A Jersey Kiss (Jersey Romance Series) by Georgina Troy Page B

night.”
    “ You've heard then?” Bea asked, knowing full well Shani would have told him as soon as she had put down the phone. “Come through.” They followed her down the long passageway, and into the kitchen.
    “ Blimey, it's lovely and cool in here.” Shani shivered. “We’re dying up in our flat. It’s too hot in the summer and freezing in the winter. I’m starting to hate it there.”
    Bea leant back against the cool metal of the Aga. “Never mind the weather; I need to talk about last night.”
    “ I can’t believe you’re the other woman this time,” Paul teased, rubbing Flea's back as he stretched against him. “Not like you at all.”
    “ Not funny, Paul,” Shani said, joining Bea in front of the Aga. “Just pour us some water if you haven’t got any cans of drink. It’s too hot for tea anyway.”
    “ It’s not funny,” agreed Bea, rubbing her arms to warm up, suddenly feeling chilled. “I don’t need to be dealing with this.” She stood from one foot to the next, retying her ponytail. “I’m the last person who’d want to upset someone’s wife. Don’t forget I know how she must feel. I certainly felt like saying the same to Simon’s Claire.” That felt odd, she thought. Simon’s Claire. It used to be Simon and Bea.
    “ Sit down,” Shani said. “Now take a deep breath and tell me exactly what else she said to you.”
    Bea did as she was told. “Tom told me they were legally separated, which is pretty much the same as being divorced. I mean, to be separated you have to sign a legal document stating you're no longer living together, don’t you?” She waved her hand at Paul, declining the proffered biscuit barrel in his hand. “I can’t believe he lied to me. It’s not as if we're dating as a couple, or anything. We're supposed to be friends.”
    “ You don’t know he has lied yet.” Paul sprayed her with crumbs, as he munched on a digestive. “Maybe she’s the one telling porkies, or she could have been dipping one time too many into the Merlot.”
    Bea took a deep breath in an effort to stop her temper from rising. “She screamed at me like a complete nutter calling me all sorts of things. I’m not a slag, or what else did she say, oh yes, a bitch. Bloody cheek too, in the circumstances.”
    Shani slammed her hand down on the work top. “Will you just tell me what she said? We’ll deal with the unfairness of it all later.”
    “ You love taking charge, Shani,” mumbled Paul, trying not to giggle, as they pointedly ignored him.
    “ She had the nerve to threaten to make my life a living hell, if I ever saw him again.” She shuddered at the memory. “I think she meant it, too. Let’s face it, this is a big house to be rattling around in at the best of times, but when someone makes threats to you in the middle of the night, it takes on a creepiness that I’ve never noticed before.”
    “ I can imagine. She probably even looks like something from Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” Shani said, taking a seat at the table, and motioning for Bea to sit in front of her.
    “ It’s all right for you to sit there and joke, but it’s me who’ll be smacked in the face.”
    The doorbell rang. “Sit down,” Shani said. “Paul will deal with whoever that is.”
    “ Oh, thanks,” he said, grimacing. “What if it’s the mad woman?”
    “ You’re such a hero, Paul.” Shani took the biscuit tin away from him. “Baby. I’ll go then.”
    “ I will,” Bea said. Shani got up and pushed Bea back into her seat. Bea fell back wondering how someone so tall and skinny could still have so much physical strength. “Leave this to me.”
    Paul leaned towards Bea after Shani had marched out of the kitchen. “She loves being the one to sort everything out. She’s the same whenever someone kicks off at the gym. Always has to barge in and give everyone hell.”
    “ And you just let her, I suppose.” Bea smiled at him, imagining Paul, almost a foot shorter than Shani, letting her