Second Chances at Samphire Bay (Samphire Bay Village #1)

Chapter 8

Jasmine took off her face mask once all the dust had finally settled. Turning to her brother, who was covered in as much debris as she was, a contented sigh escaped her.

‘Well, that’s the kitchen and the bathroom gutted now,’ she said with satisfaction.

‘Yeah, pretty much a blank canvas to make your own mark now, sis,’ Sam grinned. It was good to see his sister so full of optimism. Jasmine had been right; buying this house had definitely given her motivation, a reason to get up in the morning besides just pouring her energies into work. Over the last few days, he’d noticed the dark shadows surrounding her eyes gradually disappear and the gaunt harshness of her cheekbones become less stark as her face began to fill out again. Jasmine was slowly but surely returning to her usual self. Deep down, Sam was pleased to be helping her, but also glad his sister was keen to do the renovation at such speed. He did have a job to hold down, after all, and there was only so much annual leave he could take. Now that they had cleared the kitchen and bathroom, leaving them ready for fresh fittings, he’d soon be heading home, that had been the deal.

Jasmine was more than happy for her brother’s assistance, but she was so looking forward to moving into the cottage alone. Camping out in a tent was fun, at first, but now she craved the comfort of a warm bath after a long day’s hard slog. And hard slog it was, pulling out the old bath, toilet and sink, manoeuvring them down the stairs, through the gardens to next door’s skip. The kitchen units had been easier to dismantle, and thankfully on ground level, but still tiring work.

Whilst Jasmine had enjoyed choosing the simple but stylish shaker kitchen, she knew it would need a professional to put it all together. Thoughts of Tom installing their kitchenette in Moonshine briefly haunted her, but she refused to dwell on them. Jasmine would need to employ a plumber for the bathroom too. Plus, she didn’t like the idea of her and Sam bundling the new white porcelain sink and toilet up the stairs. It was one thing ripping out old fittings, but she wanted the professionals to handle the expensive equipment she’d recently purchased.

Once the kitchen and bathroom had been fitted, she did fancy having a go at the tiling. She was thinking of laying tiles halfway up the walls, then plastering the rest. Already deciding to make the most of the space, she hadn’t gone for any upper wall units, just floor ones, and wanted to hang thick oak shelves with cast iron brackets. For Jasmine, it was all about character, giving the place definition, a story. She was keen to retain the history of the cottage.

Jasmine had since discovered from chatting to the locals that the cottages had been built as homes for fishermen. Hardly surprising given their location. She tried to picture how her house would have looked, all those years ago, as a humble dwelling for them. She laughed to herself, not imagining such fishermen bothering with the shades of kitchen worktops, styles of door handles, or deciding between brass or brushed copper taps. Then, she paused. Laugh, she’d actually laughed , once more. It still sounded strange to hear it. Incredulous even, never thinking she would hear that sound again.

It had been almost a week since Jasmine and Sam had started work on the cottage. Luckily, the weather had held out, but the forecast told them a storm was brewing. Neither of them fancied camping outside in the heavy rain, so time was of the essence. The kitchen and the bathroom had to be fitted, or at least the plumbing did, and fast.

Originally, Jasmine had been recommended workmen from the kitchen and bathroom suppliers, but they’d unfortunately let her down; their current job had gone ‘belly up’ and they were way behind schedule. Jasmine, not particularly warming to the description of their workmanship, had tactfully withdrawn, stating she’d find someone else. Now that both rooms were empty shells, ready to be fitted, she badly needed someone reliable and trustworthy to do it.

Again, from chatting to the locals yesterday, Jasmine had learnt that her very own next-door neighbour was in fact the man, or indeed the contact. It was amazing what a shopkeeper could inform you of, she had thought whilst walking back from the mini supermarket. Of course, she knew Robin was a property developer, but would he be interested or have the time to help her? He was busy working on his own cottage. When she’d voiced this to Sam, he seemed positive.

‘I think he would help you, Jas, look how he offered the use of his skip. It’s worth asking him,’ he said. Jasmine chewed her lip in contemplation and, sensing her unease, Sam had quickly offered, ‘Do you want me to have a word for you?’

‘No. I’ll do it thanks,’ she answered decisively.

Quickly brushing her hair and climbing out of dusty overalls, Jasmine made her way next door. The back door was slightly ajar, so she knocked and tentatively poked her head round it. Nobody was there, but the sound of loud hammering in the hallway told her the cottage was occupied. Deciding to venture further in, she walked through the entryway and stood at the bottom of the stairs to see Robin knelt over the top step. Once again she took in his broad shoulders plus his bulging biceps as he swung the hammer against nails into the wood. Jasmine coughed and he suddenly turned.

