Chapter 2

TWO

‘How can I possibly resist you?’ Jenny asked as he headed back towards the bed.

‘Beats me,’ Bryant said, jumping in on his own side.

He’d considered using the bathroom visit as a prompt to get out of bed and make an early start on the overwintering jobs Jenny wanted done in the garden.

After a soggy September, the first week of October had been dry, bright and positively balmy with highs of twenty degrees. The temperature was now dropping drastically at both ends of the day, prompting Jenny’s instructions for the last mow, pruning back and covering the outside furniture.

But it was Sunday. A lazy, peaceful, chilled start to the day was just what he needed. The feel of the bed still warm from his own body had proven too tempting to resist. And he welcomed any excuse to put off the jobs he didn’t want to do.

‘Come here and let me put my cold feet on you,’ he said, moving towards his wife.

Jenny moved her legs out of reach and chuckled. ‘Much as that idea appeals to me, do you not want to check your phone first?’

‘For what?’ he asked, frowning.

‘It beeped while you were in the loo.’

‘What did it sound like?’ he asked.

‘Broken glass.’

He knew that notification tone, and he’d only applied it to one person.

He brought the screen to life and saw that it was a message in the team WhatsApp group.

He clicked into it.

Two words.

‘What’s it say?’ Jenny asked, leaning over his left shoulder.

He moved to the edge of the bed. ‘It says I need to get up and get ready for work.’