Caitlin walked over and sat on her bed and Grace sat beside her. ‘What’s wrong, hen?’ she asked, tucking her daughter’s natural waves behind her ear.
Grace smiled. ‘Nothing. I just wanted you to know that… I mean… I heard you talking earlier… I wasn’t mooching. I just overheard when I came to get a drink.’
Caitlin narrowed her eyes, thinking back on some of the racy topics of conversation that had taken place. ‘Heard what, exactly?’
Grace chewed her lip for a moment. ‘What you said about getting a boyfriend.’
Caitlin quailed. ‘Ah. Right.’
Grace took her mum’s hand. ‘I just wanted you to know that it’s fine with me. I know you’ve not really dated since I was born, and that’s a long time, Mum. I’m almost thirteen. I think you deserve someone who will bring you flowers and take you to the cinema. Or someone who will go dancing with you or cook nice meals for you. And I don’t mean because you need someone. Because I know you don’t. You’re very… erm… independent. But I think it would be good if you had a nice man to go out with. So, I just wanted to tell you that, because I know you’ll be wondering if I’m okay with it. And now you know I am.’ She shrugged.
Caitlin’s eyes stung a little and she put her arms around her daughter and pulled her close. ‘Thank you, sweetheart. That means such a lot.’
Grace kissed her on the cheek. ‘So long as they’re a dog person. That’s my only rule. Oh, and… maybe someone who doesn’t smoke.’
Caitlin giggled. ‘Is that all?’
Grace pondered for a moment, her lips pursed, and her eyes scrunched. ‘I’ll get back to you if I think of anything else.’ She stood up and headed back to her own room.
Caitlin smiled and shook her head. ‘Okay, love. Sweet dreams.’
2
Caitlin awoke early on Saturday morning, as she always did. There were things to prepare for the bakery, bread to put into the industrial oven that had already proved, shortbread to bake fresh and a delivery at 8 a.m. to accept. She showered, dressed and opened her curtains, smiling as she looked onto the waking village below. One of the village’s elderly residents, Hamish Gair, was just walking back from the shop with his newspaper, whistling and smiling at passers-by. He was such a sweet old man. Evin was out with his huge, Hungarian Vizsla Chewie, followed by his dad, a half-asleep-looking Reid.
At around seven-thirty, Caitlin jogged upstairs and popped her head around Grace’s door to find her fast asleep with Cleo curled up beside her. Caitlin patted her leg and Cleo jumped off the bed to follow her downstairs and into the back garden. Once she was finished with her morning ritual, Cleo ran back through the house and up the stairs, no doubt to get comfy for another hour or so with Grace. It was clear Caitlin wasn’t going to be getting any help this morning.
* * *
The world was almost fully awake when her delivery of supplies arrived at eight and she waved over to Jules, who was leaving Morag’s shop with a bottle of milk. She approached the bakery with a wide smile.
‘I don’t suppose you’ve any bread yet, have you? Evin used the last of ours for toast at suppertime and forgot to mention it.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘I could’ve bought a shop loaf, but yours is so much better.’
‘Sure! Come on in. It’s still warm.’
The delivery driver handed her a clipboard for her to sign the delivery note and she gave him a couple of pieces of shortbread in a paper bag.
He tucked straight in. ‘And they wonder why I won’t change my route,’ he told her with a wink.
‘He seems nice,’ Jules said with a knowing smile when he’d left.
Caitlin shook her head. ‘Don’t even think about it. He’s married with three kids.’
Jules curled her lip. ‘Dammit.’
‘Here you go, one white bloomer.’
Jules lifted the wrapped loaf to her nose and inhaled. ‘Mm… yum.’ She handed over the money and Caitlin rang the first sale of the day through the cash register. ‘Thanks, honey. See you later!’ Jules said as she turned to walk to the door but stopped. ‘Ooh, are you all ready for your big night?’ she asked.
Caitlin huffed. ‘Hmm. Not really sure I should bother now. The more I think about it, the more I think I’m probably wasting my time. I mean, how many single men can there be on Skye who are my age and looking for romance, that I’ll actually want to spend time with?’
Jules scowled. ‘Don’t back out now! You never know who you’ll meet.’
Caitlin nodded. ‘Aye, maybe that’s the issue. Maybe you were right about weirdos and such.’
Jules narrowed her eyes. ‘Erm… I don’t remember saying anything about weirdos. I remember saying I was worried about you going alone.’
Caitlin rolled her eyes. ‘Okay, okay, I’ll go. I just don’t feel as excited about it today. I think it was the wine talking last night.’
