Chapter 11
Jack narrowed his eyes for a better view outside. Who was that? He stood at the sink, pouring himself a glass of water after his run, when someone caught his attention from the kitchen window. He stopped short, focusing in on the red bobbed hair. It was her, Dr O’Hara. He blinked. Yes, he wasn’t imagining it! Then, to his dismay, she turned to go.
Jack watched the back of her, appreciating the slim, svelte body moving with ease across the sand. Had she hung around, he’d have gone out to join her, invite her in, if she was so curious about his home. Hmm, it did give him food for thought though. Dr O’Hara was obviously a runner too. Had she been jogging behind him all the time on the beach? She must have been, but he hadn’t seen her. Jack cursed the missed opportunity. Of all the bloody luck, to be totally oblivious of the very woman occupying his thoughts being there, right behind him.
All sorts of scenarios crossed his mind. He looked at his watch and made a note of the time: 11:40 a.m. Would she be there tomorrow, running on the beach at the same time? Was this a regular routine for her as well? He dearly hoped so.
Jack smiled. This was indeed welcome news. He saw an opening on the horizon. They had something in common – running – and he knew where to find her – the beach – and now he had an excuse to engage her in conversation – his home. Who wouldn’t be interested in exploring his impressive beach home? Many a time he’d been stopped by passers-by, enquiring if it was a holiday rental, eager to see inside. His house had always caused much interest in Samphire Bay. Jack had actually received a call from a national magazine that wanted to write an article on it. They were keen to tell the story of how it hadbeen designed and built by him and his family. Whilst he’d been tempted, it was his dad who had put him off the idea. Although an article would have proved good publicity for both his and his son’s businesses, Austin Knowles was a very shrewd man. He’d had reservations concerning the privacy element and, more importantly, security. Austin didn’t want the world and its wife knowing about Jack’s secluded beach house quietly tucked away in the cove. The locals admiring it was one thing, but it being publicly displayed for any devious opportunist to take advantage was quite another entirely.
Jack had agreed with his dad, which overall was a rarity. Both had strong views and opinions, often causing clashes, leading to notorious rows. The rest of the Knowles family simply learned to accept them. Jack’s sister, Natalie, in particular was forced to when working with the pair of them. Being an interior designer, she had assisted Jack and together they had superbly furnished the beach house. But she had vowed never to get involved with a family project again. Playing mediator between her father and brother was pretty tiresome, never to be repeated, and she’d understood how difficult it must have been for their mum, forever being the referee between the two of them. No wonder their parents had been at pains to support Jack in building his house, they probably wanted peace and quiet in their own.
Above all, the Knowles family were extremely proud of Jack and what he’d achieved. And Jack was extremely proud of his family. Whilst he and his dad argued like cat and dog, he did respect him. He was well aware of how much money he’d saved him. Austin, being a highly skilled architect, would have cost Jack a fortune. Instead, he’d given his time, skill and advice totally free of charge – but it had cost Jack in other ways. He’d had to listen, keep quiet and take onboard everything his dad said. Well, almost. The Hot Tub Fiasco had proved a step too far. Austin had called it a ‘costly, tacky and unnecessary indulgence’,whereas for Jack it was a must, non-negotiable. In the end, Natalie had intervened to reach an agreement.
‘Maybe allow a little luxury, as it’s also going to be a family holiday home?’ she’d suggested, appeasing the pair of them.
Once the fantastic house was built, all disagreements and quibbles were forgotten. The family had celebrated with a barbeque party on the beach. Natalie, her husband and their two boys were all bowled over with the cool, chalet-style holiday home. It had been worth it, she’d said as they played in the dunes, building sandcastles together. Still, she was in no hurry to do it all again.
Jack’s mum was in awe of what they’d created. ‘It’s fabulous!’ she’d gasped, seeing it for the first time. She hadn’t followed the build’s progress, choosing to stay well out of the way. Her view was to leave them to it, not wanting to get caught in any of the inevitable cross-fire between father and son. Looking at the finished house, she couldn’t help but feel emotional, taking in the large glass windows, the smart wooden panelling and the wraparound sundeck. Being inside a cove in the hillside gave lots of privacy and shelter, an ideal location. And the views! Such magnificent surrounding scenery. A huge sense of pride had swelled inside, for her husband as much as her son and daughter. It had been a real family accomplishment. It also touched her that Jack had insisted it was a family home, not just his. He wasn’t territorial about the house at all, but wanted to share it. She only hoped her son would meet the perfect partner to live in it with. She’d glanced at Natalie and her happy little unit and so wanted the same for Jack. Once or twice she thought he’d met the right one, but, alas, they hadn’t lasted. Maybe he was more like his dad than he realised, she wryly mused. It had taken a while for Austin to settle down too…
Ironically, Jack and his dad had toasted their build by clinking champagne glasses, whilst sitting in the bubbling hot tub outside on the decking.
‘Here’s to us, son, a job well done,’ said Austin looking around admiring the place.
‘Thanks, Dad,’ replied Jack. Then he couldn’t resist adding, ‘Enjoying it in here?’ He nodded towards the warm frothy water they sat in.
‘Don’t push your luck, Jack,’ came the flat reply.
So, whilst Jack was very proud of his home, he was also conscious of who to invite inside. Obviously friends and family, but the frequent observers definitely not. Up until now. The latest inquisitive onlooker would be more than welcome to a personal guided tour. It was all in the timing. All he had to do was ‘accidently’ bump into her on the beach whilst on a run. He would stop, pretend to recognise her by chance, show her his hand and thank her again for stitching him up. Then he would casually ask her if she wanted a coffee at his nearby house, the stunning beach home she’d admired, thought Jack with a cunning smile. Oh yes, he could see it now. He loved it when a plan came together.
