A small entrance vestibule led into the hallway where Molly could see original parquet flooring hidden under several layers of grime. The living room was light and spacious or at least Molly knew it could be – you just had to see past the peeling wallpaper and patches of damp. All the original features were there, just waiting for someone’s love and patience to restore them to their former glory. Even though it was a good size, there was a lovely cottagey feel to it. It needed masses of work but Molly could see the potential right away.
Once they had been shown all the rooms, the estate agent left them to have a look around by themselves. Unable to help herself, Molly succumbed to a little daydreaming, allowing herself to imagine all the things she would do.
Anna it seemed, didn’t share her vision and Molly saw her worry at her lip, looking disappointed. ‘It was unlikely you’d find something straight away,’ Molly reasoned, trying to cheer her up.
‘I know, I’m being totally unrealistic,’ she sighed.
The estate agent, who had been hovering discreetly, now came and asked what they thought of it.
‘Mmm, not sure it’s right for us to be honest. There’s just too much work and I hadn’t realised how far from town it is. I don’t suppose you have anything else?’
‘We were actually given a new instruction yesterday for a property. From what I remember it’s in town.’
Anna perked up. ‘Do you have the details?’
‘If you can wait a moment, I’ll have a look,’ she replied, starting to scroll through her iPad.
‘I’ll wait outside,’ Molly mouthed to Anna, leaving her to it as she slipped back outside. The small front garden was overgrown and neglected, but in her mind Molly pictured flower-filled borders and little shrubs. She didn’t have much clue about gardening but would love to learn one day. A small stepping-stone path led round to the side of the house to a little shed. She imagined pottering about in there on a summer’s day while children played. Maybe she could even have a birdbath or a water feature. And maybe she was getting carried away, she realised with a sigh before giving herself a reality check.
She turned at the sound of a car pulling up by the pavement opposite the house and felt her stomach flip as she saw Tom Kennedy unfurling himself out of a car. Again she noticed a slight awkwardness to his movement and assumed he must have an old injury which she guessed was hardly surprising for a professional sportsman. Today his jaw was shadowed by stubble and he was casually dressed in jeans and a blue shirt, the sleeves rolled up enough to show a hint of his forearms. That was strange, he was coming over to the house – his eyes on Molly as he did so.
‘Hello.’ He sounded mildly surprised.
‘Hi.’
They stared at one another for a brief moment, each trying to work out what the other was doing here. He spoke first, a small frown on his forehead.
‘Are you here to view the house?’
‘Yes. No. I mean, I’m here with my sister-in-law. She and my brother are actually moving to St Andrews and looking for somewhere to live so I’m keeping her company. She’s just finishing with the estate agent.’ She waved her hand towards the house before turning to face him.
‘And you – are you viewing it too?’ she asked.
He nodded his head in confirmation. ‘I’ve only recently moved to St Andrews myself. I’m living in a hotel temporarily until I find somewhere.’
His tone wasn’t exactly conversational and like the first time she had met him, Molly sensed something reserved from him, almost as if he was holding himself back in some way. And like the first time she also felt that same pull of attraction towards him. Perhaps it was some sort of rebound reaction after Colin, she pondered. While on one level she supposed it was good to know her body was functioning normally, it wasn’t particularly helpful at this particular moment.
A silence ensued that for some reason Molly felt the need to fill. ‘Did you know it takes eight seconds to decide if you’re going to buy a house or not?’
He looked at her and quirked an eyebrow. ‘I didn’t know that.’
‘Apparently so.’
He cast his eyes towards the house. ‘Looks like there’s a lot of work to do.’
‘There is but it could be amazing,’ Molly enthused unable to help herself. ‘If it was me I would totally gut it and start afresh – you know, stamp my own mark on it. It’s got so many original features and wait until you see upstairs, where there’s two adorable attic bedrooms. I’d probably start with knocking the kitchen and dining room into one big space and then the sash windows could be repaired—’ She stopped abruptly, not sure what had possessed her to ramble on like that.
