She walked towards the kitchen unit and picked up a bottle of milk, twisted the cap and brought it to her nose. Gagging at the smell of spoiled milk, she quickly replaced the cap. He was eating and drinking here, but she couldn’t see a fridge. Was he just leaving food and milk out to go off in the summer warmth?
‘Eleanor, what are you doing in here?’
Murray’s voice sounded from behind her, and she quickly lowered the milk bottle as she turned around, her cheeks heating with the embarrassment of getting caught snooping. She held the wallet aloft and waved it in the air. ‘Sorry, I…’
His face paled as he looked at the wallet she was brandishing.
When he didn’t start speaking, the urge to explain overtook her. ‘You left it in the car.’
‘Right. Thank you.’ Stepping forward, he took the wallet from her before quickly shoving it in his back pocket. ‘Thank you. I hadn’t noticed it had slipped out.’
‘No worries.’ She shifted on her feet, suddenly unsure of herself. Should she say something? Mention she’d noticed it was the wallet she’d given him, ask him if he was living here in his workshop? She couldn’t hurl both of those questions at him. It wouldn’t be fair. ‘I’ll… umm… go then.’
Murray nodded, his feet frozen to the spot as he watched her walk past him towards the door.
Pausing, she turned to ask him why he was living in his workshop, but before she could get a word out, he walked towards her and took her hands in his.
‘I’m sorry, I must seem so rude. Now and when I wouldn’t disclose my address to Miss Cooke. I hadn’t intended to keep any of this from you. I’d planned to tell you. I just wasn’t sure how. I just…’ He shook his head and glanced around the workshop. ‘I’m embarrassed.’
Ellie rubbed the pads of her thumbs against his skin and met his gaze. ‘You have absolutely nothing to feel embarrassed about.’
‘Thank you for saying that, but I really do. I’m living in my workshop, which, if my landlord found out about, they’d most definitely kick me out for.’
She scrunched up her nose and nodded towards the makeshift kitchen area. ‘I think you might just have a better stocked kitchen than me.’
Throwing his head back, Murray chuckled as he followed Ellie’s gaze. ‘Haha, you might just be right. Maybe between us we could cobble together a full home.’
Biting down on her lower lip, Ellie looked down at the floor. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps they could. Maybe they should.
Raising her head, she locked eyes with him again. ‘Why don’t we? Why don’t you move into mine?’ She swallowed, her voice suddenly sounding hoarse. ‘I don’t mean like move in, move in, I know things are crazy early for that and I wouldn’t want to rush anything between us, but I mean, you’re welcome to move into my spare room.’
‘I can’t.’ Murray shook his head.
‘No, of course not.’ What had she been thinking? It would have rushed things, and who was to say Murray even viewed whatever was going on between them as something he wanted to pursue, as something he wanted to take seriously? She’d jumped ahead on so many levels, it was mortifying. Tugging her hands away, she turned to leave. She’d made enough of a fool of herself for one evening. ‘I should go.’
‘Wait. Please wait.’
Turning back, Ellie could feel her cheeks were flushed, and her throat was dry.
‘Stay and let me explain. I can make you a cuppa.’ Holding his hand out, he indicated the small sofa.
She shook her head. ‘You don’t need to explain.’
‘No, but I want to. Please?’
‘Okay, but I’m not drinking that milk. It’s gone off.’ She gave a small smile.
Grinning, Murray took her hand and led the way back to his makeshift home. ‘That’s fair enough. We’d probably be risking our lives if we drank that after it’s been out in the heat all day.’
She lowered herself onto the sofa, shifting a little to avoid a spring sticking into her back. ‘Doesn’t it get hot in here? There are no windows.’
Murray nodded as he picked up two cans of Coke and rubbed the tops with the bottom of his T-shirt before holding one out to her. ‘It does, but at night I prop the door open to let a bit of air in. I figure at that time the farmer won’t be hanging around, so I won’t get caught staying in here.’
‘That’s true.’ Taking the can, she popped it open and took a sip. The fizzy liquid was warm, but at least it held fewer health hazards than the milk would have.
Sitting down next to her, Murray turned slightly so he was facing her. ‘Thank you for offering me your spare room. I mean that. I really do appreciate it. I’m definitely going to turn you down, though, however much I’d love to move in with you.’
‘That’s fine.’ She nodded and took another gulp of Coke. He didn’t need to explain.
