Page 18 of Summer in the Scottish Highlands (The Scottish Highlands #5)

As they neared Loch an Eilein, the landscape opened up to reveal the serene waters of the loch, its surface glimmering in the sunshine.

The ancient ruins of a small castle on the island in the middle of the loch stood enveloped in a sense of timelessness and mystery.

Faye spotted some picnic benches along the edge of the loch.

They cycled over and stopped beside the nearest one.

Faye propped her bike up against a tree nearby and stood taking in the peaceful view of the loch.

‘It’s so beautiful,’ she said in a hushed voice, almost afraid to interrupt the tranquillity.

She turned to Jake, who was smiling. Natty’s eyes were wide with wonder.

In the distance, the haunting cry of a curlew echoed, a reminder of the untouched beauty of the Scottish Highlands.

The combination of the forest, the loch, and the wildlife made the ride feel like a magical adventure, one Jake hoped Natty, and Faye, would treasure for years to come.

Faye said, ‘I wish we’d brought the picnic after all.’

Jake placed his bike next to Faye’s. ‘I know, but there wouldn’t have been time. We can have a snack here before we set off.’

Faye nodded. ‘Good idea.’

Jake took the rucksack off his back to find a banana and a cereal bar.

Natty rummaged in her backpack and found her own snacks.

A group of ducks paddled lazily across the water, leaving gentle ripples in their wake.

‘Before I have my snack, I’m going to feed the ducks,’ Natty shouted excitedly as she ran toward the water’s edge with a brown paper bag in her hand.

Faye and Jake followed her to the water’s edge. ‘What has she got in her hand? Faye asked, turning to Jake.

‘Nick said he often cycles to the loch,’ Jake replied. ‘It’s one of his favourite spots. And he always brings some bird seed. So this morning he filled up a bag ready for Natty to bring with her.’ He kept an eye on Natty as she stood on one of the small boulders lining the shore.

‘That’s so thoughtful of him. I’m really enjoying staying at the guesthouse, Jake. Meeting Gayle and her mum, and Nick and Marty – it feels like a little family, doesn’t it?’

Jake nodded in agreement. ‘And don’t forget Olive.’

‘How could I? Natty is banging on enough about getting a dog.’

Jake pursed his lips, hoping that didn’t spoil Faye’s holiday, or her stay at the guesthouse. He changed the subject. ‘It’s going to be a bit different from this evening, because it won’t just be us, Gayle, Doris, Marty and Nick.’ Jake purposely didn’t mention Olive again.

‘Oh, that’s right. There are more guests arriving.’

‘Yes.’ Jake hoped the new arrivals were a nice bunch and didn’t spoil their holiday.

Gayle’s guesthouse wasn’t that big. He pictured late-night revellers who came back at all hours, talking loudly, and were disrespectful to the other guests, who needed their sleep.

It wouldn’t work. There was an alternative if that were to happen.

Jake’s thoughts turned to The Lake House as they stood in silence, watching Natty’s progress as she followed the ducks along the shore, pausing to throw small handfuls of seed in the water.

The silence was broken by the quacking of the ducks vying for the food.

‘Don’t go too far!’ Faye shouted, looking anxiously at her daughter.

‘Calm down, Faye – she hasn’t gone that far,’ Jake blurted, instantly regretting that remark.

‘What do you mean, calm down ?’

Jake sighed. He was about to apologise for that thoughtless comment, but Faye was already reminding him why he should not have made it.

‘You have no idea what gut-wrenching fear I experienced thinking I had lost Natty for good when she went missing.’

Jake stared at her. Actually, he did have an idea. Of course he did. He loved Natty like he imagined he would his own child. But he kept his mouth shut while Faye admonished him for his remark.

‘You are not a parent. You have no clue the hellish time you go through when you discover your child is missing.’

She was right: he wasn’t a parent. And Faye had every right to be angry at him for forgetting just what she’d been through a little over a week ago.

Jake mumbled an apology, feeling embarrassed.

He cast his gaze over at the wooden picnic tables set back from the shore behind them and thought it best he went to sit over there and give Faye some space.

He hoped she forgave him for that comment.

He was about to do just that, sit with the bikes by the picnic table alone, thinking Faye would prefer some time with Natty, when she caught his arm. ‘Where are you going?’

He pointed. ‘I’m going to sit over there.’

‘Stay – please.’

‘But I thought, after what I just said—’

‘I’m sorry, Jake.’

He looked at her in surprise. ‘I’m the one who needs to apologise.’

Faye cocked her head to one side. ‘You’re talking about Natty playing truant to try and find you.’

Of course he was. It was his fault what Faye went through when Natty went missing. He said as much. ‘So, there’s nothing for you to apologise for.’

Faye exhaled loudly. ‘Oh, but there is.’ She turned to look at him. ‘For starters, I know how much Natty means to you.’

Jake eyed her, thinking, but do you know how much you mean to me?

‘And what you mean to Natty. You’re like a father to her. She asks me all the time if you can be her daddy.’

Jake swallowed, trying to keep his emotions in check.

‘I shouldn’t have said what I said about you not understanding because you’re not a parent. That was really thoughtless of me. I hope you can forgive me.’

Jake looked away when he guessed Faye wasn’t just referring to his relationship with Natty, but another child – his child – whom he’d lost when a pregnant Eleanor had been injured so badly.

He’d told Faye about the fact that he’d just found out he was going to be a father, and then that terrible Christmas had robbed him of both his wife and his unborn child.

‘I hope you can forgive me, Jake.’

Suddenly, without thinking, he put his arms around Faye, drawing her close.

