Seph:Callum and Wren returned yesterday.
Claire:We know. Max, calm down. We’re not doing anything to Eli’s contract unless Ava has any reason to complain, and if he’s using his tool properly then he should be okay.
Victoria:Claire, Max is now gritting his jaw. Can you please leave off the nailing comments, at least until the hen/stag weekend? Then you can say whatever you like. Seph, please continue.
Claire:Sorry, Vic. It’s too tempting. Seph?
Seph:I think they’d missed each other. And because I know you’re going to say that Callum’s always got a girl back, this girl’s been back multiple times now and judging by what I heard, this is going to become a permanent thing.
Payton:Callum’s getting married!
Callum:Can we slow down a little here, I don’t want to scare her. And you lot are pretty fucking scary.
Claire:He didn’t say he wasn’t getting married though. I’m so proud.
Callum:I didn’t say anything, just to not be fucking scary. Yes, you’re going to meet her. I like her a lot. Please don’t make her think that I’m from a family of loons.
Ava:You want us to lie?
Callum:Pretend.
Ava:I’m so pleased it’s working out for you.
Seph:To be fair, she’s pretty awesome. And she sounded like she likes you A LOT.
Callum:More than happy to bleach your ears for you. Scrub them too. Hard. Where are you, by the way?
Seph:Work. I have a busy department. Got here about six.
Maxwell:I’ll bring you coffee as long as you don’t spill it over a photocopier. We’re interviewing next week for a junior partner, if you remember? That should help.
Seph:As long as they don’t mind doing sixteen hour days and seven day weeks. Can we take two?
Maxwell:Potentially. You’ve made me feel bad. I’m still in bed.
Seph:I’ve no reason to be in bed. The only single Callaghan…
Payton:We’re not going to feel sorry for you, Seph. Cal, are you going home this weekend?
Callum:Friday. I need to see the farmhouse and put in an offer. Did Dad tell you about it?
Claire:Just a bit. He’s really excited. And threatening to buy Eliza a pony.
Callum:Sorry.
Killian:It’s okay. It can live with you and you can look after it. I’m thinking holiday camps are in the future too. It’s a fucking huge premises you’re looking at.
Callum:I know. But it has a lot of potential. And start-up costs.
Ava:I had a look round yesterday. You need to get it surveyed, but I doubt anything will show up apart from some damp near a chimney breast, but that can be resolved really easily. I think me and Eli will still be there this weekend. We’re doing a floor in one of the cottages for Mum. Lainey’s coming to stay.
* * *
I put my phone down.The airwaves would now completely blow up with that news. Lainey was our cousin, Marie’s niece. She’d been brought up in Ireland, but had gone to boarding school, before heading over to the rest of the Greens in New York for a few years. I’d missed the part where she was staying in one of the cottages which suggested she was going to be here for a while.
England needed a protection plan, because Lainey Green was a first class brat and caused havoc pretty much anywhere she went. She was also a children’s therapist, specializing in animal therapy. I saw what my mum was doing here.
I stretched and stood up, discarding my phone. There was no sign of Wren waking up, and when I looked at her she was snuggled into my pillow. My chest felt tight.
