Juliette blew out air from puffed cheeks. ‘Wow… I suppose there’s no wonder he’s so distant sometimes.’ Thoughts of the poor boy caught in the middle of it all tugged at her heart and she couldn’t understand any mother abandoning her child. For someone who desperately wanted to be a parent, it seemed so cruel and unfair. She knew she could never do such a thing and that Evin deserved a mother who put him first, as did all children. She shook her head to dislodge the sadness creeping in. ‘So, she used to run the café?’
It was a rhetorical question, but Morag rolled her eyes. ‘Aye. These days he has Leanna for that. She’s lived here forever. They grew up together and were very close when they were younger. But then he went off to England to follow Kate, and Leanna was broken-hearted. She married Donny eventually, but she still holds a candle for Reid. She just gave up and married the first man who doted on her. I guess you could say she settled for second best. It’s a sad state of affairs, if you pardon the pun.’
It certainly explained a lot and confirmed Caitlin’s thoughts too. ‘Does Reid know how Leanna feels about him?’
Morag sighed. ‘To be quite honest, hen, I don’t think he’d know someone fancied him if they danced a naked jig on his doorstep.’
Juliette giggled at the imagery. ‘Surely, he’s notthatdense.’
‘No, he’s not dense. Just oblivious. Although, I reckon it’s self-inflicted ignorance. I think he’s trained his sel’ not to acknowledge the attentions of the fairer sex. Coping mechanism.’ She shrugged.
Juliette felt a twinge of pity for the poor man. ‘He must live an extremely lonely life if he treats all women as if they’re a potential hazard.’
‘Notallwomen. Just young, attractive ones. He daren’t say a wrong word to me.’ She laughed heartily. ‘And he seems to think he doesn’t need anyone but Evin. He has his brother too. He’s a TV personality and lives on the mainland near Glasgow. Kendric is quite the opposite of Reid. Outgoing, friendly, sweet. Single too, for some strange reason. Their mother passed away, as I said, and their father is in a residential care home across the bridge. Dementia, poor wee soul.’
Juliette let the new information sink in. ‘It’s strange really, Reid and I have a little in common. We’ve both suffered loss. Although, my husband didn’t run away with someone…’
Morag tilted her head. ‘So, thereareother reasons for you being here? I’d guessed as much. I have a sixth sense for these things,’ she said with a sad smile.
Juliette lowered her gaze. ‘You got me. I’m not running away though. Not as such.’
‘You’ll get no judgement from me, hen. And you don’t have to tell me a thing. Although… sometimes it helps to tell someone who isn’t directly involved.’
Juliette sighed and stared at her mug. ‘It’s quite a long story, so I’ll give you the concise version. My lovely husband, Laurie, passed away two years ago, and I feel like people back home still don’t know how to treat me even after all this time. To be honest, I’m sick of people looking at me with pity in their eyes. I know they mean well but… I wanted a chance to get away and, I suppose, to prove to them all that I’m fine. That they don’t have to constantly check up on me. I’m devastated, obviously, but we had time, Laurie and I, to deal with things, to talk things through and I promised him that I’d live my life to the fullest. I didn’t really fulfil that promise to begin with. I struggled with depression after his death, you see, but I finally feel like I’m ready to start living again.’ Juliette suddenly felt exhausted from her outpouring. This was the first time she’d really told anyone how she felt, and whilst it was cathartic, she also felt her energy drain away.
Morag sat in silence, listening to Juliette tell her story, and when she had finished and handed over a mug of steaming, fresh coffee, her new friend smiled and shook her head. ‘My goodness. It’s like listening to myself twenty-five years ago.’
‘Really?’ Juliette asked.
‘Aye. My first husband, Duncan, he passed away when I was forty. The kids were at high school. Everyone thought I was going to fall apart and, truth be told, I almost did. But I was determined to carry on. It was what he would’ve wanted. Duncan was a wonderful man.’ Her eyes shone with fondness. ‘The best father. I think at first I was too worried I’d not be able to cope but… you find the strength. You carry on. You have to.’ She shrugged.
Juliette reached out and placed her hand on Morag’s arm. ‘I’m so sorry to hear about Duncan,’ she whispered, finding her own grief bubbling to the surface.
Morag placed a hand on top of Juliette’s. ‘And I’m sorry about Laurie, hen.’ She reached and took a sip of her coffee. ‘So, you’ve no weans?’
Juliette smiled at her accent. ‘Children? Sadly no. We were planning to, but… it never happened.’
‘Och, I’m sorry, lass. That’s a shame.’
A lump tightened Juliette’s throat and her vision blurred. ‘It is. He would’ve made such a brilliant dad. He was great fun, and so intelligent. To see him holding his own newborn baby would’ve been a dream come true, but… Ugh, sorry, I didn’t mean to get all weepy.’ She dabbed at the escaped tears as they trickled down her cheeks.
Morag reached across the table. ‘Never apologise for feeling, hen. The older I’ve got, the more I’ve realised that what other people think istheirissue. And if someone judges you for missing your man… well, they’re not worth a second’s thought. And we’re not all crabbit folk around here, I promise. Some of us have a great sense of humour.’
Juliette smiled. ‘Don’t worry, I can certainly tell that’s true. Well, I should be going. I have a museum to open in the morning.’ She stood to leave. ‘Thank you for your hospitality.’
Morag stood and walked her to the door and Kenneth shouted goodbye as they passed the living room. Once Morag had hugged her goodbye, she told her, ‘Just try not to pay any mind to Reid. He’s not intentionally obtuse. Not really. I just think he’s very misunderstood.’
‘Thank you. I’ll bear that in mind.’
‘Now, have another good day tomorrow. And shout if you need anything.’ She reached out and placed her hand on Juliette’s arm. ‘And… I know we don’t know each other all that well just yet, but… I really hope you find peace of mind here after all you’ve been through.’
Juliette smiled. ‘That’s very kind of you. Thank you.’
‘Oh, and I forgot to mention that you’ll be here for the village games. You can close the museum for the day and attend. That’s what usually happens.’
‘Ooh, village games, yes, I saw the banner. What’s that all about then?’
‘It’s away round on the church field. There’s caber tossing, Highland dancing, stalls and a talent show, to name but a few things. It’s good craic. Lots of giggles. Caitlin and the staff from Reid’s café run the refreshments in the main marquee. You might even see Reid MacKinnon smile.’ She nudged her lightly. ‘Although don’t hold your breath, eh?’