‘Hi, sorry, I did knock,’ she explained.

He stopped what he was doing, looking pleasantly surprised. ‘Hi, Jasmine.’

‘Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if you might be able to help?’ she started, a little awkwardly. He really did look busy and she was beginning to regret having to ask for a favour. ‘It’s just that I’ve been let down by the guys who were going to put the kitchen and bathroom in and—’

‘You want me to do it?’ finished Robin with a grin.

‘If you’re too busy that’s—’

‘I’ll do it,’ he interrupted again, still smiling.

‘Are you sure?’ she asked, wide-eyed with hope and filled with relief.

‘Of course.’ He chuckled. ‘It’s what I do, remember?’

‘Thanks so much.’ She grinned, then added, ‘But what about your cottage?’

Robin shrugged. ‘It can wait, there’s no hurry.’

‘I’ll obviously pay you the going rate,’ Jasmine was at pains to point out.

Robin gave a nod. ‘We’ll sort something out, don’t worry.’

‘Are you definitely sure?’ she repeated hesitantly.

Robin crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow.

‘You doubting my workmanship?’ he teased.

‘No!’ Jasmine shouted, then, when realising he was joking, commented, ‘Actually, you’ve come highly recommended.’

‘Oh yes, by whom?’ His hazel eyes twinkled mischievously.

Jasmine couldn’t help but laugh. Again, the second time that day, she’d noted.

‘Trish,’ she said, knowing perfectly well he’d know her. Everybody knew everybody in Samphire Bay, she was fast learning.

‘Ah yes, good old Trish.’ Robin nodded, then looked into her eyes, holding her gaze. A few moments passed before either of them spoke. ‘So, I’ll start tomorrow, first thing,’ he confirmed, breaking the pregnant pause.

‘Thanks so much,’ said Jasmine. ‘See you tomorrow then.’ She left, feeling somewhat… unsettled? But in a good way, she concluded.

Robin certainly wasn’t feeling unsettled in any way. Quite frankly, he couldn’t wait to start work on Jasmine’s cottage, or see her again.

Robin was very careful about what he told Jack. As his business partner, he obviously needed to be informed of the delay in work on their cottage, so Robin had been honest, but not completely open. He’d explained that the ‘next-door neighbour,’ as he referred to her – not Jasmine – was in desperate need of her kitchen and bathroom fitting and how badly she’d been let down.

Jack had been fine about it, but the inquisitiveness in his voice had been evident.

‘So, what’s she like then, this Jasmine?’ he’d asked, with a wry grin on his face. Despite Robin’s blasé tone, he knew damn well when his best mate was being evasive. He could tell Robin was acting deliberately casual in an attempt to keep him at arms distance. Sending him to the reclamation yard, telling him to drop off the skylight window – Robin wanted him well out of the way, he could tell, and the man was putting their own project on hold to help her out. All this could only mean one thing, suspected Jack: Robin had the hots for this Jasmine Boyd. Good for him, he thought. It was about time Robin met someone. He more than most deserved to be happy.

Despite his Jack-the-lad reputation, deep down he cared a great deal, especially for his best friend. He had seen first-hand just what Robin had been subjected to, and even though it had been a few years ago, the scar that his ex-girlfriend inflicted had only just healed. Robin had turned down many an attempt on Jack’s behalf to get him back on the dating scene.

‘Come on, Rob, it’ll be fun,’ he’d tried to coax him, whether it be blind dates, double dates, or even a dating app. But his attempts had always been met with the same response.

‘I just don’t feel like it, mate, but thanks.’

Jack had started to worry about him. It pained him to see his friend so impassive, so defeatist. Gone were the carefree days they had enjoyed in their teens and twenties together. Robin had morphed into a solemn, quiet figure, eager to work, but not to play. He knew Robin’s parents had been worried too, seeing their son so devoid of his usual free spirit.

Jack’s resentment towards Robin’s ex-girlfriend had grown to hate. He had despised what Ellie had done to his friend, not only cheating on him, but ripping him off as well. Jack knew just how much time, energy and money he’d poured into renovating that barn. He also knew how much Ellie had brazenly taken from Robin. She’d robbed him of his pride, money, but more importantly, his trust – big time. Little wonder Robin had been so reluctant to meet someone else. How could he put his faith in another relationship?

Yet now, maybe Robin had met someone. It certainly appeared that way to Jack, and whilst he was pleased for his mate, he was also damn curious as to just who had finally caught Robin’s eye.

