Page 41 of A Summer of Secrets on Arran (Scottish Romances #5)

The following morning Bella was scrolling through Instagram, and felt her chai seeds solidify in her mouth when she saw a post Ben had been tagged in.

It looked as though Mabel from Bali was still very much on the scene if the many pictures she had posted were anything to go by.

There were photos of them together in a crowded bar, grinning into the camera, lounging together against a palm tree with an orange sky behind them as the sun set in the distance, sipping cocktails on the beach and she had even taken a selfie of them in a swimming pool.

Who even did stuff like that? Wasn’t that a bit tacky?

Bella knew that if she ever tried something like that, she would most definitely drop her phone in the pool.

Ben clearly didn’t think it was tacky though as he was grinning from ear to ear and had his arm draped around Mabel’s shoulders in most of the pictures.

The same way he had put his arm around her shoulders yesterday.

Maybe he did that with all the girls? There were plenty more pictures — she had clearly done a massive photo dump and, according to the date, it was the day before Ben had arrived back on Arran — but Bella had seen all she ever needed or wanted to.

The message from the pictures was very clear.

They were very much an item and very together , despite Ben claiming that she had moved on.

Yeah, right. Perhaps she and Ben were just friends and Bella was reading too much into it.

She dumped her breakfast in the food bin, rinsed her dish and then stomped over to the spa building ready to start her shift.

She must have been frowning as she walked into the spa entrance and Chantelle took one look at her and gently placed her hands on her shoulders and spun her back towards the door.

‘You’re a bit early, Bella, and I think it might be an idea for you to go outside and walk for five minutes and then come back and start your day again. ’

Bella didn’t think it was a good idea to argue with her new boss, and so she gave her a small nod, then turned on her heels and went back outside where she paced around the grounds of the hotel, staring at the grass at her feet.

But she soon felt her heart rate start to slow down and when she saw Becky and her twin brother, Tom, in the distance she caught up with them and had a quick chat before they needed to be poolside.

They made loose plans to meet at the beach bar later in the week and by the time she walked back to the spa most of the rage she felt had dissipated.

‘Feeling better now?’ said Chantelle.

She nodded sheepishly. ‘Yes, I am. Thank you. And I’m sorry for arriving in a bad mood.’

‘Everything okay?’ Chantelle was now behind the desk and she glanced down at the screen.

Bella shrugged. ‘Nope. I just saw something on Instagram that annoyed me. But I’m fine now.’

‘You do know that you should never believe what you see on social media,’ said Chantelle kindly. ‘Do you want to tell me what’s bothering you?’

Bella chewed her lip. ‘I saw someone I like tagged with another woman. I thought he liked me, but clearly I’ve misread the situation.’

‘Is this the guy that I’ve seen you with here? Because I can tell you that the way he looks at you tells me that there is no way he has a girlfriend elsewhere.’ She gave her a knowing look.

Bella smiled shyly. ‘Thanks Chantelle, and thanks for suggesting I go and get some air. And I am sorry. I don’t normally arrive at work in a cross mood.’

Chantelle laughed. ‘That’s okay. I just didn’t want you taking your frustration out on the clients.

I know having a bit of strength can be good for doing Swedish and sports massages but your first client is a facial and it is one of our more senior clients.

I’m not sure that she would have appreciated you pummelling her cheeks in a rage.

It wouldn’t do our reputation much good if people come for a relaxing facial treatment and leave with two black eyes and a bruised face. ’

Bella laughed. Chantelle was right. And she knew that by the time she started the facial she would feel a lot better.

Strangely, she always found work really calming and knew the time would fly by.

She had a full day of appointments so there wouldn’t be any time for her to think about Ben and Mabel at all.

Anyway, she would much rather focus on what Chantelle thought. Did Ben really look at her in that way?

Despite her best attempts Bella still couldn’t help wonder about Ben and Mabel and was intrigued to see a message from Ben when she switched her phone on after work. She was meeting Ash for a bite of dinner at the pizza place and Ben still hadn’t confirmed whether he could come or not.

I am so sorry, Bella. I am having to work. Nobody could swap. Tell Ash to come and see me before he leaves! It was so good to see you yesterday. Thanks for telling me. I could do with some advice. Let me know when you’re free? XX

She didn’t reply. Bella was no longer in the mood to speak to Ben. Nor did she have time if she was to meet Ash in half an hour and still had to shower. She knew she was being a bit pathetic but the photos with Mabel had obviously a raw nerve.

* * *

‘Is everything okay?’ asked Ash when Bella arrived at the pizza place.

‘Yes, fine,’ she said, trying to sound breezy. She slid into the booth opposite.

‘Are you sure?’ he said gently.

Bella smiled tightly and ordered a beer from the waiter who had just arrived at the table.

‘How is work going?’

‘Really good,’ said Bella. ‘I’m learning lots and it’s always busy. It makes a nice change from my old work.’

‘Well, cheers,’ said Ash, raising his bottle against Bella’s beer which had just been placed in front of her.

