Page 81 of The Mad Marchams

“I think I’d better take Sam back to London and show her a good time.” Joss caught Mabel’s elbow and kissed the top of her head. “Thanks, Mabe. For everything.”

“I wish you all the billions in the world, Joss.” Mabel patted his shoulder. “Go get ’em, cowboy.”

They walked back into the kitchen where Colin had succeeded in cheering Sam up. She was laughing at something he’d said and only noticed Joss’s return when he cleared his throat.

“I think we’ve sorted things out,” Joss said. “Mabel’s leaving the company. Obviously, we’ll recompense her for all her work when we sell this project.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Mabel said.

“But she hasn’t done anything on the new project.” Sam frowned.

“Actually, the original idea and preliminary software was all hers,” Joss said. “I’m trying to be fair, here.”

“But she doesn’t need any more money.” Sam looked at Joss.

Colin’s gaze flew to Mabel, but she wouldn’t look at him.

Joss smiled. “Just because we’ve made a few dollars doesn’t mean we stop coming up with new stuff all the time. It’s just the way our brains work.”

Sam sighed. “I suppose if that’s the price we have to pay to get her out of our lives it’s worth it.”

“Hey, Mabel will never be completely out of my life, Sam,” Joss said. “I wouldn’t be who I am today if I hadn’t met her. If you can’t deal with that then I guess there’s no future for us.”

Mabel was both touched that he’d refused to dump her entirely and worried that Sam would start yelling again. She also spared a thought for how Colin must be feeling stuck in the middle of so much drama. At the moment it would be completely understandable if he ran for the hills.

Colin cleared his throat. “I think what Joss is trying to say, Sam, is that although he loves only you, he still honors his old friendship with Mabel.”

Sam stared at Joss. “Do you love me?”

“Of course I do.” He went over and hugged her. “How about we go back to London, and I’ll prove it?”

She cupped his cheek. “I’d like that.”

Joss put his arm around her and turned to face Colin and Mabel. “We’ll get going, then.”

“Great!” Colin said heartily. “Let me show you out.”

Colin returned to find Mabel sitting at the table pouring herself an extremely large glass of wine.

“I don’t think Sam will ever be your biggest fan,” he said as he sat opposite her and held up an empty glass for her to fill.

“I know.” Mabel sighed. “And it sucks because we used to be friends until she got together with Joss. But I can’t make her like me, and I’ve decided I’m not going to stress out over it.”

“She should’ve been thanking you for being so jolly decent about everything.” Colin paused. “It was nice that Joss stuck up for you.”

“Yeah, that was a surprise.” Mabel drank an enormous slug of wine. “He’s a good guy when he stops trying to be a Zuck.”

“Is he really?”

Mabel looked at Colin’s skeptical expression and sighed. “No, he’s a complete pain in the ass. You must be wondering why I stayed with him for so many years. My only excuse is that I was working so hard I never got the chance to see other men let alone date them. And he changed so gradually that I didn’t even realize how far we’d grown apart until I no longer wanted the life he loves.”

“You don’t want him back, do you?” Colin asked.

“No,” Mabel said.

“Are you sure?”

She gave him a severe look. “Don’t fish for compliments. You know I prefer you.”