Page 51 of Summer in the Scottish Highlands (The Scottish Highlands #5)

Jake hadn’t told her that, and he knew that if he did, she would not even consider it.

And truth be told, neither would he. What sort of example would it set for Natty if neither of her parents were in work?

Jake wanted to be a good role model for her.

But that didn’t mean Faye had to take on a more stressful job.

She could consider working as an ordinary classroom teacher.

In fact, if they moved to Aviemore, they could do a job share, work part-time, and have plenty of time to smell the roses.

Oh, how Jake was enjoying his little fantasy of Faye giving up living in the city, which he knew she loved, and moving to the back of beyond. His brow creased into a frown. When he thought of it like that—

‘Yeah, but I think it’s not just the Highlands …’

Jake looked at Bonnie. ‘Huh?’

‘You said this part of Scotland agrees with me, and I was just saying that it’s more than that.’

Jake saw her place a gentle hand on her stomach. ‘Oh, right! Of course.’ He’d clean forgotten about her baby announcement at the party. ‘So, how are you doing?’

‘We’re doing well, thank you.’

‘Great.’ Jake leaned against the car door, wondering what to say next – how to broach the subject of the hypnotherapy session and Eleanor. ‘How’s your week been?’

‘Great, actually. Judith has really settled into the boathouse with us, so much so that David is getting a little worried she’s never going to leave.’ Bonnie laughed.

Jake joined in her laughter. ‘Oh, dear – living with his mother-in-law. I bet he’s getting worried.’

‘She won’t actually be his mother-in-law.’

‘Oh, sorry. How stupid of me. I forgot.’

Bonnie reached out and touched his arm. ‘It’s all right. I understand. What happened at the party … that was an awful lot to take in for everybody.’

Jake nodded, still feeling embarrassed over his gaffe.

‘The thing is, I get on so well with Judith, it’s like she actually is my mum.’

‘That’s great, Bonnie, I’m so happy for you that things are working out,’ Jake said, with genuine feeling. Bonnie had had a rough start in life. She deserved better – a whole lot better.

‘Do you want to come in and see the paint and wallpaper I’ll be using in each room? We could start at the top and work our way down.’

‘Are you redecorating this whole house by yourself?’ Jake was concerned, what with her business in town as well, that she was taking on too much work – especially given her pregnancy.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, god, not another one!’

‘Excuse me?’

‘Another man thinking I should be in confinement.’

‘Confinement?’

‘You know, like years and years ago, when women were meant to confine themselves to doing nothing for the duration of their pregnancy, like they were some sort of invalid. I swear that’s what David is after, and Duncan is just as bad, wanting me to take it easy – meaning not work.

But I want to work. I need to. I can’t sit around all day just doing nothing. ’

Jake raised his eyebrows. Eleanor suddenly came to mind.

He remembered the previous Christmas, when he’d found out she was pregnant.

She hadn’t exactly been elated by the news like he had been.

All he’d ever wanted was to be a father.

All she’d ever wanted was to have her own career, but because she’d married him, she’d slipped into becoming a corporate wife – and having a baby would have trapped her even more into a life she didn’t want.

But we could have changed things. Jake had already decided back then to stop travelling and working abroad at the Rosses’ different headquarters, and settle in London, so she could start her career.

They could have got a nanny. Women could both work and have children.

But to his lasting regret, he’d never had the chance to have that conversation.

He thought of Faye. When they married, she’d still have her career in teaching – if that was what she wanted.

‘I don’t want to be a stay-at-home mum either. I’ve worked hard to build my business. I know they just want me to take it easy, but I just can’t.’

Jake said, ‘It is a big house, though.’

‘Look, don’t worry. I’ve enlisted help. I’m not actually doing the decorating myself. I’m overseeing the work.’

Jake was pleased to hear it. ‘So, who will be working on the house?’

‘There are students from Inverness University doing art and design. Getting placements isn’t easy, so I approached the university, and they’ll be coming here.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘I’m waiting for them to arrive.’ Bonnie glanced past Jake down the driveway. ‘They should be here any minute.’

‘Oh, I see.’ Jake turned to look down the driveway.

‘They’re also going to get some experience working at Duncan’s store in my design outlet.’

Jake turned back to look at her. ‘You mean Robyn’s outlet.’

Bonnie cocked her head to one side.

‘It’s what it’s called – isn’t it?’ Jake wasn’t being rude, but it was a bit confusing. He thought, why not just rename it?

