Читать книгу The Mills & Boon Sparkling Christmas Collection - Kate Hardy - Страница 16

Chapter Five

There might be better ways to spend a Monday morning, but right now Ben couldn’t think of any. Finding himself with a free morning he’d decided to take a walk and after leaving his house it had only taken him a few minutes to reach West Sands beach. He inhaled deeply, savouring the sharp salty sea air and enjoying the touch of winter sun on his face. He strolled along with the expanse of sparkling water beside him and only the squabbling seagulls overhead for company.

In London, he would have been at his desk for hours by now, checking the FT and Bloomberg to see if anything had moved in the market overnight followed by meetings to discuss major trades and which clients to involve. If he was lucky he’d manage to grab a sandwich at his desk while keeping an eye on six screens.

Life was going to be different from now on and he was filled with a sense of wellbeing, an unexpected surge of joy for life. He was discovering it wasn’t actually the worst thing in the world to get to know your neighbour, not when she came in the shape and form of Eva Harris anyway. To smile at each other, exchange a few words, maybe even give a wave in passing.

Ben had formed the impression that Eva Harris liked to keep busy. Yesterday he’d noticed the fence between their back gardens had been mended. He imagined her hammering away with her tools and the thought made him smile.

When he came home from work, he’d see lights on in her house making it look warm and inviting. More than could be said about his own house. He seemed incapable of summoning the energy to do anything and most of the boxes remained unopened, a miserable reminder of his inability to make a decision about what to do. The house was beginning to feel like a burden, a symbol of everything he had got so wrong with Samantha. He might be able to calculate complicated mathematical equations but he wasn’t so sure about his ability to judge relationships.

The dreams that had brought him to St Andrews, of settling with a loving family, still lingered but he now knew and accepted it wasn’t going to happen with Samantha – in fact, he had trouble even imagining her here now. The house was a huge project and just the thought of it overwhelmed him and zapped his energy. Maybe he should buy somewhere smaller and simply concentrate on his job. But turning his back on the house would be tantamount to giving up on those same dreams and he wasn’t sure if he was ready to do that.

An unbidden thought at the very back of his mind acknowledged Eva’s presence in his life. He couldn’t figure out why but every time he contemplated the house or what he should do next, she crept into his thoughts. Somehow he knew she could make this house a home so easily but why he was even thinking like that left him baffled. He shook his head, reminding himself she was a widow, a single mum with a business to run – all baggage he didn’t want to handle. Focus on work and nothing else, he told himself taking another deep breath.

A dog’s yapping pulled his thoughts to the present. Just ahead of him a small dog played at the water’s edge, barking excitedly as it chased the ripples. Ben blinked, realizing he recognized the dog. He scanned the horizon until he saw Eva’s figure coming towards them, calling Hamish’s name and squeaking a toy. The dog was totally ignoring her. What was it with that woman and animals?

As she drew nearer, his eyes ran appreciatively over her body. She was wearing a pink anorak, a colourful scarf around her neck, and black leggings that revealed a pair of shapely legs. So much for focusing on work and nothing else.

‘Hamish, here, now!’ she called in a stern voice. Finally reaching Hamish, she leaned down, snapped the lead onto his collar, and looked up at Ben.

‘Oh, hi! I didn’t realize it was you.’ She spoke slightly breathlessly, her cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling. She looked so free and natural Ben could hardly tear his eyes away from her. He looked down at Hamish to distract himself from the thoughts suddenly racing through his mind.

‘Training going well?’ He grinned.

‘A work in progress I think you’d call it.’ She laughed. ‘Jamie and I have been working on his recall but as you can see, it’s a bit hit and miss. But we’ll get there, won’t we, Hamish?’ She patted the dog affectionately.

‘You have your hands full with this one.’ Ben crouched down to Hamish who took the opportunity to roll over and have his belly rubbed.

‘He’s enjoying that.’ Eva grinned.

Ben straightened up, gesturing to their surroundings. ‘Well, he’s certainly a lucky dog living here.’

‘So you’re enjoying the beach?’

