Page 17 of A Summer House on Arran (Scottish Romances #3)
Kitty woke early the next morning. She quickly dressed before slipping out of the cottage for a stroll to the village, planning to buy some bread from the bakery.
It was peaceful, aside from a few dog walkers who nodded and wished her a ‘good morning’ as they passed.
It had been windy during the night, but this morning the sea was calm again and the air was still and warm.
Cameron had sent her some WhatsApp voicemail messages and photos of the lakeside camp he was staying in.
She felt a huge sense of relief that she could now picture where he was, and she was relieved that his tone was chatty and light.
It sounded as though he was having a great time and that was all she could hope for.
This was such an adventure for her boy, and she had to let him do it.
It was time for him to travel and learn and gain new perspectives from the people he met. It didn’t make it easy for her, though.
She wiped away a tear as she looked out over the water.
This empty-nest malarkey was tough. Thinking about the next chapter in her life was hard, and she knew she didn’t have to have the rest of her life all mapped out this minute.
But she did have moments of total overwhelm when she wondered what was next for her. What was she supposed to do now?
All she could remember was it being all about him and making sure he had everything he needed.
It seemed off to think that she could actually do what she wanted for a change.
She could have what she wanted for dinner, and decide when she would have it, if at all.
She could lie in bed all day if she wanted, though that wasn’t working out that well so far, she thought wryly, given her usual early start.
She could watch what she wanted on television and go to bed when she wanted.
Though she had always been an early bird, preferring to be in bed by eleven and up early.
The problem was that she didn’t really know who she was anymore or what she wanted to do.
She thought about Ellen’s advice before she left, how she should use this time to try different things. As she neared the door of the bakery, she caught sight of a guy holding the door open for her.
‘Good morning,’ he said with a warm smile.
Kitty noticed his eyes first, which were intensely dark brown.
He had wavy, dark brown hair and looked ruggedly healthy, as though he spent a lot of his time outdoors.
He had that strong and self-sufficient look about him.
Perhaps he regularly chopped wood, fished, wrestled bears, lit fires or climbed mountains.
An alpha male, the type of guy that Ellen would describe as a provider .
‘Oh. Thank you.’ Kitty felt her cheeks flush, which, she told herself, was due to the sunshine rather than the fact he was very good looking, and she’d just made multiple assumptions about his masculine capabilities.
‘No worries at all.’
He held the door open until she was all the way through it and then sauntered away, leaving her feeling a tad bereft.
She noticed the scent of his spicy aftershave that lingered in the air, and she stared wistfully after him.
She wondered if he was a good example of what kind of men were on this island.
‘What can I get for you?’ said the woman behind the counter.
‘Oh hello,’ she said, flustered, and then switched her focus to the reason she was there. ‘Can I have a loaf of wholemeal sourdough, please?’
‘Of course. Would you like that sliced?’
‘Yes please,’ she said with a nod. As she waited, she glanced at all the cakes and pastries in the glass display case and absent-mindedly wondered if any of them were dairy free.
‘There you go, my love,’ said the woman, handing her the package of bread. ‘Can I get you anything else?’
‘Just a coffee to take away please.’
‘Milk?’
‘No thanks. A black one is fine.’
Kitty glanced at the pile of leaflets on the counter and saw one that was for walks of Arran. Picking it up, she tucked it in her bag, thanked the woman for her coffee and paid. Then she walked across the road and sat on one of the many benches that looked out across the water.
Sighing with contentment, she reached into her bag and pulled out the flyer.
It was for a series of walks around Arran over five days.
She looked at the dates on the leaflet and saw the next tour would start the day after next.
Maybe she should sign up and try and encourage Olivia to do it with her.
It would certainly be a good way of getting to know her properly with all that walking and talking.
As she drank her coffee, she contemplated the bizarreness of yesterday, from the moment she walked into the cottage to the truce she and Olivia seemed to have made.
Who would have thought she would find herself in a house share with an American woman for the summer?
Even more surprising was that she was prepared to give it a go.
When her stomach began to rumble, she realised it was time to head back to the cottage.