Page 9 of Summer Escapes on the Scottish Isle (Coorie Castle Crafts #2)

‘Are you sure you don’t mind giving me a hand?’ Mack was standing in Cal’s tiny hallway, waiting for him to slip his feet into a pair of trainers.

Tara, his fiancée, leant against the door frame, watching.

‘Mate, I’ll always be in your debt,’ Cal said.

Tara piped up, ‘Me, too.’

‘It was nothing—’ Mack began, but Tara put her arms around him.

‘I could have drowned out there,’ she reminded him, glancing at the loch through the window, its water glistening in the early evening sun. ‘I almost did.’

‘The coastguard would have rescued you,’ Mack said.

‘You don’t know that. Anyway, you risked your own life to save me, and I can’t thank you enough.’

‘What about me?’ Cal broke in. ‘Don’t I get a mention?’

Mack chuckled at their easy banter. Those two were made for each other, but it had taken Tara ‘borrowing’ Cal’s little boat and getting caught in a storm for the pair of them to realise it.

Cal had enlisted Mack’s help, and Mack had taken the Sea Serpent out to find her.

Thankfully, she’d been unharmed, and Cal had sung Mack’s praises ever since.

Tara slipped an arm through his. ‘Can I come with you?’

Mack was surprised she wanted to. ‘It’s not going to be much fun – we’re shifting a sofa.’

‘I don’t care about the sofa. I want to meet Freya.’

‘OK, but she mightn’t appreciate a bunch of people descending on her.’ For some reason he felt rather protective of her.

Tara laughed. ‘I’m hardly a bunch. Should I bring a bottle of wine?’

‘This isn’t a social thing.’

‘It might be a nice gesture,’ she persisted.

‘You just want to be nosey,’ Cal said, ushering her out the door. Mack followed, jangling the keys to his truck.

‘Friendly,’ Tara corrected. She turned to Mack. ‘Cal says she grew up here, but moved away and is now living in London.’

‘That’s right.’ He hopped into the driver’s seat. Cal hung back so Tara could sit in the middle, then he got in.

‘What’s she like?’ she asked.

‘Nice.’

She scoffed, ‘Is that it – nice ?’

Mack stared steadfastly ahead. He knew Tara’s game. She was trying to set him up.

She cried, ‘You like her, don’t you?’

Cal said, ‘If she’s under thirty and pretty, he’ll like her.’

Mack shot his friend a quick look. ‘She’s over thirty, actually.’

‘How old?’ Tara demanded.

‘Thirty-three, thirty-four.’

‘Not that much over.’

‘Shut up and let me concentrate on the road.’ The road was practically empty, and Mack was aware of the pair exchanging looks. ‘She’ll only be here for a few weeks,’ he told them, not sure why he felt the need to explain.

‘Just how you like your women,’ Cal said. ‘No risk they’ll get serious.’

‘I feel sorry for her, that’s all. Her dad is in hospital and she’s having to cope on her own.’

‘But she’s from around here, isn’t she?’ Tara pointed out. ‘I mean, she’ll know people – her old friends and such. How about Jinny?’

Mack considered the question. ‘You forget how small Duncoorie is. It’s not as though there would have been loads of kids around. A handful maybe.’ An image of Alice sprang into his head, and he pushed it away. ‘Anyway, Jinny is a bit older than Freya.’

His sister-in-law was the same age as Carter, and they’d been inseparable since school.

In some ways, Mack envied his brother: Carter and Jinny were blissfully happy.

On the other hand, being tied down wasn’t Mack’s bag.

While Carter had been stuck at home changing nappies, Mack had been out having fun.

Mack eased the truck into a space behind a small red van that was parked outside Vinnie’s cottage, and got out.

‘We should have brought wine,’ Tara hissed, as he knocked on the door.

‘As I said, it’s not a social— Hi, Freya.

’ His heart stuttered at the sight of her, and he smiled widely to cover his sudden confusion.

‘Are you ready for us to move your sofa?’ he asked.

Then, seeing her gaze flit to Cal and Tara, he added, ‘I’ve brought reinforcements.

Actually, Cal will help; Tara will just get in the way. Oh, and she’s nosey.’

‘Oi.’ Tara elbowed him in the ribs.

And to make sure Freya didn’t get the wrong end of the stick, he added, ‘Cal is a mate and Tara is his fiancée.’

