Bad Boy (Invertary 5)

“Your best friend is a boy?” One of Victoria’s eyebrows twitched upwards, and Abby wondered if Katy’s choice of friend was going to be a black mark against her too.

“Uh-huh. We met in kindy. He wants to marry me, but I don’t know if I want to marry him. He’s funny and entertaining, so I probably will. If I wait too long to decide I might end up with a naughty boy, and I don’t want that.”

Victoria seemed a bit too stunned to ask anything more. Fortunately for her, Katy didn’t actually need any encouragement to talk.

“Muma says I don’t need to get married if I don’t want to. She says I can do what I like, that I shouldn’t let Jonathan force me to do something I don’t want to do. I told her not to worry. I beat Jonathan in fights all the time. If he won’t listen to me, I’ll just punch him.”

“Katy!” Abby wanted to sink through the floor. This was exactly what she was worried about. She had no way to control what came out of Katy’s mouth. “What did I say about punching?”

Katy stopped just short of rolling her eyes. “I shouldn’t hit anyone. Ever. Unless I’m in danger.” She thought about it. “Isn’t it dangerous if someone wants to make you marry them?”

“I told you this before. No boy can make you marry him.”

“Uncle Matt made Aunty Jena marry him.”

“He did not.”

“Did too.” Abby put her fists on her hips. “It’s the only way he could keep her in Scotland. If he didn’t marry her he had to arrest her and put her in jail for being an eagle in-the-grunt.”

Abby’s shoulders slumped. This was not going well at all. “Illegal immigrant,” she corrected automatically. “It means someone who doesn’t have permission to live in this country.”

“See!” Katy folded her arms in triumph. “That’s why he made her marry him. If he didn’t, she’d have to go to jail.”

Victoria’s complexion paled as the conversation progressed. Abby caught her sister’s eyes and smiled in a way she hoped conveyed that children were cute but not to be trusted.

“I thought your husband didn’t have any family,” Victoria said. “I thought he was orphaned and grew up in foster care.”

“Jena’s my best friend. Matt is a police officer. The only one stationed in town.”

“She was here illegally?” Victoria’s nose rose at the thought.

“Accidentally. She hadn’t realised her visa ha

d expired.” Mostly. Kind of. Mainly Jena hadn’t bothered to look into what kind of visa she needed when she moved to Scotland from America. And Matt had kind of bullied her into marriage. “Matt and Jena are very much in love,” she felt the need to add.

“They kiss all the time,” Katy said in disgust. “Muma kissed Mr Boyle the other day. She said it was an accident, but Jonathan said it means they have to get married now. Do I have to kiss Jonathan if I marry him?”

Kill me now! Abby looked towards heaven.

She gave Victoria a weak smile. “She’s five.” She really hoped the explanation was enough to cover everything pouring from Katy’s mouth.

“You’re romantically involved with your neighbour? The soccer player? The one who lives in a bus? The one whose influence caught mother’s attention?” The icy nature of Victoria’s tone made Abby want to burst into the song from Frozen. Let it go...

“No. Of course we aren’t involved. Children don’t always understand what they see.” She stood up. “Right. Time for your bath, Katy.”

“But I always have a bath after dinner,” she whined.

“You’re having yours before lunch today. Now upstairs right this second.”

Katy grumbled and dragged her feet, but she did as she was told. Abby turned to Victoria.

“Lawrence mentioned you wanted to spend the afternoon in town. I hope you enjoy your visit.” In other words, please get out of my house.

“Yes.” Victoria stood. Today’s designer shift was grey silk. “I’d like to talk to some of the locals. Get a feel for the place.”

Dig up information on me, you mean. Abby smiled politely. “I’m sure you’ll find they are absolutely charming.”

Without a backwards glance at Abby, Victoria headed for her car completely unaffected by the devastation she’d wrought in her wake.