Page 46 of Summer in the Scottish Highlands (The Scottish Highlands #5)

Faye stood on the doorstep, waiting for Jake to answer the door. She slipped her mobile phone out of the back pocket of her jeans and checked for any further texts from Jake in case there had been a change of plan. The last one she’d had said to meet him at The Lake House. Nothing more.

Faye put her phone away. She’d only been in the back garden, never around the front of the house before.

She turned to look at the large driveway.

She knew Jake was there. His car was parked out front.

The lawn in front of the house sloped down to the shores of a small loch, and she wondered if it was man-made and had been created when the house was built.

She couldn’t imagine the shore, at least this side, was open to the public.

The only way to get to it appeared to be up the drive from the house.

She peered down the drive and saw double wrought-iron gates. She was surprised they were open. She glanced at Jake’s hire car. He obviously hadn’t bothered to close the gates when he drove through.

Faye tried the knocker again, then took several steps back to peer up at the house, wondering if Jake had heard the door this time. Perhaps he was somewhere upstairs in the house. She looked up, eyeing the large Georgian windows, but didn’t see anyone.

The front of the house was impressive. It had been built in the arts and crafts tradition – Faye had touched upon this type of architectural style during some teaching lessons she’d prepared earlier on in her career – and she recognised the style of the hip roof, the turrets and gables, and the bay windows on the ground floor.

They all made the house interesting and imposing.

Faye was thinking of the surprise Jake had said he had in store.

She knew this must be it – he was preparing the house for them to spend the summer there.

It was little wonder that he’d thought they were all too tired for his surprise the evening before – it would have meant they’d all have to troop over to The Lake House for a tour late in the evening, after he’d spent the evening getting the house organised and Faye and Natty had been at the snow disco until late.

Faye thought this was much better, apart from the fact that Natty wasn’t with her.

She would have liked Natty to see it too before they moved in the next day.

Then again, after the row that morning over her plans to go up the Cairngorm Mountain, Faye knew it was for the best that she came alone.

She frowned when she remembered why she had left Natty behind having sausage and beans with Evie.

She cast her gaze up at the mountain, shaking her head, her good mood evaporating.

She wasn’t looking forward to broaching the subject of their trip out together.

She hoped he’d decided to come with them, and not try and put them off.

How would they possibly spend the summer in this house, in the shadow of that mountain, let alone live there, if he couldn’t put the past, and what had happened on that mountain, behind him?

He has to come with us, he just has to , thought Faye, stepping back up to the door.

She was wondering why Jake hadn’t answered the door, especially when he’d asked her to come.

She would have thought he’d have kept an ear out for her arrival.

Faye didn’t bother with the knocker again, and instead did something she should have done in the first place – texted Jake to say she’d arrived.

After she’d done that, she tried the front door, only to find it was unlocked.

Faye sighed. ‘Of course it is. How silly of me not to think. He expects me to just walk right in.’

Despite her happy mood quickly disintegrating at the thought of Jake’s reaction to their planned trip up the mountain, she did manage a smile when she realised Jake wasn’t keeping an ear or eye out for her arrival because he’d expected she’d just walk right in and give him a shout-out that she was there.

Faye did just that. As soon as she’d stepped into the spacious central hallway with an impressive, curved staircase rising to the next floor, she called out, ‘Jake – I’m here!’

Jake answered immediately. ‘I’m upstairs.’

Faye looked up the stairs. ‘I’ll come right up, then.’

‘Okay.’

Faye smiled. She guessed the tour was starting upstairs, in the bedrooms. Maybe in their bedroom.

Faye’s smile widened. This was a turn-up for the books.

What did they say about make-up sex? Faye found herself taking the stairs two at a time while loosening the top button of her blouse and running her fingers through her hair.

She wasn’t thinking of that argument they’d had at the breakfast table.

Jake had obviously texted her to go there so he could show her around the surprise, meaning The Lake House, and could make amends.

All she could think right now was that she wished she had a mirror, just to check her appearance.

Oh, never mind that , she thought. There wouldn’t be time for him to notice her appearance before his lips were planted on hers; they’d barely take a breath as shoes were kicked off and clothes hastily removed on their way to their bed.

It occurred to her that this wouldn’t be make-up sex; they hadn’t made love at all yet.

Hadn’t had the opportunity. Pushing the camp beds together in the tent hadn’t worked quite as Faye had intended.

But wasn’t this the perfect time? They had the whole house to themselves.

She nearly ran into Jake as he suddenly emerged from a room at the top of the stairs. He looked at her. ‘Are you alright? You seem a bit … out of breath.’

‘Um, I ran up the stairs, just anxious to see you.’

He broke into a grin. ‘Oh, thank goodness. I was feeling absurdly nervous, thinking you might not come after the way I acted earlier, like a right idiot, over your plans today.’

Faye grinned too. She’d been absurdly nervous about meeting him too, over that. Now her mind had been put at ease. He’d obviously realised he’d over-reacted. She hoped he’d decided to come with them.

‘What’s in there?’ she asked, as he closed the door.

‘Oh, I’ve finished in that room.’

