‘I like it neat.’ Kitty took a sip and closed her eyes, appearing to savour the taste.
Olivia put the glass to her lips and swallowed, feeling a pleasant, warm sensation at the back of her throat. She could taste the hints of vanilla and cinnamon and had to admit she rather liked it.
‘What do you think?’ Logan had walked over to where they were standing at the bar.
‘I really like it,’ said Olivia in surprise. ‘I wasn’t expecting that at all.’
He beamed. ‘Glad to hear it. How about you, Kitty? Have you tried this one before?’ Logan pulled a stool up next to where she stood.
Olivia watched as Kitty shook her head. ‘No. I’m not sure why, but I’ve never had any Arran whiskies. I used to like the ones from Islay. They’re quite peaty,’ she said to Olivia. ‘But it’sbeen a while since I drank whisky . . . I really like this one too. It’s very drinkable.’
‘It’s one of my favourites,’ said Logan. ‘Though the downside of the job is that I’m driving, so I’ll need to wait until later . . .’
‘You should come to the pub with us one night,’ suggested Olivia. She didn’t miss the pause before Logan replied.
‘Sure,’ he said casually. ‘Maybe on our final night? After we’ve conquered Goatfell?’ He stood up. ‘I’ll let you finish your drinks in peace.’ He strolled over to have a chat to the distillery manager who had shown them round.
‘Is everything okay?’ Olivia asked, jerking her head towards Logan.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Just sensing a bit ofsomethingbetween you. I noticed you clammed up when he asked you about whiskies.’
Kitty blushed. ‘It’s all fine. Just brought back a memory.’
‘Do you want to talk about it?’ asked Olivia gently.
‘Och, no. Not at the moment. Thanks, though. How about I get us a bottle for the cottage?’ Kitty was already walking towards the till, indicating the conversation was over.
Olivia shrugged. ‘Sure. Great idea.’
Now as she swung her arms and followed today’s trail, she realised she had no right to pry. Not in her position. There was so much she hadn’t shared with Kitty or anyone, and she was happy being quite anonymous here, where nobody knew her or what had happened with Patrick. Only her aunt knew the real truth. She was too embarrassed to tell her friends back home, not that she saw a lot of them, which had been another issue. Her world had shrunk, although she was sure some of them had their suspicions.
She took a gulp of the tangy, salty air as she thought about how different her life had been just a few months ago. It seemed surreal to now be walking through a beautiful forest ona Scottish island that she had arrived at less than a week ago. She didn’t miss home orhimat all, but she did miss dancing. It was a really hard career to make a living from, but she had managed it and knew she was one of the lucky ones. Many of her friends hadn’t been so successful, ending up with long-term injuries, and their mental health impacted when they couldn’t dance. They felt as though they were letting themselves and others down and felt like failures. Olivia was grateful that it was all she had hoped for and more, although she knew it wouldn’t last forever.
She watched the Australian couple, Adam and Liz, who were just ahead of her. They had such a natural and loving rapport together, and she felt a pang of envy for something she had never experienced. Even with Patrick, when times were good, she was always on edge, waiting and wondering what would happen next. Even now, though he was thousands of miles away from her, he still managed to be present in her head. A lurking threat that caught her unaware.
‘Hey, you,’ she said, catching up with Kitty. ‘Isn’t this amazing?’
‘It is,’ she admitted. ‘It’s so lovely to have this time and space, isn’t it?’
‘I know. I can’t believe that we only have one walk left.’
‘But the rest of the summer is stretched out ahead of us. And there’s still loads more to do and see. I can take you round to Kildonan if you’d like? I think we’ll definitely see otters and seals there.’
‘I would love that. And I must visit the castle, you know, being American and all. How about you? What else would you like to do with your time?’
Kitty mulled for a while before answering. ‘There’s that stuff we talked about before, perhaps that art class and yoga. MyInstagram, of course. But I fancy some kayaking and, if you’re up for that, I can take you? What do you think?’
‘I can’t paint or draw at all, so I’ll leave you to it,’ she said weakly, visibly wincing at the thought. ‘Kayaking sounds fun, though. And I could just keep walking and walking forever,’ said Olivia, gesturing ahead. ‘Especially when it all looks like this. It’s just so peaceful . . .’ Her voice trailed away. ‘I mean, I guess I should go over to Glasgow at some stage to see my friends from Italy. But I have to admit that the thought of a city just now doesn’t appeal. I’d be reluctant to leave this.’
‘Maybe you should ask Logan about other tours he’s got coming up?’ blurted Kitty.
Olivia frowned. ‘Doyouwant to do more walking?’
‘No, I’ve probably had my fill for now. I mean, it will be great to do Goatfell, but after that I may need a rest.’ She laughed. ‘But perhaps you could do his coastal tour later in the summer?’
‘I suppose there’s no harm in asking him about it. Hey, Logan,’ she called over her shoulder. He was keeping an eye on the stragglers at the back.