‘Very much,’ he replied truthfully. ‘It’s beautiful.’

As they continued to walk companionably along the sand, he glanced sideways at her. ‘Is this usually how you start your day?’

‘In winter, yes. I think there’s something special about it at this time of year.’

He saw her take a deep breath and look around, her love for her surroundings plain to see. ‘But summer is a different story. Round about this time in the morning you’ll find me knee-deep in teas, coffees, and making breakfasts for guests.’

Ben smiled, vague memories infiltrating his mind of holidays at the seaside with his parents. One day he’d got lost among the crowds on the beach. It had probably been only for a few minutes but it had felt like a lifetime and he’d never forgotten the look on his mother’s face when she found him, eyes shiny with tears of relief.

‘My parents took me to Morecombe a few times,’ he told Eva. ‘You know the kind of holiday – playing crazy golf, eating ice-cream on a freezing beach.’ He narrowed his eyes as he recollected. ‘We stayed in this small bed and breakfast on the seafront. We were all crammed into a tiny bedroom and for some reason I can remember the creaky staircase. In the morning we’d have to be in the dining room at some outrageously early time or else the landlady refused to serve breakfast.’

Eva chuckled. ‘Well, guest houses have changed a lot since then. Customers are very discerning these days and us landladies have to be a bit more accommodating.’

‘But I bet people still want a traditional fry-up for breakfast?’

‘Not so much these days. Guests want everything from soya yogurt to vegetarian sausages.’ She rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. ‘Then after breakfast I do laundry, clean, maybe help guests plan their day.’

‘Sounds busy.’

She nodded in agreement. ‘In fact, I recently calculated this summer I made breakfast for 420 guests, cleaned 219 bathrooms, and did 370 laundry loads.’

He laughed. ‘Really? That’s impressive. You do all that by yourself?’

‘The MacKenzies’ granddaughter used to help me out. She often stayed with them during summer and was happy to earn some pocket money.’

‘And the guests – what are they like?’

‘Usually great. About seventy per cent is repeat business. Golfers and holidaymakers mostly and of course graduation time is busy. There’s the occasional difficult customer but mostly I enjoy it, and it means I can be here for Jamie.’

Ben could see her face soften when she mentioned her son, her devotion to him obvious. He admired her for the way she just seemed to get on with it. Running a business on her own couldn’t be easy. As they headed towards the grassy dunes Ben could see the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, a grand-looking building overlooking the first tee of the famous golf course.

They fell into step behind Hamish who was forging ahead, straining on the lead despite Eva’s attempts to bring him to heel beside her. They were now on the main street, which Ben noted had a pleasing absence of big-name high street shops. Instead there was an eclectic mix of gift shops, galleries, and food sellers, their windows displaying ceramics, antiques, and hand-made chocolate.

‘I can see why so many people come to St Andrews; it certainly seems to have plenty to offer.’

Eva seemed pleased that he liked it, her smile widening.

‘And there’s so much more to it. The aquarium is nearby and there’s the castle, the cathedral, and the botanic gardens are really lovely …’ Her voice trailed off. ‘Sorry, I’ve just realized I’m giving you my tourist spiel – force of habit.’

‘Not at all. Once I’m settled, I hope to have time to visit all those places,’ Ben replied. ‘I assume it’s much busier in summer though?’

Eva nodded in agreement. ‘It can get really busy especially when the golf is on.’

A cool breeze had picked up and the sky had turned grey, holding the threat of rain. They walked on in silence for a few moments, each with their own thoughts until Eva spoke.

‘Now the best part of my morning walk.’ She pointed to a pretty coffee shop with a striped blue and white awning hanging over the window and a sign above the door bearing the name The Coffee Hut.

‘The coffee’s pretty good if you’d like to join me.’ She looked at him, her voice tentative.

‘I think I could manage a coffee.’ Ben smiled.

Warmth, chatter, and the scent of fresh coffee surrounded them as they entered the shop. Large squashy sofas and low wooden tables created a relaxed feel to the place. While the back wall consisted of exposed brickwork, the other walls were each painted a different colour and held various pieces of artwork. Tempting cakes and pastries were displayed on the counter and the coffee machine hissed and steamed comfortingly in the background. Small lamps and vases of flowers were dotted about and Ben immediately understood why Eva would like coming here after her walk.

