Page 13 of The Life Daisy Devlin Designed
“It’s a tiny two-bed with no garden, but it’s in Dublin, and it’s all ours.” She took a deep breath. “How about you? Anyone special in your life?”
Matt shrugged. “A few girlfriends down the years. Nothing serious.” He held her eyes for a moment.
So he’d bought Granary House by himself! She cleared her throat. “How’s Charlie?’ She’d only met his older brother a few times when she and Matt had been together. At the time he’d been the quieter of the two, but Daisy had always got the impression that he was very straightforward.
Matt’s expression closed again. “I haven’t seen him in a while. Last I heard, he’s fine.”
Daisy drank some water as she cast around for another topic of conversation. “Um, so what have you been doing in the States?”
“Working in IT for one of the big airlines.” He gave her a slightly odd look. “I thought you’d have heard.”
How would I hear, she wanted to snap. If Matt and Brian had kept in touch all these years – which seemed likely – then Brian hadn’t bothered to fill Laura in on the highs and lows of Matt’s life abroad. Although it was equally likely that Laura had decided never to mention Matt’s name again.
“I hadn’t heard, but that sounds pretty cool,” she managed.
“Yeah?”
There was a definite edge to his voice. It felt like they were stepping awkwardly around each other. He was probably as nervous as she was.
“So, what prompted you to buy Granary House?” she asked. “Hang on, did you get back to view it before you made an offer?”
Matt seemed to relax a bit. “Would you believe, no? I viewed it online and then chatted to the estate agent. I made an offer after the structural engineer’s report.”
Daisy knew exactly what the house had sold for, and she had a pretty good idea how much would be needed for its upgrade. Clearly, his career was going well.
She hauled her bag onto her lap and took out her tablet, quickly powering it on and finding the file on Granary House, with the 3D models for the redesign of the kitchen, reception rooms and master bedroom.
Obviously you don’t have to go with any of them – it’ll just give you an idea.”
“I really like the kitchen.”
“Modern rustic.” She was used to hearing praise for her work, but she felt giddy hearing Matt compliment her.
He nodded. “Looks like you had more than just a professional interest in it.” He glanced up. “Would you live there yourself?”
He’d always been able to read her, she remembered. Which didn’t mean she should let him slip right back into her life. She tried to bat away the question.
“Wouldn’t everyone?” Not James, she knew. Still, if money were no object, and she could convince her suburban-loving boyfriend to move to the country, Granary House would be her dream home.
“Some of us anyway.” Matt smiled. “And I just fell in love with this place on first sight. So, can I see some of your other designs?”
“Oh, sure.” She clicked onto the finished designs of Freya’s house, and Matt moved his chair around the table so he was sitting beside her.
Daisy forced herself to concentrate, which was difficult given his proximity. “It’s partly about the type of house it is, but also about what the client wants.”
He looked impressed. “If I were to get the place redesigned, I’d like to get the main house done first, and then the guest wing.”
Daisy frowned in thought. “As far as I remember, the guest wing is accessed from the hall in the main house.”
“Yep, dead handy. And it’s small, and a lot cheaper to heat. It really just needs some new kitchen appliances and a lick of paint.”
Their food arrived.
Daisy tucked her tablet into her bag as Matt moved his chair back around the table.
“So, what about your job?” She speared some pasta on her fork. “Will you work remotely?”
“The company I was working for did a merger a few months ago, and I took a decent payoff. But I’m consulting for them now.” Matt shrugged. “It means I can work from anywhere.”
