The Little Guesthouse of New Beginnings: A gorgeously feel-good and heart-warming romance to escape with

by Donna Ashcroft

  ‘I think my shoulder’s feeling better.’ Connor tried to move it without wincing and failed.

  Madison snorted, sipping from her own cup before nodding at his. ‘You might as well drink some – I’m not going until you have. It’s my fault you’re injured so I’ll do whatever I can to make you better.’

  ‘Great.’ Connor shook his head, picking up the large mug with his left hand before trying the liquid. It tasted exactly as he’d expected and he fought the desire to spit it out. ‘Don’t you have things to do? If you’re determined to drum up business for The Hideaway, shouldn’t you be dropping leaflets or, I don’t know… planning your next trip?’ Anything other than sitting here staring at him with those big eyes, making him feel things he’d never intended.

  ‘I’m going to ignore the comment about travelling and blame your poor memory on painkillers.’ Madison shrugged, smiling at him. ‘Stanley’s making the leaflets now and I said I’d drop them in town tomorrow. And since we’re currently guestless there’s not much else I can do for The Hideaway at the moment. Aside from help you out… which means you’re stuck with me, at least for now.’

  ‘Great,’ Connor repeated, annoyed because, despite himself, he was enjoying Madison’s attention. ‘I can’t sit here for long. Jesse’s on his own and even if I can’t put the toilet in today, I can paint.’ He didn’t try his shoulder again but he had a perfectly good left arm.

  ‘Then I’ll help.’

  When Connor tried to reject the suggestion, Madison’s mouth set into a thin line. Wow, there were a lot of hidden sides to this woman. He was starting to realise you couldn’t always judge a person by their past. Especially one you’d never taken the time to get to know.

  There was a knock at the front door and Madison went to answer it, leaving Connor staring at the tea, wondering if he had time to pour it down the sink before she came back. His question was answered when Dee marched into the kitchen, carrying a shopping bag filled with all sorts of green stuff. She wore her regulation frilly white apron over a pair of dark jeans and a blue sweatshirt.

  ‘Whatever have you done to yourself?’ Dee asked Connor, dumping the bag on the counter so she could give him a hug he wasn’t expecting but accepted anyway. He wasn’t used to physical contact – it wasn’t something his father had dished out, unless it was the punishment kind. His mother had died when he was young and he barely remembered her at all.

  ‘Connor saved me from being crushed by my aunt’s desk,’ Madison answered for him, shuffling through the bag and pulling out a leek and carrots. She searched his cupboards without asking, and grabbed a large pan and a vegetable peeler he didn’t even know he had. ‘He’s a hero actually, not that he’d admit it.’

  Connor shook his head, watching the two women chat, moving around his kitchen with an ease he’d never experienced. He felt a strange mixture of baffled and relaxed. Jaws came to stand beside him, and Connor tried his shoulder once more – surely the painkillers would kick in soon? Ouch. Not yet.

  ‘I don’t want to panic you, Madison, but we had a call just before I left,’ Dee said, taking the carrots Madison had just peeled and expertly chopping them into small chunks. ‘Seems Stanley moves fast. He got the leaflets printed earlier and dropped them at the tourist information office because you were busy with the studio. We’ve got a booking for the day after tomorrow – a couple staying for a week who want to experience our yoga and walking retreat. Your plan seems to be working already.’

  ‘Wow.’ Madison grinned before her face dropped. ‘I can’t believe it’s happening so quickly. We’re not ready for them. The yoga mats should arrive in plenty of time – I paid for express delivery – but my aunt’s study is a mess.’ She frowned at Connor. ‘You’re in no state to paint. Should we cancel the booking?’

  ‘And give up?’ Dee asked, incredulous.

  ‘I… well.’

  Madison looked so conflicted Connor jumped in. ‘There’s no need to cancel anything. I can paint with my left arm.’ Even if he didn’t feel better later, he wasn’t completely useless. Jesse could continue in the cafe and he’d be able to handle the lighter jobs. ‘Besides, I’m sure I’ll feel okay after some soup.’

  ‘If you don’t I can help,’ Madison said, searching through the bag again. ‘Have you any garlic, Dee?’