She cleared her throat. ‘Anyway, you’ll see for yourself soon enough. And between you and me it’s not quite what my sister-in-law is looking for so she wouldn’t be competition. You know, just in case you do decide to make an offer.’
The smallest of smiles flickered over his lips. ‘That’s good to know, thanks.’
‘No problem,’ she replied in a small voice, wondering what on earth was taking Anna so long.
‘So um, is your head all right?’ she heard him ask.
‘Sorry?’
‘The ball?’ He pointed to her head.
‘Oh! Fine, no lasting damage – I think.’ She laughed, a tad hysterically. She was beginning to think she might actually have delayed concussion. The way he was looking at her now was making her feel most peculiar.
Just then, Anna came bustling out and made a beeline for them. Molly glanced at her and then at Tom.
‘This is Tom Kennedy. He runs the golf school that I’ve been going to. This is my sister-in-law, Anna.’
Anna’s eyes sparkled with interest as she brazenly looked him up and down and Molly had to admit, Tom Kennedy didn’t disappoint if you were looking for tall, hunky and handsome. Which she wasn’t.
‘Nice to meet you,’ he said.
‘Tom’s here to view the house, so we should really get going.’ Molly started to move but Anna wasn’t going anywhere.
‘Really? I don’t think it’s right for us, but it would make a great family home. Do you have a family Tom? A partner or wife with you…’ she asked pleasantly, peering over his shoulder. Molly rolled her eyes wondering if Anna could be any less subtle.
‘Tom! Hi, so lovely to see you again.’ They all turned at the sound of the estate agent’s voice who was coming down the path towards them in what Molly noticed for the first time was a pair of slinky high heels. Now all smiles, she flicked her hair over her shoulder and Molly’s mouth fell open slightly at the sudden change in her demeanour. And she was pretty sure who the intended beneficiary of this little display was. Her eyes darted over to Tom to see if it was having an effect – not that it mattered to her – but his expression remained inscrutable. He looked briefly at Molly and nodded, holding her gaze just long enough to send butterflies racing to her stomach before turning to follow the teetering footsteps of Lisa Hamilton.
Well and truly ruffled, Molly took a few hurried paces to catch up with Anna, and after a few calming breaths, turned to her.
‘So, what did you think then?’
‘I think he’s gorgeous.’
‘Not him.’ Molly let out a puff of air. ‘I meant the house.’
‘Never mind the house, I might be taking up golf if that’s what the instructors look like,’ she teased. ‘Definitely a bit of the strong silent type thing going on though, I reckon.’
Or the arrogant type, Molly thought to herself as Anna shot her a questioning look.
‘Fine, he’s very handsome,’ she conceded with a shrug. ‘But so what? I’m newly divorced unless you forgot and not inclined to think too highly of the male species right now.’
‘Exactly. You need to get back out there, have a bit of fun.’
Molly shook her head. ‘Not interested.’
‘Sometimes these things can just happen though, can’t they?’ Anna said with a sigh. ‘And I thought I detected a little fri
sson between you.’
‘Frisson?’ Molly retorted.
‘You know, a spark. The way he looked at you.’
Maybe – just maybe – she had felt a little ‘frisson’ between them too, but Molly wasn’t about to admit that to Anna. She had her future to think about and while being alone wasn’t appealing, she certainly wasn’t about to go jumping into anything quickly, including handsome golfers.
‘So, the house? What did you think?’ she repeated, steering the conversation onto a safer topic.
‘Oh, the house.’ Anna tilted her head, thinking. ‘Mmm, not quite right. I could see how lovely it could be but I was imagining something bigger with less work to do. The estate agent managed to fix up a viewing for this other house now and has told them we’re on our way, is that all right?’
‘We’d better get going then,’ Molly replied, quickening her pace.
