I shivered but couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or the excitement of finally having some sort of plan, at least for the next few months. ‘Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome. Now, that hot shower is calling me. Come on, let’s get back. We’ve got a project to get stuck into.’
Chapter Eighteen
The hot water ran over my skin like silk. It was possibly the best shower I’d ever had, and Rob had taken me to plenty of five-star hotels.
‘You nearly done in there?’
‘Sorry, Harry, I’ll come out now.’
‘It’s heaven, isn’t it?’ said Harry, once I emerged fully dressed with a towel wrapped around my hair.
‘It’s amazing. I didn’t want to ever get out.’
‘You’re telling me,’ said Harry, giving a dramatic shiver followed by a wolfish grin. ‘I’ll get in now, but don’t wait out here in the cold. Seb’s back and has got coffee on the go. No need to knock. He’s expecting you.’
‘I should really get back to Bertie.’
‘Why? He’ll be having a great time with Pat. Stay for a coffee. You need to warm up properly after being cold for so long.’
Before I could argue, Harry jumped into the shower cubicle and the sound of the powerful rainwater shower drowned out further conversation. I walked around to the front of the cabinand took a deep breath. As I stepped inside, I was hit by the delicious combination of wood smoke and freshly brewed coffee.
‘How was your swim?’ asked Seb, his back to me as he stirred the coffee.
‘Amazing. Amazingly cold.’
Seb laughed and turned to look at me. ‘It’s put some colour in your cheeks, at least.’
My cheeks burned brighter, and I walked over to the fire to hide it. ‘Thanks for the blankets and hot chocolate. They made all the difference.’
‘No problem. But don’t let Harry’s thoughtfulness fool you. Now she’s got you in once, you’ll get the usual no-frills experience from now on.’
I laughed and looked around the cabin. I’d expected an explosion of pine, but the walls of Seb’s cabin were white-washed, free of paintings, the views from the windows negating the need for an artist’s work. The whole of the ground floor was open-plan. Clustered around the fire sat a collection of mis-matched armchairs, covered in woollen throws in varying shades of blue and green. A sheepskin rug filled the space in front of the fire.
Seb walked over with a cup of coffee and saw me studying the rug. ‘The rug’s meant to be ironic,’ he said. ‘My sister bought it for me as a joke when she heard I was moving into a log cabin. It’s unbelievably comfy though, not that I’d admit that to her.’
‘It’s a lovely space.’
‘I’ve tried to tone it down since I moved in. It used to look like a sauna, and I’d be reading the newspaper expecting a gang of nude Scandinavians to show up at any moment. I couldn’t live like that. Take a seat.’ Seb pointed to an armchair, and I sat down, kicking off my shoes and curling my legs beneath me.
‘Thanks for letting us use the shower.’
‘No problem. Did it help to warm you up?’
‘Yes, and this coffee’s helping, too. Thanks.’ I blew on the coffee and studied Seb across the rim of my mug. He wore a misshapen jumper, which I guessed must have been a present from Harry. His long hair was tied up with an elastic band, and a line of milky coffee clung to his moustache. I wondered whether my mind was playing tricks on me, whether this was the same man I’d met all those years before? Could Seb have a brother, or a twin?
‘How many siblings do you have?’ I asked.
‘Just the one sister.’
‘No brother, called Baz, maybe?’ I blamed the cold water for making me so bold, but I had to know if I was imagining things.
‘No, just a sister called Beth. Why?’
I noticed Seb wouldn’t catch my eye, and even with all that facial hair, I could tell his cheeks had grown pink. ‘Oh, nothing. You just remind me of someone I met a long time ago.’
‘Couldn’t have been me,’ said Seb. But the way he got up from his chair and pretended to fuss with something in the kitchen told me all I needed to know. It was him. I was right. No wonder he was pretending. I would too, if I’d behaved the way he did all those years ago.
