Calamity Jena

by Janet Elizabeth Henderson

  “The lad’s right,” Gordon said. “That woman is toxic. She’d walk over your broken body to get to Josh. You’re better off with someone in your corner, lass, when you deal with her.”

  “What do you mean by ‘get you’, Matt?” She eyed him suspiciously.

  Matt took a deep breath. Here goes. There was no point explaining the logic behind his decision. In his experience, male and female logic were two completely different beasts. Best to give her the final result of all his thinking. “I’ve decided to skip the whole dating thing and jump straight to the relationship. It’s safer.”

  She blinked at him as Gordon laughed so loudly it echoed through the room.

  “You’re serious? You want to be involved with me? Romantically?”

  Matt folded his arms. “Don’t go getting all worked up about it. That leads to accidents. And I don’t want to be set on fire. A plain thank you will do just fine.” He stepped towards her. “We should really seal the deal on this new relationship with a kiss. Pucker up.”

  Jena let out a frustrated wail, made a fist and thumped him in the stomach. Thankfully, she punched like a girl and his stab vest blocked most of the blow.

  “Your sense of humour is sick,” she told him.

  “Who says I’m joking. Close your eyes, Gordon, I’m going in.” With a grin, he stepped towards Jena.

  “Ignore the idiot,” Gordon said through his laughter. “He’s right about one thing though. You need all the help you can get dealing with that woman.”

  Jena threw up her hands. “I’ve been dealing with that woman my whole life. I don’t need backup to cope with my mom.” Hands on hips, she looked at the ceiling for a moment. Her pain was almost tangible. The sight of it made Matt ache, and from the look on Gordon’s face, it had the same effect on him. Jena’s head dropped back down. She looked so lost. “She’s a really focused person. She’s put a lot into her career. And she is good. Trust me. You’d want to hear her sing. All she needs is a little bit of luck to make it to the next level.”

  “Is that you talking or your mum?” Gordon said gently.

  “She wants it really badly. It’s all she can think about. She doesn’t realise how she comes across.” Jena wrapped her arms around herself again. She was breaking Matt’s heart. “Once she gets where she wants to be, she’ll calm down. She won’t be so insensitive to people.”

  To her daughter, she meant. He could see it in her face. So earnest. So eager to believe the best of everyone, even as they walked right over her or treated her like muck on their shoes. He couldn’t bear to see her standing so alone any longer.

  “Come here.” He pulled her into his arms.

  “Matt, I’m over the joking.”

  “It’s a friendly hug, nothing else.” If that was what it took to get her to come to him, then he’d roll with it. For now. “You’d give me one if I needed it. So shut up and enjoy. And don’t tell anyone or they’ll all want one.”

  She laughed against his chest, but her arms threaded around his waist. She sank into him, and something within Matt settled. He had an overwhelming sense of being in the right place at the right time. Here, with this woman, lending her his strength when she needed it.

  Gordon clasped his shoulder before taking off for the back of the shop, shaking his head in disgust as he did so.

  Matt snuggled Jena closer, engulfing her with his heat. He stroked one hand over her hair while his other held her tight against him. If he had his way, nothing and no one would ever get close enough to hurt her again.

  With that thought, Matt realised that his feelings for Jena ran a lot deeper than he’d suspected.

  And he couldn’t bring himself to worry about it.

  Not when holding her felt so completely and utterly right.

  20

  “We’re not in a relationship,” Jena said.

  They were in Matt’s cop car, on the way to see Abby. Jena’s friend had called asking Matt to stop by, which had Jena worried. Matt was currently ignoring Jena as he drove out of town.

  “One kiss does not make a relationship,” Jena said.

  “It was more than a kiss.” His smug grin made Jena want to smack him. She restrained herself.

  “It wasn’t even a real kiss. You only kissed me to prove a point.”

  He cocked an arrogant eyebrow in her direction. Like he knew better.

  “I’m not dating you.” She folded her arms and glared at him.

  “Thank the Lord for that. Men only date you if they have a death wish.”

  Jena wished his uniform came with a gun. She would have used it to shoot him.

