Chapter one

Jenny refused to get out of bed. The romantic notion of living in an old cottage with character, was now overridden with the strongest desire to be in a modern double glazed, double wrapped, fully centrally heated apartment.

The snooze button on her radio alarm clock had been pressed continually, with a fast arm action into the cold air. Reluctantly she stirred, gingerly edging out of the layers of quilts and blankets, as if she was lowering herself into a pool of icy water.

As her feet connected to the wooden floor, she scuttled quickly into the small bathroom. It smelt as damp as the walls portrayed. The black mould creeping out of the anaglypta wallpaper, the edges sodden. There were ice patterns on the tiny square panes of glass.

Her breath formed white clouds, and she shivered as she reached to turn on the antiquated  shower. Her resolve to look for another rental during her lunch hour deepened.

The steamy shower soothed her, warming her up quickly. She braced herself to turn it off, and jump out grabbing the large towel, wrapping it around herself like a warm hug.

Dressing rapidly, she pulled on her 20 denier grey tights, a pin striped skirt, a white blouse and her favourite tailored jacket, to match. She blow dried her long auburn, hair relishing the heat, then swept it back into a ponytail. It was thick and wavy, so she preferred taming it for the office.

Grabbing her black leather shoulder bag, she ambled down the creaky stairs to the ditsy kitchen. Jenny had been smitten by the beautiful oak beams, the cream Aga, and the small flowered curtains on the window overlooking the pretty walled courtyard.

Sitting at the pine table, she cupped her warm mug of coffee. She sighed. Winter would be over soon, and spring would bring the fragrance of roses through the opened windows, the birdsong at sunrise, the sunlight pouring through the cottage window panes, bouncing off the marble worktops, spreading light around her favourite room.

She glanced at the two seater sofa in the far corner, next to the oak bookshelf. Here she would curl up with her latest novel, the Aga throwing out a constant warm glow. Maybe she would leave the flat hunting until another day. Cold bedrooms were good for waking you up after all.

She added fan heater to her shopping list on the cork notice board.

As she passed the lounge a small movement caught her eye. Startled she stopped in her tracks, her heart beating fast. She tentatively opened the wooden door wider, expecting to see her housemate hungover on the Chesterfield sofa. It had been a few months since she found Cat sprawled out looking half dead the morning after her friends infamous 30th birthday party.

She thought Cat was staying over at her boyfriends so was surprised she wasn’t alone. A mop of unruly dark brown hair peeking out of the sleeping bag, made her jump back into the hallway.

Mmmm...she didn’t have time to interrogate. She cleared her throat to see if the hair was awake. He/she did not stir. The unruly pile of clothes strongly leant towards male. She was intrigued. She liked the striped boxers, she mused as she closed the front door quietly behind her.

Cat’s car was not in the driveway, but she guessed she was upstairs, having grabbed a taxi, too inebriated to drive. She was glad she was sensible, well in that way at least, her nickname crazy Cat was awarded for a reason.

Jenny smiled to herself as she remembered her best friends antics over the years. Driving her boyfriends old wreck of a minivan round a disused airfield at 15 came to mind, and how they shrieked as a light plane approached the runway coming into land. Giggling hysterically whilst trying to speed up to get out of the airfield before they were caught was exhilarating and very scary all at the same time.

It turns out it was still in use daily. A lucky escape she pondered.

The double decker swung into view, and It gradually came to a halt just in front of Jenny. The doors swished open, and Jenny jumped on with a big smile. 

Good morning Stanley, how are you today.

Fine thank you, Miss, he replied as he handed her the change and a ticket. Room upstairs today Miss, he nodded her dismissal. She was a regular and Stanley knew her usual destination.

She swiftly climbed the curved and steep metal stairs, almost shouting out with delight that the front seat was available.

She swung in placing her bag on her lap, looking down at her high heels. Not the best choice on an icy day after all. She relaxed as usual looking out at the passing houses, people watching, then open fields, her favourite cows, horses and sheep on the different farms on route.