‘Right. Er, come in.’ Freya appeared to be flustered at the sight of so many people on her step, and he didn’t blame her.

Mack led the way, Cal behind him and Tara bringing up the rear. He noticed that Freya had made up the bed in the sitting room and had cleared away some of the ornaments.

‘How’s your dad?’ he asked.

‘The worst patient ever. I think the nurses will be glad to be rid of him, and he’s only been in Broadford for three days.’ Freya wrinkled her nose.

Mack had an urge to kiss it and he looked away, wondering what that was all about. Yes, she was attractive and, yes, he fancied her, but kissing noses? In fact, he could kiss—

‘Mack? Mack!’

‘Huh?’ He came back to earth with a jolt at the sound of Cal’s voice.

‘I said , which end do you want to take?’

‘I don’t mind.’

‘In that case, you can take the heavy end.’ Cal chortled.

Mack had walked right into that, which meant Cal would lead the way while Mack took most of the weight. Oh well, he supposed it would give him the opportunity to show off his strength and muscles when he heaved the sofa up those stairs.

Unfortunately, that plan didn’t work out as he’d hoped, because Tara took charge, saying to Freya, ‘How about putting the kettle on and leaving the men to it? The kitchen is through here, is it?’

The last glimpse Mack had of Freya was her quizzical expression as she followed Tara out of the room.

He stared after her and Cal followed his gaze with a smirk., saying, ‘That’s the way of it, is it? I thought you just wanted to get into her knickers, but Tara was right – you do like her.’

Mack stuck his nose in the air. ‘I don’t know what you mean. I’m doing this for Vinnie.’

‘Yeah, mate, you keep telling yourself that.’ Cal gave him a knowing look, then turned his attention to the sofa. ‘Grab that end and let’s get started. You owe me a pint, by the way.’

‘What happened to you being forever in my debt?’

‘It went out of the window when I saw those damn stairs.’

Thinking about it, a pint would be a good idea and maybe they could ask Freya if she wanted to join them.

Freya felt rather railroaded as she headed into the kitchen to put the kettle on. She’d been hoping that Mack would turn up this evening as promised, and she knew he’d be bringing someone to help, but she hadn’t expected two someones, or for the second one to be quite so bossy.

Tara pulled out a chair, sat down at the small table and said, ‘I hope you don’t mind me tagging along.’

‘Not at all. Coffee or tea?’ One of the many things Freya had brought with her from London was her espresso machine and a supply of pods.

‘Coffee, please.’

There was an awkward silence after Tara had selected a pod, and Freya busied herself making the drinks.

‘I knew I should have brought wine,’ Tara muttered. ‘It would have broken the ice.’

Abruptly, Freya wondered whether she was giving off unfriendly vibes, and she immediately felt contrite. ‘So, you and Cal are engaged?’ she began, hoping to make amends.

It was the right question, as Tara beamed. ‘We are.’ She raised her left hand and waggled her fingers. A blue stone in a white setting glittered back.

‘Congratulations,’ Freya said. ‘When’s the wedding?’

‘We’ve not set a date yet, but we’ve got a venue. The ceremony will be in the church in the village, followed by a reception at Coorie Castle.’

Freya let out a low whistle, thinking that wouldn’t be cheap.

Tara said, ‘Cal is the castle’s estate manager and we live in the grounds, so it’s the logical place to hold it.’

‘You’re not from Duncoorie, are you?’ Freya estimated that Tara was a couple of years younger than her, but even so, she would have remembered her.

‘Glasgow originally, but I lived in Edinburgh for a few years.’ She made a face, so Freya concluded that the experience hadn’t been pleasant.

‘How about you?’ Tara asked.

‘Duncoorie born and bred. I went to university in London when I was eighteen and ended up staying there.’

‘It’ll be a bit of a change being back on Skye?’

‘You can say that again!’ Freya’s reply was heartfelt.

‘Needs must, though; Dad won’t be able to manage on his own for a while.

Luckily, I don’t have to rush back for work.

’ Freya felt Tara’s gaze on her ringless left hand and answered the woman’s unspoken question.

‘Or for anything else. No husband, no kids – although I do have a boyfriend.’

‘Mack will be disappointed.’

‘He will?’

‘Uh-huh.’ Tara nodded. ‘Mind you, he’s got the morals of an alley cat, so even if you didn’t have a significant other, it might be best if you told him you did.’