A few people were hunched over their laptops and a couple of mothers with toddlers sat chatting, while a group of students gathered round a table talked animatedly. Ben joined Hamish who seemed to know the routine and had settled under a table while Eva went to organize the coffee. Ben sat back taking in his surroundings but his eyes kept skipping over to Eva where she stood at the counter talking and laughing with the woman making the coffees.

‘Looks like a nice place,’ he commented as she returned with a tray to their table.

‘The owners – Jack and Freya – started their business around the same time as me. I suppose we’ve helped and encouraged each other along the way.’ Eva placed mugs of hot frothy coffee on their table along with a delicious-looking pastry.

‘That was Freya I was talking to although it’s usually Jack you’ll see running this place. Freya is an artist – these are all her paintings on the walls.’

Ben turned his head to regard the paintings. His knowledge of art was non-existent but it was easy to see the appeal of the vibrant, colourful seascapes.

‘I display a few of Freya’s paintings in my rooms and likewise Freya and Jack are happy to recommend my guest house,’ Eva explained biting into her pastry with obvious relish. ‘Sorry, I haven’t eaten breakfast this morning.’

Ben looked away, the sight of her wiping crumbs from her mouth stirring something deep within him.

‘So no more leaks I hope?’ she asked brightly.

Ben lifted his cup and leaned back in his seat, attempting to get a grip of himself.

‘Not that I can see – it all seems to be okay now. Thanks again for helping me with that.’

‘It’s no problem but you really should have someone take a look at the whole system.’ Ben knew she was right of course: a house that size would need constant maintenance. He just hadn’t made up his mind if he would be the one to do it. Was there any point in staying there now?

‘Have you thought any more about decorating the room – how you’d like to do it? Or maybe you’re going to start with another room first?’

‘Er not really, no.’

‘I suppose it’s a bit daunting, knowing where to start. Especially when you have to make all the decisions by yourself –’ She stopped, her face flushing a little as she continued. ‘Sorry I wasn’t implying anything. I just mean I know what it’s like – having to do everything by yourself. I look back now and think I must have been mad taking it all on by myself.’

‘Or brave?’

She tilted her head to the side, thinking. ‘I hadn’t thought of it like that really. Maybe a bit brave – but mostly mad I think. At first I kept thinking I needed a second opinion for everything but then I got used to it and began to trust my own judgement.’

Despite himself, Ben was intrigued and wanted to know more. ‘You said you moved here with Jamie – do you have other family?’

‘My mum and sister both still live in Edinburgh, which is where I grew up. My dad died soon after I left school … That wasn’t an easy time.’

‘You were close to him?’

She answered with a sad smile. ‘Shortly after that, I went to France where Paul was working – he was a ski instructor I’d met the year before on holiday. Becoming pregnant – well, it wasn’t exactly planned. We returned to Edinburgh and married and after Jamie was born we lived in the highlands.’ She paused, a shadow crossing her face. ‘One day Paul had an accident off-piste and was killed. That was when I moved here with Jamie – just the two of us.’

‘I can only imagine how difficult that must have been for you,’ Ben said, under no illusions that Eva Harris hadn’t had her share of dark days. He watched as she seemed to compose herself with a little shake before lifting her cup and regarding him with a curious look.

‘And you – do you have family in London?’ Ben was aware how friendly Eva had been towards him. If he was honest, he had felt wrong-footed by her openness at first, unsure how to handle it. But very quickly he found himself becoming comfortable with it, feeling at ease in her company. He didn’t exactly want to give his life story but thought the least he should do was be more upfront with her.

‘No immediate family now. I lost my father too, when I was ten. I was an only child so after that it was just my mother and me. She … she died six months ago.’

‘Oh, I’m so sorry.’

Ben felt grief and guilt rear their ugly heads and quickly shut them down.

