Free The Collared Collection by Kay Jaybee, K. D. Grace Page B

Callie.’
    ‘Err … yes, you may have a point.’
    ‘And you’re absolutely sure you’ve no inkling who Balaclava Man is? Not even a tiny, miniscule suspicion?’
    ‘No – not a clue.’
    Ginny rubbed her hands together in a passable impression of Fagin. ‘It’s like a Hitchcock horror, isn’t it – him still hiding under the bed when you were on the phone? Cue the spooky music!’
    ‘Don’t remind me – I nearly died when David told me that.’ She pictured herself standing beside the bed, a great big hairy hand about to seize her ankle. She vigorously shook her head to throw out the image.
    ‘I still can’t believe David’s a cop. Strange I’ve not come across him in court.’
    ‘Perhaps he never catches anyone – but I hope he nabs Balaclava Man PDQ.’
    Callie got up and strolled over to the window, preparing to take the bull by the horns. ‘Ginny, err … could I possibly come and stay with you for a while? I don’t know how long it will be before we can return to the house – there’s a lot of damage on the ground floor. It’ll just be me – Prick is having the kids. Oh, and I have a babysitter dogging my every move, until Balaclava Man is bang to rights.’
    Ginny beamed at her friend. ‘I’m offended you have to ask – mi casa, su casa for as long as you need it. And I met today’s guardian of the peace downstairs in the lobby; a sort of Eddie Murphy lookalike. Very dishy.’ She giggled.
    Callie had to laugh. ‘You’re incorrigible … and thank you, I really have missed you, you cow.’
    ‘Flattery will get you everywhere … so, you and David – will it stay the course, do you think?’
    ‘Who knows? He did invite me to stay here, but it’s very early days and I’ve no idea where the relationship will go, or even if it will survive.’
    Ginny was dumbfounded. ‘Callie! He invited you to share his bed – I sneaked a peek and there is only one – and you turned him down to bunk up with me?’
    ‘Yes, I don’t know why … perhaps because it just didn’t seem right … oh, I really don’t know. I should probably be certified – he’s been great through all this trouble and the kids adore him.’
    ‘Ah, but does he adore them?’
    ‘Seems to – he’s very good with them. He relates to them and they respond.’
    ‘That’s because men never graduate beyond the mental age of ten and a half, so he’s on the same wavelength as Sam and Alex. The male of the species remains a kidult forever.’
    ‘Ginny! You’re becoming a bitter and twisted old maid!’
    ‘And proud of it.’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘I suppose this means I have to be pleasant to him from now on?’
    Callie grinned. ‘That would be nice … if it’s not too much of a strain.’
    Sadness suddenly clouded Ginny’s face. She spoke softly, ‘Actually, if I’m honest – and I admit that’s a rarity, I am a barrister for Christ’s sake – I’m jealous as hell of what you have, Callie. Two brilliant kids – and your marriage to Dominic wasn’t all bad, pre-Freckle Face – now it seems you’ve landed drop-dead-gorgeous David. To top all that, he gets on well with the kids; talk about landing with your bum in the sodding butter!’
    ‘Oh yeah, everything in the garden’s rosy red, Ginny – in case you haven’t noticed, I have no job, very little money, and now no home.’
    ‘Don’t be so negative! Look at what you do have … you never go home to an empty house after a hard day pretending you’re Super Woman incarnate, who doesn’t need anyone else in her life. I have to practically beg the cleaners to go for a drink with me after work sometimes, when I can’t face the thought of another night in alone with a frozen microwave meal and too much wine. And while we’re on the subject, you do too have a job – my offer still stands. We’ll get you kitted out in a power suit and you can start in a couple of days, so our man Bernard has time to show you the ropes before he leaves us.