Freya joined her at the table. ‘He’s not married, I take it?’

‘Good grief, no! He’s not the tying-down kind. His heart is in the right place, though. Seriously, if you need a hand or you’re in a bind, Mack’s your guy.’

A thud from upstairs, accompanied by some choice swear words, made Freya flinch. ‘So I gather. It’s kind of him to help.’

‘He is kind,’ Tara said. ‘I understand you’re a teacher? Lovely coffee, by the way.’ Her mug was half-empty.

‘Thanks. I’m a lecturer in an art college.’ To be precise, she was a professor, but she never used the title, as she didn’t believe it suited her.

‘What do you lecture in?’

‘Ceramics. What about you, what do you do?’

‘I make doll’s houses.’

Freya’s interest was piqued. ‘I used to love my doll’s house when I was a kid.’ She wondered what had happened to it. ‘Have you got any photos?’

‘Loads! You’re going to regret asking,’ Tara said, taking a phone out of her hoodie pocket.

‘They’re gorgeous!’ Freya exclaimed when she saw them. ‘And unusual, too.’

‘I do commissions of people’s actual houses, or whatever building they want,’ Tara explained. ‘If you’re going to be around for a while, you might want to pay the craft centre a visit. You could have a look at my houses in the flesh, and the centre has an ace gift shop.’

‘Craft centre?’

‘At the castle.’

Oh, yes. Now Freya came to think of it, she recalled her dad mentioning that Coorie Castle had a craft centre, but that had been a few years ago and she’d totally forgotten about it.

Tara asked, ‘Do you make pots and stuff yourself? Or do you concentrate on teaching?’

Tactfully done, Freya mused; some people might have said, ‘Or do you “only” teach,’ as though teaching was easy. Freya was beginning to warm to the woman.

‘Both,’ she told her.

‘It’s rewarding, isn’t it? I don’t teach as such, but I occasionally run a workshop.’

‘That’s teaching,’ Freya replied firmly, and saw Tara glow with pleasure.

‘I never thought of it like that,’ the woman said.

‘What other crafts are there?’

‘We’ve got a glass-blower, a man who makes stained glass, a jeweller, a watercolour artist, a quilter, and loads more. Oh, and a potter .’

Freya was curious to see the craft centre – the pottery studio in particular – and a wave of longing for her own studio swept over her.

She’d been trying to avoid thinking about how she was going to cope without the feel of clay in her hands for the rest of the summer, because it was too upsetting.

And being back in London on Sunday, packing for Skye, had brought it home to her.

She’d spent the interminable journey telling herself that she’d be too busy to throw pots or make ceramic sculptures anyway, but she hadn’t been able to escape the ridiculous sense of loss she felt.

And it was ridiculous, because she’d only be gone for a short while – she’d be back in London before she knew it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Mack and Cal.

‘All done,’ Mack said. ‘It was a right bawbag to shift, but it’s up there now.’

‘Thank you. I really appreciate your help.’ She gave Mack a wry smile. ‘You were right – I don’t think we’d have managed it on our own.’

Cal said, ‘Tara, take note: you can admit to being wrong now and again.’

Tara got to her feet and walked over to her fiancé. ‘I’ll be happy to – when it happens.’ She stretched to give him a quick kiss, then turned to Freya. ‘Thanks for the coffee.’

Freya replied, ‘Thanks for the company.’ She’d enjoyed chatting with her and was sorry to see her go.

She followed them into the hall to show them out, and Mack hesitated by the door. ‘We’re off to the pub for a quick pint,’ he said. ‘Care to join us?’

Freya hesitated.

Tara gave her puppy-dog eyes. ‘Please come! I guarantee these two will start talking about tides or football, or something equally riveting. I need saving from them.’

‘You need saving ?’ Cal chuckled.

‘I do! I really do.’ Tara nodded. ‘You don’t know what these two are like when they get together, Freya.’

Freya smiled regretfully. ‘Maybe another time? I’ve had a hectic few days and I’m bushed.’

‘I’ll hold you to that,’ Tara said as Freya showed them out.

After they’d left, she made a mental note to buy the men a bottle of whisky each, and maybe some wine for Tara, because she’d made her feel so welcome.

Her spirits lifted for the first time since she’d heard of her dad’s fall. Hopefully, being back in Duncoorie wouldn’t be as bad as she feared.