  ‘If it’s not in there, I’ll have left it outside.’ Dee handed Madison the car keys.

  ‘We have to tell Sandy and Jack what Madison’s planning,’ Connor whispered to Dee as soon as Madison was out of earshot. ‘It doesn’t feel right letting her do all this work when the place is up for sale.’

  ‘I thought the same.’ Dee looked troubled. ‘But Madison’s happy and perhaps the new buyer will like her ideas? Besides, when Jack left he gave me strict instructions not to contact them unless it was an emergency. I know for a fact they’re not checking emails. Sandy needs a complete rest – God knows the woman hasn’t had one in years. I’ve thought about what Madison’s doing and she’s happy helping. We both know she’ll be off on that ferry as soon as the whim takes her. Why upset her while she’s here?’

  ‘I don’t like lying,’ Connor explained, feeling strangely put out. Why he cared about hurting Madison he didn’t know – but this whole thing didn’t sit right with him.

  ‘Neither do I,’ Dee admitted. ‘And I feel just as bad not telling Amy. She’s fretting about not having a job soon and she’s been working at The Hideaway for years. But a promise is a promise, Connor, and neither of us has the right to break it. If Jack gets in touch, I’ll mention something. Otherwise let’s continue as we have.’

  ‘Mmmm,’ Connor grunted, because there wasn’t much else he could do. He stopped talking as Madison whizzed back into the kitchen, holding a bunch of garlic and sporting a smile that made his chest thump.

  ‘It’s so sunny today – we should take a walk later.’ She grinned at Connor. ‘I forgot how pretty Sunflower Island is. Honestly, there’s no place on earth like it.’

  ‘If you want that yoga studio to be ready for your new guests, you won’t have time for a walk,’ Connor grumbled, staring into his tea instead of giving in to the urge to watch her.

  ‘There’s always time for a walk, Connor, just ask Jaws.’ Madison grinned back at him. ‘And there’s always time for yoga. After the soup, we’ll pop into town for that paint and then I’ll prove it to you.’

  ‘Great,’ Connor repeated for the third time, closing his eyes for a second and wishing his life could return to some level of normality, but knowing that, now he knew Madison so much better, it probably never would.

  Thirteen

  ‘Step away from the brush, Madison,’ Connor said, his voice more frustrated than it had a right to be. Stepping forwards, he used his left arm to pick up the large yellow paint pot they’d spent half an hour arguing over, before moving it into the kitchen. Jaws bounded after him and then whizzed back to sniff the carpet. ‘There’s a certain order to painting,’ Connor explained.

  ‘Does any of it involve a brush?’ Madison slid a hand over her face, feeling exhausted. ‘Because it’s almost nine o’clock and our new guests are arriving the day after tomorrow. If we’re going to get this room painted –’ she swept an arm around her, pointing to the four dirty grey walls of her aunt’s now empty office – ‘then I’m thinking we should start.’

  ‘There’s sandpaper in my truck. We’ll need to rub away any marks and wash the paintwork before starting.’

  ‘Now?’ Madison asked, incredulous. ‘Can’t we cut a corner or two, get it done? I’m sure the paint isn’t going to mind a bit of dust. Besides, you’re still injured.’ She glared at Connor’s arm. He’d declared himself fit and well after suffering a bowl of vegetable soup. And there’d been no time for the walk either. Although he had let her drive the truck to the builder’s yard, which proved he wasn’t completely better. How they’d manage to prepare and paint the whole room tonight and finish off tomorrow with just the two of them was a mystery.

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nbsp; ‘We’ll do it properly.’ Connor frowned. ‘Or not at all.’

  Madison didn’t say anything. Connor had been surly and disagreeable all afternoon and his bad mood showed no sign of abating. She should probably leave him to it – she was obviously in the way. They’d even argued in the builder’s yard when he’d suggested grey paint and she’d insisted on yellow – she’d only won the argument because they were short on time. Her mission to make him like her was clearly doomed to fail unless she did something to change it. ‘Where’s the sandpaper and what do we need to wash everything?’ she asked. She wasn’t giving up on him yet.