‘Cheers.’

‘How about you? How has your day been?’ she said, trying desperately to pull herself out of the funk she was in.

‘Well, that guesthouse is just heavenly. I can see why it’s so popular.

The bed is so comfy it means I don’t want to get up.

Kirsty makes a mean Scottish breakfast. And there are wee boxes of shortbread in the room.

’ He leaned over to rummage in the pocket of his jacket which lay next to him on the seat.

‘Here you are. I persuaded her to give me a box to give you.’

Bella smiled. ‘Thanks, Ash, sorry, Dad . . .’ she said awkwardly as he handed it to her.

‘Bella, love, call me whatever you want. If Dad feels weird then Ashley or Ash is fine. Just be comfortable. This is going to take us both some getting used to.’

‘Okay,’ she said with a shrug. She had to admit she was finding the whole name thing and the etiquette of what to call him a bit of a struggle.

‘Right, let’s order food and then you can tell me what is really on your mind,’ he said assertively. ‘I’m going to have the Margherita pizza. How about you?’

‘Pepperoni, please,’ said Bella, feeling her stomach rumble and realising she hadn’t eaten since the chai seeds at breakfast earlier.

After drinking her bottle of beer and hungrily tucking into the pizza, Bella relaxed.

‘Did you ask Ben?’

‘He couldn’t make it. He’s working but he said you must come by the distillery to see him before you leave.’ She frowned.

Ash leaned forward. ‘What’s on your mind?’

She sighed. ‘I don’t know. It’s just that I thought Ben and I had a connection and now I’m wondering if I’ve misread it completely. I met him yesterday and told him that you’re my dad. He was really lovely about it and . . . I thought there was something between us.’

‘What changed then?’

She told him about the pictures she’d seen on social media then swore him to secrecy. ‘Don’t you say a word to Mum or Rosie about it. Can you imagine?’ She rolled her eyes in horror.

‘Don’t you worry. It will be our secret. Anyway,’ he said with a naughty laugh, ‘I think Rosie is otherwise engaged at the moment. Who would have thought? But having Luke back in her life is clearly agreeing with her.’

Bella nodded. ‘Do you remember much of him at the time?’

He shook his head. ‘No, she was quite mysterious about who she was off to meet. I do remember that. But we were all so young and self-absorbed with our own stuff going on. I’m just pleased she’s happy and hope she’s having some wild sex with the man. Let’s face it, Dermot was always a bit dour.’

Bella couldn’t help but chuckle.

‘So, what are you going to do about Ben?’ Ash wiped his mouth with a napkin and sat back.

‘Not a lot. It seems even though he is here he is clearly still with Mabel.’

He regarded her for a minute. ‘Do you know what?’

Bella shook her head. ‘What?’

‘At the risk of sounding like an old codger, I have a feeling that things will work out. You and Ben have always had a special connection and nothing will change that. I know you had a lapse there during the teenage years. But there’s nothing to stop you from being friends again in the way that you were.

If it’s meant to be more than that then it will be. ’

She sighed. ‘You are right. I need to stop focusing on Mabel and just focus on the fact that Ben and I have rediscovered our friendship again.’ She shook herself, realising how whiny she sounded. Especially about a bloke.

‘Things aren’t always as they seem Bella. Look at your Instagram posts. There are quite a few pictures of you with Dudley Diddley or whatever he was called.’ Bella had previously filled Ash in on the demise of Dudley.

‘He is long gone though!’ said Bella in horror.

‘Yes, but the fact he is still on your page could mean you still have the hots for him.’

‘No,’ she gasped. ‘Not at all.’

‘Well, I know that but others might not.’

Bella nodded thoughtfully. ‘True. And a friend said something similar to me earlier about not believing everything on social media. And you are right, Ash. Which makes me think I had better delete the pictures of Dudley then! Anyway, sorry to moan about it all. I’ve bored you for long enough.

Tell me about you and your plans for the rest of your time here. ’

He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table.

‘Well,’ he said. ‘I’ve made a few changes to my schedule and I do need to leave tomorrow as planned.

I’d better pop in and see Ben at the distillery before I get on the ferry or he’ll never talk to me again.

’ He grinned. ‘I’ve got meetings in London I need to go to.

But I thought I would try and come back up and see you before I go back to Australia?

I thought when your mum comes back for your birthday?

’ His eyes were twinkling then a worried look crossed his face.

‘Only if that works for you Bella. I’m just aware that living on the other side of the world means I never get to actually see you on your birthday. ’

‘I would love that,’ said Bella, touched. ‘It would be great to see you again before you head back to Australia.’ She felt a pang of sadness when she realised that she didn’t know when she would see him again after this summer.

As though reading her mind, he reached across and clasped her hand. ‘And we will of course need to make a plan for you to come and visit me in Oz. Maybe next year?’

Bella grinned feeling more upbeat than she did when she’d arrived at the restaurant earlier. ‘That’s a great idea.’ It would give her something to focus on and a trip to visit Ash would do her the world of good.