Page 41 of The Secret Holiday Kiss

‘But not in Mistingham.’

‘I’m only here temporarily.’

‘OK. Come on. And watch your step: trip hazards all over the place right now.’

The inside of the house was as she had expected: a workshop and storage space, with tools and workbenches, various materials up against the walls, shrink-wrapped and waiting to be used. There was a lot of dust. Despite all this, Daisy could see how spacious, how light the house would be, the windows much bigger than a standard build.

‘This is the main reception room,’ Avery said, as they stood in the space at the front of the house. ‘We’re putting in a fireplace here. Then, across the hall will be a study or snug, something smaller and more intimate. The real pièce de résistance is at the back.’ He led her out of the front room to the back of the house, where there was the extension she’d seen from outside.

The space ran all the way across, most of the back wall was missing, and the view was over fields to woods in the distance, uninterrupted countryside calm. ‘It’s grey today, but it’s a good position for sunsets. This will be a large kitchen with room for a dining table and a sofa in the corner – the family room, basically.’

‘I was going to say it was a shame they don’t have a sea view, because they’re behind the hotel and the building next door, but this is almost better.’

Avery shrugged. ‘Winnie says they see the sea every day from the hotel. Then they’ll get to come home to the peace and quiet of this.’

Daisy nodded. ‘Bifold doors?’

‘Yup. All the way along. The outdoor space is minimal, but neither of them are gardeners, so they want a small deck and room for a few pots.’

Daisy turned around slowly, her ideas shifting and expanding now she knew the landscape – even though there was no kitchen in here yet; no cabinets or islands or tiles. She could help Mary and Winnie choose which ones to go with.

‘I’m changing my plans,’ she said with a laugh. ‘This always happens.’

‘Why? Because you’re fickle?’ Avery’s smile showed her he was joking.

‘Because you have to see it for yourself. I had to stand in this room, see which parts of the outside would be let in. It’s so light. It’s going to be stunning.’

‘But Mary and Winnie liked your original proposal?’

‘They did. But I was thinking seaside tones and textures, something spare and minimalist. Now I’m here, with this view, I don’t think minimalist coastal is right. It wants warmer, richer tones. Peach and pomegranate, some light greens. Still a lot of space, a lot of clean lines, but more cosiness. Like a … vibrant fruit bowl of a house.’

‘A vibrant fruit bowl?’

‘This is my brain spinning,’ she told him. ‘It will make a lot more sense once I’ve had a chance to set it all out. But you know – the sunset tones of apples and oranges and peaches; all those greens. Earthy and natural, but not dark. If we pair that with crisp white edging, we could have something magnificent.’

Avery folded his arms. He was wearing a black T-shirt under his hi-vis, and she knew he was used to being outside, no goosebumps pebbling his skin in this shell of a house exposed to the elements, but she wanted to wrap him up in a blanket; wrap him up in herself. It was an unusual feeling, because what she had loved about her marriage to Stefan was their independence, their respect for each other.

Their love language had been sharing their successes, enjoying fine wine and Sundays with the paper, trips to food markets and restaurant openings, friends they could have intelligent, sparkling conversation with. They discussed their work a lot, they were both passionate about what they did, and she had relished that shared enthusiasm. But she couldn’t ever remember snuggling on a sofa with him, under a blanket. Why had they never done that?

‘Daisy?’

‘Sorry, what?’ Avery was giving her a curious look.

‘I said, what colour would you say for the kitchen, in this plan?’

‘Oh. Right.’ She checked her ponytail hadn’t fallen out, rolled up the sleeves of her jumper. ‘I think white countertops, marble or granite or laminate depending on their budget. Then a dark green, something like pine or cadmium, so it has a blue tint to it. Then you could go with an orange accent, or perhaps have copper instead of stainless steel for the metalwork? Actually, that would be great. Copper would pick up the pinks and oranges we’d be using in the rest of the space.’

Avery nodded, his eyes narrowed, and she wondered if he was picturing it. She waited, breath held, realizing his verdict mattered to her.

‘I think,’ he said slowly, ‘that Mary and Winnie were right to bring you in.’

‘You like it? It’s just a first, scattered idea. I’ll need to work on it.’

‘It doesn’t sound scattered at all.’

‘Thank you.’ She looked away from him. ‘Can we go upstairs yet?’

‘There isn’t a staircase, unfortunately, but I can show you the plans. Wait here a sec? They’re in my van, but let’s do it in here where there’s at least a partial roof.’