by Hannah Ellis
“It’ll never fit in that little car,” one of the men said.
“Hmm.” Josie looked between the car and the couch as though a solution might magically come to her.
“You’d need a van,” the man said.
“Can you leave it next to the skip? I’ll see if I can figure something out and come back later.”
“The skip’s being removed tomorrow morning. We can leave it until then.”
She shouted her thanks as she got back in the car. The idea of getting furniture for the kennels had been niggling at her, and she’d been meaning to search online and see if she could find anyone giving old stuff away. Apparently all she needed to do was spend her Sunday afternoons driving around looking for people getting rid of things.
Now she just needed to find herself a van.
***
“Hi!” she called to Annette as she dumped her bag in the kitchen and greeted the excited dogs who circled her legs. Nudging them gently out of the way, she followed Annette’s voice to the living room. She bent down to her in the armchair and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Don’t let me disturb your book. I’ve got to go out again. I need to ask Sam for a favour.”
“You never stop!” Annette said. “How was your weekend?”
“It was okay,” Josie said unenthusiastically. She headed back to the kitchen. “I’ll tell you about it later. I shouldn’t be too long.”
She set off, walking briskly down past the barn in the direction Sam had pointed out to her the other day. Soon, she slowed her pace. It was so quiet and peaceful. An old oak tree stood regally just beyond the fence behind the barn, and the grass grew haphazardly under it with wildflowers mixed in. At the crest of the hill, she gazed at the blanket of bluebells which spread down the hillside to a small stream in the valley. It was an incredible sight. She caught a glimpse of a house between the trees, down in the valley. She upped her pace again, then circled round the house to reach the front door.
It took Sam a couple of minutes to answer, and Josie found herself getting nervous as she waited. His hair was dishevelled when he opened the door a crack, and his eyes were only half open.
“Sorry,” Josie said, biting her lower lip. “Were you asleep?” He hadn’t opened the door all the way and it made her uncomfortable, like he had something to hide. Maybe he had a woman in there. “I’m really sorry,” she said. “I’ll go …”
“It’s fine.” He blinked slowly as he opened the door wider. “Come in. I must have fallen asleep on the couch.”
She apologised again as she stepped inside. He was wearing jogging bottoms and a scruffy old T-shirt, and she felt like she was interrupting his lazy Sunday. When he gestured, she moved into the living room, where the muted TV flashed up adverts. The living room was homely with a worn leather couch and matching armchair. The place was neat and tidy. It seemed like he was going for the minimalist look.
“Need to borrow something?” he asked with a smile.
“Yeah,” she said, slowly. “Kind of.”
“Give me a clue …”
“I need to collect a couch for the kennels. This guy said I could have it for free but I need to pick it up today and it won’t fit in my car.”
He frowned. “This is going to involve me getting dressed today, isn’t it?”
“Would you mind?”
“Okay.” He pushed a hand through his hair. “Make yourself at home. I’ll just be a minute.”
He disappeared upstairs, and when she sat on the couch, it was still warm from where he’d been lying. Josie leaned back and looked around the room. It was a nice place, if a little bare. She got up and wandered through to the kitchen. There was a decent-sized garden out the back and rolling hills stretching beyond that. The kitchen was lovely – more modern than the living room, like it had only recently been fitted. It was all very neat. Apparently Sam didn’t like clutter.
At the sound of footsteps on the stairs, she went back to the living room and sat in the armchair. “Do you know what you need in here?” she said.
“No. But I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”
“Cushions or a throw blanket. Something to soften the place up a bit.”
“I’ll bear that in mind. Thanks for the tip.”
“You’re welcome!” She smiled cheekily as she stood up. Sam had put a pair of jeans on and a long sleeved T-shirt. The sleeves were pushed up and showed off his toned forearms. His hair was still ruffled but slightly more styled.
“Lead the way then,” he said.
Once they were in the van, he looked questioningly at her.
“If you drive as though you’re going to Oxford … it’s in a little village somewhere between here and there …”
He stared at her. “You don’t know where we’re going?”
“I was on my way back and I saw these guys getting rid of a couch so I just stopped and asked if I could have it … But now you mention it, I didn’t really pay much attention to where it was. I think it was about half an hour from here.”
“So you disturb my nap to take me on a wild goose chase.”
“No,” she said confidently as she switched the radio on. “It’s more like a treasure hunt!”
***
“Just admit you’re lost!”
It was well over half an hour later, and Sam’s eyes twinkled with amusement.
“I’m not lost,” Josie insisted. “I know exactly where we are. I just don’t know where the couch is.”
“You know you can take the A38 to Averton instead of driving through all the little villages?”
“I know but the main road’s full of roadworks. Besides, it’s much more interesting going the back way. You can even find free furniture!”
“And lose it again! Can I turn round yet?”
“I guess so,” she said. “I’m sure it wasn’t this far away.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t check the name of the village.”
She gave his arm a gentle shove. “All right, Mr Perfect! You don’t need to go on about it.”
“Sorry,” he said. “It’s quite funny, though.”
