Renovation, Renovation, Renovation

by Nell Dixon

  I dressed in my gardening gear, stuffed a load of clothes into the washer and headed outside to fire up the strimmer. Attacking the remains of the bramble mountain would be therapeutic and might help me work out all the crap that was whizzing through my head. After last night I was a jumbled wreck.

  I’d spent the last few months convincing myself that Steve and I were over.

  Going on dates with Mike was supposed to confirm that. It was supposed to have marked the start of a new page in my life, one where I’d go out and meet other men.

  Instead I’d agreed with Mike we should just be friends and come home to jump straight into bed with my ex. This was not the direction my life was supposed to take.

  Steve hadn’t shown any signs this morning of wanting to try again with our relationship. Why would he? I’d made it pretty clear how I’d seen the relationship going a few months ago and by buying this damned cottage he’d shown he hadn’t seen it the same way. I’d seen marriage, children and a lovely forever home. He’d seen sex on tap, free labour, this dump of a house and a profit margin.

  Then there was Her, the stunningly youthful Chloe. I snapped my goggles into place and wriggled my fingers inside the thick protective yellow material of my gloves. What was going on there? Of course, when he’d been in the band there had been women, lots and lots of women.

  It had always puzzled me that he’d ended up with me. I mean compared with some of the girls he’d been pictured with in the past I was distinctly on the ordinary side. As far as I knew though Steve hadn’t strayed while we’d been together although Nasreen, and plenty of other women like her, had tried their best to seduce him.

  This train of thought annoyed me and I fired up the industrial strimmer and attacked the huge clump of blackberry brambles which had spilled out onto the path.

  Massacring the weeds was amazingly therapeutic and provided a great deal of prickly satisfaction as I chopped and cleared the ground.

  As the morning warmed up I decided to stop for a drink. Without the noise of the strimmer’s petrol motor ringing in my ears I could hear the familiar sounds of the garden once again. I could also hear Steve singing as I walked back inside the house.

  He often sang while he worked, sometimes he sang along with the radio or often it was an old Danger Line track. Today though, I didn’t recognise the lyrics.

  It was something new, a ballad. I filled my glass with juice from the carton in the fridge and strained to hear the words. He hadn’t written a new song for years but I knew instinctively from the tone of his voice that this was his writing. Perhaps I’d been right when I’d wondered if Jamie had come here to persuade Steve to go back to the music business. Then where would that leave me?

  “Somebody sounds happy in their work.”

  Startled by the unexpected voice I whirled around, and spilt half my juice on the floor.

  “Sorry, did I make you jump?” Gormless Gary stood in the doorway.

  I placed my glass down on the counter. My hands were shaking and my heart thumped from his unexpected appearance.

  “Pass me that cloth from by the sink, I need to mop this up or the ants will be in.”

  He tossed the dishcloth over to me and continued to look apologetic. “I thought I’d come round and see if you guys had any work I might be able to help with?”

  As he spoke Steve appeared in the kitchen. He frowned when he saw Gary and I flashed him a meaningful look to remind him to keep quiet about Lou’s pregnancy.

  “I mean I can do labouring and things. It was okay when I helped you out on your last house.” He looked hopefully at the two of us.

  “I dunno. It’s not that we don’t need a hand but there isn’t much left in the kitty to pay for help.” Steve picked up my juice glass and drank what was left.

  “A few quid would help. It’d tide me over for a while and keep me busy.”

  I glared at Steve as he replaced the empty glass on the worktop. If Gary could start rotovating the area of brambles that I’d cleared and chuck all the rubbish in the skip it would free me up from a lot of very heavy work. Mentally I totted up if we could afford it.

  “We couldn’t give you much and it’s heavy work,” I warned.

  Gary’s face broke into a smile and I remembered why Lou usually ended up giving him another chance. “Cheers Kate, you won’t regret it.”

  I was already regretting it when Steve gave me a murderous glare and stalked off back upstairs.

