Abi's House

by Jenny Kane

  Listening to Beth’s radio through the floor as she soaked her limbs, Abi mused over Max’s request that she join him for fish and chips that evening. It could be a date, but there had been something about the tone of his voice when he’d asked that made her suspect he had a different ulterior motive.

  Ever since Beth had voiced her suspicions about Max finding her attractive, Abi had been mulling the idea at the back of her mind more frequently. He was so different to Luke. But was he too different? Did she actually find Max’s big frame, broad shoulders, and apple face attractive, or was it just a case of anyone who was a million miles from Luke, and who was kind to her, would pique her interest at the moment?’

  Anyway, it was too soon. Far too soon. She hadn’t had her freedom for long, and had had it guilt free for even less time. ‘Besides.’ Abi spoke to the bath water as she got out and watched it slosh down the plughole at speed, ‘Beth implied that Max didn’t trust women with money, so that’s me out then. Assuming Simon doesn’t try and diddle me over the house sale.’

  Not wanting to think about Simon or the house, Abi pulled her grubby clothes back on, hoping that Max wouldn’t mind the fact she was crumpled and dusty from the day’s work. Even as she thought about it, Abi knew he wouldn’t. That was something she definitely found attractive about Max. He took her as she was. She didn’t have to pretend. Luke, on the other hand, would have gone mad to think that she’d put on the same clothes she’d been wearing after a bath as before – though Abi knew she wouldn’t have if there’d been a choice. Beth had insisted she use the bath here rather than waste time going back to St Just, only to have to drive back again afterwards to see Max.

  ‘Yum! They smell amazing.’

  Max had arrived with a neatly wrapped bag of fish and chips under his arm, just as Abi walked out of Beth’s front door. ‘Beth told me you liked them. So, floor all sorted?’

  ‘Yep. Well, my bit of it is. Beth’s just finished putting the first coat of varnish on. So as you can imagine, she is now in the bath, easing her aches and pains. I have to admit it might have been hard work, but it is already looking worth it.’

  ‘You get on with the machine OK?’

  Abi laughed. ‘Once I got the hang of it. I’d forgotten how heavy they were. Where are we taking the chips? To the harbour?’

  ‘Not this time, although I’d love to another night, if you fancy it of course, although you probably won’t. I mean, you’re busy and …’

  ‘I’d love to, Max, thanks.’ Abi gave him a smile that told him it was OK, that she knew he liked her, but she appreciated his patience. ‘But where are off to now?’

  ‘To see Stan. He called me at lunchtime. He has something to tell you.’

  ‘He does? Any idea what?’

  ‘Yes, but it should come from him.’

  Abi looked at Max suspiciously, and trying not sound worried, said, ‘He isn’t ill, is he?’

  ‘Not beyond the usual aches and pains that go with the fact he’s eighty-eight years old.’

  ‘Crumbs, is he as old as that? I would have put him a decade younger.’ She thought for a while, before saying, ‘Do you have chips for Stan as well?’

  ‘Yes, he’s really looking forward to eating them out of the paper.’

  ‘Oh good, that’s the best way to have them! Apart from sitting on the beach watching the sea at the same time, of course.’

  Max’s eyebrows rose. ‘You like doing that?’

  ‘Love it. There is something just right about watching the sea while having a hit of well-salted, vinegar-laden chips.’ Abi noticed that Max was looking at her in an odd way. ‘What?’

  ‘I just don’t know many city girls who like doing that sort of thing.’

  ‘Then you need to meet more city girls!’ Abi allowed herself a grin. ‘This city girl also likes long cliff walks, paddling in the sea, and building sandcastles.’

  ‘Sandcastles?’

  ‘Yes, why should children get all the fun?’

  Max’s mouth turned up at the corners as his inclination to pick up Abi and give her a bear hug returned. ‘I’ll try and remember that.’

  Abi stopped as they turned into Miners Row, and stared at Abbey’s House. She’d almost been scared to come back again, just in case the extreme emotional reaction she’d had before hit her for a second time. She was glad Max hadn’t told her this was where they were coming earlier in the day, or she’d have been a jumble of nerves by now.

