Page 42 of Summer in the Scottish Highlands (The Scottish Highlands #5)

‘When we …?’ teased Jake. ‘Come on, you have to tell me some time.’ Once again, he caught Faye and Gayle exchange a glance.

Gayle said, ‘Natty, Evie, would you like some hot food this morning?’

They both settled on sausages and beans.

As Gayle took the menus, she asked, ‘How are things so far, with the new breakfast arrangements?’

Jake looked up and smiled at Gayle. ‘Perfect, Gayle. Really … perfect.’

Gayle frowned. ‘It’s not – is it? What am I doing wrong?’

Faye stepped in, ‘Nothing, Gayle. It’s just as Jake said, it’s perfect – the tables, the menus, the continental spread over there, and the choice of cooked breakfast on the menu. It’s just perfect.’

‘So, why do I still get the feeling it isn’t?’

Jake exchanged a glance with Faye, realising she felt the same way.

‘Oh, come on. Out with it. We’re friends, aren’t we? We can tell each other anything.’

‘Well, that’s just it, Gayle,’ said Jake. ‘We are friends. In fact, you’ve made me, us, feel so welcome, and we’ve got to know you and Marty and Nick, you all feel like family. And the guesthouse …’

‘The guesthouse …’ Gayle prompted.

‘It doesn’t feel like a guesthouse – at least not to us.’

Faye nodded her head in agreement.

Gayle frowned at them. ‘Ah, I can see where I’ve gone wrong.’

‘Oh, please don’t apologise for making us feel so at home,’ said Faye.

‘I wasn’t going to. You’re my friends, more than that, you feel like family – it’s true. I’m talking about using you guys as my guinea pigs to assess the new breakfast arrangements.’

Jake pursed his lips. ‘Yeah, not the best idea. I’m afraid we’re biased.’

‘What does that mean?’ asked Natty, looking up from her drawing.

Faye explained, ‘It means we’d rather have breakfast in the kitchen.’

Natty jumped out of her chair and looked at Evie. ‘Us too! Olive isn’t allowed in the dining room, and we miss seeing her at breakfast.’

Gayle rolled her eyes and picked up the coffee and tea, placing it back on the tray.

As they trooped out of the dining room and crossed the hall, following Gayle carrying their tea and coffee back in the kitchen, Jake spotted some of the new guests walking down the stairs.

They’d come down for breakfast early. He thought perhaps they’d forgotten the time that Gayle had told them.

One of them said, ‘Excuse me, do you know where we go for breakfast? ’

Jake smiled. He guessed Gayle had got her guinea pigs after all. ‘Of course. It’s in the dining room.’ He pointed at the door opposite the kitchen. ‘Just choose a table and Gayle will be with you shortly.’

‘Thank you.’

He heard them talking as they entered the room. ‘Oh, how lovely, the room overlooks the garden. Shall we take a seat in the window?’

‘That would be grand, dear.’

Jake smiled to himself as he walked into the kitchen and took a seat next to Faye at the table. ‘Gayle, you have some guests waiting in the dining room.’

‘Oh, crumbs.’ She smoothed down her apron, and picked up her notepad and pen, along with some menus. ‘Well, here goes …’ She paused in the doorway. ‘I feel absurdly nervous. How silly.’

‘You’ll be fine,’ Faye said encouragingly.

Jake added, ‘I overheard them say it’s lovely that the dining room overlooks the garden.’

‘Really?’

‘Oh, yes.’

‘Sounds like you’re onto a winner,’ said Faye.

‘Well, I’m glad someone appreciates the changes.’

‘I still prefer the kitchen,’ said Natty.

Faye looked at Natty. ‘Shush!’

‘But I do.’

Faye whispered, ‘So do I.’

Jake got up and checked the sausages and bacon sizzling in the pan. He picked up a spatula and turned them over. He said conversationally, ‘So, when are you going to let me in on what we’re doing today?’

‘It was Annie’s idea,’ said Faye.

Jake glanced at her, wondering why she wasn’t taking all the credit for the day she had planned, even if Annie had suggested it. In fact, it sounded like she was blaming Annie, saying it was her idea. How odd.

