‘Where would I be without you?’ She smiled gratefully. Rupert slid his arm around her waist and planted a warm kiss on the side of her mouth.
‘Heading for bankruptcy, I reckon. Good job you’ve got me then, eh?’
Marla laughed for the first time since lunch.
‘I guess it is, yeah.’
She truly was glad of Rupert in her life. He seemed to genuinely want to do anything he could to help with the campaign, and he looked like he enjoyed her company without needing to deepen their liaison into relationship territory. They’d slipped into a pattern of seeing each other every few evenings, and a couple of times he’d stayed over at Marla’s cottage. She didn’t like the phrasefriends with benefits, but if pushed she’d have deemed it an appropriate way to summarise the situation developing between them.
The pub was filling up nicely, but a western movie-style hush fell over it a second or two later when Gabe and Dan came in, a study of perfection in biker’s leathers and oily denim.
Marla sucked in a sharp breath and Rupert stiffened next to her, his fingers digging into her waist. Emily looked equally stricken by Gabe’s appearance, and Tom, the only one who hadn’t yet had the pleasure of meeting Gabe, glanced quizzically around the table …
Behind the bar, Bill slid his glasses off and put down his newspaper. He pulled two pints of Guinness and placed them on the bar.
‘On the house, lads.’
Gabe studied the glasses for a long moment and the pub held its collective breath.
‘Thank you, Bill. I appreciate it.’
The noise level returned to normal as if someone had turned the volume dial, and Marla released the breath she didn’t realise she’d been holding.
‘I take it that’s yer man then,’ Tom said. He nodded towards the newcomers as he took a swig of beer.
Emily followed his gaze and saw only Dan, even though there was a throng of people at the bar. She felt as if someone had dropped a concrete block on her chest and she couldn’t get her breath. The rational part of her brain knew that Tom was referring to Gabe, but his words still sliced through like an axe. She knocked her almost-full glass of wine back in one go.
‘Can we go now, Tom?’ She was already on her feet and had her arms halfway into her jacket. ‘Please?’
Tom laughed.
‘Hang about, Em. I haven’t finished my beer …’ but Emily was already away across the pub. He pushed his chair back and stood up with a resigned grin.
‘Can’t wait to get me home.’ He shrugged. ‘Sex maniac. She’s killing me, man.’
He drained his glass and picked up his car keys.
‘Have fun, kids.’
He winked at an amused Marla and Rupert. As he picked his way through the busy tables, Tom couldn’t help noticing the way Gabe’s friend turned to look at Emily as she passed. He felt a fierce stab of pride that she was his wife. He couldn’t blame other men for looking at her. Then Emily turned and held the guy’s gaze for a few seconds and, even in profile, he knew her well enough to recognise the look of ill-concealed panic on her face. Each second felt like a lifetime, until she whipped her head around and ran out of the door.
Two thoughts swam around in his head.
What was that all about?And,Not a chance pal. She’s mine.
‘What was that all about?’ Gabe asked as the door swung shut behind Tom.
‘Not a clue. Probably fancied me.’ Dan shrugged. ‘Most women do, my friend.’
‘Did you not notice her husband was three steps behind her, man?’
‘Yeah, I noticed. But didshe?’ Dan muttered darkly and waved to Bill for more beers.
Gabe was well aware that Marla was sitting across the room with the reporter from the meeting. That figured. They were probably hatching phase two of their hate campaign. He could see them reflected in the mirror behind the bar, and he flinched as the guy smoothed a stray lock of Marla’s hair back behind her ear.
Thiswas the boyfriend she’d mentioned? The tosser fromThe Herald? Christ, he’d credited her with better taste. But then, in light of events this afternoon, maybe he shouldn’t be so surprised.
He had to hand it to her. It had taken some balls to come over to the funeral parlour with her chequebook in hand, ready to pay for a new window. He still couldn’t make up his mind whether he believed her pleas of innocence or not, but either way she’d proved that she had a brave streak a mile wide. Thinking back, he knew that he’d come down hard on her, but disappointment could do that to a man. Petty thuggery didn’t match up with the woman she’d become in his head, and she’d fallen off her pedestal with an even louder crash than the window.