She stopped bouncing, her smile widening even further. “It’s not my name!” she shrieked. “It’s how old I am.”
“Oh!” He grinned at her. “In that case, I’m twenty-two. And my name’s Kit.” He turned back to the woman and smiled.
“I’m Beth,” she said. “And the one with too much energy is Ellie.”
“Mummy, he thought my name was Five!” She howled with delight and hopped down from the couch to follow Kit to the kitchen. “Fixing drippy taps is a funny job.”
“It’s not really my job,” he told her. “It’s just what my mum told me to do today.” He flashed Beth a smile and set the toolbox beside the sink where the tap dripped into the stainless-steel basin.
“You’re Mirren’s son?” Beth asked and he nodded in reply.
“Mirren drove us from the airport,” Ellie told him, twirling on pointed toes beside his legs. “She’s a very nice lady.”
“She is,” he agreed. “She can also be a bit of a bossy boots.”
Ellie laughed and did another twirl. “What’s your real job?”
“That’s a lot of questions,” Beth said, resting her hip against the counter. “Maybe we should get out of Kit’s way and let him work.”
Ellie stopped her twirling. “I only wanted to know what his job is.”
“I drive a train,” Kit told her. His eyes landed on the selection of flyers on the kitchen island and he reached for the one advertising his train. “Here, that’s my train.”
“That’s you!” Ellie said, pointing at the image of him standing beside the train.
“It is. When the rain stops, you can come for a ride with me.”
“Can we, Mummy?”
“Yes.” She shot Kit a weary look. “If you could arrange for the rain to stop very soon, I’d appreciate it.”
“You’ve been pretty unlucky so far. This weather’s unusual for the time of year.”
“I honestly expected bright sunshine. I hear there’s a stunning view and a lovely beach outside the door, but I’m not sure I believe it.”
“The fog’s crazy,” he agreed. “But it’s not usually like this and it never lasts for more than a couple of days, so it’ll probably clear up tomorrow or the next day.”
“Have you seen the weather forecast for the week?”
“Yeah.” He winced. The bad weather was expected to continue. “But I choose not to believe it. No way it can rain for your entire holiday.”
“It’s not even the kind of rain we can go out and jump in puddles in. It’s painful to be outside.” She sighed. “Sorry. You didn’t come to listen to me complaining. The lack of adult interaction might be getting to me.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He looked down at Ellie, who had her hands clasped behind her back as she swung her hips. “So, Five … sorry, I meanEllie.How much do you know about fixing taps?”
“Nothing,” she said with bright eyes.
“That makes two of us.” He flashed Beth a look of mock panic. “That was a joke. I’ve actually watched a full three-minute YouTube video so I can’t imagine there’s anything I can’t handle.”
“Do you want a coffee?” she asked, amused.
“Yes, please.”
“Can I help you fix the tap?” Ellie asked.
“I was hoping you would.” He picked her up and set her on the counter. “Could you please take the tap apart …”
She let out a high-pitched giggle. “I don’t know how!”