‘This is the first time I’ll ever be rolling in at three a.m. sober,’ Wilson said, smiling as he zipped up his coat.
‘It’s all finished, Elle. We hope you like it,’ Jack added, touching her arm.
‘You’re kidding me?’ she said again.
Aiden smiled. ‘I’m sure you’ve just said that!’
Elle was dumbfounded. ‘You lot really are our knights in shining armour. I can’t thank you enough.Wecan’t thank you enough,’ she added.
‘Just remember – the paint is still wet on the skirting boards and the windowsill, so be careful. Don’t put anything on there until it’s completely dry. Oh, and we’ve put the curtain rail back up for you too, and we’ve taken up the carpet. We’ve left all the old wallpaper and carpet outside the back door. I hope that’s okay?’ Aiden asked.
‘You hope that’s okay? You guys are total sweethearts – my heroes in fact,’ she said, standing up and beaming from ear to ear.
‘We aim to please, but now, if you’ll forgive me, I really need my bed. I have to be up in five hours as I’m taking Theo swimming in the morning.’
‘Yes, go, and thank you all again!’ Elle pressed a kiss swiftly to each of their cheeks before they disappeared quietly by the front door. Locking it behind them, she glanced back round the living room door to check on Pippa, but she was still fast asleep. She was itching to see the room and couldn’t wait any longer. Hurrying up the stairs, she opened the bedroom door and gave a tiny gasp – she couldn’t believe her eyes.
The room that had once worn an overcoat of dust and woodchip wallpaper and oozed neglect had now been transformed into an exquisite space that could have featured in the latest edition ofCountry Livingmagazine. Well, maybe that was a little bit of an exaggeration, but the lads had done a magnificent job. The rosebud wallpaper was hung to perfection, trimmed neatly around the sockets and windows, they’d stripped back the multi-coloured carpet to reveal beautiful oak floorboards that had been hidden, and they’d positioned the bed in the middle of the room with the bedside table next to it. They’d worked so hard, and Elle couldn’t thank them enough. It would have taken her and Pippa weeks to get it looking as good as this.
Suddenly hearing the stairs creak behind her, Elle swung round to see Pippa.
‘I must have fallen asleep. Are they still here?’ she murmured, still looking drowsy.
‘No,’ Elle replied, smiling. ‘They left about five minutes ago.’
Standing on tiptoe Pippa peered over Elle’s shoulder. She ran an approving eye over the room and Elle watched as a huge smile spread across her face.
‘What do you think? Do you like it?’
‘Do I like it? I absolutely love it! Look at it, what a transformation! I’m so happy!’
‘It is amazing. I can’t thank them enough,’ Elle added.
‘And the room looks bigger now they’ve taken up the carpet and that mucky pink wallpaper has been stripped away,’ observed Pippa. ‘It has a lovely airy feeling to it. All I need now is a rug at the side of the bed and a pair of curtains.’
‘Are you okay to sleep on the settee tonight and then tomorrow we can go and collect your stuff and move you in officially?’
‘I can’t wait!’ Pippa replied. Opening her arms wide, she pulled Elle in for a hug.
ChapterTen
Waking up with the sun streaming through the small gap in the curtains made a change. For weeks now, it seemed, Elle had woken to the sound of rain, but this morning everything seemed calm outside. Sitting up in bed, she stretched her arms above her head and yawned before reaching for her phone.
Last night, in her dream, she’d kissed a man. It had seemed so real, and as she sat there remembering it, there was only one man on her mind. Opening her internet browser, Elle googled ‘Noah Jones’.
Her heart gave a tiny leap as Noah’s handsome face smiled back at her from the screen.
‘Does Noah Jones have a girlfriend?’ Elle blurted to Siri and instantly regretted the question as Pippa rapped gently on her bedroom door. ‘Who are you talking to?’ she asked, opening the door. ‘I’ve brought you a brew.’
Siri suddenly piped up as Pippa placed the mug of tea down on the bedside table. ‘I have found this on the web for “Does Noah Jones have a girlfriend?”’
Pippa looked at Elle with pure puzzlement on her face while Elle frantically silenced her phone.
‘Right, budge up, Elle Cooper. Noah Jones? The author? Why do you need to know if he has a girlfriend?’
Elle patted the space next to her before cupping her hands around the mug and taking a sip.
Pippa plumped up the spare pillow and lay next to her. ‘Get talking, Cooper.’
