Page 7 of Amazing Grace

‘Well, that’s the best offer I’ve had for a long time.’ Vinnie laughed and his whole face lit up, eyes sparkling. They were the most amazing, piercing, intense blue that seemed to look right through her to her innermost secrets.Crikey, Grace thought to herself. She hoped hedidn’tknow what she was thinking…

Becks came to investigate who was at the door and Vinnie bent down to stroke him. ‘Hey there, fella, you’re a beauty, aren’t you?’

Becks looked as if he was glowing with his compliment and stuck by Vinnie’s side, following him down the side path into the back garden as if he’d known him forever.

As she walked him into the garden, Grace took the opportunity to check out Vinnie. He was around six foot two and broad, with lean long legs that ended in a rather muscly yet perfectly shaped bum. His hair was dark with a few grey streaks around the ears. He was wearing a royal-blue polo shirt with the company logo, jeans and boots. As they reached the bottom of the garden, he leant over the fence and his t-shirt rode up his back, giving her a glimpse of an Armani waistband. She was just pondering over whether he wore boxers or briefs when he turned round and caught her staring at his backside. She quickly averted her eyes.

Blushing again, she pointed out one of the trees that really needed cutting back, and as he reached up to grab an overhanging branch, the front of his t-shirt rode up, displaying the most ripped six-pack she’d ever seen on a man that wasn’t in an advert. Her breath caught in her throat as their eyes met.

‘Yoo-hoo!’ Belinda from next door stuck her head over the fence, breaking the moment. ‘Hello, favourite neighbour,’ she beamed.

Grace let out a breath that she hadn’t realised she’d been holding in. ‘Hey, lovely, how are you?’

‘I’m good, darling, thank you, are you? Andwhois this gorgeous young man you’re hiding away at the bottom of your garden?’

‘Vinnie, this is Belinda. Belinda, this is Vinnie. He’s come to have a look at my bush.’ Grace blushed as red as a beetroot. She’d done it again.

‘Mmm, interesting.’ Belinda’s eyebrows rose. She was clearly trying not to laugh, but Grace could see her shoulders were shaking and her eyes twinkling more than normal. Grace breathed in a few times and tried very hard to control herself, not wanting to make Vinnie feel uncomfortable. But an uncontrollable laughing fit took over and she found herself giggling helplessly.

Once Belinda and Grace had pulled themselves together, she explained to Vinnie, who had turned away to take some photographs, that the trees were shutting a lot of light out of the garden and that she had to chase round the last bit of sunshine towards the end of the day through the summer.

Belinda nodded. ‘It’s a shame for poor Archie when he’s out playing, isn’t it, love?’

‘Archie is my ten-year-old son,’ Grace explained.

Vinnie slipped his phone back into his pocket. ‘Ah, I did wonder, what with the football goal and three hundred footballs by the patio doors. Although I suppose you might have been trying out for the England ladies’ team.’ He chuckled. ‘Well, we can’t have Archie playing football in the dark now, can we? We’ll try to get a bit more light sorted out for him then.’

They chatted about the landscaping for five minutes or so and Vinnie took more photos on his phone of the trees that needed attention. Then he turned round and snapped one of her too. ‘Just so that when I pass on the photos, the guys who come out know who to ask to make them a cuppa.’ He grinned.

Belinda’s eyebrows rose and she winked at Grace behind Vinnie’s back. Grace smiled. She had been truly blessed the day she moved into the house next door to Belinda and Bill. All she ever heard from their home was laughter. After many years of marriage, this wonderful couple were still the best of friends and madly in love with each other. It was a delight to see and gave her hope in love and marriage. They looked out for Grace and Archie, and Grace looked out for them. In fact, they were more like family than neighbours. They loved helping out with Archie, seeing him as a surrogate grandson who they could make a real fuss over. They looked after him sometimes when Grace had to work in the evening, and Belinda sometimes picked him up from school in an emergency. And Bill even gave in to Archie’s demands to play football with him from time to time until he needed to have a sit down and get his breath back. It was good for Grace to have someone to support her, without her mum around. Her dad was not really well enough to look after Archie. She didn’t know what she’d do without her fabulous neighbours.

