21. Ellie
21
ELLIE
W hen they reached his home, Jasper opened the door and they all went inside. He carried Ellie through to the lounge and set her down carefully on the sofa.
‘Mabel, take Alfie up to wash his hands and put some clean clothes on and I’ll sort the ice cream.’
‘Yes, Daddy!’
The children left the lounge and Jasper crouched down next to Ellie. ‘I’ll get you some dry clothes and show you where you can change.’
‘Thank you.’ Ellie shuffled to the edge of the sofa. ‘My jeans are almost dry, I think, but I don’t want to get your lovely sofa sandy.’ She looked down at the cream sofa with its plump cushions. It must have cost a bit, and she didn’t want to ruin it.
‘Don’t worry. It’s easy to clean. When Kimberley said she wanted a cream sofa, I told her she was mad. With two children, cream is not exactly a practical colour, but she had her heart set on it so we agreed on a wipe clean material.’ His expression changed and a small line appeared between his brows. ‘She always got what she wanted.’ He gave a small laugh, then shook his head.
‘It was a good choice. It’s very nice.’ Ellie smoothed a hand over a cushion.
‘Kimberley liked quality things.’ He went to the door. ‘Back in a bit.’
He left the room with Wiggy hot on his heels. Ellie took the opportunity to look around. The lounge was bright and airy: white walls, white blinds on the two large windows and the cream L-shaped sofa. The floors were hardwood, and there was a reclaimed wood mantelpiece above the large log burner set into the chimney space. Framed photographs sat on the mantelpiece and, above it hung a wooden heart decorated with dried lavender. Overwhelmed by curiosity about the photographs, Ellie got to her feet and hobbled over to look.
Baby pictures of Mabel and Alfie, some of them together, and one of Jasper and the children playing in the café’s summer gardens were displayed, their vibrant colours and happy expressions hinting at warm summer days. In the background of one she could see the café and just make out her gran in the window. A wedding photograph sat in the middle of the mantel, and it made her heart squeeze. There was Jasper, tall and handsome, if perhaps not as filled out as he was now. His beard was closely cropped, his hair longer and wavy, and he was clearly younger. He looked like he could have been a Viking surfer, tall, tanned and healthy. His gaze was locked on the beautiful woman beside him, as if he was oblivious to everything and everyone else. Wearing a simple white dress and a pearl band in her dark hair, Kimberley didn’t need any other adornments because she glowed with beauty and joy. She was gazing at the camera, laughing, and Jasper’s arm was around her waist, his hand resting on her hip. They were young and filled with hope and Ellie felt very sad for them in that moment. Jasper had lost so much and then had to keep going for his children. What an amazing man he was, strong not just in body but mentally and emotionally too. In that moment, her feelings for him deepened.
‘Ellie.’
She started at his voice and turned to face him, worried he’d be annoyed that she’d been snooping, but there was no judgement in his eyes.
‘I’m so sorry, Jasper, for your loss. Kimberley was beautiful.’
She saw him inhale deeply, his Adam’s apple bobbing visibly as he gulped.
‘Thank you.’ He held up some clothing as he approached her. ‘Let me help you to the downstairs toilet so you can change.’
When he left her, she closed the door and set the clothes on a shelf behind the toilet, then she removed her cardigan and vest top before sliding down her jeans. She tried not to overthink the fact that she was in a man’s house in her underwear and focused on folding her clothes, then dressing in the items Jasper had brought for her. She pulled the pale blue T-shirt over her head and slid her arms through the sleeves. It was a man’s size and it drowned her, but it was soft and smelt of Jasper’s fabric softener. Reaching for the other garment, she found a pair of jogging bottoms that she put on by sitting on the toilet lid and sliding one leg through at a time then shuffling from side to side so she could pull them up. They were baggy too, but also soft and warm. She tied the cord at the waist, rolled up the legs a few times then stood up and picked up her clothes.
Catching sight of her reflection in the mirror above the sink, she winced. Her ponytail had slid down her head and the soft curls at her temple had burst out like springs, affected by the breeze and the water when she’d fallen. She pulled the band from her hair and shook it out, then combed it through with her fingers. It wasn’t perfect, but it would have to do. Besides, she had some colour in her cheeks and a light in her eyes that made them appear to sparkle from within. She smiled at herself and then laughed because she was standing in a friend’s downstairs toilet wearing his clothes and nursing a sore ankle because his over excitable dog had knocked her off her feet. You couldn’t write it…
OK then, it was time for ice cream.