‘But you—’
‘This way Sookie will sleep down here with me, and you won’t need to get up so early.’
‘I don’t mind her waking me up.’ Harry made a move to get on the sofa, and Maddy barged him, meeting a solid force but throwing herself on the newly made up bed and hurrying under the covers, unable to hold in a giggle.
‘And don’t even think of dragging me off.’ Because he was. She could see him contemplating it. She clutched the duvet, defiant.
He’d huffed, and had looked torn as to what to do, then, throwing up his arms had said, ‘All right, I know better than to argue with you.’
She giggled and turned on to her side, closing her eyes as Harry turned out the lights.
Did she really want to move out? Harry was easy to live with. He wasn’t untidy. So far, her only complaint was that he left the toilet seat up. But that was what most men did, and as it wasn’t her house, she couldn’t comment. They got on. Maybe a little too well.
Maddy awoke, her heart heavy and her head fuddled, having not slept as soundly as she’d hoped. There was a lot to be said for a comfortable bed. Harry’s sofa wasn’t one. She knew the sofa had little to do with it, though. All she’d thought about was the cottage, and whether to take up Roy’s offer. Sookie rubbed her head against Maddy’s chin, pawing at her chest and meowing. Maddy threw the duvet back, and slowly, with a stretch, made her way to the kitchen where she fed a purring Sookie.
She turned, and went to leave the kitchen but jumped and swore as she hit a wall of muscle.
‘Christ, Harry, don’t do that to me.’ Eyes wide, she held her hand to her chest as if to stop her quickened heart from escaping. He was wearing a grey cotton T-shirt and matching pyjama bottoms which she knew he’d only thrown on to come downstairs.
‘I’m sorry, but it is my house.’ He chuckled, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
‘About that. I think I’m going to move out.’ Where did that come from?
‘What!’ Harry’s tone changed. All of a sudden he wasn’t laughing and his posture had stiffened. Maddy found it hard to look him in the eye.
‘I’ve been offered a house to live in.’ If Maddy didn’t tell him of its unfinished state, he couldn’t talk her out of it. ‘I think I’ll take it. Give you some space.’
‘Maddy, you really don’t have to.’
‘I think I do.’ Now it was out there, Maddy felt better about her decision. Living with Harry, albeit great, was also concerning her. Too many feelings jumbling around and setting off panic alarms in her head. She didn’t want another Connor situation. Until last week they’d practically been strangers.
She liked Harry as a friend but was afraid of anything more happening between them right now.
‘Where are you going? What brought this on?’ he said.
‘It’s a house in Tinners Bay. Valerie organized it for me. Look, Harry, I’m really grateful for all you’ve done, but I don’t wish to outstay my welcome.’
‘You’re not.’
‘Come on, admit it, you had the best night’s sleep ever, back in your own bed.’
Sookie chose this moment to purr around Harry’s feet, tail pointed. Harry ran a hand through his tousled just-got-out-of-bed black hair, unaware how sexy he looked. Living with Harry was extremely hard on Maddy’s hormones – another good reason to leave. ‘What about Sookie?’ he asked.
‘Valerie’s having her for me.’
‘Don’t be silly; she can stay here. You’ll be back in your house before you know it.’
Maddy laughed. ‘But you hate cats.’
‘I don’t hate cats. I just hate them crapping on my lawn.’ As if to justify his words, Harry leaned down and scratched Sookie’s head. The feline betrayed Maddy, purring more loudly at Harry and nudging him with affection. Cats!
‘Okay, well that will take one worry off my mind.’ Maddy went to squeeze past him in the small kitchen, but he gently grabbed her arm.
‘Honestly, Maddy, I don’t mind you being here.’
‘I know.’
Harry hesitated then let go. ‘When are you leaving?’
Maddy shrugged. ‘I don’t exactly know. I’ll find out today when I can move in.’
