Page 81 of Just Say Yes
‘Very well. When people don’t interrupt.’ I gave him a meaningful glance.
‘It’s lovely to see you, too.’
I raised an eyebrow. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Just passing.’
‘Really.’
‘Yep,’ Lorcan said through a mouthful of one of the biscuits he’d helped himself to. ‘Are these Betty’s? They’re amazing.’
‘How do you know they aren’t mine?’ I asked.
Lorcan pointed his second biscuit at the fridge door. ‘No baking scheduled.’ He moved across to take a closer look. ‘What are you supposed to be doing this morning? Let’s see. Hmm,’ he said, turning his head briefly, ‘I see chatting up young Tom wasn’t in the schedule. Interesting.’
‘You think you’re so funny.’ I rolled my eyes and moved across the kitchen to stand in front of my planner. Unfortunately, this placed me closer to Lorcan than I’d anticipated and he looked, and smelled, just as good as I remembered.
‘You didn’t answer my question.’
‘Yes, I did. Just passing.’
‘Why on earth would you be just passing here?’ I asked, disbelief radiating out in waves as I crossed my arms in front of my chest.
Lorcan shifted his weight and tilted his head down a little more, meeting my eyes. ‘I hate to pop any balloons, but, unlike Tom, I’ve no hidden agenda. The only reason I’m here is…’ his eyes scanned my face as he took a breath, his broad chest expanding and tightening against the pale blue shirt he wore, the collar open at the neck ‘… work.’ He turned away and I felt the breath I’d been holding escape. He was such an arse. I’d pop his bloody balloons if he wasn’t careful.
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‘What possible work reason would you have in the village? It’s fine just as it is. We certainly don’t need people like you coming in and sticking new houses or blocks of flats on any tiny piece of ground you can get your mitts on!’
‘Woah!’ Lorcan held up the shovels he called hands. ‘Little protective of the village there, are we?’
‘Yes, I am. And I’m not ashamed of it. So if that’s your plan… oh, no, it’s the schoolhouse, isn’t it? They’ve been trying to flatten that and build on the land for years. Is that why you’re here?’
‘Yes.’
The schoolhouse was the most beautiful Victorian building at the other end of the village, backing out onto sweeping countryside. There was an orchard within its grounds too but that was now really just an overgrown thicket. I’d fallen in love with the place the day I’d taken my first walk around the village. Several people had tried to buy it over the years but it needed a lot of work. It hadn’t been touched since it was built so would literally need a new everything to make it a comfortable home. It was a big job and planning departments were more inclined to grant permission for multiple houses these days, especially with the income local government would then get from taxes and utilities, et cetera.
‘A group of us have been trying to get it granted listed status so it can’t be flattened but we didn’t have any luck. So I presume now we’re too late. Well, Betty might think you’re a nice man now but once she hears you’re tearing that down to build square boxes that won’t blend in with the village at all, she’ll soon be changing her mind.’
Lorcan smiled. ‘Betty thinks I’m a nice man?’
‘Yes. She’s only met you briefly. Easy mistake to make.’
‘Ouch. By the way, remind me at what point I said I’m tearing the schoolhouse down and replacing it with modern housing?’
‘I asked if you were here about the schoolhouse and the fact people want to flatten it. You said you were.’
‘I am. But I don’t agree with those plans. I think the place should be restored. Converted for modern living, but sympathetically. I agree with you that it would be a shame for it to be lost but the longer it’s left in its current state, the more likely it is that modern housing will take its place. Which is why I bought it. I’m headed over to the local solicitor shortly to sign the papers. Hence, as much as I would like to admit that I drove all the way out here just to see you, if that would bring a smile to your face, I really am here for work.’
‘You’re buying it? And saving it?’ I grabbed his arm.
‘I am.’
‘Lorcan! That’s amazing!’
‘Well, I’d rather you’d smiled like that just to see me for no reason, but as you don’t smile nearly enough, I’m going to take this as a close second.’ His own smile softened his face as he chuckled.
‘I smile plenty, thank you.’
