Page 14 of A Fresh Start on Crumcarey
‘Where’s that?’ said Luke, looking confused.
‘That’s what it’s called now,’ said Maggie, a weight of weariness suddenly descending on her. ‘My cottage, I mean. That’s what Russell – my ex – wanted to call it.’
He’d been getting job offers left right and centre at that point, so she’d just gone along with it. He’d been turning them all down, and she hadn’t wanted to give him any reason to take the offers a bit more seriously. She’d wanted to keep him sweet… she hadn’t wanted him to disappear on her. A fat lot of good it did her!
‘Ah… that explains why Uncle Harris was muttering something about “no trees” when we drove past!’ said Luke with a small smile. ‘I don’t think there’s a pear tree closer than abouttwo hundred miles south of here. Pretty name, though,’ he added quickly.
‘Stupid name,’ she huffed, shaking her head. ‘Sorry.’
‘What are you apologising for?!’ said Luke, looking surprised.
‘For ruining your evening because my stupidly named cottage no longer has a roof.’
Maggie was aware that her voice had taken on a whiney edge – but for a brief moment, she couldn’t bring herself to care. She was sitting in a barn that had been turned into a cosier home than hers in just three weeks. It was warm, dry and clean. It was all the things her place wasn’t. Plus, she was tired and cold, and all that was waiting for her back at stupid Pear Tree Cottage was less than half a roof, a squashed car and some death-trap wiring.
Maggie shivered.
‘Okay – it’s time to get you out of those wet clothes,’ said Luke. ‘In the nicest way possible!’ he added quickly. ‘I didn’t mean…’
‘It’s okay,’ said Maggie, forcing a smile. ‘And that would be good…’ She trailed off, wrapping her arms around herself in a vain attempt to warm up a bit, but there was no way that was going to happen while she was wearing several layers of sodden clothes.
‘I haven’t got much in the way of clothes for you to change into… at least, not ones that’ll fit!’ he said. ‘I do have some clean tee shirts though… and there’s a fresh pair of overalls – at least they won’t keep falling down on you!’
‘Yes please,’ she said. Anything had to be better than wet skinny jeans!
Luke ambled over to an alcove behind his settee and rummaged in a drawer, pulling out various bits and pieces until he found what he was looking for.
‘Here,’ he said, holding the mercifully dry clothing out towards her. ‘You can change in the bathroom – it’s just through there,’ he pointed at a door on the other side of the room.
Maggie nearly swooned at the sight. A bathroom that had a dooranda working handle? She’d clearly died and gone to heaven.
‘Thanks,’ she said, shooting him a grateful smile.
‘Take your time,’ he said with a little nod.
Maggie’s stomach flipped, and for a brief moment, she had the almost uncontrollable urge to wrap her arms around Luke and cuddle the living daylights out of him.
‘Be right back!’ she squeaked, making a dash for the bathroom.
Closing the door behind her, Maggie did her best to take a deep breath and will her racing heart to calm down. Not easy when she was standing in a bathroom with a working lightandrunning water!Heaven!
Dashing to the sink, Maggie turned the hot tap on and gasped. Hot… running… water. It was pure luxury! Sure, the pipework was exposed and there weren’t any tiles on the walls or floor yet, but the old stone walls had been beautifully re-pointed. There wasn’t a single cobweb to be seen in the corners… and there was no sign of green algae growing on the window frame. Unlike someotherplaces she could mention.
‘I’m moving in,’ she whispered, taking everything in.
Just as Luke had said, there was a large space where the bath should be. The copper piping simply came to an abrupt halt on the wall, and there was a pipe that peeped up through the floorboards, awaiting its time to shine.
Instead of a bath, there were a couple of familiar-looking plastic boxes filled with an array of jars, bottles and other assorted bits and pieces. Maggie spotted the bottle of wine Luke had mentioned and smiled.
First things first, though.
Reaching behind her, Maggie grabbed her sopping-wet jumper and struggled to peel it up over her head. For a moment, it seemed to get wedged, and she sucked in a long, slow breath as she did her best to stay calm inside her slightly gross prison. It wasn’t easy when suddenly all she could think about was what Luke had looked like when she’d arrived. Topless. Tanned. Delicious.
A chill ran down Maggie’s spine. Or maybe it was up? She couldn’t work out which way it was travelling because it seemed to be everywhere all at once.
‘Idiot!’ she muttered, finally managing to drag the top over her head. Undoing her belt with cold, shaking fingers, she began to wrestle her way out of the stiff, soggy denim of her drenched jeans.Yuck!
No… she wouldn’t linger on how good Luke had looked, still slightly damp, with soap bubbles on his chin. She didn’t know anything about him. As nice as he looked… and as nice as he seemed… men just weren’t on her agenda right now.