‘After she died, well that’s when I knew I wanted to leave London. But I didn’t think I’d be moving here on my own.’ He ran a hand over his jaw, aware Eva had shifted in her seat and was listening intently.

‘When I was offered this job at the university, it was my partner Samantha who flew up and viewed the house. I was desperate to leave London and start a new life here. We were all set to make the move.’ He paused, took a breath before continuing.

‘Then with a few days to go before the move she told me she’d changed her mind. She didn’t want to leave London, didn’t really like the idea of Scotland after all. So, I came on my own. Which is why I’m now living in a house that is ludicrously big for me,’ he finished with a resigned shrug.

‘That must have been terrible for you. Were you together long?’ Eva asked quietly.

‘Two years.’

‘Quite a long time.’

‘Suppose it is. Although when I look back now I can see we didn’t actually spend that much time together – I’m not even sure how well we knew each other.’ Ben stared into his coffee cup, thinking.

‘Why do you think she changed her mind?’

‘A job opportunity she couldn’t refuse apparently but really I think we wanted different things. She was talking about house parties from London while I was imagining rooms with children running about. We didn’t even discuss it much so I’m not sure what that tells you.’ So absorbed in his own thoughts Ben was almost surprised to look up and see Eva’s gaze on him, her expression understanding.

‘I think I know what you mean. After Jamie was born I wanted to settle down, find a good place for him to grow up. But deep down I don’t think Paul was ready. I think he was still looking for the next adventure.’ There was a pause, the silence between feeling significant in some way and although Ben found himself intrigued, wanting to know more, instinct told him they had each divulged enough for now.

‘Sounds like we both arrived here in difficult circumstances,’ he said simply.

Eva looked down at the table, her fingers tapping the side of her mug, appearing deep in thought. She looked up, her green eyes bright with sudden inspiration.

‘Jamie and I usually make pizzas on Wednesday nights – our midweek treat. Why don’t you join us this week and I could give you some ideas for your house? I have loads of paint charts, colour swatches. And I can give you the names of a heating engineer …’ She looked at him eagerly, making it all sound so simple. A voice inside Ben’s head told him he was supposed to be keeping his distance and this wasn’t a good idea. But at the very same time he heard himself accept her invitation. He felt himself being drawn towards her and was powerless to stop it.

***

‘Mum, how do you work out the circumference of a circle?’

‘Um, not sure. Hang on, I’ll need to have a look.’ Eva had just finished sprinkling cheese on to home-made pizza bases and was now adding sliced tomatoes. Although she made pizzas every week tonight felt different. Knowing Ben would be joining them, she could feel herself fussing and growing nervous, her stomach doing strange little flips. She hoped inviting him had been the right thing to do. She sensed it hadn’t come easily to him, revealing his mother’s death and the end of his relationship. Now that she knew more about him she understood why he’d appeared so tetchy when they first met and was prepared to admit she had formed the wrong impression of him.

She had enjoyed having coffee with him. He’d been easy to talk to – in fact she was surprised how much she’d revealed to him. She brushed away her doubts, telling herself she was simply being neighbourly. He was on his own, life hadn’t gone the way he had planned, and she certainly knew how that felt. She wanted to be friendly and on good terms with her new neighbour and she was genuinely interested in helping him with his house. The confusing part was finding him so attractive.

A new relationship had never entered her head since Paul – not seriously. There were fleeting moments when the idea of having someone was appealing but the reality of it was … well, scary. Meeting Paul when she was so young and then years of being on her own hadn’t exactly left her brimming with confidence in that department. She kept her life simple by focusing on Jamie, the business, and nothing else.

Ben may have nudged certain feelings to the surface but Eva intended to put them straight back down again where they belonged – the risks to her and Jamie were too great. Anyway Ben had just come out of a relationship and Eva could only imagine what Samantha had been like. Probably an ambitious high-flyer, sophisticated and glamorous – basically everything she wasn’t. There was no way Ben would be interested in her so why her thinking was even heading in that direction she didn’t know.

She wiped her hands on a cloth and joined Jamie at the table. ‘Let’s have a look.’ She pulled his book towards her, wishing it was English or history, anything but maths. Eva felt herself jump as the front doorbell sounded.