Chapter Five
Molly frowned at her reflection in the full-length mirror, not sure the running shorts were doing her any favours. Bought months ago with the intention of starting regular exercise that never quite materialised, today she was giving them their first outing on West Sands beach in a bid to improve her fitness levels. She briefly considered changing into something else then shrugged and turned from the mirror. It was insanely early so no one would see her anyway.
She slipped out of the house quietly and headed across to the beach, walking down to the water’s edge where the sand was more level. She took a few deep breaths and after some stretches, slowly and tentatively began to jog. The air was crystal clear and the sun had just risen in a sky streaked with a pinkish glow. It was incredibly beautiful and wonderfully peaceful.
Molly was used to having the sights and sounds of the city as a backdrop – cars and buses trundling by, pavements packed with people talking into their phones as they passed. Now she relished the feeling of space and freedom of the deserted beach. It felt almost magical to have it to herself.
She could hardly believe only this time last week she was making the fifty-minute drive across Glasgow to the offices of Spark Events in the West End. She’d been disappointed when the job had come to an end – not only had she enjoyed the work, it had made her realise how terrible her previous job had been.
After graduating she had worked in the marketing department of a large national insurance company, lured by the job description that promised she’d be involved in creative marketing strategy and customer engagement but the reality had been somewhat different – sitting in a small windowless office amidst a sea of grey filing cabinets, making cups of coffee for a lascivious boss who made her flesh crawl with his endless innuendos and spending hours on the phone asking people how much they spent on life insurance and if they were likely to change it any time soon.
It was a mixed blessing when after five years, she’d been made redundant. Within a week she’d started a year-long temporary position to cover maternity leave at an events company. Molly had taken to it immediately. Whether it was organising a murder mystery weekend for team building, arranging a whisky tasting for a Scottish experience or transferring delegates from their hotel to a conference, she had found something innately satisfying about seeing an event through from the first registration to the last participant leaving. Now she had some experience she was hoping to build on it and find more event work.
After an alarmingly short time Molly became aware her calf muscles were aching and her heart was beating wildly. Identifying a ridge of dunes up ahead, she was determined to reach them without stopping. She upped her speed, pushing herself harder for the final few steps before slowing down and stopping. Breathing heavily, she bent forward, pressing her hand into her side where a painful stitch had taken hold.
‘Good morning.’
She raised her eyes to find Tom Kennedy regarding her. Where on earth had he sprung from? She could have sworn the beach had been empty. ‘Morning,’ she gasped, straightening up.
His jaw was dark with stubble, his hair slightly ruffled and she could see the rise and fall of his broad chest, his T-shirt clinging to the muscles of his shoulders. She couldn’t stop her eyes feasting on him, her reaction catching her totally unawares. Now her heart was beating wildly for quite a different reason.
In turn, she felt his eyes skimming over her and she ran a hand over her damp forehead self-consciously, dreading to think what she must look like.
‘Don’t let me stop you, if you want to keep running,’ she said, desperately trying to catch her breath.
He looked down at the strap on his wrist, pressing a button, and Molly wondered how far he’d run. He looked like he could run a marathon without breaking sweat.
‘I was almost done anyway.’ He surprised her, falling into step beside her as they started to make their way back along the beach. ‘I usually have the beach to myself at this time,’ he commented.
Molly’s head turned sharply at his dry tone. He held her eye for a moment before his face broke into a smile. It was the first genuine smile she’d seen from him and she had to admit it was worth the wait. She smiled back.
‘Do you always come running this early?’
His eyes scanned the distance and he nodded. ‘This is the best time, I like to come while it’s still peaceful.’ For some reason that didn’t surprise Molly; solitary running on the beach seem to suit him. She followed his gaze.
‘Must be lovely to have this on your doorstep,’ she agreed before recalling him telling her he’d only recently moved to St Andrews.
‘How is your house hunting going?’ she asked.
‘Slowly,’ he admitted ruefully.
