Coming home to roost #4
“I’m not bored at all, and I’d really like to help. If you want, the three of you can stay at my place. I’ve got plenty of room.” Oops, why had he said that? She gave him a surprised look and he was equally surprised at his offer, but he did mean it.
“That’s very kind of you, thank you,” she replied, but shook her head. “I can’t. I have to do this on my own.”
“Where are you planning to sleep? I mean ...” Kendrick didn’t know exactly what he meant; he was just disappointed that she had turned down his invitation.
“The distillery has a simple bedroom with a toilet and shower. For workers from out of town who need a place to stay,” she explained. “There’s nobody staying there right now. It’s not great, but it’ll do for a bit. And nobody will feel bothered by me and my dogs.” She defiantly raised her chin.
“So this rucksack holds the overnight essentials I reckon,” he surmised.
“Aye. I don’t have a car, or I’d move all my stuff tonight.”
Kendrick rubbed his chin and thought about the whole situation for a moment. Shona seemed very determined. Whatever had played out with her cousins apparently made her reluctant to ask the rest of her family for help. He knew how that felt! “I have a car,” he said, pointing to his van.
She considered it. “That would be great,” she replied after a while and gave him an uncertain smile. “If you can help me, I won’t have to ask anyone tomorrow and won’t even have to go back to the house. It’s not much. Just two large holdalls, a suitcase and three moving boxes.”
“Well then, hop in,” he replied.
His van was big enough for them to transport Shona’s entire belongings and the two dogs in just one trip.
While Kendrick helped her carry her things from the cottage to the car, Shona didn’t say a word.
She went ahead, lips pressed tightly together, and led him up to her room, where her belongings were packed and waiting.
They walked up and down twice until everything was safely stored in the van.
The open bag of dry food came last, and then every trace of Shona was gone from the cottage.
Kendrick was surprised by how little Shona owned, but she had only shrugged when he asked and explained that she had never had her own place, only furnished rooms in shared flats.
A short time later, they unloaded everything at the distillery.
He had never been inside and looked around with interest. The tasting room-slash-shop with its colourful mix of furniture looked cosy and stylish at the same time – a wild mix of playful cheer and clean lines.
This room had such a lively vibe, he immediately felt at home.
“Wow, it’s the architectural expression of your personality,” he said, impressed – and he wasn’t the only one surprised by his odd sentence.
Shona laughed, sounding almost light-hearted for the first time that evening. “That may be the strangest compliment I’ve ever received. Thank you.”
“It might be a strange thing to say, but I mean it. This room will immediately make people think of you.” Well, that wasn’t much better, because who else would they think of when visiting her business?
Let alone that he thought about her far too much and far too often.
“I’m a man of science, not a man of words,” he added slightly embarrassed.
“But I hope you know what I mean. And look, your dogs get it too!” Orla and Higgins had stopped their sniffing and were happily curled up in front of the fireplace.
“I do, and I appreciate the compliment,” she said, and he could have sworn that her cheeks were blushing.
“I did everything in here myself. Everything other than the large fittings, that is. I painted the walls, sanded the floor and chose the furniture. This whole project was really important to me, so it’s wonderful to have that effort appreciated. ”
He nodded and left it at that. He was starting to see the bigger picture.
Shona had led a nomadic life for many years, but here she had – deliberately or inadvertently – created a true home for herself.
No wonder she wanted to be here now! He felt a sudden urge to find out more.
What had happened between her and her cousins tonight?
Why hadn’t Shona confided in anyone else?
And who was she really, deep down, behind the beautiful face?
“I’ll take my things to the room then?” she said, but it sounded more like a question.
“Let me help.” He grabbed a bag and followed her through a door and down a wide corridor with a few doors to a rather bleak bedroom.
It contained a narrow bed, a wardrobe, a chest of drawers with a small TV on top and a chair.
That was it. It looked like a very cheap, very impersonal hotel room.
At least it was clean, even if that was the only positive thing you could say about it.
“I know it looks like a monk’s cell,” she voiced his thoughts out loud. “But it’ll do.”
Kendrick nodded and kept his reservations to himself. He stood indecisively in the doorway when he heard a strange noise. “Was that your stomach growling?”
“I suppose,” she replied vaguely.
“Are you hungry? Have you eaten?”
“Only my breakfast croissant and a dry sandwich for lunch,” she admitted.
“Shall we go to the pub?”
“No way!” she exclaimed. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I’ll hardly starve if I miss dinner every once in a while,” she added with a meaningful look and mechanically petted her round hips. “But thanks again for your help.”
He got the message. Apparently, he was dismissed. But he wasn’t going to back down so quickly! And as he found every pound of her extremely attractive, he made a spontaneous decision. “You’re welcome.”