  ‘You alright? I’m sorry, I hadn’t considered that it might be difficult for you to come back, but Stan asked and I didn’t want to let him down.’

  ‘Quite right. Stan is lovely.’ Abi took a deep breath. ‘I’m fine. I just can’t quite believe I’m going to get another look inside the house.’

  ‘You really loved it, didn’t you?’

  ‘I wish I hadn’t, but yes, I did.’ Abi opened the gate, ‘Don’t worry, though, I have no intention of upsetting Stan by telling him I once dreamed of buying his home. This house is Stan’s. It is where he belongs. I may be a city girl, but I’m not a ruthless one. If I had been, believe me, I’d have fitted in so much better!’

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Abi had never eaten fish and chips so fast. She was dying to examine the documents Stan had found, but she flatly refused to touch them with fingers that were salty and dotted with grease from their dinner.

  Stan had chuckled at her obvious pleasure, and despite his evident enjoyment of his highly unhealthy supper, he declared that seeing Abi’s glee at the prospect of learning more about the house she’d fallen in love with was as delicious as the battered haddock, which was so fresh it was almost flapping.

  After washing her hands with the utmost care, to eradicate every single trace of grease and vinegar from her fingers, Abi finally sat back on the sofa, next to the fire that Max had got going in the grate – and even then she still wiped her hands down the legs of her jeans.

  Max raised his eyebrows at her playfully. ‘Shall I go and see if I have any white cotton gloves in the van?’

  Abi stuck her tongue out at him. ‘I’m just taking care, that’s all. These are very old and special.’

  Stan’s now familiar chuckle added to the warmth of the room. ‘Nice to think some things in here are older than me!’

  Taking her time, Abi revelled in the thrill of discovery as she read through the deeds one at a time, deferring to Stan every now and again where she couldn’t read the faint text and flowery handwriting.

  Vaguely aware that Max was moving around them, quietly tending the fire, clearing up the empty fish and chip papers, and then disappearing for a while before returning with a hot pot of tea and three mugs, Abi read on and on until, smiling widely, she passed them back to Stan.

  ‘Thank you. You were so kind to dig those out for me.’

  ‘Max said you’d like to see them when he popped over at lunchtime.’

  ‘He came here at lunchtime?’

  ‘Yes, sorry, didn’t he say?’ Stan’s forehead crinkled a fraction.

  ‘No. He said he’d spoken to you, and to be honest, we’ve been working all afternoon. There hasn’t been a chance to chat.’ Abi wasn’t sure why she suddenly felt wary. She had assumed that the chance to look at the deeds was the reason why she’d been brought around for fish and chips. Now she wasn’t so sure. Rallying quickly, lest Stan should think her ungrateful, Abi said, ‘It was a lovely surprise though. I adore old documents and things.’

  ‘You two have so much in common.’ Stan seemed very pleased with himself, and Abi was beginning to wonder if he was matchmaking – which seemed unlikely as he thought they were a couple anyway, but …

  Max came back into the living room with Sadie, whose love of sneaking chips off people’s laps had seen her confined to the kitchen while they’d been eating. As he sat down next to Abi, Stan began to speak.

  ‘Right then, Abi. It’s getting late, and as I don’t really function much after nine o’clock, I think it’s time I came to the po
int.’

  In need of reassurance, but not sure why, Abi reached out a hand to stroke Sadie’s golden back as she looked from Max and Stan. She’d been right. They had been up to something earlier.

  Putting down his mug of tea, Stan sat back in his armchair; the lone sound in the compact living room was the flicker and rustle of the fire, which even though it was summer, was essential in the thick-walled little room. ‘Now then, Abi. I have a proposition for you.’

  ‘Another one? That’ll make two this week.’

  ‘I’m sorry?’ Stan looked puzzled.

  ‘Beth, that’s Max’s best friend, she is reopening up her grandfather’s old cobbler’s shop as an art gallery and studio, and she’s asked me to help her run it.’

  Stan nodded. ‘Jack would have approved of you; I have no doubt about that.’

