Page 43 of Summer in the Scottish Highlands (The Scottish Highlands #5)

Faye sat in Gayle’s kitchen with her hands wrapped around a comforting mug of tea as she confided in Gayle.

She’d told the girls to go and play in the tent in the garden for a bit, after reassuring Natty and Evie that everything was fine, she was fine, and it was just grownups having a silly argument that morning.

As soon as they girls were out of earshot, Faye shook her head. ‘I’ve made a terrible mistake,’ she said quietly, her voice tinged with guilt. ‘What was I thinking?’ She of all people should have known how Jake would feel when he found out she intended to take Natty up on that mountain.

‘But you’re not going skiing. He does know that – doesn’t he?’

‘Well, yeah – it is the summer.’ Faye breathed a heavy sigh. ‘But Jake still has nightmares about what happened to Eleanor on that mountain.’

She’d only spent two nights with Jake, but both nights she’d been woken by his cries.

‘I don’t want to ruin what has been a perfect holiday all because of this, but I can’t bear the thought of disappointing Natty.

She’s so excited about going up in the funicular to the summit, especially as she’s going along with Evie.

’ Faye felt torn. ‘I wish I’d never booked it. How could I have been so thoughtless?’

Gayle sat down next to her at the kitchen table and took Faye’s hand. She listened, her expression full of understanding, before she replied, ‘You couldn’t have known, Faye, what Jake’s reaction was going to be.’

‘Not for sure, but I had some inkling it was not going to go down well, us going up there. I just didn’t anticipate that he’d storm out of the room without at least talking about it.’

‘He’s frightened he’ll lose you and Natty like he lost Eleanor.’

‘But that’s just not possible. It’s not like we’re going skiing.

I know there’s still snow up there, but if we do the walk to the top of the mountain, it will be with an experienced guide – nothing is going to happen.

And even if we do return in the winter, and book a skiing lesson, we’d be on the nursery slopes the whole time with two skiing instructors who won’t let us out of their sight. ’

‘Listen, Faye. You’re right. Nothing is going to happen to you or Natty up there today. I know this may sound … harsh. But it’s his problem, not yours. He’s got to face those irrational fears sooner or later. Jake can’t wrap you both in cotton wool – especially Natty.’

Faye stared at Gayle. ‘I want her to spread her wings and fly – eventually. All these new experiences now will build her confidence.’

‘I know,’ said Gayle. ‘I imagine that’s what every parent wants.’

Faye stared at Gayle. ‘She can’t have someone in her life who is going to hold her back out of fear of something that will probably never happen.’

Gayle nodded. ‘I understand.’

Faye noticed something had caught Gayle’s eye.

Gayle lifted Faye’s hand. She pointed at the little purple ribbon she was still wearing on her finger.

‘Don’t give up on him, Faye. He’s clearly still got a long road ahead of him, dealing with what happened.

But you and Natty – he loves you both very much.

What happened, Jake storming out, just proves that.

As I said before, he needs to face his own fears.

Perhaps now is the time, if he wants to replace that ribbon with a real ring.

He’s got to let you both go up there. And ideally, he needs to go too. ’

Faye studied the ribbon on her finger and smiled at Gayle. ‘I bet you’ve read all those self-help psychology books sitting on your bookshelves from cover to cover.’

‘I have.’

‘Did anyone ever tell you that you’re in the wrong job?’

Gayle raised an eyebrow. ‘Yes, now you mention it, I do have a very good friend who has pointed that out to me on numerous occasions – incidentally, when she didn’t want my advice!’

Faye knew who that very good friend was – Bonnie.

‘Well, I for one am grateful for your advice, Gayle. You’ve put things in perspective.

I will go and offer an apology to Jake but also hope he understands that if he doesn’t feel he can come up there with us, I’m still taking her myself.

I cannot deny Natty experiences in life because of what happened to Jake, tragic as it was. ’

Gayle frowned.

‘What is it?’ Faye asked.

‘Can you smell that?’

They both turned to look at the frying pan. ‘Oh no! I’ve burnt the sausages. What will my new guests think?’

Faye rushed over and put the extractor on before depositing the burnt sausages in the bin. ‘Come on, let’s rustle up another breakfast. We’ll do it together.’

‘What about Jake? ’

‘Let’s put on some extra sausages and bacon. Jake and I are going to have breakfast al fresco.’

‘On the camp table outside the tent?’

‘Yeah, then we’re going to have a heart-to-heart talk.’

‘What about Evie and Natty?’

‘I’ll send them in for their sausages and beans in the kitchen, if that’s all right. They’ll need a good breakfast before we set off for out adventure up on that mountain.’