‘I’ll get it.’ Jamie scampered off to answer it, any excuse to escape. Eva had explained to Jamie that Ben was coming for dinner so they could get to know their neighbour and as she suspected he was unfazed by it.

‘I also said I might give him a few suggestions for decorating. Do you think that’s a good idea?’ she had asked him.

‘Cool, you’re good with all that stuff.’

Eva had felt a little glow of pride. ‘You really think?’

‘Yeah. It’ll be good for you to have something to do.’ He’d given her a sheepish grin.

‘I have plenty to do thank you very much.’ She had swiped him playfully.

Eva now grabbed the clasp from her hair and shook it free as she heard Ben and Jamie talking in the hall. When Ben appeared in the kitchen doorway she tried to act casual but her body instantly reacted to the sight of him. Doing her best to ignore her racing pulse, she smiled a welcome to him.

‘Hi.’ Eva indicated a seat at the table for him. ‘Hope you’re okay with a kitchen supper.’

‘Compared to what I’ve got next door this will be fine dining.’

Eva saw his eyes flit around the room, taking it all in, and she imagined the kitchen next door without the MacKenzies’ warmth and presence to be a cold and lifeless place.

‘Help yourself to a drink.’ Eva indicated glasses, a jug of iced water, and an opened bottle of chilled white wine.

‘Unless there’s anything else you’d prefer?’

‘No this is great, thanks,’ he replied taking a seat beside Jamie who was hunched over his jotter again, tapping a pencil against his head. ‘What subject are you doing?’ Ben asked him.

‘Maths,’ Jamie moaned. ‘But I’m kinda stuck.’

‘Would you like me to have a look? Maybe I can help.’ Jamie willingly turned his jotter round showing Ben the offending question consisting of finding the size of angles for six triangles shown on the page.

Eva moved around the kitchen, preparing a salad and finding plates. Listening to them discussing Jamie’s homework, she smiled to herself. If she was honest it was a bit of relief to have someone else to look at it. Eva’s attempts at maths homework usually ended up with one of them shouting in frustration but she could hear Ben’s voice now, endlessly patient. Eva began to clear a space on the table, her eyes drawn to Ben’s long fingers pointing to something on the page.

‘I get it now that you’ve explained it,’ Jamie was saying. ‘But I know I won’t remember how to do it later. I really hate maths,’ he sighed.

Ben gave him an understanding smile. ‘Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it. I remember finding maths difficult especially when I started high school. Do you play chess at all?’

Jamie frowned, shaking his head. ‘Donald was going to teach me but then they moved and Mum doesn’t know how to play.’

Eva silently thanked her son for highlighting her inadequacy in front of Ben who was explaining to her son how learning to play chess had benefitted him at school.

‘My dad taught me and it helped me with lots of things – especially problem solving and concentration.’

‘So could you teach me to play chess?’ Jamie’s face shone with enthusiasm. Ben looked slightly taken aback for a moment, perhaps not expecting such an instant response.

‘Jamie! You can’t just ask like that – I’m sure Ben’s too busy.’ Eva threw an apologetic look to him but he seemed keen.

‘No, I’d love to – I used to really enjoy playing.’

Eva smiled in appreciation at his offer, knowing anything to do with sports or games was a no-brainer as far as Jamie was concerned. With the maths homework completed, Jamie shut his jotter with a resounding thump and the conversation moved easily to football.

‘What position do you play?’ Ben asked.

‘Usually forward: that’s where I like best.’

‘Yeah? So do you score many goals then?’

‘A few but I’m more of a winger – I like to set ’em up.’

‘I was more of a rugby man myself. I played for my university up until a few years ago, played in an amateur league and we did all right …’

Eva sneaked a look at Ben, matching his physique to the knowledge he played rugby making perfect sense. She pulled the pizzas from the oven thinking how nice this all was. Homework done and now football talk – almost too good to be true, she mused, rolling the cutter along the pizza base and hearing a sudden warning alarm sound in her head.

