Calamity Jena (Invertary 4)

“Ha! Says the woman who’s had more dates in the past four months than I’ve had in a lifetime.”

“You should listen to me. I know what I’m talking about. I’m an expert on dating without becoming attached.” She took the hair tie off her wrist and wrapped her hair up in a messy knot on the top of her head. “I don’t want a relationship. Not after the disastrous one I had with Frank. Nope, one-date wonder is a great way to be.”

Abby laughed so hard, Jena was worried about her falling off the chair.

“Jena, you dolt. You’re in a relationship right now.” Abby put her hand on Jena’s arm. “Matt is living with you. He’s sleeping with you. You do your grocery shopping together. He’s renovating your house. He’s made it clear to anyone who asks that you’re an item. You need to shake that dippy little head of yours and wake up. You have a boyfriend.”

“No, I don’t.” Jena folded her arms over her Snoopy sweatshirt and frowned. “As soon as Frank leaves, Matt will go back to his own house. We aren’t living together. We’re just—convenient.”

“I bet ten pounds you’re married to him before you even realise it’s happening.”

“That’s the bet going at the pub,” Pete piped up.

Jena glared at him. “You said you couldn’t hear anything from over there.”

“I lied.” He grinned. “I put twenty pounds on the wedding happening within the next two months. Dougal bet Matt would have you married without even proposing.”

“This town has got to stop betting on me.”

“At least they’re not betting on when Matt will get injured,” Abby said with a smile. “I haven’t heard anyone call you Calamity in ages—well, at least two days, anyway.”

Jena threw up her hands. “Oh well, then, I’ll consider myself blessed. Has anyone even asked if I want to marry Matt?”

“Sweetie,” Abby said, “everyone knows you’re gun-shy after what happened with Frank. The general consensus is you won’t admit to being in love, or to wanting a permanent relationship—that’s why he has to slip in under your radar.”

“I’m not in a relationship and I’m definitely not in love!”

“See?” Abby said to Pete.

“Aye, they were right,” Pete said.

“That’s it. Time to change the topic, before I kill my best friend. Did Magenta check the mine for you?”

“Yes. She didn’t find any sign of anyone having been in there. She did find some old explosives, which she removed. So it wasn’t a wasted venture. She’s calling in a crew to go through all of the tunnels with a fine-tooth comb, just in case there are more explosives tucked away in there. Apart from that, she thinks I may have heard some rats fighting, but she could have been saying that because Harry was with her. He still goes grey at the mention of a rat.”

“What about the missing stuff? Anything moved mysteriously recently?”

Abby shook her head. “I think it was my imagination. I haven’t slept at all well since David died.”

“No,” Jena said, “I don’t imagine you have.”

“It’s getting better,” Abby said softly, as though speaking to herself.

Jena reached over and squeezed her friend’s hand.

“Someone’s coming up the drive,” Pete called from his post by the window. “I don’t recognise the car. Are you expecting someone, Abby?”

She shook her head.

“I’ll answer the door,” Pete said. “If it’s Frank or his goons, I’ll get rid of them.”

Jena sat back in her chair with a sigh. “I don’t know why they think I need to be protected from Frank. What’s he going to do? Beg me to death? Whine me into submission? There isn’t a lot the guy can do over here. I have my own life and he has no power or influence over it. This is insane.”

“No, it’s Matt being Matt. He’s almost Neanderthal in his need to protect.”

“He’s nuts. This is nuts.”

They turned towards the door as Pete appeared. “It’s your mother, Jena. I let her in.”