  ‘Jack?’ Abi looked at Max.

  ‘Stan knew Beth’s grandad back in the day. I’ll tell you about that later. Stan, I think you had a proposal for Abi?’

  ‘Yes, yes, of course.’ Stan paused then launched in. ‘I have been thinking long and hard since you knocked on my door the other day. To be honest, you made me confront a choice I have to make. A choice that I’ve been putting off making.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Abi looked at Max, who put his hand on her knee, the urgent look in his eyes telling her to keep quiet until Stan, who sounded as if he was talking to himself rather than to them, had finished speaking.

  ‘I know I can’t go on looking after myself properly and the house for much longer. And really, the company of other people living around me would be nice. I could get that in one of the new homes or sheltered flats they’ve built over in St Buryan. But I’ve been here so long, you see. My family has, as you saw from some of those documents, lived here for a long time. But my daughter has no intention of returning, and my grandchildren are more Australian than Cornish now, so they won’t want to live here, not soon enough to stop this place falling into rack and ruin anyway.’

  Stan stopped, and the pause in conversation lasted so long that Max began to think Stan had changed his mind. ‘You know I was genuine in my offer to do this place up, don’t you?’ he said.

  The old man inclined his head. ‘I do. You are a very nice young man, but we both know that this place requires a lot more than a quick lick of paint, and you have paid work to get on with. Which brings me back to my point.

  ‘Abi, Max, I want to see this house go to someone who will care for it, and preferably to a couple who might let me visit it from time to time. A couple just like you two.’

  Abi tried to speak, but no words come out.

  Stan raised a hand in understanding. ‘I know it’ll take some thinking about, especially as the house is worth quite a bit, and you might not be able to afford it. I’ll get a valuation, although I think you can safely assume I’d be happy to do the sale privately if you two are interested, that way we’ll all save a fortune in sales fees.’

  Guilt and horror vied for first place as Abi realised that she might be responsible for Stan feeling he couldn’t live in his family’s home any longer. ‘But, Stan, we can’t. I mean, this is your home! If I’d believed for one minute that you saw our visits as a scheme to turf you out of your home then I’d never have been cheeky and knocked on the door.’

  ‘Not at all.’ Stan leaned forward in his seat. ‘Abi, your arrival on my doorstep was exactly what I needed. Until then the only person I saw in the week was Mrs Teppit, who comes along to clean up and do a bit of shopping for me now and again – and to be frank she’s no spring chicken herself, and could do with retiring.’

  ‘But Stan …’

  ‘Abi, Max told me you were selling a house, which means you must be looking for a new one. Have you found one yet?’

  ‘Well, no. Not yet.’

  ‘And, if you don’t mind me asking you both such a personal question, do you think you could afford a place this size should it go on the market?’

  Abi nodded, trying not to notice Max’s eyebrows rise again as he learned she could afford to buy such a sort after property without hearing what the valuation might be.

  ‘In that case,’ Stan said, ‘why not take yourself off and have a proper look at the house?’

  ‘Max?’ Abi looked at him beseechingly. ‘Can you come with me?’

  ‘Quite right.’ Stan clapped his hands, bringing Sadie off Max’s lap onto his own feet. ‘This is a decision you should make together.’

  Propped against the kitchen table, Abi’s lungs struggled to inflate properly. ‘Max? What the hell is going on? Why does Stan still think that we’re married? I thought you’d told him about his mistake?’

  ‘I was going to, and then life got in the way, and then when he told me that he was planning on selling up at lunchtime, and that he wanted to sound you out himself, I didn’t know what to say. I also wanted him to think about it some more. There was every chance he would change his mind. If I’d explained his mistake it might have prejudiced him one way or another, and I didn’t want to do that.’

  ‘But now you have to tell him. We have to tell him.’

  Max cupped Abi’s hands in his. ‘Can you really afford this place?’

  ‘If the sale of the Surrey house goes through then yes.’ Abi was self-conscious, ‘Is that OK? I mean, Beth said that you didn’t like women with money. If it helps, I wish I didn’t have it. I mean, it wasn’t a nice way to become wealthy.’

