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“Howto throb It was clear that even though he could s in his company, across different ti a house for sale were beyond him

She gave a s does it take to buy some fabric and some vases?” There was a twinkle in her eyes that he knew he deserved

He couldn’t help but sns for every roo of the kitchen and some of the bathrooms, decided what pieces to keep and which to refurbish, all without any help He held up his hands “Okay, you got me I didn’t really knohat it was that you did”

“But you hired me for a quarter of a million dollars anyway?”

He didn’t quite kno to respond to that, but Phoebe was already off again, talking to the assistant “Is this the way to the leather?”

An hour later Matteo had seen, touched and smelt more varieties of leather than he’d ever really known existed and, even though he had no experience, it felt as if Phoebe had chosen well She was still talking though “I have a van parked outside Can I get everything transferred into that?” she asked the assistant

Matteo interrupted “You brought a van? You’re not getting everything delivered?”

She shook her head “Why would I do that? I want to take everything back to the house et the drapes and furnishings made up The leather will be delivered direct to the upholsterer, and tomorrow the chairs and sofas will be taken to his workshop so his teaet started”

Matteo pulled his credit card froe But no more than he’d really expected The whole inside of the house needed a facelift, and he knew it

Phoebe was still chattering away She was very self-effacing but also extres done And she’d certainly moved with speed

So around It had to be the house It had been so long since he’d actually been there, that it was only natural returning would be unsettling But that didn’t explain why he couldn’t seeht pink coat, with the mad curls and coffee-tinted skin

She bent down and talked to a toddler in a stroller while the er around the little one’s pal o’ Roses”

All of the women he’d been involved with spent their lives dressed in suits and for jeans, boots and a pale blue jumper under her coat He liked her like that