  “I’m not kissing you again, either. It’s not a relationship if I won’t kiss you.”

  She squealed as the car suddenly lurched off the road. Matt turned to her, a sexy grin on his face.

  “How about I kiss you, then? No pressure. Don’t feel the need to participate.”

  Before she could get an objection out of her mouth, he’d leaned over, clasped the back of her neck and was pulling her towards him. Jena was embarrassed to say she didn’t put up any resistance. She’d liked the last kiss. She wasn’t above taking another one.

  The little smile he gave her before his lips met hers made her think he might be able to read her mind on the matter. And then she wasn’t thinking at all. His lips were soft and firm. His touch was confident. He tasted like chocolate lemon Pop-Tarts—something he would probably take offence at if she told him. She made a note to tell him later.

  As his tongue slipped past her lips, she let out a little sigh of delight. She was losing herself in him. And she loved it. Her fingers curled into the stiff material of his uniform. She pressed forward, seeking the heat of his body, the bone-melting awareness of his size and strength. The seatbelt tugged her back, making her groan in frustration.

  All too soon, the kiss ended. Matt nipped her lower lip before caressing her cheek. Jena felt herself swaying into him.

  “Don’t worry,” he whispered over her lips, “I’m okay with this not being a relationship.”

  With a grin, he put the car in gear and swerved back into the road. Jena glared at him. She wasn’t sure what was going on—and she definitely wasn’t sure she wanted it to stop. She decided the best course of action was to ignore him and this thing that was happening between them.

  Denial was good. She liked denial. As a life choice, it worked great.

  Jena’s friend stayed in an old Victorian house in the hills outside of town. Only a small field separated her house from Jena’s. Abby owned the local mushroom farm, which sat in a section of the old abandoned mine—part of which ran under the field towards Jena’s house. Abby said the old Victorian house she lived in used to be the home of the mine manager, back in the day when the old mine was at its height. Being the home of the most important person in Invertary at that time, it had been built with status in mind.

  The grey stone had been shipped in from Inverness; the long drive had been planted with poplars along each side to make it feel like you were driving through a regal tunnel to get to the house. The house itself was three stories high, with large bay windows and a grand entrance.

  Fortunately, successive owners had taken the time to keep the house in a decent condition, and Abby had added her touches to it, to make it homely and welcoming. Abby was standing at the door when Matt’s car drove up. The dark circles under her eyes were getting worse, and Jena was worried about her.

  “Aunty Jena’s here,” she called when Jena got out of the car.

  There was a squeal from inside the house, and a few seconds later Katy barrelled out. She was dressed as a princess in a pink merengue gown and sparkling plastic tiara.

  “Aunty Jena! Uncle Matty!” She flew down the steps, launching herself at Jena, who gave her a tight cuddle before she wriggled away to throw herself at Matt.

  Jena shook her head with a grin. No matter how muggy the day, Katy was a breath of fresh air. You had to have something seriously wrong with you not to smil
e when that little girl was near.

  “We need to get you one of those dresses, princess,” Matt said as he led her to the house with his hand on the small of Jena’s back. Even his slight touch made her feel gloriously boneless. Ignore it. Deny it. It isn’t happening.

  Yeah, maybe this denial thing was a bit broken.

  Abby noticed his move and raised an eyebrow. Jena felt heat flush her cheeks.

  “I’ve made tea and scones.” Abby gave Jena a hug, and she found herself clinging more tightly to Abby than usual. “Tough day, petal?”

  “Mom’s here.”

  “Well cluck in a bucket, I should have made chocolate cake.”

  “Cluck in a bucket?” Matt said.

  “Should I use foul language around my daughter?” Abby stood straight, her head high and not a stitch out of place.

  “Instead you use fowl language?” Matt said.

  “Funny guy,” Abby muttered.

  “Do you even know how to swear, Abby? If you don’t, I can whisper some words in your ear for later.” Matt grinned.

  Abby wagged a finger at him. “You’re a rascal, Matt Donaldson.”

