‘Nope, not yours.’
But someone else’s she cared about was. She couldn’t risk putting it off any longer. She wouldn’t survive many more sleepless nights like the one she just had.
Nick finished organising the long list of jobs that would need doing before the film crew arrived in two days’ time to film the segment forTake a Break. The show’s audience was mainly aimed at people who were looking for places they could visit for a long weekend so it was exactly what the pub needed to lift their exposure and Nick had been going over the entire place with a fine-tooth comb to ensure they were ready.
Things had settled down a lot since Susie’s visit—he wasn’t sure if it was connected or not, but Jeremy’s shitty mood and the chip he’d been carrying on his shoulder since arriving seemed to have improved. Not completely, of course—he was still an arrogant dick—but he was at least speaking to the staff better and had even surprised Nick today with an idea for a new signature dish he’d been working on.
The visit hadn’t all been positive, though. He was still worried about whatever he’d walked in on with Jenny before his sister had stormed out. The dramatic exit wasn’t his concern—it was almost Susie’s trademark move—it was the tension she’d left behind. He’d tried to get Jenny to talk about it later but she clearly hadn’t wanted to discuss it so he’d left it alone, butsomethinghad happened. They’d barely had time to touch base since then—he’d been distracted by all the TV show preparations and Jenny had her clinic visit—but he made a mental note to make some time to get to the bottom of it as soon as they could wrangle a free night alone.
He had some calls to make to double check times for the TV crew to head out and film at the farm to showcase their beefand was on the stairs when he heard his name being called. He hung his head to swear softly, before turning around to go back to the bar.
‘Nick, there’s some people waiting to see you in the front lounge.’
‘Okay.’ He’d get this dealt with,thenmake the phone calls … and go to the bank and go over that inventory issue with Jeremy, and smooth over things with the supplier Jeremy swore at last week …
A man and woman rose from their seats as Nick approached. The man gave Nick a brief, firm handshake while the woman openly stared.
‘Nick …’ she said, barely above a whisper, making him eye her a little more closely.
‘Can I help you with something?’ he asked, shifting his gaze from the woman, with her faded and grey-streaked hair, to the man.
‘I’m George, and this is my wife, Sharon,’ the man said, breaking the awkward silence.
‘And I’m your father’s cousin,’ the woman blurted.
‘My father?’ Nick replied, slowly. ‘Reg?’ He hadn’t been aware his father had any cousins left. He’d certainly never heard of any.
‘No, sweetheart,’ the woman said gently, ‘Yourrealfather. Matthew. Matthew Gosson.’
Clearly the woman had him mistaken for someone else. ‘I’m sorry, the Gossons were the previous owners. I’ve recently bought the pub. I’m Nick Mason.’
‘The Gossons are my family,’ Sharon continued, but it was the way she was speaking—in that slow, careful tone people used to break bad news to someone—that caught Nick’s attention. ‘Your family, too,’ she said with a weak smile. ‘I know this isn’t probably the best way to do this, but I’m not sure there’s an easy way. So I’m just going to tell you. Your father was Matthew Gosson. Lionel Gosson was your grandfather. And this was their pub before you bought it.’
He had enough on his plate right now without adding whatever the hell this crazy woman was trying to sell him. ‘Look, I think you have me mixed up with someone else. I’m not a Gosson. I’m no relation to the previous owners. I’m sorry, I can’t help you with any more information—I don’t know anyone out here. Maybe a few of the old-timers who come in later might be able to help you track down whoever you’re looking for, but right now, I need to make a heap of phone calls, so I gotta get going.’ He turned back to the stairs.
‘Your sister isn’t who you think she is,’ Sharon called, stopping him in his tracks, before he turned back to face her. They may not be close, but Susie was family and if someone ever tried to threaten her, they’d have to deal with him first.
‘What’s my sister got to do with this?’
Sharon stood beside her husband, wringing her fingers as she determinedly held Nick’s gaze. She lifted her chin slightly, almost as though readying herself to face battle, before her voice hardened.
‘She’s not your sister.’
Jenny felt the weariness of a long day lift as she spotted Nick’s car parked out the front of her house when she turned into her driveway. The trip home from Tallowhope had seemed even longer after a full day of clinic but Nick’s unexpected visit had rejuvenated her and she climbed out of her car with far more energy than she’d climbed into it with earlier.
‘Hey,’ she said, heading over to where he stood, leaning against his car. ‘Did you only just get here?’
‘No. I’ve been here a while.’
‘Why didn’t you go inside?’ Jenny asked, coming to a stop in front of him and noticing his taut expression for the first time. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘I had a visit today from a woman who told me my whole life was apparently a lie,’ he said bitterly. Jenny felt her heart drop. ‘I woke up this morning thinking I knew exactly who I was and where I was headed, and by lunchtime, I had nothing but a bunch of lies as my past, and no idea who I am.’
‘Oh, Nick.’ Jenny sighed and reached out to hold his hand. ‘I’m so sorry.’
For a moment she saw confusion cross his face before it turned into disbelief and her heart sank even further.
‘You aren’t even surprised? Youknew about this?’
