Once the machine was on, she curled up in one of the seats by the window, appreciating the soothing noise of the laundry tumbling around the machine. Had it really only been four weeks since she left home? It felt so much longer, and she couldn’t quite believe how different her life was just a month ago. Things couldn’t have been more different to where she was now. But at least she felt safe.
She had taken her old mobile out of her bag and placed it on the table next to her. It had been switched off completely since she left New York — she was still resistant to turning it on, as she knew what would happen when she did. Shuddering, she thought of the missed calls and the voicemails and the emailsflooding her inbox. The guilt appeared again. Aside from Trudy, nobody else knew where she was. She had messaged her friends before she left and let them know she was fine and taking some time out. Patrick was out of town when she left. She had moved her possessions into storage and then written him a note to say that things were over. Then she ran.
If she was really honest with herself, she couldn’t quite believe what had happened and was still in shock. Her behaviour was so out of character, and she wasn’t quite sure what had come over her. But she was so glad that it had. Otherwise, who knows what would have happened. She had been trapped for such a long time and had only recently started to realise it.
Reaching for the phone, that small rectangle that was so significant in her life, she toyed with turning it on. Her thumb rubbed back and forth over the button, and she was tempted. Then she placed it back down on the table. She wasn’t ready. She needed some time to rest and recuperate and think about what to do next.
All of a sudden, exhaustion washed over her and she lay back on the seat, closing her eyes just to rest them for five minutes. Within seconds she was fast asleep.
Chapter Five
After bidding farewell to the group, Logan spent his final night on Skye with just a couple of single malt whiskies for company. He always made sure he stayed in separate accommodation from his guests. Logan liked boundaries and didn’t like mixing business with pleasure. It had been a valuable principle to have in place, as Tallulah so aptly demonstrated. With people on holiday, drink flowing, it was best to avoid those occasions when a guest fancied landing themselves a ‘kilted hunk’ during their visit to Scotland. He was always a bit bemused when asked if he ever did the walking tours wearing kilts, but Logan grimaced at the thought. Aside from the thought of midge bites on his man parts, Logan really only wore kilts to weddings, Highland Games and the odd international rugby game, and certainly didn’t think of himself as a hunk. Not at all. He found the attention all quite mortifying.
He poured a splash of cold water into his glass and took a sip of the peaty liquid, enjoying the feeling of warmth trickling down the back of his throat. He was very much looking forward to having a couple of days off before the next trip began. Much as he loved his job, which felt like a way of life rather than work, he needed some time to decompress and recharge his social battery. He enjoyed meeting new people and hearing about their lives and all the stories they had to share, but was glad to have a day or two after a trip when he didn’t have to say too much to anyone — that included his sisters, who told him repeatedly that he worked too much and should take more time out to socialise. What they really meant was thattheythought it was time he should settle down.
His twin sisters, Lucie and Bridget, were older by eight years and they had mothered him from the moment he was born. Their mum had passed away when he was just ten years old, sothey had continued with their roles as surrogate mothers, which seemed to give them a free card to boss him about and express their (strong) opinions on how he should or should not be living his life. Both lived in Perth (Scotland, not Australia), and they communicated with him constantly on WhatsApp. They were always telling him off for the length of time he took to reply, and complained that his answers were too short and told them nothing about his life.
Their father hadn’t coped well after he lost his beloved wife. Although he did his best at raising the kids, he had turned to drink to help him cope, which led to him sinking into a deep depression from which he’d never been able to recover. He eventually died of liver disease when Logan was twenty-two, which was part of the reason he had joined the Navy. Apart from his sisters, he had no ties to keep him in Scotland. He wanted to explore and leave the sadness of home life behind.
So he embraced the adventure in a way he hoped his late parents would be proud of. He travelled the world and tried to make the most of every minute of it. Wanderlust seemed to suit him and his personality, and although he had many girlfriends along the way there hadn’t really been anyone he had fallen head over heels in love with. Not any special person that would have made him swap his freedom and love of exploring for a life of domesticity. No thanks. He was happy with his lot. He had his health, his freedom and his friends, and he was grateful for all of it.
Logan knew his sisters disapproved of his nomadic lifestyle, but he kept reassuring them that he was happy and he didn’t want a life in the suburbs with two-point-four children, thank you very much.
‘But it’s such a waste,’ wailed Lucie one day. ‘You could have your pick of womenandyou would be a great dad.’
Logan had shuddered. Fortunately Bridget wasn’t quite as dominant as her sister, who was older by twenty minutes and liked to make sure they all knew about it. Bridget was always a lot more measured with her opinions. ‘The main thing is that you’re happy, Logan. You’re healthy and kind and successful and enjoying life. That’s all we want for you. Isn’t that right, Lucie?’
He couldn’t not notice the scornful look Lucie had thrown her.
Raising his glass to inspect the amber liquid, he took another sip of his dram and smiled wryly as he thought about his sisters. He was lucky they cared so much, and he knew a visit back to see them was overdue. The problem was that summer was peak season and his schedule was fairly rammed. Frowning, he flicked through his phone calendar, trying to work out where he might have a window. He was pleased his boss had scheduled him quite a few trips on Arran over the summer. He made a mental note to get in touch with him tomorrow to check on the names of the guests for the next trip. Picking up his phone, he quickly tapped out a message to the friend he would be staying with on Arran.
Hey, James! Looking forward to seeing you very soon. I’ll be arriving in Brodick at some point on Monday and will give you a shout then.
That was another perk of the job. He’d get a chance to properly catch up with James and see the new distillery, which he’d been running for the past year. Logan was also curious to meet the mysterious woman, Amy, who seemed to have tamed James’s heart. Like Logan, James was a bit of an eternal bachelor and liked to suit himself. He gave a tiny shrug. She must be something special — James was smitten, and that wassomething Logan certainly did not envy. He couldn’t think of anything worse.
Chapter Six
The idea to spend the summer in Arran had all been a bit last minute, only arranged just before Cameron had left. Kitty had the summer off work from the nursery but didn’t really have any concrete plans. She thought shemightdo some travelling, but wanted to make sure Cameron was away safely before she made her own plans. It was her cousin, Fergus, who had come up trumps with the holiday house. Fergus had returned to live on Arran after years living away, and a friend of a friend needed someone to house-sit over the summer. Their holiday cottage was in the village of Brodick and they were thinking of stopping the lettings and keeping it for their own use whenever they needed it.
‘But doesn’t he want to rent it out? Surely it’s not too late to try?’
‘No,’ said Fergus. ‘Apparently, they just want to know that it’s being looked after, and even better if it’s just one reliable and responsible person. Sounds like it’s all meant to be.’
‘It sounds too good to be true.’
‘I would just think of it as a gift coming at the right time,’ said Fergus. ‘The key safe is outside the front door, and he’ll email me the code. It’s one of those ones that you line up and it opens. The family who keeps an eye on it for him are just up the road at Meadowbank Cottage and are really helpful. So if you need anything when you’re there you can get in touch with them. Obviously, me too, but at least you know they’re just a few minutes up the road. Look, I’ll forward on the email with the details as soon as I get it.’
‘Thank you. It will be so good to see you. Though I know you’re busy, so don’t worry. I’m really looking forward to meeting Amelia.’
Fergus chuckled. ‘I think you’ll like her.’
‘I’m sure I will.’ She paused. ‘It’s not like you to be so smitten.’
‘Do you know which ferry you’re getting?’ he asked, changing the conversation.
‘Yes, I’m going to stay with John the night before and then will aim for one at lunchtime.’
‘Are you bringing your car over?’