She recognized a small part of her was feeling defensive, as if she had allowed Ben into her inner sanctum. And while she was happy to have him here, saw how much Jamie was enjoying it, at the same time she didn’t want him getting used to something that wouldn’t always be there. She told herself not to read too much into it. Jamie certainly wouldn’t and they were going to be living next door to each other after all; they should all get along.

‘These look great.’ Ben rubbed his hands together as Eva served up. She had introduced the idea of home-made pizzas to try to get Jamie interested in cooking. He got to choose the different toppings on the proviso he helped prepare them. Tonight, he had grated the cheese and sliced the mushrooms. A satisfied silence fell as they all tucked in. It was new and strange sharing food in their kitchen with Ben whom they’d only known a matter of days. But it didn’t feel wrong or uncomfortable, Eva realized. Jamie, through a mouthful of food, suddenly decided to bring up the activity weekend.

‘Mum, have you made up your mind if I can go on the trip?’

‘Er, not yet.’ She narrowed her eyes at Jamie – not a topic she would have chosen to bring up now but had to admire her son for seizing his opportunity in front of Ben.

Eva could only watch helplessly as Jamie picked up the leaflets that had been piled to one side of the table and started to show Ben the promotional glossy photos of picture-perfect moments of children swinging from ropes or about to jump into water pools, their faces beaming.

‘Okay, Jamie. I’m sure Ben’s seen enough now,’ Eva interjected after what felt like an interminable time, asking him to clear the table.

‘That was really great, thanks,’ Ben enthused. Eva was glad he appeared to really enjoy his food.

‘Can I go upstairs and play on my game now?’ Jamie asked once he’d finished his duties.

‘Go on then but only half an hour on a school night. And can you take Hamish up with you please?’ All during the meal Hamish had been sniffing about under the table, Eva gently shoving him away with her foot hoping Ben wouldn’t notice. Jamie thanked Ben for helping him.

‘Does that mean you can you help with my homework from now on? Mum’s pretty rubbish at maths,’ Jamie cheerfully told Ben as Eva’s face flushed. True, she was useless at maths but that didn’t mean she necessarily wanted it broadcast in front of Ben. She shuddered to think how easy he must have found Jamie’s level of maths. If truth be told Eva had been struggling with Jamie’s maths since the end of primary school.

‘I’d be happy to help but only if that’s okay with your mum?’

Eva felt Ben’s eyes regard her earnestly and she experienced a wave of gratitude that he’d respected her role. ‘As long as you don’t mind then it’s fine with me. Thanks.’

As Jamie and Hamish made their way noisily upstairs, Ben picked up the leaflets again from the outdoor activity centre at Ardentinny and read through some of the activities that Jamie had been so eager to show him. Eva must have read the leaflets a hundred times, scrutinizing every printed word. She had googled them, read reviews, and still couldn’t find a single thing that indicated it would be anything other than a fantastic and safe experience for her son. Ben regarded her, one eyebrow raised.

‘I take it you’re not too keen?’

‘Is it that obvious?’

‘It sounds like fun.’

‘Sure, if you like rock climbing, gorge walking, and generally endangering your life.’ She knew she sounded prickly.

‘I can’t think of many boys his age who wouldn’t,’ he replied reasonably.

Eva let out a sigh. ‘I know I have to let him go. It’s just – I find it difficult. I get scared something terrible will happen to him if I’m not there.’ The words had tumbled out before she’d even realized she had admitted her fears to Ben, leaving her feeling exposed in some way.

‘I can understand.’

‘You can?’ she asked surprised.

‘Well, obviously not as a parent. But I can remember my mum worrying about me especially after my father died. At the time it was a pain. But as you get older, you appreciate how precious that love is from a parent. I’m sure he will be okay,’ he said gently, holding her gaze for a moment before Eva blinked and looked down to sweep an invisible crumb from the table.

She wasn’t sure she wanted him to sound so understanding. It made her think what it be like to have someone else, to have that other voice in her life to reassure her. It wasn’t a luxury she often allowed herself. There was a small, mildly awkward pause before Ben drained his glass and spoke.

‘Anyway, thanks for the pizzas. They were delicious.’

