‘Good, that means you did it right. Back to the matter at hand. Ren, dear, as I said, I’ve bought your grandfather’s house.’
‘You’re serious?’ he replied. ‘You’re the one who bought our house?’
‘Is he hard of hearing?’ she asked, looking at me to confirm. ‘Isn’t that what I just said?’
Ren’s grip tightened around my fingers and I winced. ‘You’re not going to tear it down?’
‘No,’ Myrna replied. ‘I’m going to live in it. You’ve done a beautiful job of the restoration and I couldn’t stand the thought of some money-grabbing developer destroying something so beloved in the name of a quick buck.’
Bel held her hands against her heart and sighed. ‘Oh, Myrna, who knew you were such a sweetie.’
‘Another word out of that one and I’ll have her flayed,’ Myrna warned, Bel’s mouth immediately puckering like a cat’s arse. ‘Ren, the way you brought Joe’s house back to life inspired me. Perhaps there is a way to restore my home without razing the whole thing to the ground, despite what the succubus stepchildren say.’
‘One hundred per cent. It wouldn’t be cheap but it could be done,’ Ren replied and I could feel him shaking with excitement. ‘I can put you in touch with the people I used for some of the parts I couldn’t do on my own if that would help?’
‘You will put me in touch with no one.’ She stared him dead in the eye and tapped the top of her cane against the ground. ‘I want you to do it.’
‘Ow!’ I squealed as he squeezed my hand so hard, I was sure I heard something crack.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said, wild-eyed. ‘Are you OK?’
‘I think you’ve broken a finger,’ I said, putting down my margarita to take a better look.
Myrna stared at me through her sunglasses. ‘You’re right-handed, aren’t you, darling?’
I nodded and nursed my throbbing digits.
‘That’s your left, nothing for us to worry about.’ She turned back to Ren as Suzanne handed me a napkin full of ice from her drink. ‘No one will take care of my house as well as you. There will be a project manager salary and you can live in the guest cottage while the restorations are taking place. I’ve talked it all over with my finance people and they think I’m insane, but there’s enough money to do it properly. What do you say?’
‘It’s a huge undertaking, it could take years,’ he said as he gently rubbed my not-broken-but-still-quite-sore hand. ‘There’s the plumbing, the roof, you probably need the whole place rewired, and finding vintage fixtures for all those rooms won’t be easy. I don’t know, I’ve never done anything this major before.’
‘There has to be a first time for everything,’ she said with a wink in my direction. ‘As I’m sure you two know.’
‘This is crazy, I – I have to go call my dad,’ Ren stood slowly as if he weren’t sure his legs would hold him up. ‘He’s going to be so happy – he never really wanted to sell.’
‘Am I to take that as a yes?’ Myrna asked.
‘It’s the biggest yes ever!’ He threw his arms out wide in celebration and I couldn’t help but think she was wrong about him staying fully clothed all the time. ‘Ms Moore, this is incredible, I don’t know how to thank you.’
She took a sip of her drink then arched her left eyebrow. ‘I believe a diamond ring and a blow job is traditional for two hundred thousand dollars over the asking price, but I’ll settle for a handshake.’
Bel and Suzanne both spluttered, coughing their frozen drinks through their nose. I’d been around her enough to reply with a matching raised eyebrow and a sigh.
‘Dad is going to be psyched.’ Ren kissed me on the cheek before pulling his phone out of the pocket of his sweatpants and tapping away at the screen. ‘Thank you, thank you so much!’
‘If only all men were so easy to please.’ Myrna sipped her margarita and looked around the garden with a cool eye. ‘There’s enough sugar in here to give a girl diabetes, I think I’ll stay for another.’
‘When I grow up, I want to be just like her,’ I heard Bel whisper to my sister.
Moving into the empty seat beside Myrna before she could beat Bel to death with her cane, I tapped my glass against hers. ‘I’m glad you came over,’ I said. ‘I was hoping to see you before I leave.’
‘Leave?’ she repeated as though I’d just told her I was running away to join the circus. ‘What do you mean, leave?’
‘I’m flying home today.’ Every time I said it, my heart sank a little deeper. ‘We have to leave for the airport in an hour or so.’
‘No, I’m sorry but you’re notleaving,’ Myrna spoke as though it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard in her life. ‘You have to stay.’
‘Well, I’d like to, but I paid up front for the whole year’s membership at the yoga place in town,’ I said weakly. ‘Can’t stay on holiday forever, can I?’