She pouted as she scanned the streets trying to recognise something. “I really wanted that couch.”
“We’ll find you another couch,” he said gently.
“I need about twenty.”
“Twenty couches?” he said, laughing again.
“I can’t just have a couch in one of the kennels. I want it to be standard.”
“You’re going to get twenty couches?”
“Or armchairs.” She looked gloomily out of the window. “I can’t believe I lost the couch.”
He gazed at her intently for a moment before concentrating on the road again. After about ten minutes of driving in silence, he slowed right down and pointed.
“Is that it?”
“Yes!” She squealed excitedly.
“You know we must have driven past it once already?”
“You were probably talking and distracting me.”
He pulled up in front of the skip and opened his door. “I might’ve known it’d be my fault.”
“You take that end,” Josie said brightly, surveying the maroon couch. It’d match her paint job nicely, and it didn’t look to be in too bad condition.
“He definitely said you could take it?” Sam glanced around. “It feels like stealing.”
“They said it was fine. It was only going in the skip otherwise.”
Sam lifted his end and eyed her sceptically. “No way you can lift that.”
“Hang on.” She struggled to get a grip on it, and then managed to get it about a centimetre off the ground before she admitted defeat and put it down again.
“Just come here and help me drag it …”
She walked over to Sam, shaking her head. “You’re going to ruin my couch dragging it down the street.”
His mouth twitched to a smirk. “You’re worried I’m going to ruin the couch that you’re saving from a skip to give to the dogs? That’s a genui
ne concern?”
She couldn’t help but laugh.
“Just get over here and help me before someone comes and asks why we’re stealing a couch.”
She did as she was told but got the giggles and couldn’t stop. Sam bumped shoulders with her and grinned.
“Do you need some help?”
Josie stopped laughing and looked up at the two burly-looking guys. They both had the same build – short and stocky – and were both covered in tattoos. On one of them, the tattoos crept all the way up his neck and onto his cheek.
“Yes, please,” Josie said keenly. She let go of the couch and moved out of the way. “We just need to get it in the van, but it weighs a ton.”
“You’re not nicking it, are you?”
“No. The guy was getting rid of it and he said I could have it.” When the tattooed man looked puzzled, she felt she should elaborate. “It’s just for my dogs. I work at a kennels and I’m looking for old furniture.”
He smiled at her and then he and his friend picked up the end of the couch and helped Sam load it into the van. Sam shook hands with them as he thanked them, and then the one with the tattoos on his face turned back to Josie.
“If you’re doing a pickup service I’ve got an old couch in my garage you can have.”
“Really?” She couldn’t believe her luck.
“My sister filled up my garage with a load of her things and then went off for Australia for a year. She’s marrying some Aussie fella now and I’m stuck with a garage full of her stuff. You’d be doing me a favour taking it away.”
“That’d be amazing.”
“It’s not far away. Do you wanna come now?”
“Yes, please!” She glanced at Sam, who looked at her with wide eyes before fixing a smile and shrugging.
“Give me your phone and I’ll put the address in …”
She handed him her phone and peered over as he opened maps and typed his address in the search bar. “Go right at the next traffic lights, then drive for five minutes, then turn right again. See you there in ten minutes.”
“Thanks!” She slid back into the van with Sam. “How lucky was that?”
“Lucky he didn’t steal your phone? Very lucky!”
“What?” she said, puzzled.
“You just handed your phone over to some thug as though it was the most normal thing in the world.”
“Just because they’ve got tattoos doesn’t mean they’re thugs.”
“He’s got love and hate tattooed on his knuckles!”
She clicked her seat belt into place. “I only saw love.”
“Well, what do you think the other might say?”
“It could say anything! And they’re nice guys. They helped with the couch. And he’s giving me another couch.”
“Right, so we’re really going to his place now? This is actually happening?”
“Why not?”
“Oh, Josie.” He reached and stroked her hair condescendingly. “Sweet little Josie!”
“Get off me.” She swatted him away, beaming. “Just drive, will you?”
He turned the engine on. “I was having a lovely nap. Now I’ve no idea what’s about to happen.”
She gave him a quick shove. “Don’t be ridiculous! I didn’t realise you were so judgemental.”
“I’m not judgemental. But you’re too trusting. If he’d said he had puppies in his car I bet you’d have gone with him for a look.”
“Ooh! I love puppies!”
He shook his head. “Your parents must have had a nightmare. How have you survived this long?”
“Shut up and drive, will you!”
Chapter 13
Their tattooed friends were standing at the front gate of the semi-detached house when they arrived.
“I can’t believe I’m getting two couches in one day,” Josie said, beaming at Sam.
“Not sure I believe it yet either …”
“Oh, don’t be such a grump.” She opened the door and jumped out. “Thanks so much for this,” she said as she approached the house. “I’m Josie, by the way.”
“I’m Brendan,” the one with the face tattoo said. “This is Ryan.”
“That’s Sam,” Josie said, nodding in his direction.
“Come and have a look then,” Brendan said. They followed him to the garage attached to his house and her eyes widened when he opened the door. It really was packed full.
