He shrugged. “We’re a community. We all do what we can for each other.”
It wasn’t like that in the city. Her mum’s neighbours were fine enough, although they didn’t like to talk much and their garden was so overgrown that Mum was always complaining about their tree creeping over the fence.Then Harper had spent much of her twenties in dank and crumbling apartments, with vampiric landlords and elusive flatmates who each survived on microwave meals for one.
“Well, it’s lovely. You’re very lovely.”
His tight-lipped smile was bashful. Hesitant. He got up suddenly. “I have to go, anyway.”
“Oh. I was going to ask if you fancied grabbing dinner or something.”
He was already tugging on his coat, whistling for Bernard to stop snoozing. “I promised Eiley I’d babysit for her. She’s got a lot going on.”
“Fair enough.” Harper stood up, slowly rounding the couch to face him. “Tomorrow, then? I’m going on a hike with Dot in the morning, but my afternoon is free.”
The preschool organiser had been eager to drag Harper along with her hiking group, and made it difficult to say no. Strangely, Harper was looking forward to it. She was enjoying her little adventures more and more each day. Apparently, many authors had made the trek up to Macaskill Ridge, taking inspiration from the vast Highland view.
But Fraser’s wariness soon knocked the wind from her sails. “You’re going on ahike?” he repeated.
She put her hands on her hips. “Yes! And?”
“Are you sure that’s safe for anyone involved?” His eyes glinted with devilment.
She nudged him roughly in the arm. “Stop making fun of me! I am finding my outdoorsy side, whether you believe in me or not. Dot said it’s beginner-friendly, anyway.”
She made to slump begrudgingly back onto the arm of the couch, but he caught her hand lightly, offering an apologetic grimace.
“Oi. Don’t be like that. You know I think you’re capable of anything.” Still, his compliment wasn’t delivered nearly as gently as usual, and he soon let go of her.
Her head pounded as she took a step back, schooling her features to hide her hurt. “Is everything all right, Fraser?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
She played with the edge of the couch nervously. “We just haven’t spent much time together this week. You don’t seem interested.”
“Well, we said this was casual, and I’ve been swamped with work…”
“I didn’t think ‘casual’ was synonymous with ‘hot and cold’.” She cleared her throat. “But that’s fine. I get it.”
“Harper.” He stepped towards her again. Finally, some of the warmth she recognised flickered across his features. “I am interested. Of course I am. I’d be mad not to be.” His voice was earnest.
Relief left her breathless, limbs going slack, but she tried to mask it with a self-conscious laugh. “Okay. Good.”
He traced her jawline with calloused fingers. A shiver went down her spine. She’d missed his touch. Too much. Maybe he was right to back away. She most certainly didn’t feel casual tonight. Was she scaring him off?
He didn’t seem scared when he kissed her. His tongue pushed into her mouth without warning, fingers tightening across the small of her back.
He pulled away too quickly, leaving her cold, and she fought the urge to complain.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he promised. “Good luck with the hike, eh?”
She nodded, though she wasn’t sure if she could keep expecting the things he’d given to her just a few days ago.
Maybe it was over before it had really begun.
“Are you all right back there, Harper? You sound to be breathing quite heavily…” Dot called out from somewhere far, far above Harper. Pausing on the craggy incline of Macaskill Ridge, Harper sucked in as deep a breath as she could manage and looked up, only for cold rain to pelt against her face and blur her vision. She stood in the dreary mid-morning shadow of Dot’s hiking group, who waited for her at least twenty paces away in drenched raincoats. All of them middle-aged or older, all of them fitter than Harper and unbothered about the dire weather, all of them smiling like maniacs. Did they really enjoy being beaten up by Mother Nature this much?
God, this was embarrassing. Almost as embarrassing as fancying a bloke who clearly didn’t want to take things any further.
Harper wiped the sweat-mingled rain from her clammy skin and rested against a slimy slab of rock, which had an arrow carved into it, pointing up. She hoped that meant she was nearly at the top.“I’m all right. Just a bit out of shape after Christmas.”
