Calamity Jena (Invertary 4)

Matt knew better than to rise to the bait.

“It’s his name,” Megan said. “Donald Matthew Donaldson. Don Don.”

Jena started to laugh and covered her mouth with her hand. Her look was pure pity. “Oh, you poor soul. Your parents must have hated you.”

He frowned. “It’s a family name.”

“We called him ding don when we were kids. He didn’t like it,” Claire said helpfully.

“He didn’t like being called ding-a-ling

either, but we thought it was hilarious,” Megan added.

From their laughter, they still thought it was pretty funny.

Claire wiped her eyes. “You were going to tell us how long you’ve been dating Matt. We didn’t even know he was seeing someone, let alone living with them.” She looked around. “I don’t know how he can stay here without having a breakdown.”

“Yep, this place is his worst nightmare,” Megan added. “He’s totally OCD. The mess must be driving him nuts.”

“Sitting right here,” Matt reminded them, but was ignored.

“He must like you a lot,” Claire said. “So spill. Details.”

Jena seemed caught between amusement and fear. He saw that look a lot where his sisters were concerned. She opened her mouth to answer, but Matt decided to save her before she got in deeper with his crazy siblings.

“She’s not a girlfriend. She’s work.”

The women gasped. “That’s a horrible thing to say.” Claire smacked him on the back of the head.

He rubbed the spot. “I mean I’m here to protect her. I’m not dating her. I’m her bodyguard.”

“Is that what you kids are calling it these days?” Megan waggled her eyebrows at him.

Matt pointed his knife at her. “Knock it off.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Or what? You’ll lock us up again? Been there, done that. Your threats don’t impress.”

Jena’s eyes went wide. “Your brother locked you up?”

“They deserved it,” Matt said.

“It was terrible.” Megan laid it on a bit thick, even for her. “I was traumatised. I’m still seeing a counsellor about the whole experience. I doubt I’ll ever get over it.” She lowered her voice. “Especially my time getting to know Big Bertha, if you know what I mean.”

Jena started to giggle. Matt looked to heaven for the strength not to throw his sisters back into Invertary station’s tiny jail.

“They spent one night in a single cell, here in town. They broke into my house and filled it with rats,” Matt said. “The other night they spent in the same solitary cell was for dying Kitty Baxter’s sheep pink.”

His sisters grinned at each other—no remorse there. Jena looked bewildered.

“There was no Big Bertha,” Matt said. “And the only member of this family getting therapy is me—for dealing with them.”

Claire smacked him on the back of the head again. “That’s just mean.”

He pointed his fork at her. “Do that one more time and I’m locking you up for assaulting an officer.”

“Killjoy,” Claire grumbled.

“So, is it true? Is he guarding your body? Does that involve getting naked?” Megan said.