Page 25 of The Clifftop Cottage

By the time she reached the top of the hill, the wind had picked up, whipping her hair into her face and tugging at her coat as if trying to nudge her back down the path. She laughed, breathless, and pushed on.

And there it was.

The cottage stood snug between a thicket of bushes, its whitewashed walls slightly weathered but still holding their own against the hillside. A little wooden gate, slightly lopsided, enclosed a patchy garden with a low stone wall wrapping around the edges. It wasn’t polished. It wasn’t perfect. But it had charm.

Circling the cottage, she took it all in – the dirt track trailing off behind it, the parked Land Rover with its boot haphazardly filled with paint tins, tools, and even a vacuum cleaner. A project, then. Gabriel wasn’t just letting it sit.

Cocktails at sunset out here would be perfect, she mused, running a hand along the cool stone wall. Then, with a wry smile, she corrected herself. More likely tea, wrapped in a scarf so thick I look like a bundled-up burrito.

She reached the front door, black paint peeling at the edges, and rapped her knuckles against it.

It opened a moment later, revealing Gabriel, broad-shouldered and slightly hunched to fit within the narrow frame. He blinked at her, almost as if he hadn’t expected her to actually show up.

“So,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, “here it is.”

She bit back a smile. He was a big man in a small cottage, filling the space in a way that made the place seem even smaller. Or maybe he just really was that big.

“You’ll remember the living room,” he said, stepping aside as she went in.

The space was as she remembered – compact, a little dark, but not without promise. The stone fireplace sat empty, but she could already imagine curling up beside it on colder nights. A few mismatched pieces of furniture stood awkwardly around the room, as if unsure of their purpose.

Gabriel cleared his throat. “I’ll show you the bedroom.”

He ducked slightly as he led her down the narrow hallway. The bedroom was small, with white walls and a basic bed frame. No pictures, no warmth – just a blank slate waiting to be filled.

Gabriel pressed his lips together, glancing around as if seeing it through her eyes. “I, uh … figured you’d want to put your own stamp on it.”

Erica stepped inside, trailing a hand along the cold wall. “It’s got potential.”

He nodded once, then gestured to the kitchen.

They rounded the corner into the compact, functional space. Exactly as she remembered – nothing special, but enough. Then he motioned to another door.

“The bathroom’s new.”

Her eyebrows lifted in pleasant surprise. Unlike the rest of the cottage, which still held a rustic, slightly neglected air, the bathroom was fresh. The tiles gleamed, and the bathtub was a proper deep one – the sort she could sink into for hours. Positioned beside a little cubby window, she bent to peer outside and saw the hills stretching into the distance, sunlight spilling over them like a soft blanket.

“Wow,” she murmured.

She turned slowly, the weight of possibility settling in. The cottage wasn't perfect. Nothing like the sleek London flat she'd sold. But maybe that was the appeal. That place had been all glass and white walls and minimal furniture, so bright it had felt almost clinical. Like she’d never quite settled in it.

This felt different.

This felt like something she could grow into.

“I think,” she said, smiling, “this could work.”

“Brilliant. I'll email the paperwork over later.” He crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe. “You don’t mind if I keep doing a bit of work on it? I’ll try not to get in your way.” He hesitated, then added, “Oh, one thing I should probably mention⁠—”

Her eyebrows shot up. “It’s haunted?”

Gabriel huffed a laugh. “No, but close. The internet’s terrible up here. Practically non-existent.”

“I think that makes it even better.”

“I know people say that,” he said, raising his hands, “but when you’re stuck here on a stormy Tuesday night, trust me, you’ll miss it.”

“Honestly,” she said, cutting in, “I never want to look at anything online again.”