  “Okay, you used the rotovator on the last job we did, didn’t you?” I finished wiping up my spilled drink and rinsed the cloth under the tap.

  “Yep, got my certificate and everything from when I had that job at the council. It was a nice job, that one.”

  I bit my tongue. That was the job Gary had lost due to his inability to recognise Monday as the first day of the working week.

  “I’ve started clearing the garden but there are a lot of roots and stumps. Some of the stuff will need digging out and then you can rotovate it.”

  He followed me outside and I showed him where the tools were. It promised to be a long day what with Gary working by my side and things still standing so awkwardly between me and Steve. I strapped my goggles back on, pulled on my gloves and set back to work.

  By mid afternoon every muscle in my body ached. Between us, Gary and I had cleared and started to dig over at least one third of the garden. There had been little worth saving except the walnut tree, everything else was too far gone or choked with weeds.

  “Looking better.” Gary flopped down on the patio chair next to me and wiped his face with the hem of his tee shirt.

  “Yes, thanks Gary, I wouldn’t have got this far without help.” He had worked hard and I appreciated his efforts.

  He peeled his shirt off revealing a tanned, muscular torso. “Cheers.” He took a swig from the can of lager I’d filched from Steve’s shelf in the fridge. I reckoned he owed me after all the coffee, milk and biscuits he’d pinched from me lately .

  “I wondered if you’d had chance to give Lou my message yet? You know you said you’d tell her to call me.” Gary’s expression was hopeful.

  “I did tell her, but you know how things are when you get busy.” Damn, I hadn’t said anything to Lou about Gary.

  “Oh.” He took another swig of his beer.

  I felt really mean. There wasn’t any harm in Gary and he did care about Lou.

  It might not be such a bad thing after all if he was the father of Lou’s baby. At least with Gary he was a known quantity. A rather hopeless known quantity but, unlike Jamie, we would have some idea of what to expect.

  “Is she seeing someone else?” Gary broke into my reverie.

  I fidgeted uncomfortably on my chair. “Well, I’m not sure. There was someone but I don’t know if she’s still seeing him now.” I had no clue what the state of play was between my sister and Jamie. I hadn’t asked her.

  “Right, I just wondered that’s all.” Gary sighed and finished his drink.

  Steve was still inside working in the bathroom. I found some cash to pay Gary for his help and put the empty lager tin in the recycling box. I’d just finished washing the dirt from my arms and hands when Steve came back into the kitchen.

  “Has he gone?”

  I nodded. “Actually, he’s been very helpful.”

  Steve snorted. “Well come and see your bathroom. You can test the bath out later.”

  I filed up the stairs behind him conscious of an ever stronger scent assailing my nostrils.

  * * *

  The smell of the lavender is soothing. I have been making soap for Dorcas to sell at the market with some of the crop. It is hot and sweaty work in the summer heat and my back aches. I am confined to the house and the gardens. Father does not want word of my condition to become fodder for common gossip. I have heard today that Thomas Crabbe is to wed Elizabeth Lines, a spinster from the next village. It is a good match for her as her father cannot provide her with a large dowry. The news has not helped my fa
ther’s ill humour with me, however.

  * * *

  “I can smell lavender again.”

  Steve shrugged. “You’ve been gardening.”

  “I told you before, there’s no lavender out there.” I tried to think if any of the cleaning products I’d been using in the kitchen had lavender in them but I was pretty sure they didn’t. Besides, it would have been noticeable downstairs if that had been the case.

  “It’s all working. You won’t be able to use the shower until after I’ve finished and the grouting is dry but you can soak in the tub now.”

  “Great.” I was suddenly aware of how grimy and smelly I must be.

  Steve pushed the bathroom door right back so I could see inside. The bath was now in place and plumbed in and he’d been busy tiling the walls around the shower.

  The bath was full with soapy water and there was a multitude of tealights, standing on spare tiles around the bath. The room smelt delicious and vanillary and a pile of clean fluffy towels had been placed on a chair ready for me to use. My heart twinged at Steve’s kindness. I swallowed the lump that had crept into my throat.