  “Aye, so I’ve been told. Now where are the scones? And what do you need me for?”

  “It isn’t important.” Abby chewed her bottom lip, something she never did—it went against her very proper upbringing. “I wanted your advice on something. It can wait until we’ve had tea.”

  “Happy to be of service. Especially when I’m being fed at the same time.”

  Abby led the way through the grand hallway to the kitchen at the back of the house. Katy held her hands up to Matt, who picked her up without missing a beat and carried her to the food. He made impressed noises when the baby girl showed off the new nail polish she’d painted her fingers with—not just her nails, her whole fingers. And if Jena wasn’t mistaken, she’d also put lipstick on her eyebrows again.

  The kitchen was huge, like the rest of the house. The Victorians loved their grand proportions. A large oak table took up a chunk of the floor space. The matching chairs had a selection of patchwork cushions in warm colours. It was peaceful, pretty and welcoming. Jena sank into a chair as Matt put Katy down in her play corner. Jena expected him to come sit beside them, but instead he sat on the rug beside the four-year-old and listened to her tell him all about Minnie Mouse and Donald getting into trouble for having a disco in the bathroom.

  “Mum says Minnie’s not allowed to play with water anymore,” she said before looking at her mum. When she was convinced Abby wasn’t listening, she leaned towards Matt and cupped a hand over her mouth. “Don’t tell her, but it wasn’t Minnie who made the mess.” She giggled as she stage-whispered. “It was Donald.”

  Matt tickled her. “And who helped Donald, you little monster?”

  “I don’t know, Uncle Mattie.” Her eyes were wide with faux-innocence.

  “Your mum’s in town, then?” Abby said as she handed Jena a cup of tea. In a pretty blue porcelain cup and saucer. Jena wasn’t even sure Abby owned a mug. “When did she get here?”

  “Oh, I’d guess about thirty-six hours after Frank called and told her I was living in the same town as Josh McInnes.”

  Abby grimaced. “I can’t say the words I’m thinking, but they’re bad ones.”

  “Not bad enough,” Jena said.

  “We should call Caroline and warn her that your mother is here to pester her husband.”

  “I’ll do that.” Matt stood. “I need to make some calls anyway.”

  He nabbed a plate, loaded it with scones and jam and headed out of the back door. He stayed close to the house but far enough away so he had the privacy he needed to talk. As soon as he was out of earshot, Abby turned to Jena.

  “What’s going on with Matt? You two look cosy.” She waggled her eyebrows. It looked silly on a woman who was the walking definition of elegance.

  Jena laughed. It felt good. “Nothing’s going on. He’s only sticking by me until Frank leaves town.”

  “Uh, huh, and I’m the Queen of England. Pleased to meet you.”

  “Are you really, Mum?” Katy sounded hopeful. Jena hid her chuckle behind her cup.

  “No, sweetie,” Abby said. “The Queen is just a cousin.”

  Jena spat her tea. “You’re related to the Queen? The real one? The one in Buckingham Palace?”

  Abby waved the questions away as though they were nothing but hot air. “Distant cousin. It’s not like we pop down for holidays. It’s no big deal. The Queen is related to half of England.”

  Jena wasn’t convinced. If she was related to the Queen, however distantly, she’d get a T-shirt printed so everyone knew. Maybe even invest in a tiara. “You know, Abby McKenzie, you are really good at keeping secrets.”

  “Isn’t that good for you, because if I wasn’t I’d tell everyone you and Matt were getting it on.”

  “We are not!” Well, not really.

  “Why not? He’s gorgeous. Single. Honest. Fairly intelligent—when he’s not being a sexist fool. Although I’ve often thought that most of the offensive things he says are deliberately spoken to get a reaction. He does love to wind people up. Especially the twins.”

  Jena reached for another scone as Abby topped up her teacup. The memory of Matt’s kiss derailed her thought process. She could still feel him on her lips. Still taste him. Thinking about the kiss made her think about the way he’d held her in the hardware store. Which led to a full-colour replay of their time in the kitchen. She shivered. The man oozed sex appeal. It flowed from him like a waterfall. It was impossible to get close to him and not get a little wet.

