As they sat eating the cheese and bread, it got darker and more and more stars winked into existence above them. The fire popped and hissed, Logan poured a couple of glasses of wine, and Cally wrapped one of the blankets over her shoulders.
The darker and later it got, the more stars came out. Cally sat with her head up looking at the sky. ‘Incredible. The starsin Lovely aren’t too shabby, but these are something else on another level.'
'I think there’s more light pollution down where we are. That's one of the things I love about coming up here – you can see the night sky in all its glory.’
Cally got lost in the sky, the air, the scenery, and the twinkles. ‘When I first came to Lovely, I never imagined I'd end up here stargazing in Scotland with you. Weird.'
Logan chuckled. 'Funny old world, eh?’
Cally nodded. 'When my grandma passed away, I was so focused on surviving I didn’t know what was what. I was just getting by day to day. I never really let myself think about the future and now I’m here.'
'You most certainly are and I love it and you.’ Logan smiled.
‘Things feel different now. I feel like my eyes have been opened. Before I was so bound up with caring, there wasn’t any time for anything else. God, I was so sheltered and unworldly. Do you know what I mean?’ Cally asked even though she was fairly sure Logan had no clue what she really meant deep down. He was far from unworldly.
‘Yeah. You’re different even from when we first met.’
‘Am I? How?’
‘I don’t know.’ Logan shrugged. ‘Lighter.’
Cally sighed and looked up. It was a good way to put it. He wasn’t wrong. ‘There’s so much to explore up here. It makes me realise how little I’ve seen of the world. This island we’re on alone…’
'We'll do it all if you want to. Whatever you want.'
‘That’s the thing. I don’t reallywantto do that much. I was chatting to Morag about it. Things like this are just amazing to me. I don’t need to go gallivanting all over the place.’
‘That’s why I love you.’ Logan winked. ‘Easy to please.’
‘Right back at you. You don’t want to jet off like Alastair and Octavia?’
‘Nah, not really. I mean I wouldn't mind a few weeks in the sun if someone offered it to me on a plate.’
‘True.’
‘It’s been great up here, hasn't it? Really good to get away.’
Cally nodded. ‘Definitely.’
‘What’s been your best bit?’
‘Hard to choose. The pub night was fun. I think I’ve got a long way to go before I love whisky, that I do now know. I think my favourite part has been just being here, on the estate. I’ve really loved the walks and all the nature.'
Logan chuckled. ‘Not the fancy dinner? You didn't love that?’
Cally widened her eyes. ‘It was a lot better than I thought it was going to be.’
‘Good. I know my family can be a lot sometimes.'
Cally laughed. 'They can. They've been so welcoming, actually when you think about it. I mean, really what more could I ask for?'
'Even Aunt Agatha?' Logan teased.
‘Give me strength.’
‘I did warn you.’
‘You certainly did.’ Cally’s eyes widened as a shooting star streaked across the sky. 'Oh! Did you see that?'