‘Well thank you for helping with Jamie’s homework. Are you sure you don’t mind helping him? And teaching him to play chess? I hope you don’t feel cajoled into anything – Jamie can get a bit carried away. I’d understand if you didn’t want to or didn’t have time.’

‘Honestly, I don’t mind at all – in fact, I’ll enjoy it. Apart from my work at the university, I don’t have any other commitments,’ Ben told her.

Whilst reassured he seemed genuinely eager to help, Eva wondered if she should be directing the question more to herself as a warning. As lovely as it was seeing her son getting on so well with Ben, the alarm bell was ringing again, asking how wise it was letting Jamie get too close to Ben. For now, she put the worry aside.

‘I’ll put the kettle on. Would you like a coffee?’ She stood up but Ben held up his hand.

‘Please, let me make it for you.’

‘Oh. Thanks. But you know what I’d really like? A cup of tea.’

‘I think I can just about handle that.’ After a few pointers from Eva, Ben filled the kettle on and found mugs.

‘This makes a nice change. Jamie’s happy to help with pizza but he doesn’t seem so keen to master the art of making his mum a cup of tea.’

‘Sounds like a typical boy,’ Ben observed with a lopsided smile.

‘I guess so.’

While Ben made tea, Eva gathered the details of a heating engineer and a plumber she had put aside to give to Ben. She passed them over to him when he rejoined her at the table.

‘This is the name of the heating engineer I’ve used and he’s very reliable. The plumber – well, he knows what he’s doing but just to warn you he’ll arrange a time and then turn up whenever it suits him, usually two hours later.’

Ben frowned. ‘Tradesmen tend to be a law unto themselves, don’t they?’

Eva nodded in agreement. ‘I think that’s why I decided never to need a man for practical things.’

Ben was looking at her and she wasn’t sure that had sounded right.

‘So er, I learnt to do most things around the house for myself – decorating, plumbing, and so on. It’s important for me to be as self-sufficient as possible,’ she clarified, blushing slightly.

Eva took a drink, noticing Ben was holding the piece of paper she had given him loosely between his fingers, a slightly uneasy expression on his face. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, raking a hand through his hair.

‘Look, there’s probably something I need to tell you.’ He held her gaze for a moment and Eva felt a strange sensation spread over her skin.

‘To be honest, I don’t know if I’ll stay in the house.’ He indicated towards next door with one hand. ‘It probably makes more sense to look for somewhere smaller. Maybe a flat or something …’

‘Oh.’ She hadn’t expected that at all. She wasn’t sure why but she suddenly felt deflated. It shouldn’t matter to her but the prospect of him moving just didn’t sit right with her. It would be a shame, like giving up on the house in some way. And she didn’t particularly like the thought of having another neighbour so soon. She was kind of getting used to this one sitting beside her. The fact he was pleasant, intelligent, attractive … they were side issues. She thought about his situation and supposed she could understand why he might want to move.

Eva took a sip of her tea, casting her mind back to a couple of winters ago. A December afternoon, Jamie and Fraser had settled down to watch a Home Alone film while Eva had given Heather a preview of one of the bedrooms she had recently finished decorating. Clutching a rather large glass of wine, Heather had been so impressed she’d asked Eva if she would decorate her dining room, which – after the rampages of three children – was looking more shabby than chic.

Eva assumed it had been the wine talking but the next day Heather assured her she’d been serious. And so every morning after dropping Jamie at school, Eva had turned up at Heather’s house armed with her tools until a week later she revealed a stylish new dining room her friend had been delighted with.

After that, Heather had asked her to decorate her mother’s living room. Eva bit her lip, feeling suddenly nervous. An idea was forming in her mind, but she hesitated before saying it out loud.

‘Look, this might sound crazy and I’m not sure how you’d feel about it. But I could do it for you. Decorate your front room I mean. Whatever happens, whether you sell or not, it’s probably a good idea to have it done anyway.’ She stole a quick glance at Ben but was unable to read his expression so she carried on regardless.

