Chapter Four
Walker
He was holding a pair of pants in his hands.
Walker realised that fact at the very last second when an elfin woman on crutches appeared in the doorway, almost engulfed in a fluffy white dressing gown, who he recognised as the cousin, Gabi – and the owner of the pants.
She had the most mischievous smile he’d ever seen.
He mumbled an apology and handed the scrap of fabric over. She laughed and thanked him. For a moment he forgot what he was doing, until another clod of plasterboard hit the floor and then he took command.
‘Isabella, strip the bed,’ he said and she sprang into action.
‘Now, Etienne, help me with the mattress.’ Between them, they carried it to the back courtyard and then the bed frame was moved to the front room.
‘Isabella, can you move the suitcases?’ he asked. ‘And anything else that’s adding weight to the wet floor and risking the ceiling below.’
Gabi’s suitcases were pulled out and stood in the hall.
‘I feel so useless!’ Gabi moaned as the three of them then worked together to rip up the sodden carpet and carried it downstairs to take to the dump later. It was as much as could be done – for now.
Walker exhaled slowly as he took it in. It was good he’d got here as quickly as he had but the room was wrecked.
The ceiling was a write-off. The walls were streaming.
The floor was down to bare floorboards. The bedroom was uninhabitable.
But at least the restaurant was not impacted.
He knew it was a win, but it was still a problem.
Walker suggested Gabi made coffee and everyone took a breather. Gabi looked relieved to be finally able to do something to help. Walker scrolled his phone for dehumidifiers and sent links to Isabella, to point her in the right direction.
‘These will speed up the drying process,’ he said, and she nodded her thanks, a worried frown on her face.
Over coffee, Isabella voiced the problem out loud.
‘That room will take days to dry out and weeks to get repaired. So, for the time being, the spare room is out of action.’ Walker watched Gabi bite her lip, waiting.
‘We’ll just have to keep the bed in here for you, Gabi,’ Isabella said, motioning to the space in the front room where they’d positioned the bed frame, between the sofa and the television. They all looked at it. Walker watched Gabi shake her head, big brown eyes dark and serious.
‘I can’t do that to you,’ she said decisively. ‘I’ll get a hotel.’
‘No way! You’re not supposed to live alone until you’re fully recovered. You said that yourself. You need help.’
Gabi looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her up.
‘Me living in your front room like Grandpa Joe in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is never going to happen, Isabella. I know you mean well, but it wouldn’t work. I’ll get a hotel.’
The silence deepened as neither woman backed down. Walker cleared his throat.
‘What about one of the girls?’ he suggested. ‘Rosie and Wren have a spare room. And there’s Amber?’
He saw the quick lift of Gabi’s chin. The hope on her face.
‘I’ve met them all – briefly – last year,’ she said.
‘That could work . . . I could certainly ask,’ Isabella said thoughtfully. ‘Give me a minute. I’ll put it on the group chat.’ Walker saw Gabi cross her fingers and tuck them in the oversized pocket of her dressing gown.
A second later the phone rang, and Isabella answered with a hopeful ‘hello’. She listened intensely for a few seconds, then broke into a grin and put the phone on speaker.
‘It’s Amber,’ she said, sinking on the sofa beside Gabi and holding the phone between them. ‘And she’d love to have you.’
Gabi clapped her hands in delight. Leaning into the phone, she said, ‘Hi, Amber, thanks so much!’
Amber’s voice came through sing-song happy, as though she were already smiling.
‘Gabi, girl, I’ve got a spare room on my ground floor with your name on it. And I’ve got a downstairs bathroom – what with it being an old house – so you won’t need to worry about stairs.’
‘Which is a much safer scenario,’ Etienne chipped in, pointing at Gabi’s boot.
‘I’d pay rent,’ Gabi said.
‘No, you would not,’ Amber replied.
‘I’d stock the fridge,’ Gabi suggested.
‘You haven’t seen how much Jayden eats yet,’ Amber chuckled, reminding Gabi about her ten-year-old son.
‘I’d pay the bills then,’ Gabi tried again.
‘You could do something more valuable than that, actually,’ Amber said. ‘You could do a bit of childcare for me?’
Gabi’s face fell. ‘I haven’t got any experience . . .’ she said with a grimace.
‘Oh, don’t worry, Jayden is ten. I’d just need you to be there when he gets home from school. I’m normally at the restaurant until about five.’
Gabi’s face lit up and she clasped Isabella’s hand in hers.
‘I could definitely do that,’ Gabi said. ‘I’ll time my physio and gym around him.’
‘Then it sounds perfect. In fact, you’d be doing me a favour. What time shall I expect you?’
Walker saw an opportunity to help and stood up.
‘I can bring her over now, Amber, if that works for you?’ he said.
‘I’ll put the kettle on,’ Amber said, before hanging up the phone.
Walker found himself in the beam of a second dazzling smile from Gabi. He grinned back. He’d done good.