  ‘In the back of the truck. I’ll get it,’ Connor muttered, disappearing out of the door with his dog before Madison could offer to help. Instead of following, she paced the room, imagining it filled with yoga mats and clients. She’d missed running classes, and doing them here would be a dream come true.

  The paintwork was truly awful. Madison ran a finger along one of the walls, taking in the black marks she and Amy had scratched into the plaster while moving the bookshelves earlier. Beside the window frame – which also needed some TLC – were black notches etched into the grey. She took a step closer and followed one of the lines. There were three horizontal stripes about an inch apart, with numbers next to them.

  ‘Heights?’ Madison asked, as Connor walked into the room with a bucket.

  ‘I guess. A family rented this place years ago, I can’t remember when. They had a child, so it’s probably something to do with them.’

  ‘Did your dad do the same for you?’ Aside from when she’d been at boarding school, Madison had never stayed in one place for long enough to grow a few millimetres, let alone had a place to mark it. Not that her parents would have bothered – too busy with their life and work. And by the time she’d moved into The Hideaway, she’d been fully grown.

  Connor shook his head. ‘My father marked the passing of time with tax returns. Why?’

  ‘Nothing. It’ll be a shame to paint over it. It’s like covering up a piece of history. Someone’s roots.’ Madison ran a finger over the marks again, feeling strangely put out.

  ‘I didn’t have you down as sentimental.’

  Madison shrugged. ‘It’s a chapter in a life. It feels important.’

  ‘The marks aren’t even yours.’ Connor came to stand beside Madison and she fought the urge to turn around.

  ‘I know, and if we leave them the room will look unfinished, which will probably give you hives. It’s fine.’ Madison stared down at the bucket on the floor, which was filled with water and a large sponge. ‘I guess if I start cleaning the walls, you could do the sanding. If your shoulder is up to it?’

  ‘My shoulder is on the mend.’ Connor picked up some sandpaper with his left hand. ‘No yoga required.’

  After ten minutes of cleaning, following Connor as he sandpapered, Madison wiped a hand over her forehead. They hadn’t turned the heating on, but she felt warm from all the physical exertion. She checked her watch. ‘If we start the first coat at ten o’clock, it’s going to be after midnight by the time we finish – are you sure you’re up for that? I’m guessing you had an early start?’

  ‘Didn’t you too?’

  Madison watched the muscles across Connor’s back flex as he worked. He’d taken off his jacket when they’d first entered the house and was now just dressed in jeans and a dark blue T-shirt, which had seen better days but somehow worked.

  Connor turned and caught her watching. ‘Is it past your bedtime?’ His voice had deepened. Was he flirting with her?

  Madison cleared her throat. ‘I don’t have a set routine for sleeping. It all depends on what I’m doing. To be honest I don’t have a set routine for anything – my life changes too much for that.’

  ‘Does it bother you never knowing what’s coming next?’ Connor turned away again, proving he wasn’t comfortable asking questions. Perhaps because conversations weren’t something he concerned himself with much. Jaws stopped sniffing the carpet and went to stand beside Connor, and he scratched the top of the dog’s head, wincing as he moved his shoulder.

  Madison considered the question. ‘I grew up never knowing – we moved around so much, often without notice, and I didn’t get a say in it. And even when I was at boarding school it never felt permanent, and I had no idea how long I’d stay there for. Moving around feels normal to me. But if you’re asking if I’d prefer having a routine, a place to call my own, I think so – at least, I’d like a chance to find out.’

  ‘Don’t you think you’ll get bored?’ Connor asked, curious.

  ‘I don’t think so.’ Madison’s reply was firm. ‘I’m fed up of moving from place to place, of making friends I won’t keep – who barely know me. You’d be surprised how lonely constantly moving can be.’

  ‘How does someone surrounded by people get lonely?’ Connor looked stunned.

  ‘Sometimes a busy room is the loneliest room of all. Especially if that room is full of people who know each other well, or have a history – I’ve only just started to understand how empty it feels.’ Feeling exposed and wondering why she’d just opened her heart to a man who didn’t even seem to like her, Madison changed the subject. ‘Shall I text Amy to see if she wants to help with the painting?’

  Connor’s mobile chose that exact moment to ring. ‘Georgie?’ He asked.

