‘She told me she was going to get a new developer in. One who had more balls than me.’
‘Oh, wow.’
‘Yep. She was spitting nails.’
‘So what happened? I mean, obviously she didn’t go through with the threat.’
‘I kept as calm as I could, although under the surface, I was panicking like hell. This was my first big job and it was quickly going pear-shaped. I’d given Marie a couple of alternative designs for the decking that would fall within the parameters the council had decreed so I told Marie to think it over that night and, in the morning, if she still wanted to part ways, then that’s what we would do.’
‘She changed her mind.’
‘It was emotional. She had her heart set on this particular design for the deck but she and Yanis took a walk down by the sea that evening. She said they didn’t even really talk that much. Just took in the view, listened to the waves, felt the sand under their feet then went home. The sea worked its magic because that night, I got a text and we were go for the next day.’
‘That must have been a relief.’
‘It really was.’
‘Were you angry at all that you’d got the sharp end of the stick even though it wasn’t your fault?’
‘Honestly? No, not really. Alice was upset on my behalf. Told me I should tell them where to stick it and that I’d get more jobs.’ He shook his head. ‘She always was a firecracker.’
‘I’m sure it was hard for her. When you see or hear about someone you care about being undervalued…’ I gave a shrug. ‘It just sounds like she was being protective.’
‘Yeah, she was. Half my size and fierce as hell.’
I wasn’t sure what to say. ‘I’m sorry.’ It sounded lame but it was also the truth.
‘Thanks,’ he said, a faint smile touching his lips as he looked over. The traffic light was red and for a moment, the silence was all-consuming. ‘She’d have liked you.’
‘Sorry?’
‘Alice. She’d have liked you.’
‘Are you sure?’
His laugh was easy and warm, perhaps the tensions loosened by the thoughts of his wife. ‘Yeah, I’m sure. We were together over twenty years so I knew her pretty well.’
‘Oh God, I didn’t mean to suggest that?—’
‘I know you didn’t.’ His hand rested for barely a moment on my arm, interrupting me. ‘And I know we don’t know each other all that well yet but I get the feeling that you’re not someone who takes shit from people either.’
‘No, I don’t. But from what I’ve heard, I’m also nothing like your wife. She had it all together and got herself a good man into the bargain.’
Jesse flexed his fingers on the wheel.
‘Sorry. That came out a bit… weird.’
His laugh was easy. ‘No, it didn’t. And thanks, but there are those who’d argue she got herself a bloke she knocked into shape.’
‘Let’s go with fifty-fifty.’
‘If Alice were here, she might say more like seventy-five twenty-five but I’ll take that.’
‘So you grew up here, then, I gather?’
‘That’s right. Born and bred with a few diversions in between.’
‘And you met Alice here?’
