The interior is just as stunning as the exterior—high ceilings, exposed beams, and a blend of classic architecture with modern furnishings. The place somehow manages to feel both luxurious and lived in. I love this place.
Jasper leads us through a massive open-plan living room and into an even more impressive kitchen. It’s sleek but warm, with a ridiculous farmhouse-style table, hanging copper pots, and one of those professional-grade ovens that look like they belong in a Michelin-starred restaurant.
“Help yourselves to anything,” he says, motioning to the kitchen. “Food, drinks, whatever you need.”
Before I can argue, Lucy tugs at my sleeve. “Ivy! Guess what?”
“What?”
She bounces on her feet. “You can swim in the pool!”
I blink. “The—wait, what?”
Jasper chuckles. “Hot tub, technically. It’s next to the patio.” His grin turns sheepish as he points through the open French doors that lead from the kitchen to the garden. “That’s actually how this whole thing happened. I was getting it ready, slipped on the decking, and—” he tries to lift his bad arm slightly, wincing. “Gravity won.”
Christa and I exchange a look.
“I mean,” she says, “if the hot tub is already set up…”
“Christa!” I laugh.
She shrugs. “What? We did pack towels.”
And honestly… she has a point. The thought of sinking into warm bubbling water, letting all the stress of the week melt away, is extremely tempting. I glance at Lucy, who is practically vibrating with excitement, and start to think that maybe this isn’t such a terrible idea.
But before I can voice it, Christa claps her hands together. “Right. Jasper, hop along. I’m taking you to the hospital.”
Jasper blinks. “Wait, what?”
“You heard me,” she says, already grabbing her car keys. “No offence, but you look like you’re dying inside, and I am not about to let you sit here trying to pretend you’re fine.”
He lets out a dry chuckle. “I appreciate the concern, but I can call a taxi.”
Christa narrows her eyes. “And wait for one to actually show up out here in Little Piddleborrow or whatever this place is called? No. We’re going now.”
Jasper looks between us, clearly trying to find an escape route. “I really don’t—”
“Jasper,” she interrupts, her voice taking on that firm, no-nonsense tone she usually reserves for unhelpful contractors. “Out. Now.”
He stares at her for a moment, then sighs heavily. “You’re terrifying.”
She smirks. “I know.”
With one last look at me, Jasper shakes his head in defeat and heads toward the door. Christa follows, all but herding him outside like a stubborn sheepdog.
“Be good, you two!” she calls over her shoulder.
The front door swings shut, leaving just me and Lucy standing in the obnoxiously nice kitchen.
We look at each other and giggle.
Lucy dashes toward the stairs. “Pool! Pool! Pool!” she chants as she scurries up, her little feet thudding against the polished wood.
I follow behind, a little slower but definitely notnotlooking forward to sinking into warm water and pretending for at least an hour that my life is not mild chaos.
I reach the top of the landing and find Lucy in a room that looks like a guest bedroom. She is kneeling over a small backpack. Eventually she pulls a pink bathing suit from it and spins on the spot, throwing her arms in the air. “I’m so ready for the pool!”
I rub a hand over my face, suppressing a laugh. “Lu, it’s not a pool, it’s a hot tub.”