He turned back to the pan as Natty spoke up, ‘Evie’s mum said that as we were having such fun ice-skating last night, perhaps we’d like to book a lesson.’

‘Ice-skating?’ Jake asked conversationally as he turned over another sausage.

‘No, not ice-skating. Skiing!’

Jake froze.

‘Annie said we’d have to hire the clothes and the skis. Evie has her own snowsuit. It’s a whole four-hour lesson. Annie says that includes a pass up to the beginner’s slopes. Here – look!’

Natty appeared by Jake’s side and thrust a leaflet at him. He took it, staring at the images of skiing lessons. His face drained of colour.

‘Afterwards, there’s snowboarding.’ Natty ran back to sit down next to Evie at the table.

Jake stood at the cooker, his back to them, staring at the leaflet in his hand.

This can’t be happening , he thought. He felt a heavy knot of anxiety tightening in his chest. The memory of the accident on the ski slopes was still raw.

The thought of Faye and Natty, the two people he now loved most in the world, stepping onto those same slopes terrified him.

He knew they were just beginners, but the fear of history repeating itself consumed him.

Every instinct screamed to protect them, to keep them safe, even if it meant asking them not to go.

The idea of losing them too was something he couldn’t bear .

‘Natty, why did you give Jake that leaflet? We’re not going skiing now. You can only do that in the winter season.’

‘When’s that?’ Natty asked.

‘From December to April – I told you this already.’

‘I forgot.’

Jake closed his eyes and breathed the biggest sigh of relief. He’d also forgotten for a moment, so consumed was he by the thought of Faye and Natty going up on that mountain, that it was summer.

‘Remember, Natty? Annie suggested all those things we could do instead.’

Jake put the leaflet to one side and continued moving the sausages around in the pan, thinking that when the winter came along, there would be no skiing lesson for Natty – not now, not ever.

Jake intended to put his foot down. Obviously, he wouldn’t mention that fact now, and cause an argument, especially when, unfortunately, Natty seemed so keen on the idea.

Jake had every intention of putting her off when the time came.

He glanced at the leaflet, wondering about the conversation he’d overheard Faye having with Gayle in the kitchen earlier, when Faye had said she wasn’t sure she’d done the right thing about the plan for that day.

They weren’t going skiing, thank god, so whatever she had planned, he didn’t see what the big deal was.

‘Now, Natty,’ said Faye, ‘why don’t you tell Jake what we’ve got planned for today rather than months down the road.’

‘Okay.’

Jake felt a small knot in his stomach again, wondering why Faye had been having second thoughts.

‘Today, we’re going up a mountain.’

Jake turned around, eyeing Natty.

Evie said, ‘We’re going up Cairngorm Mountain.’

Faye said, ‘I’ve made the arrangements, and booked the tickets. We’re going with Evie and her parents, Joe and Annie.’

Jake stared at Faye.

‘Annie suggested it. They take Evie every summer. They run the funicular railway to Top Station, where there’s a visitor experience and viewing terrace.

Annie says it’s the perfect place to see the breathtaking views of Loch Morlich and the surrounding pine forests.

And you can join a guided walk to the summit of the mountain. ’

Natty added, ‘There’s snow up there even in summer, isn’t there, Mummy?’

‘At the summit, yes, sweetheart.’

‘Can you buy me a snowsuit just like Evie’s?’

Jake stared at Faye while the spatula in his hand dripped oil over Gayle’s flagstone floor.

‘Jake – say something.’

Jake suddenly realised he still had the spatula in his hand.

He put it down on the counter and walked up to the table.

He knew this wasn’t her idea, but Annie’s, but even so, he couldn’t believe she’d agreed to it.

‘No way are you going up that mountain! No. Bloody. Way!’ He banged his fist on the table, making Natty and Evie jump, and then stormed out of the kitchen.

‘What’s happened?’ Gayle said rushing into the kitchen, looking at Faye, Natty and Evie. ‘I thought I heard a bang?’

Faye bit her lower lip, trying to stifle a sob. ‘I should never have booked that trip up the mountain.’

‘Where’s Jake?’

‘I don’t know. ’

‘Please don’t cry, Mummy,’ said Natty putting her arms around her.

‘I won’t.’

Faye promptly burst into floods of tears.