As they entered the beach house, Tara was immediately taken by the panoramic views the huge windows gave. She whistled softly. Facing him, she was lost for words. Jack wallowed in satisfaction.
‘It’s Jack, by the way.’ He offered a hand. He wasn’t sure if she’d remembered his name from hospital, knowing she’d see a multitude of patients. ‘Jack Knowles.’
‘Tara O’Hara,’ she replied with a firm handshake, then waited for the usual lip twitch her name often brought. And there it was, she thought drearily, seeing Jack’s response.
‘What a lovely rhymey name,’ he said with a half-laugh.
‘I chose to go back to my maiden name when I divorced.’ She added in a flat tone, ‘Tara O’Hara sounds better than Tara Totty.’
‘Tara Totty?’ spluttered Jack, totally unable to hide his amusement.
‘Yeah,’ she replied with a grim look.
‘Dr Totty.’
‘OK, don’t rub it in.’ Tara laughed, seeing the funny side. It was hard not to when looking at Jack. He obviously had a good sense of humour, which she liked, maybe because she wasn’t used to it. Living with Richard had provided little fun and even less when separating from him. The only comedy she experienced was catching Calum in a good mood and sharing his teenage jokes. Tara suddenly realised how long it had been since she’d actually laughed with an adult.
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ said Jack with a raised eyebrow, ‘I rather think you suit the name Dr Totty.’
She rolled her eyes. If only she had a pound for every time she’d heard a connotation of that kind.
‘Anyway,’ Jack swiftly moved on, ‘fancy a coffee?’
‘Thanks.’ She smiled, appreciating the change of subject.
Whilst Jack busied himself making the drinks, Tara continued her scrutiny of his home. The inside was every bit as impressive as the exterior, with its sleek modern kitchen and stylish furniture. He clearly has good taste, she concluded. She dearly longed to look upstairs but didn’t dare ask. That really would appear intrusive.
‘There you go.’ Jack passed her a steaming mug.
‘Thanks.’
He tipped his head towards the settee. ‘Let’s sit down.’
Once sat, Tara’s eyes immediately drew to the glass gable end that overlooked the inside of the cove, giving a sense of being at one with the grey rock the house was built into.
‘You must love living here,’ she said in admiration.
‘I do. I never take it for granted. So much work went into designing and building it.’
‘I bet.’
‘My dad, sister and I worked on it,’ he announced proudly.
‘Really?’ Tara asked in surprise.
‘Yeah, my dad’s an architect and Natalie, my sister, is an interior designer.’
‘That figures.’ She nodded. Then, a penny suddenly dropped. Jack’s surname was Knowles… and his dad was an architect.
Seeing her expression, Jack frowned. What was she thinking?
‘It was a real family project,’ he continued, eyeing her carefully.
‘Is your family connected to Knowles & Carter Architects?’ she asked.
‘Yes, that’s my dad’s business,’ he replied in surprise. ‘Do you know it?’
‘Oh, only from a friend, that’s all. I think your dad designed an extension of hers.’ And that’s not all, she thought tartly. So, Jack was Austin Knowles’ son… Well, well.