Vinnie rubbed his hands together. ‘Right then, I’d better be off. I have the pleasure of going out on a stag night with my mates tonight, for my sins. God help me! I’d better go and make myself look respectable.’

He looked more than respectable to Grace. Since she’d split up with Mark, she didn’t think she’d actually come across anyone that she even marginally fancied, yet here was a man that she couldn’t take her eyes off. It was a shame that he’d now walk out of her life and she’d probably never see him again. Vinnie said his goodbyes to Belinda and walked up the side path to the front of Grace’s house. A ping from his phone signalled a text message, and a frown crossed his brow when he looked down at the screen. However, it quickly disappeared as he turned to say goodbye.

‘It’s been really lovely to meet you, Grace. Thanks so much for letting me pop in on the spur of the moment. Perhaps I’d better arrange to come back and make sure my team are doing a good job. You never know, I might get a cup of tea and a Hobnob next time?’ They grinned at each other and their eyes held just a second longer than they needed to. ‘You’d better give me your number again… erm, if that’s OK, of course, and I’ll plan a date in the diary when the boys can come and get the work done and we’ll get you some sunshine back into your life.’

Grace smiled, as she realised that he’d already done that. ‘Thanks, Vinnie, that would be great.’

She waved as he drove off in his four-wheel-drive truck. Turning towards the house with a stupid goofy grin on her face, like a teenager with her first crush, she literally bumped into Bill. Laughing, she said ‘Hello’ and gave him a quick hug before heading into the house.

Bill always made Grace laugh, particularly his ongoing feud with the local wildlife. Their side paths ran parallel and she often heard Bill yelling, followed by the sight of the top end of a broom above the fence. She took no notice now, but the first time she’d seen it, she’d wondered what the hell was going on. All she could see was Bill yelling and running up and down the path trying to shoo something up high with the broom. ‘Bloody shitting bastards!’ were the only words she could make out. She had gone over to speak with him and as they’d started to chat, he had suddenly broken off to yell into the sky: ‘Look at ’em, up there. They wait for me to jet wash the path then they shit all over it! Beady-eyed sneaky little bastards!’

Looking up, Grace had seen three pigeons sitting on the aerial of her neighbour’s house. As they stared, there was a swooshing noise followed swiftly by a sound similar to that of an egg splatting, and she realised that one had pooped, missing Bill by mere millimetres. She had tried very hard to keep a straight face and muttered how naughty it was of them. Making a swift exit, Grace had closed her back door and couldn’t help but giggle. It was at times like that she wished she had someone to share a right good laugh with.

As she closed the door, her phone pinged to say she had a text from Belinda.

Phwoar, he was a bit of all right! Get in there! I’m going to christen him ‘fit bloke’.

Grace laughed out loud and texted back:

Not every day you get a hotty like that turn up on your doorstep. Must have been my lucky day!

Normally on a Saturday afternoon, she’d be in her dog-walking clothes with not a bit of make-up on and her hair in a ponytail. Thank God for Monica right now, as on this particular Saturday she had been dolled up and looking really rather fabulous when the hot gardener arrived. Perhaps Lady Luck was on her side for a change!

She looked at her watch and saw that she had time for a quick cuppa before the big night out that Monica had planned. While the kettle boiled, she looked out of the kitchen window at the garden and realised that there was an awful lot of work to do, not just getting the trees cut back. She dismissed the thought that more work in the garden might mean more chances to meet the hot gardener, and laughed at herself.

Grace opened up the French doors and took her tea out to the garden, sitting on the cast-iron bench on a patio that had seen better days. Daffodils and snowdrops were starting to appear through the borders. Spring was her favourite time of year; crisp but bright mornings signified the start of a promising new season, and the days getting longer made her feel so much brighter. She thanked her lucky stars for this beautiful house that she now lived in.

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