  “I’m not dating Matt. You can ask him. He’d tell you.” She had no idea what she was doing with Matt, but it definitely wasn’t dating. “We’re not talking about this,” she told Abby.

  Abby huffed. “We never talk about the good stuff.”

  “Yeah, that’s because there isn’t any. You don’t have a love life and I am a serial first dater.”

  “True.” Abby smiled, her eyes gentle with compassion. “What are you going to do about your mum?”

  “I’m thinking of hiding from her until she goes back to America. That’s the tactic I’m using with Frank. It’s a one-size-fits-all plan.”

  Matt saved her from Abby’s lecture by sauntering into the room. “Josh has been duly warned. I told him your mother isn’t hard to miss—she looks like a blonde version of Chrissie Hynde. What’s with all that eyeliner, anyway?”

  Jena ignored him. Not that he was expecting an answer. Her mother was forgotten now he had the rest of the scones in front of him.

  “What do you need my input on, then?” he asked Abby as he filled his plate.

  Abby looked at Katy nervously. The little girl was busy making a picture with crayons and glitter. She didn’t care what the grown-ups were talking about.

  “I think someone’s been messing with things around the property.”

  Matt was instantly alert. The food was forgotten. “Messed with in what way?”

  Abby shrugged, but it was clearly forced. “It’s probably nothing. Things aren’t where I put them. Some things have gone completely missing.” She picked at a speck on the tablecloth. “I hear noises in the back of the mine, behind the mushroom farm. It was closed up when we moved in here—there shouldn’t be anything in there to make a noise.”

  “When you say things are being moved, what do you mean?” Matt studied her intently.

  Abby waved a hand as she gave a little laugh. “Katy’s bike was outside the back door, and then I found it down by the stream. The boxes I put out for recycling disappeared. I can’t find them anywhere. Things like that. Silly things.” Her grey eyes blinked at Matt. “I’m worried I’m moving things and can’t remember. I get tired. Although I can’t figure out why I’d take Katy’s bike down to the stream. I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

  Matt’s eyes were sharp. “Do you have an alarm for this place?”

  Abby nodded. “David had one put in
shortly before his illness.”

  “I’ll get Lake out to check on it. It wouldn’t hurt to have him look over your house. Make sure everything’s being done to make it secure.”

  “I’m probably making a fuss about nothing. I mean, why would anyone move Katy’s bike?” She nodded as though coming to a decision. “I’m sorry I called you, Matt. I’m sure this is just my imagination and bad memory.”

  “Better safe than sorry, Abby. Trust me, talking to you about your worries beats dealing with Morag’s missing cat.” He smiled at her. Jena knew it was supposed to be reassuring, but his eyes showed concern. “What about your employees? Would any of them play around like this?”

  Abby shook her head. “You know the people who work for me. I have three retirement-age worker who come in part-time to help with the mushrooms. I don’t see them moving my things. They’re more interested in gossiping and swapping mushroom recipes.”

  “I’ll have a chat with them anyway. We’ll get Magenta in to look at the mine as well.”

  “Didn’t you do that already?” Jena said.

  Abby gave her a sheepish look. “I meant to. I forgot.”

  More like she didn’t want to bother Magenta with her worries.

  “Now,” Matt said, “enough of this. We’ll sort it out. You got any more scones? Or is this it? I’ll just make a call to Lake while you’re getting the food. Coffee would be great too. I don’t do tea in fancy wee cups.” He disappeared outside the back door again.

  “I dare you to give him coffee in a fancy wee cup,” Jena said as she watched him go.

  “You are bad, Jena Morgan.” Abby reached into the cupboard. “I have just the thing, though.” She held up a tiny espresso cup and matching saucer. It was delicate, pale purple and covered in daisies. Abby gave her an innocent look. “It is an actual coffee cup, after all.”

  “I like how you think.” Jena laughed. “But don’t put the pot within his reach. He’ll take one look at the cup and just drink from the pot.”

  Abby was laughing when she turned back to the counter.

  21