‘Oh, okay.’ She imagined he’d finished getting it prepared for their stay. It obviously wasn’t their bedroom, otherwise he’d be taking her in his arms, and—

‘I’ve just got a few more rooms to see to,’ said Jake striding down the hall.

Faye followed, still grinning, wondering when they were going to get to their bedroom, and who would make the first move. Walking behind him, Faye undid another button on her blouse, revealing her bra strap, thinking, I don’t mind if it’s me .

When Jake opened another door, Faye was right behind him, hoping this was their bedroom.

Except it couldn’t be because it was full of furniture covered in white sheets – presumably being used as dust sheets to look after the furniture while nobody was there.

Faye thought, but that’s what he’s here to sort out – removing the dust sheets.

‘Ah, everything seems to be in order here,’ commented Jake, suddenly turning around, and taking a step back, clearly surprised to find Faye had followed him in the room and was standing right behind him. He’d nearly walked into her again. He apologised, ‘Sorry.’

Faye noticed his eyes drifting down to her blouse. She smiled. ‘No need to apologise.’

Jake extended his arm, indicating the door.

‘Oh, right.’ Faye turned for the door. It was such a large house, she hadn’t expected they’d need to use all the rooms – not until they moved in properly.

‘So, where’s my surprise?’ asked Faye, knowing full well what it was. Any minute now Jake was going to open one of these doors and show her their bedroom. Would there be a rose on her pillow? Or lots of candles surrounding their bed?

Faye shook her head thinking that she really was being silly.

It was only a short time ago that they’d rowed.

Why on earth would Jake think she’d want to make love?

Maybe he’d set up the lounge in a romantic way, with candles and flowers for when they moved in the next day. Perhaps that was the surprise.

Along the hall, Jake opened more doors, and Faye caught sight of more white dust sheets.

She was beginning to get a knot in her stomach, wondering if she’d got things all wrong, when they reached the end of the hallway, and she spotted another flight of stairs.

The house was on three levels. Ahead, Jake had already stepped onto the first stair.

He turned around. ‘You don’t have to follow me up here. ’

Was that code for you don’t have to make love to me if you don’t want to ? She said, ‘But I want to.’

‘You do?’

‘Oh, yes.’

‘But there’s nothing much to see, just more of the same – rooms with furniture covered in dust sheets.’

Faye gaped at him.

‘Why don’t you wait downstairs?’

‘All right,’ Faye said slowly. Was the plan to spend the summer on the ground floor of the house so Bonnie could continue redecorating while they were there?

That wouldn’t be ideal. On the other hand, if it meant the house would be ready for them to move in permanently by the time she’d sorted out a new teaching position, and Jake a school locally where he could continue his on-the-job teacher training, then so be it.

Jake stepped off the bottom stair and took her hands in his.

‘I’m so glad we broke the ice here, Faye, after that row in Gayle’s kitchen.

It’s kept me busy, checking things over while I waited to see if you’d accept my apology when you turned up.

I don’t think I could have waited by the tent, drumming my fingers on the table and stewing. I just had too much pent-up energy.’

‘Okay.’ Once again Faye noticed his eyes dropping to her blouse.

‘Wow, your blouse is very … unbuttoned.’ He pointed at her blouse. ‘Do you mind if I—?’

Faye smiled up at him. ‘Not at all.’ She could feel his fingers on her bare skin. The next thing she knew was that he’d buttoned up her blouse. ‘Oh.’ She looked down at her blouse.

‘There,’ said Jake. ‘You’re all buttoned up. It can get cold in this place, you know, even in summer. It’s a big house. Wouldn’t want you catching a chill and it spoiling the rest of our holiday.’

‘So, we are staying on for the summer? It’s decided?’

‘Only if you want to, Faye.’ He got out his mobile phone. ‘I haven’t cancelled the return train tickets tomorrow in case you wanted to go home after what I did.’ His eyes dropped to the floor.

‘I think I scared Natty and Evie, the way I behaved, banging my fist on the table like that. I don’t know what got into me.’

‘I do.’ Faye gently lifted his chin to look at her. ‘I didn’t think, Jake, when I went along with Annie’s suggestion to spend the day on the mountain. I’m so sorry for being thoughtless,’ she said, her eyes filled with regret.

Jake sighed, running a hand through his hair, the weight of his emotions heavy. ‘I shouldn’t have reacted like that,’ he said again, his voice tight. ‘But I know why I did. It was the thought of you and Natty up there after losing Eleanor ... it terrifies me. I can’t go through that again.’

Faye gently placed her hand on his. ‘I understand, Jake, I do. But here’s the thing – we can’t let what happened stop Natty from having her own experiences in life. She’s just a little girl, and I don’t want her to grow up afraid of everything.’

They stood in silence for a moment before Jake nodded, his gaze softening. ‘You’re right. I just ... need to learn how to manage this fear.’

Faye squeezed his hand, and in that quiet moment, they reached an understanding.

She knew they would face it together. Faye looked around.

She couldn’t think of a better place for Jake to face his demons and finally move on.

‘Cancel the train ticket for tomorrow, Jake. We’re spending the summer in the Highlands. ’