He put his hands together in his lap, his face suddenly serious. ‘You do realise, though, that the lease stipulates you would need to spend at least thirty consecutive days and nights at the property? It certainly won’t be valid unless that clause is fulfilled.’
Nessa nodded. ‘Yes, I saw that bit.’
‘And I doubt the cottage would be an appropriate environment for a child.’
‘It’s definitely not. But I expect Lily could stay with Valerie. I’m sure she’d love having her granddaughter to stay for a month. They have a close relationship.’
‘That’s good.’ Jackson’s bushy eyebrows knitted into a frown. ‘I presume you’ve lost your job now that Shelley’s has closed down?’
‘That’s right. I’m looking for something else that fits in with Lily’s school hours.’
‘Which must be tricky with the school summer holidays fast approaching.’ Jackson made a ‘tsk’ sound between his teeth. ‘Troubles tend to come together, don’t they? Well, I wish you good luck with your job search.’
‘Thank you. I appreciate that.’
Jackson puffed out his florid cheeks. ‘I was so sorry to see Mr Scaglin’s shop close. The village isn’t the same without a decent hardware store. There’s almost nothing else that’s practically useful for local people in Heaven’s Cove. It’s all gift shops and ice-cream parlours and over-priced clothing boutiques. Do you know what’s happening to the building? The last time I peeked inside, the place still needed a final clear-out.’
‘Most of the stock’s been sold off but there are a few odds and ends left that Mr Scaglin has to sort out. As for the building? I expect it’ll be turned into another gift shop.’
Jackson gave a mock shudder. ‘Probably. More tat and trinkets for tourists. Ah, well. That’s a cross we bear for living in such a beautiful place.’
There was a lull in the conversation when he stared out of the window, and Nessa got to her feet. She’d already taken up too much of this man’s time.
‘I’ll head off and leave you in peace,’ she told him. ‘But thank you so much for seeing me on a Saturday morning and for giving me your opinion.’
Jackson waved his hand. ‘You’re welcome. You’ve brightened up my rather boring day, and I wish you the very best of luck with your endeavours.’