When they headed out into the village for their walk, the sky was overcast. Caitlin couldn’t help her eyes drifting towards Archie’s house, but there was no movement. They wandered up to the Skye Bridge and admired the view looking out across the Inner Sound where the horizon of grey met the sea. On a clear day, you could see Raasay and beyond, but today it was a little hazy. It was days like this that Kyle Lighthouse, visible beneath them on Eilean Bàn, would’ve come into its own; these days it was more of a day mark, however, since being decommissioned in the nineties.
The wind had picked up now and was blowing Cleo’s ears back. She looked so cute standing there with her head up, eyes closed and tongue out as if tasting the salt in the air. A chill ran through Caitlin as they turned around to make their way home again.
As they reached the inlet, a cursory glance towards Archie’s gave her a view she didn’t want to see. The blonde woman was back again. A taxi had just dropped her off and she was being greeted at the door by Archie. She handed him a bottle of wine and they hugged again. Caitlin’s stomach knotted.Okay, so I did the right thing in stopping the kiss, she told herself. Still, Archie’s behaviour seemed out of character. He didn’t seem the type to have two women on the go at once, nor to attempt to do so. Good thing she’d held fast to her reserve even if she was still a little regretful of doing so.You can’t help what your heart wants, she told herself.
* * *
Monday was quiet. The weather was overcast again and there was a chill to the air, the kind of which usually indicated summer was waning. It was, however, only the start of August and Kenneth and Father McAllen were reattaching the Highland Games banner to the posts outside the new village hall after the rope had snapped at one end in the wind. It appeared to be a fight on account of the breeze, and it was flapping around like a yacht sail in a squall. Luckily for them, Dexter turned up to help. The games were to take place a week later than normal due to an oversight with a village hall booking, but preparations were well under way.
The year had flown and so much had happened, but Caitlin couldn’t help feeling a little sad. At the start of summer, she had been full of excited anticipation at what may come of her search for love. Now, however, she’d realised who she wanted but her wishes wouldn’t be granted.
She had seen Archie that morning when she was putting out her A-frame by the Coxswain pub, but he had either seen her and avoided her or he had simply not seen her. She hoped it was the latter. He was walking Bowie, but Sophie was nowhere to be seen. Did this mean the blonde had stayed over? Her stomach lurched at the thought.
At lunchtime, Jules popped over from the Lifeboat House Museum for a piece of shortbread.
‘Phew! It’s a busy one today. There’s been hardly any visitors, but that’s meant I can get some proper cleaning done. I almost forgot to take a lunch break. Hamish Gair found some more old photos of his wedding day, bless him, so he brought them in to add to his display case. He still visits regularly, you know.’
Caitlin’s heart squeezed. That was true love for you. Hamish had lost his wife many, many years ago but still adored her and had never really got over her passing. He had donated wedding photos of their special day, and his wife’s pretty, lace veil and had continued to visit the museum regularly to reminisce. ‘Such a sweet old guy.’
‘He is. He was the only visitor I had today until around half-eleven. Where have all the tourists gone?’ Jules asked with a laugh.
‘I know. Quiet here too. Trouble is that gives me too much thinking time.’ Caitlin was thinking out loud really.
‘Ah, how was the camping?’ she asked with intrigue.
‘Disastrous,’ Caitlin admitted with a furrow in her brow.
‘Oh, honey. Was it that bad?’
Caitlin sighed deeply as she once again recalled that kiss. ‘Yup. He hasn’t spoken to me since.’
‘Shit, what happened?’
With a glance around to make sure no one was about to come in, she said, ‘We kissed.’
Jules gasped. ‘Wow! But that’s something you wanted, isn’t it?’
Caitlin shrugged, feeling the weight of it all pressing her down. ‘I did, but… I stopped him. After seeing him with that blonde woman, I couldn’t let him kiss me. It felt wrong. I’d hate to be the woman on the receiving end of that kind of behaviour. And it turns out I was right to stop him because I’ve seen her there again. She turned up with a bottle of wine looking all perfect last night, and this morning he was out walking Bowie without Sophie.’
Jules tilted her head. ‘And?’
‘Well, think about it. It means the blonde must have stayed over. He would never go out and leave Sophie alone.’
Jules’ eyes widened. ‘Oh.’
‘Hmm. I was feeling guilty about stopping things so abruptly and for rushing off yesterday morning, but then seeing her there again…’
‘But what if she’s just a friend? What if he really does want you?’
‘I know what you’re trying to do, Jules, and I’m grateful, honestly, but I saw how close they were. And I’m not going to play second fiddle. Nor am I going to be the other woman. It’s just not who I am.’
Jules nodded. ‘Yes, I totally understand, and I’m gutted for you.’
‘I’m gutted for me too. Now I just have to work on getting past this so I can still have Archie in my life. The last thing I want is to lose his friendship.’
Jules paused for a moment as if deep in thought. ‘For what it’s worth, I still think you should just talk to him.’
‘I can’t, Jules. I wouldn’t know what to say.’
