She jumped up from the sofa and over to her school bag, which was lying on the floor. ‘Look at this!’ she said as she pulled out a crumpled drawing. ‘I made this for you at school today.’ It was a painting of a man—with very big ears. He couldn’t help it—he started to laugh.
She bounced back up on the sofa next to him. ‘It’s you. Do you like it?’ Her little face was so expectant, just waiting for his approval.
He touched his ears. ‘Are they really this big?’
‘Yes,’ she said without a moment’s hesitation. ‘Can we put it up on the fridge? That’s where my mummy used to put my pictures.’ She tugged at his hand and he let her pull him up and lead him through to the kitchen.
Bonnie was wiping a glass bowl clean as they walked through. ‘Look what I made for Jacob,’ Freya shouted as she waved the picture. ‘We’re going to put it up.’
Bonnie glanced at the picture and tried to stifle a laugh. ‘I think that’s lovely, honey,’ she said. She raised her eyebrows at Jacob. ‘Wait and I’ll find you something to put that up with.’ She opened a nearby drawer and pulled out a fridge magnet he didn’t even know he owned. It seemed impolite not to put it up so he stuck it on the fridge.
Freya’s little face was beaming. ‘Come on,’ she said, tugging at his arm again. ‘My favourite song’s about to start.’
He’d always loved his home. His sanctuary. His way of getting away from the outside world. But although his peace had been shattered, it was nowhere near as invasive as he might have thought.
He almost looked forward to coming home to them at night. And he couldn’t work out why. Maybe it was the distraction. He didn’t have time to think about the stuff hanging over his head. He didn’t have time to consider what he would do if the test results weren’t good—if the non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma hadn’t been halted in its tracks.
He didn’t have time to remember how his mum had died of the horrible disease and how he could have the same future ahead of him. These were the things that used to spin around his head every night when he went to bed.
‘Jacob, come on.’ The little voice was impatient. He hadn’t even realised that he’d been staring at Bonnie’s backside in her snug jeans again. She spun around and gave a little smile as she put some cutlery back in a kitchen drawer.
She looked relaxed. She looked happy. She looked comfortable in his home. Something flipped over inside. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt about all this.
She tilted her head to the side. ‘Should I get us some wine to see us through the rest of the movie?’ She was smiling again.
He gave a nod as he let Freya lead him back through to the front room and he heard the clink of glasses being pulled from the cupboard.
Their almost kiss in the sluice would no doubt haunt his dreams tonight.
What had happened?
He knew it was something. It was definitely something.
There had been a tiny moment when...just something could have happened. He’d felt it. And he was pretty sure she’d felt it too. He’d seen it in her all too expressive eyes.
They’d spent the last week tiptoeing around each other. But that hadn’t stopped the buzz in the air between them. It hadn’t stopped the way their gazes kept connecting with each other.
He’d spent so long concentrating on his disease and trying to get well again that he was out of practice with all this. But even though it was winter, the temperature here was definitely rising.
It was official. Bonnie Reid was keeping him awake at night.
But why did that seem like a good thing and not a bad?
* * *
It was her day off and she was prowling around the house. She couldn’t help it. This weekend she would be working on Saturday as part of her rota for the hospital. It was fine. Lynn was happy to have Freya for the day and planned to take her and her boys to London Zoo.
But Bonnie wasn’t used to having time to herself. She’d cleaned what she could without offending the housekeeper. She’d learned very quickly what was unacceptable for her to do in the house. All her and Freya’s laundry was washed and ironed and sitting in neat piles. The beds were made, the shopping done.
She gave a little shudder. The house was getting cold. There had been a dip in the temperature in the last few days and she wasn’t quite sure how the heating worked in this house. She wasn’t quite sure how Jacob would feel if he found out she was tampering with the settings on his heating. She walked across the front room, her footsteps echoing on the wooden floorboards, her hand running across the top of the mantelpiece.
There was an ornamental coal scuttle at her feet. She knelt down. It was filled with real coal. Jacob had said he hadn’t got round to having the chimney swept.
She gave another shudder. Nothing would be nicer at this time of year than a real fire burning in this gorgeous fireplace.
She stood upright. That was what she could do. Jacob didn’t seem to have any objections to a real fire. He’d just made it sound as if he hadn’t got round to it. He wouldn’t accept any money from her and, to be honest, it felt a little embarrassing. Maybe paying to have the chimney professionally swept would be a way to try and repay him a little for his kindness?
She didn’t hesitate. This was the best idea she’d had in a while. She walked out to the hallway and dug around for the phone book. They were in the middle of Cambridge. There were lots of traditionally built houses around here. There must a local chimney sweep.
Jacob was on call. He might even not be home at all tonight. Sometimes he ended up just staying at the hospital if he was on call. As the consultant he would be called if there was any emergency with a patient. He’d already told her that he wasn’t entirely sure that all the junior members of staff would page him. Some of them still seemed a little nervous around him. She’d tried not to laugh when he’d said that to her.
She picked up the phone and dialled. By the time Jacob got home tonight—or maybe tomorrow morning—she’d have a lovely fire burning in the fireplace, heating up the whole house and giving the place a more homely feel.
He’d love it. She was sure he would.
* * *
The first thing he’d noticed was the strange smell. Ever since Bonnie had arrived his house had smelled of those clean laundry candles that she insisted on lighting everywhere. They actually made his nose itch but he wasn’t inclined to tell her.
She’d waved some red and green ones under his nose the other night and told him she’d bought some Christmas spice candles. If this was what they smelled like he’d be blowing them straight out.
She still hadn’t picked up on his hints about Christmas. The main fact being he just didn’t do it.
There was a strange noise to his left. It sounded like a sniffle. Or more like a sob.
He sneezed. Something was definitely irritating him.
‘Jacob?