  Madison quickly texted Amy to see if she was free to help, trying not to listen to Connor’s conversation, but the confined space made ignoring it impossible.

  ‘You’re arriving on the ferry on Friday and staying for how long? I thought we decided you’d wait?’ Out of the corner of her eye, Madison saw Connor shake his head. ‘You said you agreed with me… Won’t you be missing lots of lectures?’ He leaned his head onto one of the walls and Madison watched him close his eyes, looking tense – but when he spoke again his voice stayed level. ‘I know you want to talk to me, and it doesn’t sound like I have much choice. Sure you can stay at the house, it’s half yours. I don’t understand why you need to do this now… Okay.’ He looked resigned. ‘Then I’ll see you soon.’ He hung up and turned to face Madison before wincing. ‘Dammit, I’ve got a meeting about a job at one on Friday. I can’t pick Georgie up. Unless I cancel…’ He tapped his phone, looking at his diary.

  ‘I’ll get her,’ Madison offered. ‘I could use your truck or Dee will lend me her car?’

  ‘It’s fine.’ Connor shook his head.

  ‘I’m sure it is, but why not accept help when it’s offered? If you’ve a meeting, I’m sure you’d rather be there, and I’d love to finally meet your sister.’

  ‘That’s not the best idea. Georgie’s thinking of dropping out of her course to go travelling and I’m trying to persuade her not to—’ Connor stopped talking abruptly and Madison waited for him to continue before the penny dropped.

  ‘You think I’d be a bad influence? Seriously, Connor, what do you think I’ll do? Give her a full commentary on my incredible life of leisure, or put her back on the ferry with a round-the-world plane ticket?’

  ‘I don’t know.’ Connor flushed. ‘But I want her to finish the course. You’ve been all over the world, which will sound romantic to her. She’s easily led and I don’t want you putting ideas in her head.’

  ‘Wow, you really don’t think much of me, do you?’ Ridiculously hurt, Madison turned away and picked up the bucket so she could stomp to the kitchen to pour the water out. On the counter sat the pot of yellow paint alongside Connor’s bag of rollers and dust sheets. He followed her and leaned an arm on the counter so he could look into her face.

  ‘Go away,’ Madison said, turning aside.

  ‘I’m not saying you’d do it deliberately,’ Connor murmured. ‘It’s just Georgie is easily influenced.’

  ‘Sounds like you have a low opinion of her too.’ Madison got a knife out of one of the drawers under the white counter and began to pry the paint pot open, stabbing her finger in annoyance. Tears welled in her eyes but she was dete
rmined not to let them fall. Connor didn’t deserve to know how much he’d hurt her.

  ‘I didn’t mean to offend you.’ Connor put a hand on Madison’s shoulder, but she shook it off as someone tapped on the front door. She went to open it, and instantly threw herself at Amy, who was standing in the doorway. Jaws barked a couple of times before settling down.

  ‘You okay?’ Amy asked, as Madison enveloped her in a big hug.

  ‘You’re wearing heels?’ Feeling a little better, Madison ignored the question and stepped back to stare at her friend’s shoes. Amy was dressed in dark blue overalls, and her hair was tied away from her face ready for painting, but the sparkly black heels looked out of place.

  ‘I know the outfit’s ridiculous, but I bought the shoes today and didn’t want to take them off.’ Amy kicked the heels to one side and walked into the small hallway, taking in Madison’s expression. ‘You look annoyed?’

  ‘Argument with a paint pot,’ Madison answered smoothly, in no rush to confide in her friend, who might have thought the same about her as Connor did, but was too polite to say so. ‘I’ll get over it. Thanks for coming.’ She led Amy past the kitchen, ignoring Connor’s surprised expression, and into the yoga room, pointing to the walls. ‘We need to get the first coat on tonight, so it can all be finished tomorrow, ready if the new guests want to do a yoga session when they arrive on Friday.’

  ‘I’m not a great painter, but I’m guessing six hands are better than four.’ Amy waved hers in the air with a grin. ‘Besides, I was only kicking about the house by myself, admiring my new shoes.’ She paced the room, looking at the walls as Connor laid dust sheets on the carpet.