Page 86 of The Meaning Of You

I turned again to the front door. “Where the hell are they?”

Gazza’s fingers drummed on the tabletop. “So, you’re the famous Nick Fisher.”

I raised a brow. “Hardly famous. He, ah, mentioned me?”

Gazza gave me a critical once-over. “A little.”

For some reason, that surprised me.

Gazza continued to watch me closely. “Just the part where your husband had an accident a while ago and then died last November. I’m sorry for your loss, by the way.”

I managed a grim smile. “Thanks.”

“He mentioned you’d become friend-ly.”

I narrowed my eyes at the phrasing.

“He also mentioned you’d ghosted him at the funeral and for a while after.”

I groaned. “I wasn’t in a good place, and Mads is...”

Gazza’s expression softened. “Intense?”

I gave a soft snort. “Kind of. At the time, I didn’t want to talk toanyone, let alone a guy who wouldn’t be put off by my bullshit.”

Gazza chuckled. “That’s our boy.” He fell quiet for a second then added, “Mads isn’t a nickname he likes too much.”

I tried to keep my expression blank. “Really?”

His eyes danced with mischief but he didn’t press. “He did get one thing very right though. He said you were hot.”

I almost choked. “He did no such thing. That’s not something he would say. He’s too... circumspect.”

Gazza gave a soft smile. “So youdoknow him. And you’re right as it turns out. It was me who asked if you were hot. He only had to say yes.”

I refused to bite. “You’ve had my story, but why areyouhere? On a Sunday?”

Gazza tensed and looked about to tell me where to go, then he sighed. “Boyfriend problems. Oldest tale around.”

“Oh.” I grimaced. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

He shrugged. “We broke up, and instead of moping at home, I decided to bury myself in some work.”

The sound of tyres on the gravel driveway outside sent me stumbling for the front door with Gazza following close behind. Jerry sat behind the wheel of the first vehicle, but two police cars and a van were hot on her heels. She parked and got out, sending me an apologetic look as she walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for... Madigan’s Aunt Shirley.

What the . . . ?

“I was in her room when you called,” Jerry explained with an eye-roll behind Shirley’s back.

“I saw that,” Shirley lied, puffing past me into the house while Gazza watched on with his mouth hanging open.

“Gazza, this is Jerry,” I told him. “She’s the receptionist at Golden Oaks. And this is my brother-in-law, Samuel. He’s a cop in the marine service, although I don’t know who this is with him.” I indicated the blond man following Samuel inside. “And I assume you know Shirley. Samuel and Jerry were both here this morning so they know as much as you.”

“The receptionist?” Gazza was still staring at Jerry.

I shrugged. “She and Samuel are shagging. They were together when Samuel got the call about the caravan.”

The blond man accompanying Samuel made a sputtering sound and Samuel shot me a glare. “Arsehole.”

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