Page 22 of In at the Deep End

Matt glanced between them. “Am I allowed to take sides?”

“No,” they said in unison.

There was a beat before Matt burst out laughing.

Callum chuckled. “Come on. I’ll show you what Mum’s been doing out back. She’s proud of it.” He smirked. “Dad tried to kill it when I was a kid, but Mum says she worked a few miracles.”

Owen rolled his eyes. “Okay. Enough with the jokes about my lack of a green thumb. I won’t deny I’m useless around plant life, but I am doing something about it, aren’t I?”

Matt’s expression softened. “No more jokes, I promise. And you’re right. You are doing something about it.”

“This way.” Callum dropped his bag to the ground, then led Matt around to the side path.

Cyn stood aside. “Have you got time for a coffee?”

“Always.” He picked up Callum’s bag with a sigh, stepped inside, and headed for the kitchen. It was a sunny room done in pale yellow with white cabinets that reflected the light. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee permeated the air.

Cyn went over to the worktop, grabbed a mug, and filled it. She handed it to Owen. “So how does Jeff’s son end up working for you?”

“Jeff was my first visitor. He turned up with a casserole. When I saw who he was, I nearly fell through the floor.” He put the bag on a chair.

“I can’t get over that part. Jeff and Babs are your neighbours? God, the odds must be astronomical. Make sure you buy a Lottery ticket tomorrow.” She cocked her head. “Have they changed much?”

“I haven’t seen Babs yet, only Jeff. And no, he hasn’t, not much. By the way, when you finally come to see the house, expect a dinner invitation.”

She beamed. “I can’t wait. Okay, back to Matt. Is this what he does for a living?”

“No. He’s finishing work on his dissertation for a master’s in Film and Television. He’s already got a bachelor’s in History. But Jeff recommended him, so I invited him over for a chat. And once we got talking, I knew I had to have him.”

She bit her lip. “You might want to rethink that last statement.”

Owen rolled his eyes again. “Behave. He’s twenty-five.”

Cyn cocked her head to one side. “So you found someone who actually knows what they’re doing.”

He blinked. “Is that so surprising?”

“Only because you usually insist on doing everything yourself.” She flashed him a quick smile. “I think this will work out.”

“How can you know that based on a few sentences?”

“Oh, I’m not referring to Matt—I’m talking about you.”

He frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“Do you know what struck me? You laughed. You teased him, you let him tease you back, and you were smiling without even realising you were doing it.” She drank her coffee. “I haven’t seen that in a long time.” She paused. “Not since Ben.”

Owen searched for a rebuttal. None came.

The trouble was he couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed that easily either.

The back door opened, and Matt and Callum walked in.

“I love what you’ve done out there,” Matt said with a smile.

“Thank you. And now I can’t wait to see what you do with Owen’s.”

“It’s already a lovely garden,” Matt told her. “But right now it still feels like it belongs to the people who lived there before. We’re trying to make it feel like Owen’s.”