How she loved her morning ride to the office, she was grateful she was not tempted to buy a car, this was much more enjoyable, from the top deck surveying the open countryside.

The blue sky, crisp white frosty fields were a stunning combination. The sun shone giving the illusion of warmth. Her breath freezing in the air, the bus heating was never that efficient, evidence it was below freezing.

Her curiosity got the better of her, and she gently turned her head to view her fellow passengers. As usual many unruly and loud teenagers, dressed in a variety of uniforms, identifying the different schools they were destined for. Thankfully any differences were sorted outside of the bus, so she rarely saw disputes between them. Just the usual jostling, and banter, with the odd screwed up bit of paper thrown as a missile.

She was one of them in a past life. Only 14 years ago but it felt like a lifetime. She spotted the woven baskets carried by the grammar school girls that had cookery that day. She grimaced remembering how unsuccessful her cookery classes had been.

One of the older teens winked at her. Ugh. But then she took it as a compliment that maybe she did not look as old as her thirty years. She may not be left perched on the shelf after all. She felt the nauseous churn in her stomach as she was reminded of how her fiancé had dumped her without warning just 6 months before.

He never did give her a concluding reason. He was evasive when she probed as to why he no longer loved her. She was left reeling, crying for days, hugging her knees to her chest. He had been the love of her life, the man she was going to make mini me’s with. They would have auburn or blond hair, maybe strawberry blond. Green or blue eyes, and so very cute. She had imagined a boy first then a girl. Jack and Jemimah. 

She felt the tears prick the back of her eyes. She quickly blinked and discreetly felt for the tissue screwed up in her pocket. Wiping away the falling tears before anyone noticed. 

Mark had soon made it obvious that the blonde from his office, could have been the reason he switched affections.

Her friends reassured her it was better that he came clean before the wedding. The wedding. She should be a married woman now, a Christmas Eve celebration, with Christmas lights, a fur lined cape and stunning white dress with intricate lace, at her favourite wedding venue. A church service first so she could walk down the aisle. 

Picture perfect in her mind. She felt robbed, it hurt. She was lonely although surrounded by many friends.

Thankfully her school friend Cat had just returned from her adventures in the outback of Australia, and was looking to rent somewhere local for a year before her next destination.

They found the two bedroom white brick cottage On a quiet lane, for a bargain price. £50 per month cheaper than other two bed properties. They both fell in love with it. That had been in the bright summer months. The realisation in early October that the doorframe had gaping holes in, letting the wind whistle through had come as a nasty surprise and figured that was why it was so cheap.

The more the winter set in so did the mould up the walls. The landlord was fairly elusive, but had promised faithfully he would pop round this weekend to take a look.

He had not, and now Monday morning had arrived, and another busy week at work. She worked with accountants so the end of the month was manic. Payrolls to be sorted, among other pressing issues.

Her manager bounced into the office with great enthusiasm, rarely seen in the average accountant. James was atypical in every sense. A great family man, was full of joy even on the darkest of days. A sponge cake for you all, made by the fair hands of my beautiful daughters. There is a little slice missing as I was chief taster last night, he giggled placing a traditional jam sponge on my desk. Topped with a layer of caster sugar it looked yummy. His girls were excellent cooks and by the sounds of things angelic teenagers to. She envied his family life. Although she readily admitted if anyone deserved a wonderful home life it was her older brothers’ friend James.

He had it tough growing up, losing his dear mum at aged ten, then the arrival of a very wicked stepmother. His dad had sadly passed away a couple of years after, so meeting Jane his wife at the young age of 18 was a Cinderella story in its own right. She could not be happier for him.

She took the knife from her top drawer. This was a regular gift to them all, so Jenny was armed and dangerous. Ready to consume as much of the delicious cake as she possibly could, without being spotted as the in house ‘piglet’.

Sipping her hot cup of tea, whilst munching on the delicious cake, she reflected on the mop of dark hair protruding from the blue sleeping bag earlier that day. She picked up the telephone and dialled home. Cat answered sleepily.