Brendan raised an eyebrow. “You see what I mean when I say you’d be doing me a favour?”
“Are you sure your sister won’t mind?”
“She’s staying in Australia. She’ll be happy I’m getting some space back.”
The couch was in the middle of the garage with boxes stacked on top of it and all sorts of other pieces of furniture and junk around it. Josie scanned the items as the men began to dig it out.
“Would it be helpful if I took this chair off your hands too?” She looked at Brendan with big eyes as she ran a hand over the back of the tatty leather armchair.
“You’re welcome to it,” he said, smiling as he lifted boxes from the couch.
Josie watched as Sam took a box from the couch and placed it on a table. He stood for a moment, his brow furrowed. Then he rubbed at the wood of the table and bent to inspect the legs. He looked so serious. Josie tilted her head, wondering what he was doing.
“I’ll give you twenty quid for the table,” Sam said, looking to Brendan.
“Deal!”
Sam pulled out his wallet and Josie sighed. “You’re making me look bad. You’re paying for stuff and I’m taking things for free. I’ve not even got any cash.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Brendan grinned at Josie and then looked over her shoulder at Sam. “Take the drawers too if you want.” It was a nice wooden set of drawers in the corner, and he was looking them over just as he’d done the table.
“Better not,” Sam said, pushing his wallet into his back pocket. “My garage will end up looking like yours at this rate. And I think we’ll struggle to fit stuff in the van as it is.”
It was a bit of a squeeze getting it all in, but they managed it.
She said goodbye to Ryan and when she reached to shake Brendan’s hand, she couldn’t help but take a better look at his tattoos. “I like your ink,” she said.
He held his arms out for her to inspect.
“Notice he’s got his name halfway up his arm,” Ryan said merrily. “That’s in case he forgets!”
Brendan smiled bashfully. “Some of them I got when I was young. I still don’t regret them, though – they’re part of me.”
She held his hands, turning them and gazing over all the intricate patterns and pictures. “I like how you’ve got love written on both knuckles.” She managed to keep a straight face and didn’t dare glance at Sam.
“My mum would’ve killed me if I got love and hate.”
She grinned at him. “I think you’re a big softie underneath all the ink and muscles.”
“Shh!” He winked. “Don’t tell anyone.”
She thanked them again and shouted goodbye as she hopped into the van beside Sam. “That was interesting.”
“All right,” he said as he drove away. “I think you made your point. They’re good guys.”
“They’re lovely,” she said, relaxing into the seat.
It had been a long day, and she was almost asleep by the time they got back to Oakbrook. She rallied to help Sam unload the couches. There was a lot of laughter as they struggled to get the furniture through the stable doors into the kennels.
Josie’s cheeks were aching by the time everything was in place, and she flopped onto the blue couch which had once belonged to Brendan’s sister. “This is actually a decent couch,” she said, looking up at Sam.
He picked her feet up to sit at the end of the couch and his thumb brushed her bare ankle. He cocked an eyebrow. “Are these the same shoes you wore at the wedding?”
“Yes.” In the silence, she was aware of their proxi
mity and swung her feet away from him. “Why are you looking at me like that’s weird?”
“I’m not,” he said, chuckling. “But I think you’re going to have to invest in something a bit more sturdy if you’re going to be out walking the dogs in all weather.”
“I’ve got a pair of these in grey and another in navy. They don’t show the dirt.”
“You’ll be tramping around here in wellies before you know it.”
“No chance,” she said.
“We’ll see.”
“Stop going on about my shoes,” she said lightly. “It’s a weird obsession you’ve got.”
“I’m not obsessed,” he insisted.
They sat in silence for a moment.
“Thanks for helping me with the couches,” Josie finally said.
“You’re welcome. It was surprisingly fun.”
“It was also surprising that we didn’t get beaten up by the men with tattoos!”
“Are you going to remind me about that forever?” He looked slightly embarrassed. “I’ll admit I might have mis-judged them.”
“You might have?”
“I did!” He leaned back and stared at the ceiling. “Leave me alone.”
“Two couches and an armchair,” Josie said, wistfully. “That was a good day.”
“Three down, seventeen to go.”
“I think it’s going to come in very handy being friends with a man with a van!”
“Are you planning on ruining all my Sundays?”
She gave him a playful shove. “I didn’t ruin your Sunday!”
“I’m kidding.” He reached for the lock of hair that fell from her ponytail and pushed it behind her ear. It made her heart thunder in her chest, and she had to remind herself to breathe. “Sorry,” he said, quietly.
Footsteps in the barn interrupted them and Sam stood abruptly.
“Oh, my goodness!” Annette stared at the large red couch in the first kennel. “You’ve been busy again, Josie!”
Chapter 14
“You never told me what was wrong with your weekend?” Annette remarked over breakfast on Monday.
Josie was puzzled. “There was nothing wrong with my weekend.”
“You didn’t seem so enthusiastic when you came back yesterday. I thought you might have fallen out with Jack or something?”