From the gallery, Maddy made her phone calls. Delight spread through her veins when the insurance company informed her they’d received the reports from the police, and Maddy had been officially ruled out as a suspect – phew! – meaning work could commence soon. They set a date for the Loss Adjuster to visit. It was not soon enough in Maddy’s eyes, but due to staff shortages, the date given was the earliest they could do. They also agreed to the payments of rent, so with that, she’d called Roy and he’d said she could move in when she liked.
‘I’ll get Geoff to take over the camp bed and wardrobe,’ Valerie said, picking up her phone to call her husband. ‘And our camping things, so you’ll have cutlery and plates in the kitchen.’ That morning Maddy had already given Valerie the rundown of her conversation with Harry. Maddy didn’t want to get him involved with moving her into the cottage. He had already done enough for her, and besides, if he saw the place she was moving to he would insist she stayed with him. It was in his nature to help, and that made him protective towards her. She could already see that.
Another reason to leave.
So why did she feel guilty about being sneaky about this and not involving him? Surely he would see reason once he had his house back to himself.
‘Look, if you and Harry have something going on, at least it won’t get forced on too quickly as it would if you’re under the same roof,’ Valerie said, handing Maddy a mug of coffee once the phone calls had been made.
‘Harry and I don’t have anything going on.’
‘Not yet.’
‘Valerie, it’s not like that.’
‘Then stop feeling guilty about moving out. Harry will understand.’
But would he? She was moving to an unfinished house. There weren’t even curtains hanging in the bedroom window. The kitchen was empty.
‘After this, I’d better go home and pack some essentials I’m going to need at the cottage.’
‘It’s not like we’re rushed off our feet.’
Another gloomy day had deterred visitors, other than the hardcore surfers, to the beach. Usually, Maddy used these days to get on with her paintings, but today she couldn’t focus. It wasn’t dissimilar to writer’s block. Standing in front of a canvas, paintbrush poised, she still couldn’t bring herself to paint.
In Annadale Close, Maddy packed a duffle bag of her essentials, taking towels from her house, and some clothes, and her toiletries from Harry’s. She was just locking his front door when his truck pulled up.
‘Hey,’ she said, as he walked up the drive.
‘Hey.’ He frowned at the bag she was holding. ‘You’re going so soon?’
‘I can move in today, so I might as well get comfortable.’ Maddy was about to put Harry’s door key in her handbag. ‘Oh, do you want this back? I still have some stuff at yours, but I can collect it another day.’
‘No, no, you keep it. Just in case you need something, or want to see Sookie.’
‘Are you sure about looking after her?’
‘Yes, it’s fine. You’ll confuse the poor girl if you move her again.’
‘I’ll drop some more food off for her in a couple of days.’
Harry nodded. ‘Maddy …’
‘Yes?’
‘Nothing.’ He shook his head again. ‘Look, you know where I am if you need anything.’
‘I know.’ She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. ‘Thank you. For everything.’
She’d already said her goodbyes to Sookie telling her to be good for Harry. Sitting in her car, she started the engine and wiped a tear off her cheek. Why was she crying?
It was only for a month, maybe two, if that …
By the time Maddy arrived at the cottage, it was early evening. She’d had some dinner with Valerie, and then headed over to
the cottage. With her duffle bag full of spare clothes, towels and her wash things slung heavily over her shoulder, she found the peeling lilac front door unlocked. Maddy called out as she entered the hallway, but only silence greeted her. No radio blared, no hammering or drilling. In the kitchen on the new solid wood breakfast bar, separating kitchen from dining room, was a note with a key. The handwriting was spidery but legible.
‘Roy told me to leave you a key. Welcome to your new home. Si x
P.S. we usually arrive around 8 am so switch the kettle on.’
Maddy rolled her eyes. She wondered how often she’d be supplying the tea and biscuits now she’d moved in. There was a box in the kitchen with Maddy’s name on it. This would be from Valerie, kindly delivered by her husband, Geoffrey. It contained items like cutlery, plastic plates and bowls; all things Valerie kept for camping and barbeques. There was also a bottle of red wine – an Australian Shiraz – and a wine glass which put a smile on her face and erased some of her worries.