Good morning, who was the stray you bought home last night, my friend?’

Cat cleared her throat, well, I think he is called...

You think?

Yep, I think it’s Nick.

Nick? That’s it?

Mmm I will go downstairs and check if you like?

Cat? How do you know that he is not a murderer.

Well he would be a good looking one if he was.

You are incorrigible. What did I say  about bringing home strangers.

Oh it’s ok he is Gina’s cousin. She bought him along to The Red Lion. He seems harmless enough. Can we keep him?

No we cannot. Please can you ask him to make room on our couch by tonight, as we have that video to watch, it has to be returned to Blockbusters by 8pm!

Oh sugar I had forgotten about that, no problem it was only because he missed the last train back to London. He may have already left.

Jenny finished putting the stamps on the post in the outgoing tray, piled them up neatly, grabbed her coat and shouted goodbye to anyone in earshot.

The offices were in a converted mansion with lots of odd shaped rooms, so it was understood you just shouted goodbye into the long corridor as you left.

The post box was just opposite, so she carefully crossed over and deposited the letters.

On the bus back home, she was intrigued about the mop of dark hair. Gina was a lovely friend, so maybe her cousin...no it’s too soon she reprimanded herself. How could she trust anyone again. Definitely not yet, she had lots of healing still to go.

She put her key in the latch as the door swung open.

There he stood, all six foot four of him. Muscular, brown eyes, defined cheek bones, thick lips curling up in a wonderful smile, straight white teeth.

Jenny realised she had not moved and her bottom lip had fallen down, she may have dribbled.

Cat called out from behind the tall stranger, oh Jenny Nick was just leaving...

He winked at her, not a sexy deliberate one, but a cheeky schoolboy wink. He had the cutest dimple.

Jenny came to her senses, closed her mouth, wiped the dribble with her tissue and stepped aside so the Greek god could pass by.

Thanks again, he called back to Cat, very comfy settee.

Jenny stood and watched him walk down the cobbled stones, mesmerised. Healing had taken place.

Cat looked at her friend wondering why she was acting weirdly.

Jenny come in, it’s freezing.

Jenny took off her coat, hung it up in the hallway and headed for the kitchen to make a hot coffee. She offered one to Cat.

Sooo you didn’t go to work today? You kept Nick company?

Yes I know, I called in sick, he wasn’t in a rush so thought I would cook lunch for him. He is lovely and has a wicked sense of humour, just like Gina, must run in the family.

You might get the sack, that’s the third sickie you’ve taken in three weeks. Cat did not worry about anything, least of all losing her job. She knew she was good enough to get another one in no time.

A short hand secretary, trained at a bilingual college before she went on her travels, were sort after in the ever growing international business opportunities. Her charisma and stunning looks went a long way to securing any job she applied for.

What does Nick do? She tried to make it a casual question.

Jenny picked up on it straight away...Jenny nooooo....I thought you were finding yourself again for at least two years.

He is a broadcast engineer, working for a company based in Ealing. They build equipment for outside broadcast vans for ITV. 

He lives with his College friend in West Ealing, in an old Victorian terraced house, split into flats.

He loves Theatre, squash, Reading Jeffrey Archer, and local Ales. His favourite food is Italian, especially after a show in the West End.

He has just come out of a long and intense relationship with a red head nurse, that turns out to be more psycho than her patients. He is 32 years old, has two older brothers, way to many nieces and nephews, and goes home to his adored parents once a month for Sunday lunch with the whole extended family.

Did I miss anything?

Jenny was not surprised, Cat had an innate ability to extract people’s life stories in 3 minutes, and she had been with him for several hours.

Yes, loads, Jenny answered giggling, does he have a goldfish? And are all his boxers stripey?

Cat was so happy to see Jen more animated than she had been in a long time.

The pilot light of joy had switched to a brighter flame. Mmmm her plan was off to a good start.