‘Around twenty,’ Katrina said.
Liv’s mind crashed. ‘What? Twentythousand?’
‘It’s not just a logo, it’s a vision,’Katrina said. ‘We’ll have to update the website, stationery, packaging and vehicles at least. It’s only the first stage. We’ll need new equipment after that. When my parents retire, Jake and I will control the business.The branding contract’s drawn up and ready. All we need is a solicitor to check it over. Then it’s full steam ahead.’
Perspiration snaked down Liv’s back. All around her was cloudy and she could no longer see. Her eyes started to burn.
‘Gosh, it’s hot in here.’ Katrina stood up and pushed the wooden door open. Her quiff had remained intact. ‘Time for a swim, I think.’
Liv stood up and fell against the wall. She flopped out a hand to steady herself. When she staggered out of the sauna, she tried to gulp in fresh air. All she could smell was chlorine from the pool.
Jake, Mack and Johnny were splashing around in the shallow end. When Jake jumped up and slicked back his wet hair, he looked like a different person. Standing here with her new haircut and in her designer swimsuit, Liv wasn’t sure if he’d recognize her either.
After dressing for lunch, she met them back in the party area. Her sons horsed around, jabbing each other in their sides and laughing at the tiny food again. Liv nibbled on a cucumber sandwich that seemed to swell in her mouth and she started to cough.
Jake half-heartedly patted her back and returned to the buffet table. She stared after him with daggers in her eyes. When he reappeared, he placed a hand on her arm, making her jump. ‘Everything okay?’
She shrank back before making sure Johnny and Mack were out of earshot. ‘No,’ she said. ‘Things are very muchnotokay. We really need to talk.’
Chapter 29
Light Bulb
Once they got home, Liv wrenched off her jacket in the hallway. She turned and marched upstairs, gesturing for Jake to follow her into the bedroom, then shut the door behind them. Mack and Johnny were making a cup of tea in the kitchen and she didn’t want them to hear anything.
‘When were you going to tell me about the twenty thousand pounds you’ve promised your sister?’ she hissed.
‘Oh.’ Jake’s mouth contorted. ‘That.’
‘Katrina’s been telling me all about her plans for Paperpress, starting with some extremely expensive new branding.’
‘I can explain…’ Jake stepped towards her and tried running a hand down her arm.
Liv jerked away. ‘Really? I’m not sure how. You know we don’t have that kind of money.’
‘It was a spur-of-the-moment thing.’ He held up a palm. ‘Katrina promised Mum and Dad we’d buy the business from them, without consulting me. It seemed a positive way forward, for all of us. I didn’t realize what a mess the finances were in, or that my sister had such big ideas. Dad’s made some unwise investments without telling anyone.It’s all such a—’
There were footsteps on the stairs and Mack stuck his head around the door. ‘Do you guys want a cup of tea?’ He glanced at Liv and then Jake. ‘Um, I’ll make one later.’
‘We can’t talk here,’ Jake said. ‘Let’s go out for a walk.’
Liv tore a hand through her hair. It was straggly after the sauna, and she wasn’t wearing a scrap of make-up. She didn’t want to take their problems out into the street. Music and computer game noises started up in Mack’s and Johnny’s bedrooms. ‘Let’s talk in the coat cupboard,’ she said.
With two people inside it, the tiny space was stifling. They had to stand face-to-face.
As soon as Jake shut the door, Liv exploded. ‘You’ve lied to me, for months,’ she said, ignoring the irony of her words. ‘I thought our finances were under control.’
Jake pressed a hand to his chest. ‘I’m sorry, I messed up. I thought things were better than they were, especially when you started to get paid more.’
‘It’s not a bottomless supply.’
‘You’re wearing a posh new green dress,’ Jake said, exasperated.
‘It cost a lot less than a twenty-thousand-pound marketing plan.’
Jake hesitated. ‘I’ve already called the bank to sort things out.’
‘How?’
