The Legacy: Trouble Comes Disguised As Family (Unspoken Book 2) T. Belshaw (management books to read .txt) 📖

Sam shook her head. ‘No, but then, I wouldn’t, living and working where I do.’

Jamie took a quick look and shook his head. ‘I only moved in with Sam a few weeks ago. I’m from out of town.’

Sam put the photograph on the coffee table and wagged a finger at Jess. ‘Report them. If they are local hoods, the cops will know them.’

‘I will if I get any more trouble,’ Jess promised. ‘And thanks so much for coming over to rescue me.’ She looked from Sam to Jamie and clapped her hands. ‘Right, coffee or wine?’

‘It had better be coffee for me if I’m driving,’ said Jamie.

‘You’re not,’ said Sam, firmly. ‘At least not until the morning. You, my big, strong, knight in shining armour, are going to stand guard over us tonight. There’s no way I’m leaving her alone after all that has happened.’

Jess walked to the fridge and pulled out the half bottle of wine she had bought from the store. ‘Damn it. I actually picked two up but put one back, there’s not enough left for me, let alone all of us.’

Sam looked directly at Jamie and raised her eyebrows. ‘Sir Knight, your services are required. We have two damsels in distress, or at least they will be if their wine supplies aren’t topped up.’

Jamie turned away holding his arm in the air.

‘Sir Pinot de Grigio at your service,’ he said, as he walked into the hall.

Jamie came back half an hour later with three bottles of wine. Placing them carefully onto the kitchen table, he went back out to the car and returned carrying three huge, pizza boxes.

‘One Hawaiian, one meat lovers and one of those pointless veggie and cheese things,’ he announced.

‘You bugger, you know I’ve been on a diet these past three weeks.’ Sam lifted the lids on all three boxes, took out a slice of Hawaiian, bit into it, then closed her eyes in ecstasy. ‘Oh pizza, how I have missed thee.’

Jess rubbed her hands together, ‘Ooh pizza, what a treat.’ She put two of the wine bottles into the fridge, and placed three wine glasses on the table. ‘In here or on the lumpy sofa?’

‘Sofa,’ said Sam and Jamie together.

The three friends ate, drank and laughed away the evening. At eleven o’clock, Sam yawned, stretched and announced that she was going to bed as she had to be up early for work. Jess stood up unsteadily and gave her a hug.

‘Thanks again for looking after me.’

‘That’s what friends are for, my darling.’ Sam returned the hug.

‘You two go up. I’ll sleep on the sofa tonight.’

‘Not a chance,’ replied Sam. ‘The fates decree that I will, once again, be sharing your bed, my dear.’ She turned to Jamie. ‘Don’t get any wild ideas if you hear the sound of bed springs, boinging away. We won’t be having kinky sex. One of us will just be turning over.’

Jess laughed. ‘I’ve got a new bed now, so he won’t have a clue what we’re up to.’ She winked at Jamie.

‘Well, if you find you need a man to assist you in your nocturnal endeavours, just give a shout out.’

Sam kissed him on the lips and pointed to the back door.

‘Know your place, Sir Keeper of the Watch.’

‘I’m so sorry about the state of the sofa,’ said Jess, pulling a sad face. ‘I’ll get you a duvet and some pillows.’

When Jess got up at seven-thirty the next morning, she found that both her visitors had gone. When she walked through to the kitchen, she found a note on the table.

Any more nonsense, call the cops. Sam xxxx

As the kettle boiled, Jess tidied up the wine glasses and pizza boxes, then sat on the sofa to watch the morning news, but the only topic on offer was the upcoming General Election. Jess had got into politics during her Uni days and had been a bit of a radical, but over the last few years her opinions had mellowed. Recently, the rancour and the constant bickering in the House of Commons, with vote after endless vote on the Brexit Bill, had pretty much turned her off politics. She would vote, but she hadn’t yet made up her mind which way.

After a bowl of muesli, she nipped around with the vacuum before showering. By the time she was dressed and ready to face the day, it was almost nine o’clock.

Jess was still determined to have it out with Martha, and picked up her phone to dial her grandmother’s number, only to slip it into her bag without making the call.

Why should I warn her that I’m on my way? She just turned up here without a by your leave.

Jess pulled on her thick, winter jacket, grabbed her keys and bag, and walked out to the car. Still angry about Martha sticking her nose into her affairs, she started up her Toyota and fixing the road ahead with a stern look, she set off up the lane.

Ten minutes later, Jess arrived at the house that Martha shared with her younger sister, Marjorie. She parked up in the drive and walked slowly to the door, knowing that her grandmother had seen her arrive.

‘Hello, Jessica, this is a nice surprise,’ Marjorie gushed as she let Jess in.

‘How’s the tooth?’ asked Jess.

‘It’s much better now, thank you. Martha sat with me while the dentist filled it.’

Jess stood on the door mat looking over her great aunt’s shoulder towards the lounge.

‘Is Grandma in?’ she asked after a twenty-second silence.

‘Oh, yes, she’s in the drawing room. Do go in. I’ve just made tea, would you like a cup?’

Jess stepped into the lounge to find Martha sitting in an armchair, watching a house renovation program on TV.

‘I had plans for that farmhouse, and the land around it,’ she said, stiffly.

‘Ah well, never mind, Grandma. I’ll tell you what. Jot your ideas down on a bit of paper and I’ll have a look. See if anything appeals to me.’

‘Don’t be facetious, Jessica, it