  “I’m knocking off for the day so it’s be all yours. You’ve been a star to put up with this over the last few days. I, er, got you this to try and make up for messing up with the window and everything.” His cheeks reddened and he produced a small bag which he thrust towards me.

  I peered inside. “Thank you.” It contained a bottle of one of my favourite Jo Malone bath oils. Impulsively, I kissed his cheek, feeling the faint rasp of stubble against my lips.

  He stepped away quickly as if I’d got something contagious. “I’ll take these out of your way and then you can enjoy your bath.” He picked up a bucket containing his tools and left me standing in the bathroom doorway holding my unexpected gift.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Lou and I had agreed we would corner Mum together on Tuesday evening after we’d both finished work.

  “Wow, who’s upset you?” Lou asked as she got into the passenger seat when I arrived to collect her. “I haven’t seen you look so pissy for ages.”

  She dropped her bag into the footwell and fastened her seatbelt.

  “It’s a long story.”

  “Let me guess, Nasreen?” She pulled a bottle of water from her bag, popped off the top and took a drink.

  “She just managed to make a crap few days even crapper.” I’d told Lou about Mike and I deciding to be friends and about Gary doing work on the cottage. But I hadn’t mentioned the other stuff, the Steve and me stuff. “She just managed to push my buttons banging on about how Steve and Chloe were going to gig together at Benny’s Bar and everyone said they were forming a new band.”

  Lou frowned, a perplexed look on her face. “But why does that bother you?

  Do you think he’s serious about this Chloe?”

  “He slept with lots of women when he was in Danger Line.” I released the handbrake and pulled the car out into the traffic. “And he slept with me Saturday night.”

  “And sleeping with you is a bad thing?” Lou’s voice sounded very calm. “I think he still loves you.” She folded her arms and stared out of the windscreen ahead of her, her chin tipped up at a determined angle.

  “Lou, he’s seeing someone else.” I didn’t know what to think any more and I’d spent all of Sunday and Monday night tossing and turning while I’d tried to sort out my ideas.

  “It could be he’s only seeing this girl on some kind of music business.” Lou suggested.

  “But what if he is forming a new group? Where does that leave me?”

  “Babe, he might be doing a gig for fun, it doesn’t mean it’s going to turn into something serious.”

  Louise hadn’t seen Chloe, she was young and pretty. Why wouldn’t Steve be seeing her? I decided to take the heat off me for a moment.

  “You could be right. Anyway, enough about me, what’s happening with you and Jamie?”

  Lou shrugged. “He’s cute and fun. We hooked up again Sunday night and he’s even better in bed when he’s sober.” She giggled at the look on my face. “Seems as if it was a hot weekend for both of us.”

  A few minutes later I pulled the car to a stop outside Mum’s house and we both gazed at the estate agent’s sign in the front garden.

  “Okay, here we go.” I climbed out of the car.

  We walked together down the drive. Mum must have been listening out for the car because she opened the front door before we had chance to knock.

  “Come on through, I’m in the garden. It’s such a nice evening.” She beamed happily at us.

  Lou and I exchanged glances as we followed her through the house and out onto the back patio. We took a seat under the big green parasol that shaded the concrete slabs from the evening sun while Mum fussed about getting us both cold drinks.

  “Is Chuck not here?” Lou asked when mum finally took a seat on one of the floral padded loungers.

  “No, he had a phone call while we were on our way back. He’s had to go to London – urgent business. He’ll be home tomorrow.”

  “I though Chuck had retired?” I wasn’t sure what he’d retired from. I recalled he’d said he’d retained a few business dealings when we’d first met him but I couldn’t remember what they were.

  “He is. He does some freelance consultancy work, his opinion is very highly sought after in the investments field. He’s given me lots of good tips.” Mum smiled.

  Lou quirked an eyebrow. “So, when did you decide to sell the house? And why didn’t you tell us before you went away? It was a bit of a shock getting a phone call saying it was on the market and then we couldn’t get hold of you to find out what was going on.”

