Chapter 12 Twelve

Isabelle walked into the kitchen to the sight of Jacob standing over an overturned recycling bin, with several shattered beer bottles at his feet. He had a broom in one hand and a dustpan in the other, still as he looked at the mess he had made.

When Isabelle appeared, he looked from the mess to her and then back again. “I…uh…” he began, then went to rub the back of his neck, but realised that was impossible with the dustpan in his hand. So he dropped his hand and shrugged.

Isabelle was relieved that he didn’t seem to have hurt himself. But she couldn’t help but be amused at how he looked standing there looking at the mess he had made as if not sure how it had happened.

He cleared his throat and looked at her. “I was sweeping and then…I hit the bin.”

Yeah, she had guessed as much. Stepping forward, she reached for his broom. “Let me clean it up.”

“No,” he said, stepping back. “Careful,” he added, looking down at the shattered glass. “Don’t step on them.”

Isabelle stepped back from the