She put the key in the front door and locked it, then flicked on a switch to walk up the stairs. The lights worked, but there were no lampshades, only naked light bulbs. Maddy made her way to the master bedroom. The camp bed stood in the middle, made up with a violet floral duvet (very Valerie) and pillows, plus a bedside lamp beside it. Bless Val, she had thought of everything. Also, built and ready to use, was the fabric wardrobe. The room was still the colour of plaster, but there were some tins of magnolia paint in the corner, plus a curtain pole still in its packaging. Maybe it would only be for a couple of nights she’d have to live without curtains.
By the time Maddy had showered in the enormous bathroom and changed into her pyjamas, it didn’t matter that there were no curtains, it was dark outside. She watched the moon on the sea for a moment, thinking it would make another great composition. The view was serene and calming. She hoped Harry would be okay with her moving out. She actually missed him. A ridiculous feeling, Maddy thought, only having known the man properly for a week. Would he miss her?
The camp bed wasn’t as comfortable as Harry’s king-size bed and was narrower than a single but Maddy, exhausted mentally and physically, fell straight to sleep.
Chapter 16
It took Maddy a few seconds to gather her thoughts and remember where she was. Early morning sunlight flooded the room, birds were singing and seagulls screeching. Maddy reached for her mobile to check the time. It was coming up to six-thirty a.m. The builders were due at eight. As she didn’t want them to catch her still in her pyjamas and looking like she’d been dragged through a hedge backwards, she decided it was best to get up. Plus the camp bed wasn’t comfortable enough to make her want to lie in.
It wasn’t until she’d made a cup of coffee from the builders’ stash that she realised she had nothing to eat for breakfast. Of course the cupboards would be bare. The fridge contained milk and some soft drinks which the guys obviously helped themselves to. Knowing the Spar shop in Tinners Bay would be open, Maddy walked down the coast path to fetch the basics. The red wine was a generous gesture from Val, but hardly breakfast material.
Maddy returned loaded with shopping and found the house still empty of builders. She busied herself in the kitchen and ate her cereal perched at the breakfast bar on one of the high stools – they were the only seats she had in the house. She had a lovely view of the garden, even from the kitchen, because of the open-plan layout of the downstairs. Walls must have been knocked through, creating a lovely light, airy feeling.
She was just about to take a mouthful of cereal when she noticed a man in the garden. An initial moment of anxiety soon calmed when she realised he must be the landscape gardener Simon had talked about. He was tall and broadly built with black hair, as far as she could make out. In fact, there was something familiar about him …
Harry.
He’d turned and looked at her through the window as if he had a sixth sense that he was being watched.
She left the bowl of cereal on the worktop and went out the back door, walked down the side of the cottage, and round into the garden.
‘What are you doing here?’ she said, placing her hands on her hips.
‘I’m working.’ Harry wiped his forehead with a gloved hand. He’d been cutting away at brambles. ‘I could ask you the same thing?’ He frowned at her. His blue eyes flashed with annoyance.
‘This is where I’m staying.’
Harry removed his gloves and dropped them on the ground and moved towards her. His expression said it all; his brow furrowed and his jaw tensed. This was the reaction Maddy had dreaded.
‘If you’d told me you were moving here, I certainly wouldn’t have let you go.’ He gestured to the cottage behind him. He clearly knew what state it was in.
‘You don’t own me. I can live where I like.’
‘Maddy, your own house is probably more habitable than this. This is a building site!’
‘Slight exaggeration, don’t you think? At least here I do have a kitchen.’
‘And bare walls, plaster dust, the builders …’
‘Look, I’m doing Roy a favour.’
‘Roy?’ Harry frowned, and the faint crow’s feet around his eyes wrinkled.
‘Yes, Roy Trewyn, the man who owns the restaurant, you know, where we dropped the paintings off in Padstow? Didn’t you know that this house belongs to him?’
‘No, I was hired by Simon, but that’s good to know.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I’m not seeing a lot of cash.’
‘Well, maybe if you were here more.’ She now remembered why Roy had wanted her at the house, to keep an eye on the workmen … Was she actually here to keep an eye on Harry? Was he not pulling his weight?
