
‘We need to sort out the walls and fences,’ she said to Jason. ‘Urgent priority for today. Stop Harville waltzing in whenever he feels like spreading a bit of menace.’
‘How about machine gun emplacements?’ said Jason dryly. ‘I’m happy to man them myself.’
Jenna rubbed her foot against his calf under the table.
‘Much as I’d love to see him go down in a hail of bullets, I’m quite keen to keep you out of prison these days. So perhaps something a little more legal.’
‘I’ll get on to it.’
He picked up the last piece of toast from the rack and swaggered out of the patio doors, chewing on it as he went.
Jenna sat back, thinking about what she could give him for his birthday. What had she given Deano? Oh God, the list of senselessly extravagant gifts was longer than the Bledburn dole queue. A Hennessey Venom GT that he’d probably never driven. Pretty much everything stocked by Asprey for men. A cabin in the Colorado mountains. A place on the waiting list for a future NASA space mission.
But Jason wouldn’t want an expensive gift, she thought, sobering up from her flights of fancy. He already felt that he owed her enormous sums of money.
He would appreciate simplicity and thoughtfulness over huge gestures.
She was still trying to come up with details when her phone went off. There were only half a dozen people it could be on that number, all important, so she answered it without checking the screen.
‘Congratulations,’ said a smooth, familiar voice.
‘Deano. I’m still very cross with you. What do you want?’
‘Like I said, congratulations. Well done on your … friend’s exhibition. Lots of stuff in the papers today. Have you seen them?’
‘Not yet. I daresay your mug is all over the place instead of Jason’s?’
‘Well, maybe a bit.’
Jenna tutted.
‘Not fair, Deano. Why did you have to steal his thunder? Surely you aren’t jealous?’
‘Why “surely”? I can be jealous of somebody who’s got something I want, can’t I? That’s what jealousy is.’
‘What’s he got that you haven’t? Artistic talent?’
‘You.’
Jenna paused for breath, outraged at his presumption, trying to ignore the strange, half-forgotten thrill that went through her at how like his old self he sounded.
While she hadn’t had much time for Deano’s new self, his old self … Well, that was different.