‘Obviously I’m not a professional but I know I could do a good job. I’ve decorated all my own rooms and I’ve done a few jobs for friends as well …’ Eva stopped. In her own head, it had sounded a reasonable idea but the way his dark eyes were fixed on her now … What had she been thinking? Oh God, she’d made a total idiot of herself and she flushed with embarrassment.

‘Actually you know forget it; it’s a silly idea.’ She laughed weakly.

Ben regarded her thoughtfully, running a hand round the back of his neck.

‘Is it something you’d really want to do?’ he asked doubtfully.

‘Honestly? Yes. I’ve kind of run out of things to do in my house. I enjoy running my business but interior design and decorating is something I’m really passionate about – I’d love to do more of it in fact. I guess it gives me a sense of fulfilment the guest house doesn’t. Plus I like to keep busy.’

A smile touched his lips. ‘I’m beginning to see that.’ He paused and Eva felt his dark gaze settle on her. ‘So what would it involve exactly?’

‘Well, I’d have to strip off all the wallpaper, prepare the walls for painting. I think the window frames need some attention and obviously the ceiling has to be fixed –’

Ben was frowning. ‘I’m not comfortable with the idea of you climbing ladders or doing anything risky – I wouldn’t want you harming yourself.’

‘I’m used to it and I’m fully up-to-date with health and safety procedures, so you don’t need to worry.’ Eva smiled in reassurance but couldn’t deny there was something nice about his concern.

‘And you’d manage to do it all on your own?’

‘Sure. I’d really only need help shifting the furniture out of the way if you could give me a hand with that –’

‘Sounds like the least I could do.’

‘So … does that mean you’re happy for me to do it?’

‘As you say, it’s probably a good idea to have the work done whatever I decide to do with the house.’ He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and with an imperceptible shake of his head smiled at Eva. ‘As long as you’re happy to do it … then yes, that would work for me.’

Eva felt a small rush of pleasure that he’d agreed. ‘Really?’

‘Why not?’ He shrugged, smiling at her. ‘But I’ll pay you of course.’

Eva shook her head emphatically. ‘You can pay for the materials but my time is free.’

‘Are you sure?’ He frowned at her.

There was no way she would take money from him but equally she didn’t want him to be uncomfortable with the arrangement. ‘As long as you’re happy to help Jamie with his maths now and again then that’s more than enough payment.’ Eva held her breath, hoping she hadn’t overstepped some boundary. But to her relief Ben seemed happy with that and nodded.

‘I guess we have a deal then.’

‘I guess we do.’ She smiled back. ‘So when would you like me to start?’

He shrugged. ‘I’ll give you back the keys and as far as I’m concerned you can come and go as you please.’

‘I’ll probably just come in after Jamie’s left for school and I’ve walked Hamish. Does that sound all right with you?’

Eva finished her tea, her head already busy with things to organize. She loved that moment of starting a new project. Although Ben had admitted to being pretty clueless with interiors she couldn’t assume she had a total free rein.

‘Are there any colours that are a definite no-no? Anything you really dislike or are you happy to leave it up to me?’

He narrowed his eyes, pretended to think hard. ‘No lime green or pink,’ he said solemnly.

‘Okay, I’ll try and remember that.’ Eva laughed. ‘And what about the flooring? Will you want a new carpet or maybe you’d like to have the floorboards sanded? It wouldn’t take much …’

She stopped. Ben was holding up his hands, looking bemused. She took a breath. ‘Sorry, I tend to get a rush of ideas … I’ll let you know when I need any decisions made.’

‘Really, I wouldn’t know where to start choosing colours and … things. I’m happy to leave it all in your hands.’

‘If you’re sure then.’

‘I’m sure. And Eva?’

‘Yes?’

‘Thanks.’

After Ben had left, Eva finished off tidying up the kitchen, feeling a buzz of anticipation. She ignored the voice in the back of her head asking why she was really doing this and whether it was such a good idea. She hoped she hadn’t made a monumental mistake. But then she chided herself. It wasn’t such a big deal; it was just a mutually beneficial arrangement between neighbours. She thought of the long winter months ahead. It would be good to have something to occupy her.