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She sipped the coffee and moaned in an exaggerated fashion. To cover up? ‘So good, thank you.’
‘So, how did Duke go? Did he settle okay before you left?’
With thoughts of her son, she offered him the full throttle smile, the one that crinkled the edges of her sparkling eyes and caused her cheeks to broaden. It was beautiful. His somersaulting stomach was joined by a rush of blood to his extremities.
‘He was great, so good and here I am blubbering like a baby. It’s a blessing when they let you leave isn’t it? Even when they know it’s a new and strange place. I guess travelling across the world makes you a little resilient, right?’
‘Across the world? Where have you come from? Where’s his dad? Is he coming soon to help you renovate?’
Oops, too many questions. The beaming smile dropped and her mouth took on an unpleasant twist. ‘He’s living overseas at the moment.’ She brought the cup to her mouth and sipped twice. ‘Are those the plans?’
Overseas? What did that evasive answer mean? He stared at Ava and she returned the look, as if daring him to ask another question that he sensed she would refuse to answer. Her eyes diverted to the rolls of card tucked under his armpit. He’d let it go for now. ‘Yes, let’s take a look.’
A dog scratched on the glass sliding door seeking to be let out. ‘You have a dog?’
‘Yes. Duke found her under the house, resting in the cool dirt. Do you recognise her? She must have an owner, but the vet can’t locate anyone and she’s pregnant.’
‘Pregnant? Wow!’ Noah performed a low whistle. Seconds later, soft footfalls thudded up onto the deck.
‘Oh, yes, you have a dog, too. I’d forgotten.’ Ava laughed and Noah cursed that he enjoyed the sound so much.
‘Where was he?’
Noah rubbed Otis’ neck vigorously, roughing up the dog. ‘He was down the side having a kip. He comes on site with permission, so I wanted to check with you first. Could be nice company for …?’
‘Daisy. And apparently she needs to rest. Otis looks like he wants to play.’
‘He always wants to play but he’s very obedient and gentle and will be wonderful with her. Keep an eye on her.’ He ordered the dog.
True to Noah’s word, Otis led Daisy to the far reach of the timber deck and together they collapsed down, their noses touching.
‘So sweet. He’s welcome anytime. But these plans?’
Noah spread them wide, keeping the edges flat with his palms. He allowed Ava to consider them first before jumping in. One end of the card flipped up and her hand grasped the corner the same time as his. Their hands brushed and she gasped. There was no bolt of electricity, that was the stuff of fairy tales, but the touch of her warm, smooth skin sent shivers of desire pulsing through him. A magnetic force built between them, had been building since they met; an intense shared connection. He wrenched his hand away, confused and chanced a look at her under his lashes. Her eyes were fixed on where their hands had touched. He swore his hand prickled with sensation.
‘What’s this?’ Ava pointed to some buildings to the left of the house.
‘At the moment they are empty sheds. Not sure what they were ever used for. Storage, I guess. As you can see, I intended these to be workspaces for me, building small projects, cutting up and finishing work. But I think we can tweak those for your work. Do you need some custom and personalised space at home?’
‘My work?’
‘Yeah, do you ever need a place to examine relics or keep items or somewhere just for you to perform your work?’
‘Oh wow. I’ve never had my own space and those sheds are huge!’ Girlish excitement crept into her voice. ‘That would be magic. I have a whole pile of old academic books at my parent’s place that I’m sending for. They can be stored out there and maybe tables for sorting or storing items I’m working on and shelving. There is always a lot of stuff.’
‘You didn’t want to move to be near your folks? Did I hear you say they moved south?’
Ava released the edge of the plan and it curled up, the corners snapping together. ‘Yeah. Tassie. It’s pretty cold there.’ She paused. Opened her mouth to speak, shut it. She was holding something back. ‘I loved my time in Tassie, went to uni there, but coming back, I only had thoughts of Queensland.’ Another pregnant pause.
‘Okay, then.’ He filled the silence and they exchanged a smile, a truce of sorts.
‘These plans are fantastic, Noah. Obviously, it’s drawings and dimensions mainly but I can tell you are committed to the era and traditional style of the house. Me too. I want it to be the grand lady it would have once been. I want us to source authentic pieces, where possible. If the floor needs replacing, I’d prefer original and recycled timbers and the same with the doors and windows. I actually don’t know a lot about these heritage homes but I’m happy to learn and will be guided by you. I’m sure you’ve fixed up plenty of these.’
‘For sure and I know the places to obtain original parts and there’s a few shops in Pozieres that will stock the fittings. Like antique door handles, light switches and even things like towel rails and those little features that are important.’
‘Thank you. I don’t know what I would’ve done if your plans were to knock out the main walls to create open living spaces and to modernise with steel appliances and those fancy kitchen taps. I don’t even know what they’re called but you know the mixer taps with the long hoses that would probably reach the bathroom.’
‘Oh, I don’t think you’d have had any trouble telling me where to go with my plans.’
