Page 8 of The In-Laws

‘And you’re brilliant at it.’

Melanie smiled. ‘I’m not bad.’ She ran a hand through her hair. ‘I need to come in to you for a cut.’

‘And colour,’ Katie noted. ‘Your greys are showing. Come in next week and I’ll freshen you up. We can’t have our top literary agent looking unpolished.’

‘Thanks, Katie. Nancy did mention pointedly last week that my hair needed “attending to”.’

They laughed.

Jamie came out. ‘I can’t believe you two left me. My head is melted. Get back in there and help me out. Ross and Amanda are on a London versus Dublin rant and Mum is getting snappier by the second.’

‘What about Frank?’ Katie asked.

‘I think Frank is meditating, he seems to have zoned out. It’s like he’s stoned without the drugs. I need to learn how to do that.’

Katie and Jamie cracked up while Melanie rolled her eyes.

Reluctantly, they all returned to the kitchen, where Nancy was grumbling about the cream not being properly whisked. Amanda’s cheeks were flushed.

Katie felt for her sister-in-law. ‘I think it’s a perfecttexture,’ she said, dipping her finger into it and popping it into her mouth.

‘After a bottle of wine, I imagine everything tastes good,’ Nancy said sourly.

Unbowed, Katie poured herself another glass. ‘We all need our painkillers, Nancy.’ She raised her glass and winked at her mother-in-law, enjoying the look of pure annoyance on her face. She’d learnt long ago to ride it out and not give Nancy the pleasure of knowing she got under her skin.

For the millionth time she silently thanked Jamie’s dead father, Patrick, for giving him his lovely genes. She’d never met Nancy’s first husband, Ross’s father Thomas, but she reckoned he must have been very different from Patrick, because Frank and Jamie were nothing like Ross. He was all hard edges and spiky defences while Jamie and Frank were big softies.

She squeezed Jamie’s hand as he moved past her to his seat and she slurred in his ear, ‘Let’s put a movie on for the kids and rip each other’s clothes off when we get home.’

Jamie grinned. ‘Hell, yes.’

Katie saw Amanda watching them from across the table. Her sister-in-law was staring at her and Jamie, looking defeated. Katie leant forward and said quietly, ‘You okay?’

Amanda frowned, and her shoulders went back. ‘Totally fine,’ she said brusquely.

Nancy clapped her hands loudly. ‘Right, I’m tired. Can you all leave now, please? I’ll be in the office tomorrow at eight forty-five. Melanie, I want a full report on Sloane’s sales, and, Jamie, we need to push for more foreign rights. I want a plan of action and publishers to target.’

‘And kiss my arse while you’re at it,’ Katie muttered. Jamie shot her a warning glance.

Katie’s head was spinning. She realized that the last glass of wine had tipped her over. She was feeling very wobbly and had to lean on Jamie to stand up.

She hugged Amanda, thanking her loudly for producing an amazing meal, so Nancy would hear. Amanda looked surprised but pleased. She then kissed Ross lightly on the cheek, and hugged Frank and Melanie – although Melanie wasn’t much of a hugger and just patted her on the back. Then Katie turned to Nancy and waved. ‘Cheerio, Nancy, good to see you’re feeling a bit better and that the broken leg hasn’t stopped you bossing everyone about. We all need to channel our boss bitch more.’

‘Mum!’ Lucy was standing at the door, horrified.

‘It’s a compliment,’ Katie reassured her.

‘Goodbye, Katie. A cup of strong coffee might be advisable,’ Nancy said coldly.

‘Let’s get you home, babe.’ Jamie guided his wife out of the front door.

Katie’s high heels were killing her. Thankfully, they lived only a short walk away, so she kicked off her shoes and walked home in her bare feet. The relief!

Lucy was mortified. ‘Mum! No one else is walking in bare feet. The ground is wet and dirty.’

‘Relax, it’s no big deal.’ Katie leant on Jamie’s arm.

‘Itisa big deal, people are looking.’ Lucy was getting upset.

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