Chapter 13
13
Libby asking for a favour had been surprising enough, thought Ethan after she had left. But her wanting to use his kitchen had been downright startling.
She had always given him the impression that to spend any length of time with him was out of the question and had been for years. Ever since their drunken nuptials in Las Vegas eight years ago, in fact.
Having more questions than answers about what had changed, he shrugged on a jacket and went along to Platform 1. There, Ryan and Katy confirmed what he hadn’t let on to Libby about his suspicions. That she must have been desperate to ask him for anything in the first place.
Katy quietly confirmed that money was pretty tight for Libby as she tried to support both herself and her father after losing her job. He was proud of the way that she had stepped up to help out her father, despite the rocky relationship they had endured for so many years.
Katy had made him promise not to let on to Libby that he knew how bad things were and he had readily agreed. He knew how proud she was, perhaps more so than anyone he had ever known. She had always been like that, ever since he could remember. Never asking for help. Never letting on how much pain she was in. Only he had been able to get her to open up in their teenage years, despite Flora and Harriet, her closest friends back then, guessing the truth as to how much the strained relationship with her father had upset her. And she was still the same all these years later.
In a small way, he found that he was pleased that she had come to him for help. Perhaps at last he could start to make amends for letting her down at the prom and then suggesting they get married when they had been so drunk.
When she turned up that afternoon with bags of various cleaning materials, he made them both a coffee and then enjoyed watching her stride around the kitchen, that long pale hair of hers swinging behind her in a ponytail as she worked.
He had always been mesmerised by her hair. In fact, by all of her, for as long as he could remember. Pale soft skin that was so clear. Those blue eyes which flicked at him with such distrust and sarcasm these days. Only once since school had they looked at him any differently and that had been when he had finally held her in his arms that one night after they had married.
Once more feeling regret as to how things had worked out between them, he knew that he had lots to make up for and the loan of his kitchen for a few weeks was the very least that he could do.
‘So, will it work?’ Ethan asked, watching her open up various cupboards and close them again before feeling along the oak work surface.
She nodded slowly, deep in thought. ‘I think so,’ she said.
He gave a slight shiver. ‘It’s a bit cool though. As soon as I get the boiler serviced, it should warm up in here.’
But, to his surprise, Libby shook her head. ‘Actually I’ll work better in a cooler atmosphere. Not too cool, though.’ She opened up the pantry and held up an app on her phone which appeared to be a temperature gauge. ‘That’s ideal,’ she said, over her shoulder. ‘Ideally storage should be between fifteen and eighteen degrees. Not so humid. And with these thick brick walls, I’ll be able to store everything in here safely.’ She frowned. ‘Hopefully there aren’t any mice in here.’
‘Maybe I need the company,’ he replied.
‘Well, you always did have low expectations with the people you hung out with,’ she told him.
‘You’re telling me,’ he said, breaking into a grin.
‘I was the exception,’ she replied in a lofty tone, but she couldn’t help shooting him a grin.
‘To every rule,’ he drawled.
She pretended to ignore him. ‘Yes, this will do nicely.’ She gave a firm nod. ‘For once, you’ve exceeded my expectations and actually pleased me for a change.’
‘Well, I’ve always known how to please a woman,’ he told her.
He enjoyed watching her blush as she obviously battled the memories that they both shared of their night together.
Perhaps he had pushed it a bit too far, he thought, and made her uncomfortable. But just as he was walking out to the lounge to give her a bit of space, he heard her call out his name.
Ethan spun around and watched as she shuffled from foot to foot awkwardly. Eventually, she looked up at him.
‘Thanks,’ she muttered, giving him a sheepish look through thick dark eyelashes.
‘You’re welcome,’ he replied. ‘But just remember that this is my home, my rules and that I’m in charge, okay?’
Her beautiful face lit up into laughter. ‘In your dreams, Connolly!’ she said, turning away but not before he caught her smile.
He too was smiling as he walked away. Perhaps it wouldn’t be awkward, Ethan thought. But then he remembered how pleased he was to make her laugh again. It would be fine. He was just doing an old friend a favour. That was all, wasn’t it?