‘I told Simon I had other jobs I needed to keep on top of. It’s the summer, grass grows, plants need attending to.’ Harry’s voice rose with agitation. ‘Besides, those customers are paying me regularly. Simon keeps giving me cash in dribs and drabs. I have a mortgage to pay; I need a regular income.’
‘Okay, don’t bark at me.’
Harry’s intense gaze dropped. ‘I’m sorry, but if I’d known you were moving here, I would have talked you out of it.’
‘I know you would have. That’s why I didn’t tell you.’ She hugged herself, rubbing her upper arms. The breeze was cool this time of the morning.
‘Why Maddy? Why did you feel the need to move out?’ He stepped closer. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him the truth. Could she? How silly would it sound if she was reading too much into things? Living with Harry had been so easy … maybe too easy. She’d panicked, worried she was getting attached to someone she couldn’t have.
Maddy shrugged. ‘Like I said, I’m doing Roy a favour.’ Harry shook his head as if he didn’t believe her. ‘And, I, uh, I didn’t want to take advantage of your hospitality. I wasn’t sure if you were really happy having me there.’
‘I wouldn’t have offered if it was a problem.’
Maddy was desperate to change the subject and go back inside to her breakfast. The sun hadn’t spread its warmth yet. ‘Do you want a coffee? Now I’m here, I can keep your caffeine levels topped up.’
‘I could murder one. Thanks.’
***
Harry watched Maddy walk back into the cottage, then turned and kicked a wheelbarrow close by. He would have insisted she stayed with him if he’d known. It might be closer to her gallery, but there was no furniture, plus the builders were constantly coming and going throughout the day. What had been so bad about living at his?
He realised his anger was due more to the fact that he liked Maddy, much more than just as a neighbour. He cared about her. They’d become friends. It was ridiculous to feel this way in such a short space of time about someone – wasn’t it? But he did.
Maybe the space would do them both good. But he still wanted to keep a look out for her.
He hadn’t slept great last night, wondering where the hell she was staying. He’d risen early, and thought
he’d get on with some work at the cottage before he went onto his other jobs. His regulars wouldn’t be happy with him rolling up at seven a.m. to mow their lawns.
Harry walked into the house via the side door, straight into the kitchen. Maddy was at the counter pouring hot water from the kettle into two melamine mugs.
‘Sorry about the cups, they’re Val’s.’ Maddy handed him a cup of coffee.
‘Thanks.’ Harry looked around the room. The kitchen needed tiling but was all up together, i.e. the cupboards were fitted and the sink plumbed in. She even had hot water. The dining and lounge area needed flooring of some sort. Wires poked out of the plaster where wall lights needed to be fitted. Harry dreaded what the upstairs looked like. ‘Look, if you change your mind, I’ll happily let you stay at mine again.’
Maddy didn’t get a chance to answer him. The front door banged, and someone bellowed, ‘Hello, are you decent?’
‘We’re in here,’ Maddy called. She flicked the switch on the kettle once more.
Simon walked into the kitchen. A couple of other men carried on through to start work on the extension outside the lounge. Harry took an instant dislike to the smug grin all over Simon’s face. He’d taken the job because a big contract would be good for business, but he didn’t like the man he had to work for.
‘Oh, I see you’ve met the gardener.’
‘Landscaper,’ Harry said, scowling at Simon.
‘Yes, Harry and I are actually neighbours,’ Maddy added.
Simon nodded his acknowledgement, then started spooning coffee into a couple of mugs he’d fetched off the draining board. Harry tensed. He didn’t like the way Simon got close to Maddy, touching her arm as he reached for the sugar out of the cupboard.
‘How did your first night go? Sleep okay?’ Simon said, looking at Maddy and ignoring Harry as if he didn’t exist.
‘Yes, it was fine, actually.’
‘I’ll start on the bedroom today so that we can get the curtain pole up and some curtains hung for you.’ Simon rested his hand on Maddy’s shoulder.
‘Okay, thank you.’
‘I’ve got some colour ideas I might run by you, too.’
Meet Me at Wisteria Cottage Page 14