Juliette had sensed that Brid wasn’tthe onefor her brother but seeing how hurt he was initially over the split had really upset her. ‘I know. He didn’t deserve it. But I think he’s coping well now he’s got used to things.’ Juliette paused mid-fold and pursed her lips as she contemplated her brother’s situation. ‘Although, when I think about it, he did seem rathertooinsistent about coming to Skye tolook afterme, as he put it. Maybe he’snotcoping all that well.’ A niggle of guilt tugged at her insides when she realised she could have been paying more attention. After all, he had been her rock through Laurie’s illness and subsequent passing.
Millie grabbed a pair of jeans and began to help. ‘I should think he’s finding it very hard to move on, especially as he sees her at work every day. I don’t know why he doesn’t just get a job elsewhere.’
Her mechanic brother had relocated to the area after Juliette’s graduation and he had met Brid when she had accepted the receptionist position at the garage. ‘I agree. Butshe’sthe one who cheated, so maybesheshould bugger off somewhere else.’
Millie laughed lightly. ‘Good point. Anyway, have you got something comfy to travel in?’
Juliette held up a pair of trousers and a sweater. ‘Sorted.’
‘I still can’t believe you’re driving all the way to Skye. Can’t you fly or something?’
‘I’m actually looking forward to the drive. It’s part of the adventure and the Skye terrain is exactly whatWolfiewas created for.’ Jules had always adored her old four-wheel drive, even if it did guzzle fuel. The nickname, whilst she was never sure how it happened, had stuck since she bought the vehicle with the money her parents gave her after university. Thanks to Dexter, a mechanic and lover of all things rusty and oily, it was almost a new car due to all the parts he’d changed.
Millie grinned. ‘So, how long will it take you to get there?’
‘It’s over twelve hours, so I’m stopping off at Gretna to break up the journey.’
Millie placed her hand over her heart. ‘Oh, honey, didn’t Laurie always want to visit there?’
Unable to speak, Juliette nodded.
‘Well, I’m sure he’ll be with you in spirit,’ Millie said and grappled her into another hug.
Laurie’s death had followed a year-long illness in which Juliette had watched him become weak and frail; the complete antithesis of the strong, handsome English Professor she had fallen in love with. Before they officially met, she’d had to be satisfied with secret glimpses of him as he came into the university library to take out books for a paper he was writing on the literary greats. He was incredibly handsome in a classic way: tall, dark hair, chiselled jaw, glasses, and broad shoulders.
The day they officially met everything changed. It was like something out of a romantic comedy movie and she loved to replay it in her mind and imagine some beautiful soundtrack playing in the background. From that ridiculously embarrassing first meeting, they struck up a friendship. They would visit a local coffee shop and share their love of books. He would advise on the best classic titles to read, depending on what Jules was in the mood for, and as a qualified librarian with a penchant for finding new authors, Juliette would share her love of modern literature, from the captivating story of loss in Donna Tartt’sThe Goldfinchto the mystery and scenery of Ann Cleeves’ Shetland series. Her tastes varied, but the more gripping, the better the ride, she insisted.
Despite her feelings for him she never expected they would fall in love. Especially considering there was a definite indentation where a wedding ring had once sat. But their friendship grew and before long there were little signs that this was no longer just platonic. Laurie would find excuses to touch her: an eyelash on her cheek, a hair across her face. She would catch him watching her with a serene smile curling his perfectly shaped lips.
Over time, Juliette discovered that Laurie was thirty-six – a mere ten years her senior – and was divorced. His dedication to putting in many extra hours at work had allegedly caused a rift between him and his ex-wife, but he promised he had made changes and learned from that mistake. He was a gentleman, a passionate and kind man. He encapsulated everything Juliette could’ve ever dreamed of and he made her so happy.
Fast-forward eight years and their short but perfect relationship was in the past: six years together, three of which were spent blissfully happy as a married couple, and then a painful two years since, without him.
Juliette had been a widow for a whole twenty-four months, three days and eight hours and, following her recovery from an almost crippling fight with depression, she had vowed never to let herself fall so low again. This trip was to be part of that vow, not least because, lately, she had felt like a stranger in the pretty little village of Mistford that she and Laurie had called home.
Oh, how she had loved it when she was newly wed, with her whole life ahead of her. And how cruel it seemed now to be living that life without the man she loved. Her stone cottage had lost its warmth. The heart had been ripped out of it, along with her own, and she longed to revive both but knew that without Laurie it would be nigh on impossible.
She needed a change of scenery; a different kind of fresh air; a new location to recharge her batteries and help her to decide what she wanted to do with the rest of her life now that Laurie wasn’t in it. She was too young to settle for the loneliness that had been weighing her down. Through counselling, she had discovered that thirty-four was no age to give up on life and she was determined now not to do any such thing.
Laurie had insisted as much when he was seriously ill. ‘Promise me, Jules,’ he had whispered breathlessly. ‘Promise me that you’ll do something you love when I’m gone. Something that makes you smile. You have such a beautiful smile. Don’t waste your life grieving and missing me. Go out andlive. Fall in love again. You have so much love to give. Don’t waste it. Learn to throw caution to the wind. Learn to fall like you did on that day in the library.’ His eyes had shone. ‘Promise me.’
She had chewed the inside of her cheek to abate the threatening tears and had replied, ‘I promise, Laurie. I promise.’ At the time, she hadn’t meant it. How could she even consider life without him? Let alone plan a future.
So, despite her promise, her future had been put on hold as she fought to come to terms with her loss. But now…nowwas different. Now she was stronger. Notstrong. But she was at the stage where she could smile through her tears when she remembered his whacky proposal in the middle of the boating lake at Mistford Park. Or when she closed her eyes and imagined waking up to find him smiling down at her, ready to take her into his arms.
She had realised she needed to escape. To find her place in the world again. And something deep inside told her that Skye was the key.
4
As Dexter loaded the final piece of her luggage into the back of the car, Juliette hugged Millie tightly. She felt sure her friend would feel her pounding heart drumming at her ribs as she held her. ‘I’ll message as soon as I get to my first stop, okay?’
Millie clung to her. ‘You do realise you’re doing that creepy smile, like some kind of mad scientist who has made a dastardly discovery, don’t you?’
Juliette pursed her lips and tried to eradicatethe smile,but it was no use. ‘I can’t help it. I’m excited. And are you saying happiness looks creepy on me?’ she said with a scowl.
Millie smirked. ‘Just look in the mirror, chick. It’s there. And I have to say it’s wonderful to see. Creepy but wonderful.’ Her smile faded. ‘Where are you stopping first?’
Juliette rolled her eyes. ‘I’ll contact you when I take a break at Preston, okay? Then again when I get to Gretna.’
