“And how did Caz take that? Not very well, I’d imagine.”
Caroline wasn’t the issue. Not at all. It was the situation they could potentially find themselves in because of Kirsty. “Caz was great. She’s far calmer than I am. If it had been her ex making her dinner, I’d have had something to say about it.”
Juliet placed her palms to her desk, sitting forward. “Hold on. She was cooking dinner for you? How exactly did you get to that point with her?”
“Juliet, she was alreadyinmy house when I got home from work.”
“That’s…not normal behaviour, Hannah. She’s been gone for what? Nine months or so now?”
“Yeah. She still had a key. I never thought about that when she left, and I certainly never expected her to let herself into my house and start cooking dinner.”
Juliet slid her glasses on as she frowned. “How did she seem to you?”
“Unwell.” Hannah didn’t want to assume anything, but the Kirsty she knew wasnotthe same Kirsty she’d had an encounter with just a few days ago. Juliet would back her on that, given the fact she used to be her boss. “She’s been at home with her mum. Terminal.”
“Oh, God. Really?”
“Yeah. Brain tumour. And while I can understand that she’s probably really out of sorts, I don’t like how she just showed up. I also don’t like how she spoke to Caz. She was very hostile. Actually, she was a complete bitch to her.”
“Do you want me to contact her?”
Hannah dragged a hand through her hair and crossed her legs. This didn’t need to become a thing for any of them. “No, it’s okay. I don’t want to antagonise her. If you call, she may think that’s exactly what I’m doing. She doesn’t even know I effectively have her job. If I pay no attention, I’m sure she’ll realise that there is no us anymore.”
Juliet laughed and shook her head as she powered up her computer. “She actually thinks there’s a chance?”
“Seems it, yes.”
“I know we’ve only spoken briefly about the fact you two were ever together, but how serious was it?”
Hannah swallowed. She wasn’t in the habit of spending three years with someone for the sake of it. “Very serious. We were engaged.”
“Oh, wow.” Juliet’s eyes widened with that knowledge.
“I’m going to assume she never mentioned me then.” Hannah wasn’t bothered by that now, but if she’d known back then, she would have questioned why Kirsty kept her a secret at work. Juliet was openly lesbian, so it couldn’t be that Kirsty felt she had to hide who she was. “Shows what she thought of me, doesn’t it?”
“She…didn’t really talk about her personal life. Kirsty was very quiet when she was here. While you and I go out to lunch or working dinners, she avoided that. I don’t know why, but I just put it down to her being a little introverted.”
Huh. She’d never been introverted with Hannah. “Maybe. I don’t know.”
“I wouldn’t think too much into it, Hannah. You’re happy with Caz.”
“Oh, God. I know. I’m not even contemplating that.” It was becoming increasingly clear that Caroline may just be the love of Hannah’s life. There wasn’t a single thing that sprung to mind in terms of red flags. Nothing. “Caz is the one for me.”
“Good. But Iwouldsuggest you keep your wits about you if you’re certain Kirsty isn’t in the right frame of mind. It’s not your job to deal with her—remember that.”
“I know. It’s Caz I worry about.”
Juliet got to her feet and moved towards the coffee machine in the corner of her office. She took two cups, aware that Hannah needed a lot to make it through the morning alone, and prepared coffee for them both. “Why are you worried about her? I may not know her very well, but she seems like she can handle herself.”
“She can.” Hannah wasn’t one to discuss other people, but Caroline had been through a lot. “But she doesn’t need it.”
“Do any of us?” Juliet eyed Hannah, a brow quirked.
“No. It’s just…Caz is divorced. She had a dreadful marriage. I don’t want her to think that I’m going to bring problems into her life now she’s finally back on her feet and putting herself first.”
“Dreadful marriage,” Juliet said, expecting more.
“It’s not my place to say. But it was bad. Toxic. You know?”