Robin let out an incensed yelp. ‘And supposing I don’t want to buy the other cottage now?’ He looked defiantly at her, one eyebrow raised.
‘But you do, darling,’ she chuckled, eyes twinkling.
The old bird was enjoying this, thought Robin furiously. How dare she play with people’s lives like this? The way she was acting beggared belief.
‘You’ve gone too far this time Bunty,’ he stated, then took another gulp from his glass.
‘What’s wrong with wanting to help two people who I believe will be good for each other?’ she asked innocently.
She still didn’t get it. Robin took a deep breath.
‘Bunty, what makes you think me and this…’
‘Jasmine,’ chipped in Bunty.
‘Me and this Jasmine will be good for each other?’ he asked, trying to reason with her. She was right, he did still dearly want to buy the remaining cottage.
‘I feel it.’ Bunty knocked her fist against her chest with conviction, causing Robin to roll his eyes. He had an urge to tell Bunty to cut the dramatics but knew full well it was futile. Bunty was an eccentric, deluded old dear, whose intentions might be honourable, but no less outrageous. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll sell for the same price Jasmine paid for her cottage.’
Robin’s stare narrowed in interest.
‘Which was?’
‘Ten thousand less than the asking price,’ she casually replied.
‘What?Ten grandless?’ Robin cried out.
‘Hmm, so what do you say, darling? Are you in, or are you out?’
Living on a narrowboat meant Jasmine didn’t possess too much in the way of belongings, something she became grateful for as she packed up for her move to Samphire Bay. Most of her stuff had still been in boxes from the move offMoonshine, never having had the inclination to unpack. The storage boxes were neatly stacked in her parents’ garage. Now all Jasmine had to collect were the everyday items she used, mainly toiletries, clothes and her work equipment.
The first thing she needed to do, besides bottoming out the cottage with a good clean, was to install an internet connection, as she couldn’t work without it.
Despite both her parents’ reservations, Jasmine had wanted to move as soon as the money had transferred and she’d signed for the deed on the cottage. As neither the owner nor the buyer was involved in a chain, the transaction had been straightforward and only taken a matter of weeks. Jasmine had been a cash buyer, so hadn’t needed to sort out a mortgage, and a quick survey that showed no structural damage allowed the process to move quickly. Tom’s life insurance had seen to that. Plus, with the sale of the narrowboat, which had made a hefty profit, Jasmine had ended up with quite a tidy sum. Not having any money worries didn’t compensate for not having her husband, though. Yes, being financially solvent meant she could press on with renovating the cottage, but with no Tom to do it with, Jasmine would gleefully return every penny to have him back.
As promised, Sam was going to help with the initial renovation; the kitchen and bathroom were the top priority. Although every room needed attention, Jasmine wasn’t in any particular rush. As long as the place was safe, she’d deep clean the cottage and take her time. The banister in the hall had to be repaired and the window frames replaced, as did the front door. Jasmine had already ordered replacements, having taken measurements, so she and Sam would start ripping out the kitchen while they waited for the deliveries.
To her mother’s horror, Jasmine intended to pitch a tent in her back garden and live there for the first couple of weeks, managing with just a camp stove.
‘Jasmine, there’s no need to do that!’ she’d exclaimed.
‘But Iwantto, Mum,’ she’d countered.
So, with everything packed and ready to go, including a tent and camping gear, Jasmine and Sam set off, followed by their parents.
‘It is a gorgeous spot,’ Sue conceded, gazing out of the car window as they entered Samphire Bay and drove along the scenic coastal track. The bay lay before them, glistening in the sunlight, looking cool and inviting.
‘It certainly is,’ agreed Mike. For once, in what seemed a long, long time, his shoulders relaxed. His girl was going to be all right here, he could feel it in his bones. He gently patted his wife’s lap. ‘She’ll be OK,’ he soothed.
Both cars parked in convoy outside the cottages. Sam tipped his head towards the other cottage.
‘Looks like you’ve neighbours.’ He pointed to a second Sold sign in the adjoining garden.
‘Oh, yeah,’ Jasmine replied, her thoughts instantly turning to who they might be. A smidgen of disappointment entered her. She’d rather welcomed the idea of being alone for a while out here. Just her and the beautiful coastline. Now it looked like she’d have to share it. Oh well, never mind. She felt a tinge of curiosity, perhaps it was a young family, wanting to create a perfect place to raise children?
‘At least you won’t be on your own,’ her mum remarked as they started to unload the cars. It had bothered her knowing her daughter was out here, alone, in atentfor goodness’ sake.
After a few hours, all the storage boxes had been shifted inside the cottage and the tent had been put up. The four of them were sat on deck chairs, drinking a well-earned cup of freshly brewed tea from the little camp stove.
