At this angle, she could see one or two silvery strands in the dark beard covering his chin. He’d trimmed it sometime over the past couple of days, cropping it short to just cover the skin of his jaw. His hair still tangled over his collar, no discernible style to it, but he was beginning to take some care over his appearance. He caught her studying him and a hint of speculation shone in his eyes. Feeling flustered, she made a performance of getting the washing powder and fabric conditioner from under the sink and set the machine going.
Once the sheets were done, she would make up his bed. The sage green cover held the hint of a jacquard pattern. Nothing too flouncy—he would look ridiculous in a flowery bed. Too dark and masculine for frills and frippery. The weight of his gaze rested between her shoulders and the air seemed too thin. Everything had been fine until he mentioned sex and now she couldn’t stop thinking about him in that way.
She rolled her shoulders, trying to shrug off the uncomfortable feelings. That side of her had frozen up, like a fly trapped in amber, the moment she lost Jamie. She’d been happy to stay that way. A few friends had sent gentle hints over the past months, coded messages asking if she was getting out at all, the odd mention of a lovely guy they knew who was on his own. She’d ignored them all. Deep down she knew twenty-eight to be too young to write herself off the dating scene for ever, but it had felt wrong, like a betrayal of Jamie to even entertain the notion.
He’d be furious, of course, at the thought she’d put herself in eternal stasis, but she missed the feel of him beside her so much it had been easier to cut herself off completely. Having a man around the place was bound to stir things up. It didn’t have to mean anything other than a simple biological recognition. Besides, Daniel didn’t seem to be in a fit state for a relationship. Maybe he had a girlfriend, a wife even. There was no telltale sign of a missing ring on his finger, but not all men wore them.
Whatever, there was no reason she needed to act on any of these silly feelings—biological recognitions, remember. Yes, biology was to blame. She just needed him to be biological somewhere else for a bit until she could get herself back on an even keel. Fixing a cheery smile, she turned to face him, keeping her eyes focused just past his left shoulder. ‘It’ll be cold tonight; can you check the basket by the fireplace and stock it up with wood from the pile behind the barn?’
He leapt to his feet like a greyhound loosed from the trap. ‘Sure, of course. I’ll do that now.’ He barely paused to shove his feet in his boots before clattering out of the kitchen. Well that’s embarrassing. Staring at the poor man like a mooning schoolgirl had obviously unsettled him. If they were going to be living under the same roof for a while, she needed to get a grip on her silly imagination.
Daniel took his cue and left the kitchen, glad to be able to put some distance between them. As soon as the denial had left his lips, he hadn’t been able to think about anything other than what Mia might feel like in his arms, under him, pressed deeply into the new mattress as he explored her lush little body. He imagined how her shapely hips would cradle him softly, so unlike the clash of hip bones he’d experienced with Giselle.
He paced the scruffy patch of driveway outside the kitchen door, circling the car as he admonished himself for being such a rotten, dirty bastard. Mia deserved better than this; she deserved his respect and his friendship. That was all this was, all either of them needed it to be.
Gravel crunched and Daniel was relieved to see Richard and Madeline pulling up in their car. This was just the distraction he needed to get his head back to where it needed to be. Recalling his mission to fetch some wood, he loped to the stack and gathered a good armful. Madeline met him on the way back, all smiles, and he dutifully leant down to let her buss her lips across his cheek in greeting. Richard rested his hand briefly on Daniel’s shoulder and Daniel’s knees wobbled for a moment as the easy warmth and affection offered by the older couple soothed his battered heart.
He was amazed anew at how they had just taken his presence in their stride and now he was apparently another lost waif that they had taken under their wings. He smiled gratefully as Richard took some of the logs from him and they followed Madeline into the kitchen.
Daniel paused on the threshold between his bedroom and the en suite, clouds of steam from his gloriously hot shower billowing behind him. His bedroom looked perfect, and it was his bedroom regardless of whether Mia realised it or not. The dark wood of the masculine bedframe gleamed richly. Madeline had polished the old furniture with beeswax and they had all been amazed at how well the wood had come to life under her ministrations.
The mattress had been a bitch to wrestle up the stairs, but it nestled perfectly in the frame, the mountains of crisp cream and green pillows scattered at the head of the bed just begging for him to sprawl amongst them. Brass-based lamps with dark green shades framed the bed on two old chests that he and Richard had unearthed in the Aladdin’s cave that was hidden in the barns.
Daniel had promised himself another trip to the barns in the morning and this time he would take his camera with him. There were so many oddities that had caught his eye and he was eager to explore. He had an idea in his mind that he could put together a record for Mia of the progress of the work on the house. A private album that he would build for her as they slowly tamed the sprawling monster together. It was the first time in a long time that he was itching to get his hands on a camera and his internal instinct to frame and capture moments in time was stirring again.
He also wanted to explore the possibility of using some black and white shots of the pictures he had taken in the garden to decorate the walls of his room. If Mia liked them, he’d gladly put some other ideas together. The thought of his art gracing the walls of the house appealed to him.
‘Daniel, dinner’s nearly ready.’ Mia’s welcome call drifted up the stairs and galvanised him into action. He swiftly dried off and dragged on some loose cotton trousers, a T-shirt and the essential thick socks required to stave off the cold floors of the house, and then hurried down to the kitchen.
The ever-present radio was on and he paused in the doorway to watch Mia shimmy around the table as she placed cutlery and plates at what had become their usual seats. He often found himself watching her through the day as she got caught up in different songs. The uninhibited joy Mia clearly found in music drew his attention time and again.
Daniel winced at a particularly hideous chorus from Mia and put his hands over his ears to tease her as she rounded the table and caught sight of him. With an unrepentant shrug, Mia danced over to the Aga and lifted out a huge cast-iron casserole dish from one of the many mystery doors in the front of the stove.
The rich scent of beef stew hit Daniel’s nose as he crossed to the fridge and retrieved two bottles of water. He felt the saliva pooling just under his tongue. Mia had been covered in flour to her elbows earlier, making dumplings that she had then dropped in the top of the stew. Daniel felt and heard his stomach growl in appreciation at the good meal to come. He grabbed a pot holder, placed it in the centre of the table and quickly stepped back as Mia lugged the heavy casserole over and placed it on the holder.
He took his seat and waited patiently as Mia filled his plate and then her own before she sat down opposite him. Daniel lowered his face closer to the plate and breathed deeply, drawing out the moment of anticipation before he dug his fork into his meal.
Daniel raised it to his mouth and blew gently, fragrant steam rising to curl in front of him, and he smiled across the table at Mia and raised his hand a fraction more in a gesture of acknowledgement and appreciation. The beef melted across his tongue and Daniel said a silent prayer of thanks to whichever serendipitous spirit had steered him towards this place in time.
The house truly was a haven,