A Fresh Start on Crumcarey (Crumcarey Island #5)

Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

MAGGIE

‘ A ll right, you two, break it up, break it up!’ grumbled Mr Harris from somewhere behind them.

It was enough to bring a watery grin to Maggie’s face, and she reluctantly stepped out of Luke’s comforting hug.

Feeling a bit sheepish, she swiped the tears from the corner of her eyes with her sleeve. It was hard not to feel like a rabbit caught in the headlights – there was so much to take in. Her little cottage had been transformed.

Sure, the walls were still green here and there, and the spiders were still very much in evidence in the corners – at least where they hadn’t been blown away by the storm – but now she had a roof that she wasn’t going to have to check on every single evening. She had electrics that weren’t a health hazard. And it was all thanks to Luke and Mr Harris and this amazing community that seemed to be intent on claiming her as one of its own.

This was no longer the house that she and Russell had bought without even viewing it. It was no longer the house that Russell had slowly eroded into a death trap.

This was now… it felt like it could be… home.

‘You look like you’re about to cry again,’ said Luke, looking half-amused, half-fearful.

Maggie punched him playfully on the arm and shook her head. ‘Happy tears. Really happy.’

‘Good.’

‘Aye!’ agreed Mr Harris. ‘Now, stop your lollygagging the pair of you. No time for standing around – we’ve got carpet to unload… and a whole load of other random stuff for Maggie to give the thumbs up or thumbs down to!’

If anyone had asked Maggie when she’d left her shift at The Tallyaff whether she’d have the energy in her to spend an hour unloading heavy rolls of carpet and furniture, she might have simply curled up and burst into tears. And not the happy kind! Instead… here she was, having the time of her life!

There were far more treasures hiding in the back of Mr Harris’s truck than she’d realised. She couldn’t believe how generous everyone had been… and she had no idea how she was going to pay them all back.

‘You mustn’t think of it like that,’ said Luke, shaking his head. ‘It doesn’t work like that up here.’

‘True,’ said Mr Harris, who was standing back and directing proceedings. He’d been doing a lot of that. Right now, he was overseeing them manoeuvring a particularly heavy oak kitchen table through the front door. ‘People just want to help out where they can. They were glad to see the back of most of this stuff. Not because it’s rubbish, but because it’s hard to get rid of things you’re finished with when you live on an island!’

Maggie couldn’t help but nod as the reality of that logic sunk in. It was a small community – people either wanted your stuff… or they didn’t. There weren’t really many other options after that – other than stashing things away in increasingly packed outbuildings.

Even so, she felt like she’d been given a pot of gold with all these gifts. There was furniture, kitchen equipment – and there was even a back boiler for her wood burner turning up in the morning.

‘It’ll give you hot running water!’ said Luke. ‘Someone bought it for their own stove, but they were sent the wrong size and the supplier didn’t want it back!’

‘But… that’s amazing,’ said Maggie, shaking her head. ‘I’ll need to find someone to plumb it in, though.’

‘It’ll be done before you even get back from work,’ chuckled Luke. Then his face became serious. ‘If… if you want it to be, of course.’

‘Of course!’ said Maggie. ‘I mean… yes please! I have no idea how I’ll ever re-pay you both, I—’

‘Enough of all that, lass,’ said Mr Harris gently. ‘There’ll be a time when someone needs something you can offer, and you won’t even think twice about it. It’s the way it works. Always has, always will.’

Maggie thought about arguing again, and then simply nodded. It was starting to sink in. She was a member of this community – and this was a part of what that meant.

At long last, the back of Mr Harris’s truck was empty and the cottage was decidedly fuller than it had been that morning. It didn’t feel cramped, though – just full of possibilities.

‘I think it might be time to leave you to it for a bit?’ said Luke gently, catching her yawning widely with her backside propped against the edge of her new kitchen table.

‘Should I make a list of what’s happening tomorrow?’ she said, through another howling yawn.

‘No need, unless you want to?’ said Luke. ‘I’ll get the back boiler hooked up, and we’ll go from there?’

‘Thank you – both of you – for the best surprise!’ she said.

‘Grand lass, see you tomorrow for morning coffee?’ said Mr Harris. ‘I can give you a lift again if you’d like?’

‘Oh!’ said Maggie, who hadn’t even thought about that.

‘Your car’s fine and good to go,’ said Luke. ‘Connor checked it over earlier…’

‘That’s brilliant!’ said Maggie, shaking her head as the sense of overwhelm threatened to hit her again.

‘I’ll be here to pick you up about ten minutes before your shift, then?’ said Mr Harris.

‘But…’ Maggie stopped herself from turning the offer down out of sheer idiotic politeness. ‘Thank you – I’d love that.’

‘Grand. Right, lad, let’s get out of here,’ said Mr Harris, and Maggie watched him tug at Luke’s sleeve.

‘You’ve forgotten something!’ she said with a grin, as she spotted a small heap snuggled up on her discarded jumper.

‘What?’ said Luke in surprise.

Maggie didn’t miss the strange look on his face. Was that… hope? She shook her head. She was tired and probably not thinking straight. There was no way he was expecting – or hoping for - a kiss… was there?

She wished!

‘McGregor!’ she said, her voice coming out in a husky rasp as she pointed at the snoozing dog.

‘Well, he’s certainly made himself at home!’ laughed Mr Harris. ‘Luke, will you do the honours?’

Luke nodded, and then with a small smile in Maggie’s direction, he scooped the little dog up in his arms.

Maggie stepped towards the pair of them and stroked McGregor’s silky ears.

‘Thanks for all your help,’ she said.

‘It’s no problem,’ said Luke.

‘I was talking to McGregor,’ said Maggie, giving Luke a little wink. Then she dropped a kiss onto the still-sleeping dog’s head.

The cottage felt strangely quiet as Mr Harris’s truck pulled away, even with the rattling drone of the two dehumidifiers doing their thing to remove the last traces of the internal rainstorm.

Letting out a long, happy sigh, Maggie turned on the spot, surveying the scene properly. She couldn’t believe how much work everyone had done to make sure she could stay in her home.

It would take a while to get all her new bits and pieces set out just the way she wanted them – but Maggie felt like the cottage was breathing a sigh of relief under its new metal roof.

It was loved. It was being looked after.

‘Time to do the same thing for yourself!’ Maggie yawned. She was going to get changed and make herself something for tea – and then she was going to fall onto her mattress and pass out!

Heading through to her bedroom – the one space she hadn’t even entered yet as it was the one room that hadn’t seen any storm damage - Maggie came to an abrupt halt.

‘Oh my goodness!’ she gasped.

Her mattress was no longer lying directly on the cold, damp flagstones. It was sitting on a rugged-looking bed base made out of huge pieces of timber that were held together with giant bolts.

On top of her beautifully smooth duvet and plumped pillows, there was a scrap of paper. With shaking fingers, Maggie reached out and unfolded it.

It’s nothing special – just bits of the old cow shed roof. Uncle Harris helped. Hope you like it! Luke x

Maggie ran a fingertip over the kiss at the end of the note. There was just one of them, and it was only small – but she couldn’t help the warm, wide smile that spread over her face.

This should have been one of the hardest days of her life. Instead, it had turned into one of the best… and she had a feeling she was in for plenty more just like it.