  Mum had the grace to look a little sheepish. “Everything happened quite quickly. You know we’d said we fancied buying a holiday hideaway by the sea? Well, we saw the most beautiful house. Wait, I’ll get the details.” She jumped up and scurried off indoors.

  “What do you make of that?” Lou whispered as soon as Mum was safely inside the house.

  “I don’t know but I can’t say I like the sound of it.” I didn’t get chance to say anything more before Mum returned brandishing an estate agent's brochure.

  “Now look at this cottage. It’s so beautiful.” She spread the leaflets out on the table in front of us. “Of course on my own I’d never be able to afford it, but Chuck has some money put by.”

  I blinked when I saw the price tag. “You know the market is still flat Mum.

  Did you negotiate a reduction?”

  “We got some money off, that’s why we had to act so quickly to secure it.

  Coastal properties are still selling, so the agent said, and there were other people interested in the house.”

  “You’ve paid a deposit?” Lou frowned.

  “Oh, it's okay, we’ll get it back if anything goes wrong. It just shows the buyer that we’re serious. Chuck was marvellous. He’s handled all of that.” Mum pointed to the pictures in front of us. “It’s got sea views from virtually all the rooms.”

  My head had begun to reel. “So Chuck’s paid the deposit?”

  Mum tutted. “No silly, obviously he hasn’t transferred all his banking here yet.

  He’s going to see to that while he’s in the city. I used my savings bonds and Chuck sorted it all out with the agent.”

  “You’ve had a receipt and everything?” Lou asked.

  Mum frowned at us. “You two could be a little bit more excited for me.

  Chuck’s got all the paperwork.”

  “It does look like a lovely house, Mum,” Lou said.

  “We are pleased for you, Mum. I think we were surprised because you hadn’t said you were selling up here.” I made a mental note of the name of the estate agency and decided to call them to verify what was going on.

  “I hadn’t intended to sell this house but it’s the only way Chuck and I can afford this new one and you’ll be able to come and stay with us. There are five bedrooms and t
hink how lovely it’ll be for the baby.” She smiled at Lou.

  Lou smiled back at her but I wondered what my sister really thought of the idea. With Mum living miles away she wouldn’t be around to give her much help when the baby was born.

  We stayed a while longer while Lou and Mum chatted about the forthcoming baby scan and Mum’s grand plans for her new home. By the time we left it was getting dark and my tummy had started to grumble for supper.

  “Okay, so what do you think about all this house moving business?” Lou asked as soon as we’d finished waving goodbye and were safely inside my car.

  “I didn’t like Mum saying she’d used her savings bonds for the deposit. It could all be above board I suppose.” I wished I could be certain. I didn’t like having suspicious thoughts about Chuck but at the end of the day we still didn’t know anything very much about him. Perhaps Lou and I had watched one too many episodes of The Bill or Hustle but I couldn’t help feeling uneasy about the whole thing.

  Lou snorted, “Yeah, and I’m the tooth fairy.”

  “I’ll check out with the estate agent tomorrow. They may not tell me much but I’ll try and find out if Chuck has given them a deposit.”

  We halted outside Lou’s flat. “Mum will kill you if she gets wind of you poking around in her business.” Lou released her seatbelt.

  “I know, but we can’t just sit back and do nothing, can we?” She was right of course about us snooping but what else could we do?

  “I’ll see if she tells me anything else tomorrow while we’re at the hospital.”

  “Thanks Lou.” I leaned across to give my sister a hug. “I hope it all goes well, and I want to see pics of my nephew or niece.”

  A big smile lit up her face. “I’m quite excited about it now. Maybe I’ll get to work out who the daddy is, too.”

  “Maybe.”

  She clambered out of the car. “See you at class tomorrow night.”

  I waved goodnight to her and set off back to the cottage, still fretting about Mum and Chuck. The late shop was still open so I called in on my way home to stock up on some groceries.