‘What did you think of Willow Cottage? Did you like it?’
‘I did. It needs a lot of work though, as you know.’
‘It wasn’t right for my sister-in-law, Anna. Too much work for them. Would you be interested in a big project like that?’
‘Perhaps.’ He shrugged. ‘But I’m not sure I’d have the time I’d need to devote to it.’
‘The golf school must keep you busy?’
He nodded in confirmation and glanced over at her. ‘I’ve seen you at the range a few times,’ he commented.
Molly had looked at some of the other facilities but had been drawn back to Drumloch golf school. She liked that it was away from the hub of the town and was hoping all the walking was doing her city-legs some good. She had seen Tom but had gone out of her way to avoid him. She felt feeble for doing so but their first encounters had left her rattled for some reason. Now she hoped her avoidance tactics hadn’t been too obvious.
‘I’m not sure I’m improving though,’ she admitted.
‘You could always have a few lessons?’ he suggested lightly.
Molly blinked, trying to imagine a lesson with Tom Kennedy. She doubted she’d be able to concentrate much if the effect his proximity was having on her now was anything to go by.
‘Um, maybe,’ she replied lightly.
As they continued to walk Molly listened as Tom explained some of the plans he and his business partner Joe had for the school and she was particularly interested in their ideas to encourage women and children. They were thinking up initiatives to move away from the stereotypical old boys’ club image of golf.
Molly’s curiosity got the better of her. ‘Where did you live before here?’
He paused, taking a moment before answering. ‘I was playing on the European golf tour for several years so I haven’t been settled anywhere.’
Wow. Molly was seriously impressed, she hadn’t realised he played golf at that level. She knew enough about golf to know it was only the very best golfers who played on the European tour. She also knew the days of pot-bellied players were long gone and elite players were now mostly muscular, chiselled athletes. And Tom Kennedy certainly fitted into that category.
‘The golf school is going to be quite a change then.’
He looked down at the sand, nodding vaguely before seeming keen to change the subject. ‘Why is your br
other’s family moving to St Andrews?’
‘He’s teaching history at the university. My nephew is five and just starting school and my niece will be starting high school so it’s quite a big change for the family.’
He glanced sideways at her. ‘We’re actually running a junior tournament at Drumloch. We don’t want to run before we can walk so it’s small scale and strictly for fun.’
‘That’s a great idea.’
‘Your nephew might be a bit young but your niece could certainly enter if she wanted. There’s a list in reception at the school if you think she’d be interested.’
Molly nodded thoughtfully. ‘I think she would be. She can be a bit shy but I’ll certainly put her name down anyway, if that’s okay?
‘Of course.’
They had almost reached the end of the beach and the sun had risen fully now. In the near distance a lone dog walker waved over to them and Molly watched as the golden Labrador pulled a stick from the water. West Sands Guest House came into view, looking resplendent in the morning sunshine. Molly pointed it out to Tom and he managed to surprise her again by walking her to the door before saying goodbye.
Molly let herself into the house reflecting how her solo run hadn’t gone quite to plan. She hadn’t expected to meet anyone, least of all Tom Kennedy. And although she still detected an aloofness from him, he hadn’t been entirely unpleasant to speak to. Perhaps she had seen a different side to him. Closing the front door, she wondered if anyone would be awake yet. She thought she should probably have a healthy smoothie but was pretty sure she’d end with coffee.
****
Molly smiled as she watched Luke zigzag his way through the university’s cloisters, marvelling at his energy. It was a perfect summer’s afternoon, a few wispy clouds scudding across the blue sky and the sound of birdsong merging with the lazy buzz of bees hovering around the scented blooms.
Standing on the immaculate lawn in the quadrangle and surrounded by ancient buildings, Molly lifted her eyes to the chapel to admire the blue, green and purple panels of the stain-glass windows sparkling in the sunlight.
Summer at West Sands Guest House Page 5