Faye got out her phone and texted Jake, Meet me at the tent – we need to talk.

Gayle glanced at Faye. ‘Did you just text Jake?’

‘Yes.’ Faye took some eggs out of the fridge.

A moment later, she heard someone coming down the stairs. Faye held her breath, hoping it was Jake. She stole a glance at Gayle. ‘Tell me if it’s him,’ she whispered. Faye carried on cooking the fry-ups, her back to the kitchen door.

‘Jake,’ said Gayle.

‘Gayle,’ said Jake.

Faye heard the back door, and Gayle exhale in relief. ‘That was Jake.’

‘I gathered that.’

‘He paused in the kitchen doorway, with his mobile phone to hand, throwing you a searching look, probably wondering why you texted him.’

Faye sighed. ‘Because I’m a coward and was afraid to go up to his room and find him packing.’

‘Packing?’ Gayle turned to her.

‘Yeah – as in leaving.’

Gayle avoided eye contact and put two slices of bread in the toaster.

Faye stopped cracking the eggs into a bowl and turned to her. ‘You’re awfully quiet all of a sudden.’ Faye stared at her intently. ‘You know something – don’t you?’

‘Me? Not at all.’

Faye put her hands on her hips. ‘You are such a bad liar.’ Faye had a thought.

‘Is it something to do with that surprise Jake had in store for me?’ Of course, Faye didn’t think she’d be getting whatever nice surprise he had for her now, after how insensitive she’d been, listening to Annie and going ahead with booking the trip up the mountain without a second thought for Jake and his past.

Now she wished he’d gone ahead and given her the surprise the previous night instead of changing his mind and delaying it.

When Gayle refused to say anything more, Faye changed tack. ‘What was Jake doing yesterday evening while Natty and I were at the snow disco?’

Gayle sighed. ‘Look, all know is what Marty told me.’

‘Which is …?’

‘Marty had been gardening at The Lake House yesterday. He said that Jake was at The Lake House, busy doing something in there, although he had no idea what.’ Gayle slapped her hand over her mouth.

Faye smiled when she heard a muffled, ‘Oh, I shouldn’t have said that.’

‘So, Jake was at The Lake House all evening?’

Gayle obviously realised there was no point denying it now, after what she’d said.

She nodded. ‘Yes, didn’t even have time for dinner.

God knows what he was up to.’ Gayle ignored the toast when it popped up in the toaster.

She was too busy staring at Faye when she said, ‘You know what he was doing there – don’t you? ’

Faye smiled. ‘Yes, I think so.’ Although she couldn’t quite believe it. Was he preparing The Lake House for them to move in for the summer?

‘What’s going on, Faye?’

Faye thought she’d burst into tears a second time if it turned out she’d screwed up this surprise, if it was what she thought it was, all because of what she’d planned for their day out that day.

Despite getting on her high horse about Natty having experiences, all Faye could think about right now was her relationship with Jake, and the fact that if he had been doing what she suspected the previous evening, then he really had turned a corner if he felt able to have her and Natty stay with him in that house.

‘Faye?’

‘I … I think Jake was preparing The Lake House for us to stay in for the summer.’

Gayle looked as surprised as Faye sounded. ‘No way! Seriously, you think that’s what he was doing?’

Faye nodded. ‘We want to stay in the Highlands for the whole summer.’

‘Yes, Natty mentioned that.’

‘As much as we’d love to stay here, you haven’t got vacancies, but I just didn’t think he’d even consider us all staying at The Lake House.’

Gayle said, ‘Everyone was convinced he would never return there, and he’d end up selling it.’ Gayle stared at Faye. ‘You know what this means – don’t you?’

Faye looked at the ribbon on her finger. ‘He’s come to terms with what happened to Eleanor, and he’s ready to move on with his life.’

‘There’s just one more thing for him to conquer,’ said Gayle, ‘for him to truly be free of that awful accident up here.’ Gayle pointed to her temple.

‘He’s got to conquer his fear of that!’ Faye pointed out of the window at the snow-capped mountain.

‘Yes. He needs to go with you today.’

Faye frowned.

‘What is it?’

‘I don’t think going with us is going to fix things.’

‘But seeing the reality of you both up there, surely, will dispel this irrational fear he has of—’

‘Yes, I’m hoping it will, and I do intend to still try and persuade him to come with us.

But there’s more to it than that – a lot more.

Until he finds out what really happened up there when he and Eleanor were buried in the snow …

that mountain is going to haunt him. He’ll never come here and be free of it. ’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘There was someone else up there on that mountain with them, and he says he needs to find them.’

‘Really – who?’