Page 21 of The Geography of Happiness

“You are.” He chuckled. “Worse, if I’m being honest, but who’s keeping score?”

“You, obviously.”

He laughed.

“So, what can I do you for?” I played with the envelope on my desk. “Aren’t you busy in court with that big case all week?”

“We’re on lunch break,” he explained. “I’m standing outside the courthouse as we speak.”

There was something about that scenario that didn’t feel right. Derek was nothing if not singularly focused and rarely called me during work hours. “And you thought you’d call me? I’m all choked up.”

Derek laughed. “Arsehole.”

“I saw you on the news, by the way,” I teased. “You should really ask them to shoot you from your good side. That bump in your nose looks way bigger from the right.”

Derek snorted. “You should know, you put it there.”

“Hey, I was sixteen and you were being a little turd,” I countered. “It wasn’t my fault you tripped on the bottom step and went arse over kite into the calf feeder.”

“With a little help from you,” he pointed out.

“Well, you shouldn’t have eaten the last of the bread then, should you?” I huffed, twirling the envelope in ever larger circles.

“Youwere the one who forgot to buy more,” he accused.

“Did not.”

“Did too.”

We dissolved into fits of laughter until I had to wipe my eyes. “Okay, okay, so what’s up? It must be something important for you to squeeze a call in to me, Mister Very Famous and Busy Lawyer.”

He fell unexpectedly quiet at my words, and I felt the first niggle of alarm.

“Derek?”

A sigh broke down the line. “I was wondering if I could come down for a few nights when this case is done?”

I frowned, his question catching me completely off guard. Derek had only visited the Mackenzie once, when he and Kathryn were driving through the South Island on their honeymoon, and that was ten years earlier. What the hell was going on?

When I didn’t immediately respond Derek quickly added, “I get that it might not suit. It was just a thought. We can do it another?—”

“No,” I interrupted. “It’s fine. Of course it’s fine. It’s just a surprise, that’s all. Can I ask if there’s a particular reason behind you wanting to come?”

Derek said nothing for long enough to worry me.

“Are you okay, D?” I used his childhood nickname.

He chuffed affectionately. “God, I haven’t been called that in years.”

“Come on, D?” I pressed. “What’s up?”

Derek hesitated, then blurted, “Kathryn wants a divorce. She sprang it on me last weekend.”

I blinked. “What?” It took a few seconds for his words to sink in. If ever two people were meant to be a couple, I’d have bet my back teeth that my brother and his childhood sweetheart ticked every box. “Jesus, D, what the hell happened?”

When he said nothing, I added in a suspicious tone, “What did you do?”

“Me?” He laughed mirthlessly. “Jesus, Spence, nothing. I did absolutely fucking nothing. She says there’s no one else, that she’s just fallen out of love with me. Two kids and she’s done. Apparently, we weren’t soul mates after all. Go figure.”

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