‘He’s Todd.’
Evie adjusted the mug in her hands. ‘Yes, and who is Todd? Is he a friend?’
‘I suppose you could call him that, yes.’
‘Jack, stop being so cagey, would you.’
‘Sorry, I was having a bit of fun.’ He laughed, but then his face turned serious. ‘I came out here a few weeks ago and Todd was a boy I found on the front porch, beneath a dirty old blanket. He was homeless.’
Evie looked at Jack, then at Todd. ‘You didn’t tell him to go?’
‘I did, yes. I yelled at him, scared him half to death apparently, and I would’ve called the cops if he hadn’t left right away.’
‘So why didn’t you?’
‘I thought I’d seen the last of him, and I had, he never came near the place again. But when I thought about it later, I realised I was no different to my father. You see, Evie, my father isn’t a bad man, and I still haven’t gotten to the bottom of his absolute overreaction that night he fired Nicole, but it doesn’t mean I want to follow in his footsteps. The business, my involvement with jewellery, is all for my mother. She was the brains behind the designs in the first place and the reason the business began, but it’s never been my passion.’
They both watched Todd, this time dragging the bag of garden debris to the end of the driveway to line up with another before he grabbed the next bag and disappeared down the side of the house, presumably to the back garden.
‘This is as far as I’ve gotten to leaving behind a life that isn’t really me,’ Jack confessed. ‘My father knows I bought a property, but as far as he knows it’s an investment, not a home.’ He shrugged. ‘I see it differently.’
‘And why don’t you tell him?’
‘I will, one day.’
‘So how did you find Todd again?’
‘It wasn’t easy. He’d long since scarpered from this house.’ He told her all about his day looking in the city, at shelters, at local hangouts, the park where he’d eventually spotted the kid. ‘I guess it’s Nicole’s influence that did it. I saw what she’d done by giving you a chance and I began to realise that second chances don’t come along that often for people like …’
‘People like me?’
He hesitated. ‘I don’t mean any offence, Evie.’
She smiled at him, sat down on the windowsill. ‘Is this safe?’
He pulled a face but then laughed. ‘I’ve sat there enough times myself. See, this is the master bedroom so I’ve been planning what to do.’ He pointed to the wall on the left that separated the master from the box room where the sleeping bag was. ‘I’m going to knock that wall through and put in another bathroom. Then I’ll put in another staircase going up to the attic, which will make a nice retreat. It’s nothing now. I can’t even take you to see it, but it’ll be great when I’ve finished. The roof is pointed, characterful. Todd and I have discussed it at length.’
‘You must trust him.’
Jack shrugged. ‘Not really, I don’t know him. But I took a chance, as Nicole did with you. I don’t know how he came to be homeless, I didn’t ask, but instead of telling him to stop sneaking into gardens or hiding out on other people’s porches, I thought I’d see if he could prove himself. I needed someone to get clearing this place while I’m at work—there’s too much to do for me to only work at it at the weekends, and in return I give him a bed—only an old mattress, granted—and I buy him enough food. I’m paying him a wage too, but I said I’ll keep it safely tucked away in the bank for now. He didn’t question me on that.’
‘I guess the trust works both ways.’
Evie’s comment hung between them until she said, ‘So this is the reason you come all the way out here, away from the city.’
‘There’s another reason too.’
‘Oh?’
He stood up. ‘Finish your coffee and I’ll show you.’
Evie couldn’t help smiling as she followed him out of the room and back down the stairs.
*
They drove away from New Haven and towards a town called Hazelbrook, and when they turned into Hollyhock Farm, a blond-haired guy who was strapping a Christmas tree to the roof of a family sedan waved over to them.
When the family was good to go, the man came over and introduced himself. He shook Jack’s hand and turned to Evie. ‘You’ve brought a friend.’