She didn’t resist. Instead, she melted into his embrace.

She stared up at him, and their lips moved closer.

All the while, Jake was thinking, this can’t be real, only the second day of our holiday – our first kiss .

He’d just closed his eyes, anticipating her soft, rosy-red lips on his, when he heard a child scream, and then a splash.

Jake’s eyes shot open.

Faye was already running along the edge of the loch. ‘Where’s Natty?’ he yelled. He couldn’t see her.

Catching up with Faye, he saw she was holding a brown paper bag in her hands. ‘Oh god!’

Jake looked at the rock, which was more like a stepping stone, which Natty had been standing on just a moment ago. There were several more which led towards the water.

‘She fell in!’

Without thinking, they both dived into the water and came up for air almost simultaneously, gasping. ‘I can’t see her!’

‘I can’t see anything down there!’ Jake yelled back. He could feel his heart beating in his chest in abject fear. He stared at Faye, who was shivering. She was as white as a sheet.

They were staring at each other as they both took another deep breath, about to go under the freezing water again. Then they heard a familiar voice. ‘What are you doing?’

They both looked towards the shore to see Natty standing there with the water lapping at her feet. She was completely dry and eating a bag of crisps, looking at them quizzically.

‘Natty!’ they both cried with relief.

She said, ‘I didn’t think we were swimming in the loch.’

‘We weren’t swimming! We thought you’d fallen in.’

Natty munched on another crisp and screwed up her nose, frowning. ‘How would I fall in the loch from the stones?’

‘But we heard a scream, and then a splash.’

Natty sighed and shook her head. ‘A duck came right up and pecked my ankle. I screamed, and ran up the beach with it charging after me. I threw my bottle of water at it. The bottle must have landed in the water.’ She looked at them. ‘Didn’t you see me running to the picnic bench?’

Faye and Jake exchanged a glance. They’d been too busy nearly kissing. When they’d heard her scream, they’d looked straight to the water’s edge. She was gone. If they’d only looked the other way they would have seen her standing by her bike, looking for a packet of crisps in her bike basket.

They clambered out of the loch, shivering with cold and feeling very, very silly.

‘You’re very wet,’ said Natty, stating the obvious as she continued to stand there, eating her crisps, staring at them.

‘And very cold!’ said Faye.

Jake put her arm around her, and pulled her close. Not that it did any good; he was just as wet and cold as she was.

Faye suddenly started to laugh. ‘Don’t we make a such a silly pair.’

Jake’s lips curled into a smile. ‘That we do.’

Faye added, ‘At least there’s nobody else about.’

That gave Jake an idea. ‘Come on.’ They walked to the bikes and the rucksack Jake had left on the ground by his bike. He got out two three-quarter length lightweight rain macs. ‘Here.’

‘What’s this for?’

‘We can get out of our wet clothes.’

Natty said, ‘You could hang your clothes over the bikes to dry.’

Jake shook his head. ‘Unfortunately, that won’t work.’

‘Why not?’

‘They’re dripping wet, Natty,’ replied Faye.

‘Look, if we cycle back wearing the rain macs, I know it’s not ideal, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the visitor centre sells hiking gear. I’m sure we’ll pick up a change of clothes. ’

Faye frowned. ‘Only if you go in there and buy some.’

Jake smiled. ‘All right. You could hide in the toilets.’

‘Good.’

Natty finished her crisps and shook her head at them, tutting. She commented, ‘What were you thinking?’ sounding like a parent, not a child. ‘Shall we go, then?’

The rain macs were large enough to slip on over their wet clothes so they could change out of their clothes with some dignity and privacy. Jake thanked his lucky stars that along with the picnic, Gayle had insisted he pack the rain macs she’d found in the understairs cupboard.

‘I hope I’m not going to be too hot,’ said Faye as she rolled up the sleeves and sat on her bike.

Jake got on this bike too. ‘Let’s put it this way – at least we’re not freezing cold.’

As they set off on the trail back to the car park, Jake heard Faye comment, ‘I hope we don’t meet anyone on the way back.’ He looked down at his bright yellow rain mac and thought exactly the same. He said to her, ‘Well, at least yours isn’t yellow!’

‘Seriously, Jake? You think I feel any better because mine is blue? I just want to get back.’

‘Me too.’ He glanced at Natty up ahead, leading the way, and looked at Faye.

She said, ‘What is it?’

Jake spoke his mind. ‘This must be what being a parent feels like, abject terror one minute, and the most unbelievable relief the next.’

‘Welcome to my world.’

Jake smiled. ‘But I wouldn’t change it for a thing.’

She shot him a look. ‘Diving into a freezing loch for nothing?’

‘No, not that – being here with you and Natty.’

Their eyes locked for a moment, until Natty shouted out, ‘There’s some people on bikes.’

Jake heard Faye groan. ‘And to think I chose to wear jeans for this trip just in case I fell off the bike and got my trousers muddy. I didn’t think I’d need to bring along a whole change of clothes!’

Jake glanced at her once more, cycling along wearing nothing but a very long raincoat. He tried to think of an amusing quip to lighten the atmosphere, but thought better of it when he caught her expression.

‘The last thing I expected was an icy dip in a loch, and to return with soaking wet clothes!’

Jake sighed. Before they’d arrived at the loch, Faye had been enjoying the cycling trail, and he’d been thinking that this was going to turn out to be another successful day.

Now he wished Nick had never suggested hiring bikes, and he’d never agreed to it.

As they made their way back to the car park, he hoped they could salvage something of the afternoon.