Chapter Twenty One

Two weeks later, Charlie, Joey and Ruby returned to Summer Bay together. With a lot of counselling, including group sessions with her mother and her mother's girlfriend, Ruby seemed to be on the mend and she was hoping to be able to start again.

"I'm just embarrassed," she said from the backseat as Charlie drove them back home.

"Embarrassed?" Joey queried. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about, Rubes."

"I turned into a borderline alcoholic," Ruby said.

"And you sought help for it," Joey returned. "That's not embarrassing, it's brave."

Ruby managed a hopeful smile.

"So, when do I get to come and stay in your mansion again?" she asked.

Joey chuckled.

"Any time you like," she replied.

"Now?"

"Rubes, you just spent two days there," Charlie reminded her.

"And I still didn't manage to see every single room!" Ruby replied. "And when do I get a go on your bike?"

"Never," Charlie said quickly.

Joey merely raised her eyebrows, and asked if she didn't trust her.

"Of course I do," Charlie said. "But I don't trust other vehicles on the road and I don't trust Ruby not to get distracted and fall off."

Ruby pouted at her in the rear-view mirror. Joey couldn't help but laugh.

"I'll work on her," she promised.

Ruby grinned.

"You're the best step-mother ever," she said.

Joey snorted with laughter.

"I don't think I'm quite step-mother material yet," she said. "But give me time."

"You just paid for me to go into rehab," Ruby pointed out. "I think you count."

Joey turned around and smiled at her.

"Thank you," she said.

Charlie, Joey and Ruby stopped off at the Diner in order to eat before they went home for the night.

"Just who I wanted to see," said a voice.

Joey froze when she saw Chris sitting at a table with Angelo.

"Who's that?" Ruby asked, surveying the tall, dark haired man as he stood and approached them.

"What do you want, Chris?" Joey demanded, sounding stronger than she felt.

Charlie kept hold of her hand.

"I'm here to sue you," Chris told her. "You'll be hearing from my lawyer in the morning but I thought I'd give you a heads up."

"What the hell are you suing me for?" Joey demanded.

She swallowed uncertainly and clutched Charlie's hand a little too tightly, although the police officer didn't object.

"You turned my mother against me before she died," Chris informed her. "You disinherited me. And if I can't get you done for bumping her off…"

"I didn't kill her!" Joey snapped loudly.

Just the thought of her now departed friend broke her heart. It would take a lot of time for that particular wound to heal.

"Well, you would say that, wouldn't you?" Chris replied.

Joey was painfully aware of how many people were looking at her.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked more quietly.

"Because my mother left millions to a maid," Chris replied. "Even my brother deserved more than you."

"Your mother left millions to the person who supported her and took care of her when her son didn't give a shit," Joey replied. "I was there for every single appointment, every moment in between and I was there when she died. I held her right to the end when you could barely pick up a phone to excuse yourself."

She shook her head in disgusted.

"All she wanted was for you to visit her," she said. "Even for half an hour and you would have got half of everything. You didn't get anything because you let her down."

"We'll see," Chris said. "Thanks to your little friend, Angelo, I am absolutely certain I've found a way to get what's mine."

Charlie glared at her ex-boyfriend, still sitting at the table. His face was unreadable.

"I'll be in touch," Chris stated before marching out of the Diner.

Next time… Morag is enlisted to help Joey face Chris…