Page 29 of Summer Escapes on the Scottish Isle (Coorie Castle Crafts #2)

‘We’ve got a right one here,’ Angus muttered in Mack’s ear as he walked into the cockpit. ‘He’s just told me he wants to sit up top.’

Mack flicked a couple of switches and grunted. ‘You might want to ask him whether he can read the sonar while he’s there. He might be better at it than you.’

‘Cheeky blighter! I told him he has to sit on the deck with the rest of them. Up top, my hairy… And have you seen the size of his camera? I reckon he has to have a big one to compensate for the size of his willy.’

Mack barked out a laugh. ‘I won’t argue with you, but he’s one of the castle’s guests and we need to treat him with the same respect we treat all our passengers, small willies notwithstanding.’

‘Aye, aye, Skip.’ Angus sprang to attention and gave him a mock salute. ‘I didn’t mean anything by it.’

‘I know. Are we ready to cast off?’

‘I’ll go take a look.’

Mack grinned. Angus was as down-to-earth as it got.

He called a spade a spade, but Mack knew that he’d be professional in front of the passengers, even if one of them appeared to be a dick.

Mhairi’s trips paid well, and it wasn’t as though they’d never had difficult passengers in the past, as they’d had their fair share.

Thinking about Mhairi reminded him that he needed to have a chat with her about booking a table for dinner. He’d pop in this evening and have a word.

Angus was back. ‘All aboard, so we can set sail.’

‘You’re not on a yacht.’ Mack chuckled.

‘I wish I was. I wouldn’t say no to a trip around the Med.’

‘You’re having a trip around Loch Duncoorie instead, and you’re going to enjoy it.’

‘Is that a threat or a warning?’

‘It’s an observation.’ Mack pressed a couple more buttons. ‘Go on, admit it, you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. You love it here.’

‘That’s true enough, but a wee holiday on a white coral beach wouldn’t go amiss.’

As Mack steered the boat away from the quay, Angus’s words lingered in his mind.

A holiday would be nice. He hadn’t had one of those in years, too busy building up the business and renovating his house.

Not to mention the cost. If he was going to have a holiday, though, he wanted it to be somewhere warm, where sun was guaranteed and not the hit-and-miss affair it was in the UK.

And he didn’t want kiss-me-quick hats and an arcade at the end of a pier.

He wanted palm trees and a hammock. He didn’t want fish and chips on a windy promenade, or a pint and a bag of crisps in a beer garden, either.

What he wanted was cocktails on a sun-drenched beach and a bowl of olives to nibble on.

And tanned women in skimpy bikinis, with long legs and… auburn hair and freckles?

His brain provided him with an image of Freya, and he sucked in a breath.

Now, why would it be doing that? He really must stop thinking about her. She was taking up more space in his head than anyone he’d ever met. Trust him to have developed feelings for a woman who would be out of his life in a matter of weeks. Karma must be having a right laugh at his expense.

Hoping there was something important in her inbox, Freya took her mobile out of her bag, but not before she’d hunted for her dad’s phone and made sure he put it in his trouser pocket.

He gave her a resigned look and she chalked it up as a win, relieved that no nagging had been required. This time, at least.

After filling the kettle and plugging it in, she took her phone off airplane mode and… Dear God! She had three missed calls from Hadrian, but he hadn’t left a voicemail or sent her a message.

With a hand to her heart, she called him back, her mind filled with worry. This was so unlike him; something must be very, very wrong, and she prayed he was OK. She mightn’t love him, but she did still care for him, and the thought of him being ill or injured made her feel sick.

‘Hadrian!’ she cried, when he answered. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘Guess where I am!’ he cried chirpily, and she let out a sigh of relief.

‘I’ve no idea.’ Wherever he was, it was windy, and she could hear the sound of an engine and voices and… was that a seagull?

‘I’ll give you a clue – water.’

‘Somewhere near the Thames?’ she guessed, despite not being in the mood for games. Her heart hadn’t returned to its normal rhythm yet.

‘Not even close,’ he crowed.

‘Where, then?’ Frustrated and rather irritated, she put him on speaker and checked her emails. There were several new ones, but nothing from Jocasta Black.

‘Skye.’

Freya froze. ‘ Where? ’

‘Skye. Duncoorie, to be exact. I flew in this morning and was hoping you could pick me up from the airport, but you weren’t answering your phone. I had to hire a car.’

‘You’re in Duncoorie ?’

‘I’m on a boat in the loch, to be precise, but I’m staying at the castle.

Quelle surprise , eh? I’ve booked dinner for seven thirty.

’ He uttered a lascivious laugh. ‘But if you get there sooner, we can have a quick catch-up before dinner. I hope the food is as good as you say it is. By the way, my room has a four-poster. Got any ribbon?’

Freya didn’t know which to reply to first, so she went with the last thing he said. ‘Why do you want ribbon?’

‘To tie you to the bed with, silly. Isn’t that what four-posters are for? Oops, gotta go. See you later, babe.’

Freya stared at the screen. He’d hung up.

Feeling bulldozed, she sank onto a kitchen chair, her mind whirling.

Why was Hadrian in Duncoorie? Not for one second did she presume to think he was here because he was missing her .

Or was he?

Oh, God, please don’t let it be that, not when she had every intention of telling him they were over, and this would be the perfect opportunity to speak to him face-to-face. It had to be done, but sodding hell, she felt like a total cow.

She would be early, she decided, but there wouldn’t be any bedroom antics, and neither would she be having dinner with him. The sooner this was over, the better.

She was still reeling from the news that Hadrian had turned up out of the blue, when her dad appeared.

‘I thought you were making tea?’ He peered at her face and his eyes filled with concern. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘Hadrian is at the castle.’

It took him a moment. ‘ Your Hadrian?’

‘Yes.’ Although he wasn’t going to be hers for much longer.

‘Did you know he was coming?’

‘No. It’s a total surprise.’

‘That’s nice, isn’t it?’

She shrugged, and he shook his head. ‘You never did like surprises, not even when you were little. He should know that.’

He probably did, but because it hadn’t fitted in with his agenda, he’d ignored it.

Vinnie asked, ‘When you say “at the castle”, do you mean he’s staying there?’

She nodded. ‘Don’t worry, I’m not going to stay there with him.’

‘I’m not worried. I keep telling you I can manage.’ He sat down opposite. ‘You’ve seen me over the worst, so why don’t you spend a few days with him, or however long he’s there for, then go back to London when he does?’

Freya smiled weakly. ‘Are you trying to get rid of me?’

He ignored her comment. ‘Promise me something?’

‘What?’

‘That you won’t let him talk you out of going to America. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime.’

That was an easy one. ‘I won’t, Dad, I promise.’

He stared at her, his gaze keen, then he nodded. ‘Good. I’ll make my own tea. You go have fun!’

If only he knew…

She’d tell him later, but it was only fair that Hadrian heard the news that she was breaking up with him first, before she told anyone else.