Jack decided he’d call round at the cottage and take Robin unawares. Well, it was his cottage too, wasn’t it? He did have a right to be there, it had been bought as a joint business venture. Besides, he needed to take the fireplace surround he’d got from the reclamation yard.

All was quiet when he reached the cottage. Whilst there was no sign of Robin, it was clear how busy he’d been. The skylight window was neatly inserted in the roof and when Jack entered the cottage, he could see how Robin had reconfigured the stairs in the hall, with extra wooden steps installed to lead up to the attic.

‘Good job, Rob,’ Jack muttered to himself, admiring the workmanship. He shared Robin’s vision for the place. Once they had completed the renovation, it would be worth a small fortune. The profit they’d make would be handsome indeed, especially as Robin had actually got the property for ten grand less than the asking price. Just how had he managed that? Bunty really must have a soft spot for him, he thought with a grin.

Hearing voices coming from elsewhere, he made his way back outside to the garden, but stopped in the kitchen. Looking through the window, he saw Robin and another bloke – who he assumed was the next-door neighbour’s brother – slowly carry an old bath down the garden, before manoeuvring it into the skip. They were followed by the lady herself, who was laden with what looked like an old shower, towel rail and toilet seat. She too threw the lot into the skip. Their skip, thought Jack. So, they were paying to get rid of her rubbish too? Jack watched the three of them. They seemed to be easy with each other, chatting and laughing. Then he homed in on Jasmine. It was easy to see what he supposed Robin was drawn to. He took in her petite figure and blonde hair; her arms, poking out of rolled up overall sleeves, looked smooth and tanned, her nails polished a bright pink. Her face looked to have freckles… then she turned just as Jack was assessing her. She froze with a startled expression. Quickly Jack went outside to join them all.

‘Hi,’ he breezed, approaching them.

Robin introduced him. ‘Meet Jack, my mate and business partner.’

Sam nodded. ‘Hi, Jack.’

Jasmine, still looking a tad uncomfortable at being stared at, managed a tight smile but didn’t say a word.

‘I’ve fetched the fireplace surround,’ said Jack turning to Robin.

‘OK, thanks,’ he replied, but didn’t offer to do anything with it. Right now, he was up to his eyes clearing away Jasmine’s old bathroom, then he was going to start on the plumbing and get her new toilet and sink put in. There was an awkward silence.

‘I still need to get hold of a cast iron bath. There wasn’t one at the reclamation yard. I’ll try going further afield, see what I can find,’ Jack continued.

‘Great, thanks,’ Robin answered. Still he wasn’t elaborating, anxious to get on with his work for Jasmine.

‘Right, I’ll get going.’ Jack knew where he wasn’t wanted. It was pretty obvious the three of them just wanted to press on. He turned to go, then stopped. ‘Oh, good work on the stairs Rob.’

‘Cheers, mate.’ Robin smiled. ‘I’ll call you later, yeah?’

‘Yeah, no worries, bye.’ He waved towards Sam and Jasmine.

‘Bye Jack,’ Sam said. Jasmine gave another rigid smile.

Robin frowned, noticing Jasmine’s reluctance to speak. Although it puzzled him slightly, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat pleased. If Jack had come here today expecting to smoothly introduce himself, it hadn’t gone to plan. It was clear Jasmine hadn’t been too at ease in his presence.

By the end of a very long and laborious day, Robin had successfully fitted Jasmine’s bathroom, not only putting in the new sink and toilet, but bath too. The shower would have to wait. Sam had been a big help, fetching, carrying and holding things in place. The two had worked well together, whilst Jasmine had kept them fully refreshed with endless cups of tea and sandwiches the size of paving slabs.

‘Blimey, they’ll keep us going,’ joked Robin, as the three of them sat in the sunshine on camp chairs. They’d been enjoying a well-earned lunch break.

‘A token of my appreciation,’ replied Jasmine, ever mindful of Robin’s generosity. Although she would obviously be paying for his assistance, the fact he’d treated her cottage as a priority was something she’d be ever grateful for.

‘Yes, thanks, Robin,’ Sam chipped in. He was warming to Robin, too; he really did seem a decent chap. So much so, Sam was beginning to wonder how much he was needed now. Fitting the kitchen was going to be more straightforward than the bathroom, there’d be no lugging up and down the stairs for a start. When Sam had tentatively voiced his thoughts, he’d been a touch surprised at Jasmine’s reaction. He had wondered if she’d be hesitant about him going. But no, she had simply shrugged.

‘We could probably manage,’ she said.

Hmm, that told me then , chuckled Sam inwardly. He looked again at his sister and a wash of relief came over him. Yes, she was definitely growing back into her old self again. Maybe Samphire Bay was just the tonic Jasmine needed.