Page 50 of Be More Capybara

‘Like the ones we saw at the tennis club the other day?’

He nodded.

‘Where would you put it?’

‘In the old barn. It’s not big enough for a full tennis court, but a padel court fits perfectly. We could use it all year round. And it would be more in keeping with the area than sticking an inflatable dome over the tennis court.’

‘Sounds pricey.’

‘I can get a grant if I make it available for the public to hire.’

‘It could work.’

‘We’d get a coach to offer lessons. They can teach us first.’

So he was assuming they’d still be spending time together a few months down the line. That sounded promising.

‘We’d let the guests at the Grange holiday cottages and the treehouses use it at a discounted rate. It would be a useful facility for the rest of the village as well. If it makes money, in year two, we might be able to afford to put up another barn with a second court - we’ve got the space. We could even set up a proper club, so Dashford has teams in a padel league. That might be on the ambitious side, though.’

Judging by the excited look in his eyes, he was really engaged with the whole idea. He was like the old Nigel she used to know. And love. Oh dear.

She smiled at him encouragingly. ‘My former business coach used to say it was good to have a stretch goal. What does the rest of the family think?’

‘I haven’t told them yet. I wanted to run it by you first. I’m relying on you to tell me if I’ve lost my mind.’

This really was the old Nigel - the one who valued her opinion. He was laughing, but she could tell he was serious.

‘I thought we were here because you were thinking of joining?’

‘That was plan A, but not anymore. I’m not sure I like the rest of the clientele.’

Was he referring to Adrian? He must be. They’d barely interacted with any of the other members. Go on, name it, Helen. See how he reacts. ‘Were you jealous of Adrian?’

‘No.’ He crossed his arms.

Too fast an answer, and his defensive body language gave the game away. He was jealous. Well, well, well. Perhaps Carrie was right after all.

Nigel changed the subject. ‘Given that our guests would have to drive fifteen minutes to get here, I think having some sort of indoor sports facility on site at the Grange will be more appealing.’

‘Unless they’re a golfer.’

‘I’m not about to build an entire 18-hole golf course. I think Mum might have something to say about digging bunkers in her back garden. Anyway, I hate golf, and I’m not too keen on the people who play it either.’

He’d never been a golf fan, probably because his father enjoyed it. Or it could just be another dig at Adrian. She filed that thought away for analysis later. ‘And you think Nancy would be fine with extra people visiting the Grange?’

‘The barn’s near the road. They wouldn’t have to come anywhere near the house and the garden. She’d barely notice.’

‘I sense you’ve put a lot of thought into this.’

He shrugged. ‘I might have been up late last night thinking it all through. Does it stack up as a realistic idea?’

Helen grinned at him. ‘Subject to seeing the figures, yes.’

He laughed. ‘I will absolutely be working out the figures. Thank you for listening. It’s good to have a friend I can bounce my ideas off.’

PART II

SPRING