  Max squeezed her hands tighter. ‘Beth was sort of right, but believe me, you do not fit into that category of woman. I’ll go and sort things with Stan. Promise. You go and enjoy having a poke about the old place.’

  ‘There’s no point.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Stan wants his home to go to a couple. We aren’t a couple. He’ll withdraw his offer when he realises we’ve been dishonest, even though it was unintentionally.’

  Max’s stomach somersaulted as he spoke softly. ‘We could be a couple one day.’

  ‘Could we?’ Abi felt both hot and cold at the same time. She wasn’t sure if she could take any more shocks for the minute.

  Max lifted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. Abi thought he was going to speak, but he said nothing at all. She hadn’t registered Max was going to kiss her until his lips met hers in a soft embrace, which sent every confused nerve in her body ricocheting through her body. Melting in his welcome arms, Abi realised that although he may have been one of the tallest, broadest men she’d ever met, but he was also one of the gentlest.

  As Max slowly lowered her to her feet, Abi realised she hadn’t even noticed that Max had picked her off the floor. ‘I’ve wanted to do that since I spotted you in the pub the first night you were lost.’ He swept a stray brown hair from her eyes. ‘Is this alright? I didn’t want to rush you.’

  Wrapping her arms around his waist, Abi rested her head against his firm body. ‘I wanted you to as well.’ She hugged him firmly, before reluctantly letting go, ‘But we don’t know each other. Not yet anyway, and I need time, and well … there’s so much to learn.’

  Abi smiled up at his apple face, fighting her rapidly growing craving to join the dots of his freckles with her fingertips. ‘And we will learn about each other, if you want us to. But right now, we are going to come clean to Stan. I would love to own this house, but no way could I do that if I felt I’d conned him out of it.’

  Hand in hand, resolved to coming clean, they went back to the living room where they’d left Stan. But he wasn’t alone.

  ‘Simon! What are you doing here?’ Abi let go of Max’s hand as she registered the look of thunder on her brother-in-law’s face.

  ‘A new man in tow already, Abi?’ Simon gave Max a glare which would have made a lesser man wither, but Max just held the newcomer’s expression for a moment before putting out his hand. ‘You must be Abi’s brother-in-law, pleased to meet you.’

  Blanking Max completely, Simon pushed past Stan, who suddenly lost all of his colour, and if Abi
hadn’t guided his elbow back, so his backside hit the soft cushions of his armchair, she was sure he’d have fallen.

  ‘Simon, I asked what you were doing here. How did you find me?’

  ‘Find you? Find you? You’re supposed to be at home sorting out the sale of Luke’s house. And here you are having an affair with a tradesman! How long exactly has this been going on? Did Luke know about it? No wonder he had a heart attack!’

  ‘Don’t be so damn stupid! Just because you’ve always felt guilty about having fantasises about stealing your brother’s wife! I’d never cheat on anyone’

  ‘For God’s sake, Abigail! His body is hardly cold!’ Simon more or less spat out the words.

  ‘A fact which didn’t stop you trying to step into his shoes just a few days ago! And need I remind you – again – that my name is not Abigail, and never has been!’

  Max could see Abi was shaking, and yet he was proud of her for sticking up for herself against this snake. Had her husband spoken to her like that? He felt a chill run down his spine, and he had to ball up his fists up in the pockets of his overalls to stop himself from reacting in a way which would have been satisfying for him, but not at all constructive, and would probably have ended up with Simon having his jaw wired and him facing a GBH charge. Turning his attention to Stan instead, Max noticed how pale the old man had gone, ‘Are you alright, Stan?’

  ‘He said he was Abi’s brother, not her brother-in-law. He said he’d been here as a child, and Abi had told him to come.’

  ‘You said you were Oliver?’ Every single second of resentment that had bottled up inside Abi during her marriage threatened to explode, but one look at Stan, quickly caused her to take a firm grip of her emotions. ‘Stan, are you OK?’

  The old man murmured, ‘I’m so sorry, he said … that man said …’