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‘I thought you were away for a couple of days,’ she said, her voice cracking as she hung up the phone to Lorna without so much as a goodbye.

‘That was the plan,’ he said, ‘but I had several emergency phone calls saying I had to get back to the village immediately.’

Bex scoffed. ‘Let me guess, Lorna?’

‘Lorna and the old man, too.’

‘Fergus?’

He nodded. ‘He was worried that I’d driven off his new accountant. And it’s tough to get good hires out here.’

He flashed her a smile. The type that would normally make her insides melt, only she held firm, steeling herself against the tides of emotion that were rolling through her. She wasn’t going to let that happen. She needed to leave now, with whatever shreds of heart remained intact.

‘Katty’s pregnant,’ she whispered.

‘Yes, she is,’ Duncan said slowly. ‘But it’s not mine. It’s Archie’s.’

‘What?’

He let out a sad chuckle, the sound barely raised before it faded into nothing, leaving him looking even worse than he had before. Bex was hit with a sudden urge to run across to him, to wrap her arms around him and say that everything would be okay, but she didn’t. She stood there.

‘Then why did she come to you?’

Her feet were rooted to the ground, but Duncan seemed to be getting closer to her. He was the one moving towards her, she realised. Closing the gap between them.

‘Archie freaked out,’ he said. ‘Suddenly started feeling guilty about everything. She wanted me to talk to him. That was why she came to the lodge. It was never about us, and even if it had been, even if she had come to beg for another chance…’ He paused and lifted his hand, cupping Bex’s cheek in his palm. Her eyes involuntarily closed at the warmth that felt so familiar. So secure. ‘It wouldn’t have mattered what she wanted. I’m not hers any more. I’m not hers, Barker. I’m yours. One hundred per cent.’

Duncan shifted his thumb to wipe a stray tear from her cheek. A stray tear she hadn’t even realised had fallen.

‘But the note? Why didn’t you tell me that?’

‘I’m sorry,’ he said, edging back a little as he looked her in the eye. ‘I wasn’t trying to be cryptic. I just saw you hadn’t read my messages or answered my calls, and I just scribbled it down. All I was thinking about was getting the visit to Archie over and done with as quickly as possible so that I could get back to you. But in hindsight, maybe that’s what I should have put in the note.’

‘You think?’ Bex let out a dry chuckle, causing yet more tears to tumble free.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘Look, I meant what I said about taking one day at a time, but that’s up to you. I’m all in here. And I promise, I will never do anything to hurt you. I swear, on Kenna’s life.’

Bex chuckled again. But this time, there were no tears. Just a fluttering in her chest. ‘Well, vows don’t get any bigger than that,’ she said.

‘You’re right. They don’t.’

He was so close, she could smell that sweet aroma of pine rising from his body. Feel the warmth of his breath and the rising of anticipation tingling in her chest.

‘I think this is the moment I ask if I can kiss you again,’ he whispered in her ear.

‘I don’t think you have to ask any more,’ Bex said. ‘I think you can pretty much assume that the answer’s going to be yes from now on.’

‘Thank goodness for that.’ He leaned forward, his eyes still on hers as their lips met.

The moment they connected, the cheers erupted. Bex broke away from Duncan to look behind her to see not only Lorna but also Roddy and Niall there, clapping and wolf-whistling, but Bex’s eyes moved past them to a figure standing a little way back. An old man, in a muddy wax jacket and flat cap, with a horde of dogs sitting around him. When Bex met his gaze, he smiled slightly before dipping his chin in a nod.

‘Don’t tell me you were in on this too?’ she said, finally releasing her hands from Duncan to walk across to Fergus.

‘I have no idea what you’re on about,’ he said. ‘I was just here walking the dogs. That’s all.’

‘Is that right?’ she said.

A twinkle shone out in the old man’s eyes and before Bex could stop herself, she leaned forwards and hugged him tightly. When she broke away, she could have sworn there was a slight sheen to his eyes. Though before she could be sure, he lowered his head, and by the time he raised it again, both the sheen and the smile were gone, replaced with a deep scowl.