‘Yes, and I’m not renaming it – if that’s what you’re thinking, although I know it’s a bit confusing now that my name is Bonnie.’

Jake just nodded.

Bonnie sighed. ‘I don’t know what happened to her, and I can’t help thinking if I hadn’t taken her car, she’d still be here or somewhere like back at university. I feel so guilty.’

‘You think something happened to her?’

‘Well, it must have. Nobody disappears off the face of the planet.’

Those were Jake’s sentiments exactly. ‘I take it you’ve tried searching for her with no luck?’

‘Yes. We’ve completely drawn a blank.’

‘Sorry to hear that.’

‘Not as sorry as Judith. David and I asked her to try and think where she might have gone, and the sort of things she enjoyed doing, to see if we might be able to piece together her whereabouts.’

‘And …?’

‘She liked skiing, apparently – that’s why she was here working in Wilbur’s Bookstore over the Christmas break, choosing not to join Judith abroad.’

Jake lifted his gaze to the mountain beyond the house.

‘Do you think …?’ He swallowed, starting to feel the panic rising at the thought of being trapped on the snow up there.

It was going to be a massive thing for him to venture back up that mountain, especially as he knew they’d probably be heading up to the snow-ca pped summit.

But Faye was right: he couldn’t wrap them both in cotton wool, and he couldn’t hold Natty back in life because of his own fears.

He had to face them some day – and it may as well be that day.

Bonnie followed his gaze. ‘We’ve looked everywhere in Aviemore, and the surrounding towns and villages, with Joe and the local police force’s help, but there’s been no sighting of her whatsoever.’

‘What about if she took a taxi out of town?’ suggested Jake.

‘We checked all the local taxi companies, and no one booked a taxi on Christmas Day.’

‘I guess she could have just hitched a ride from a passing motorist.’

Bonnie nodded. ‘We thought of that. But then again, she was packing to leave. She’d already loaded some of her stuff into the car that I took. Why on earth would she just take off without her belongings? It doesn’t make sense.’

Jake supposed it didn’t. He asked, ‘Did the police get a call on Christmas Day to say her car had been stolen?’

‘No. At first, I thought that was understandable. She knew I’d taken Eleanor in her car to the ski slopes, and might be some time, dropping her off and making it back.

But as the time went on and I didn’t return to the bookshop as planned, I would have assumed she’d have thought something had happened. ’

‘Something happened all right,’ Jake said sadly, thinking of Eleanor, but also of poor Bonnie, speeding out of town and colliding with David.

‘So, do you want to come in the house and see what I’m up to?’

Jake shook his head. It wasn’t what he was there for. ‘Look, Bonnie, the reason I’m here is that at the party I got the impression you were avoiding—’

Jake was interrupted by a loud bark. He turned to see a familiar Old English Sheepdog appear in the doorway from inside the house. She belted across the driveway, making straight for Jake.

‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, Olive! What mischief have you been getting up to now?’ Bonnie said, exasperated.

Olive had left turquoise paint paw prints in her wake. Jake imagined she’d tipped over a paint pot indoors. ‘Do you want help clearing her mess up?’

Bonnie shook her head. ‘No, I’ll sort it out.’

‘What’s she doing here, anyway?’

‘Oh, she was in with Annie at the shop first thing this morning – at least, that was the plan, as she was royally getting under the feet of Gayle and her new guests – but then she was causing trouble at the shop too. She wasn’t staying on her cushion like she normally does.

She kept going up to customers, and following them around, being a nuisance.

She was driving the customers away. She wasn’t staying in the design outlet part of the shop either, but running around the shop, annoying Duncan’s customers too.

So, David decided to bring her in the van with him on his deliveries. ’ She frowned.

Jake saw her expression and guessed that hadn’t exactly worked out either.

Bonnie confirmed what Jake was thinking when she said, ‘Unfortunately, that wasn’t the best idea because she got in the back of the van and peed on one of the packages.’

‘Oh, dear.’ Jake stifled a smile.

‘Yes, oh dear is right. It was David’s first day back at work, and Duncan was not impressed. So, David left Olive with me, thinking she’d just play in the garden. Well, she’s not going to play on her own, is she?’

Olive dropped a ball by Jake’s feet. Poor Olive. He felt sorry for her. She just wanted some attention and to play, but all her friends – Gayle, Annie, Bonnie, David, Duncan – were just too busy.

Jake picked up the ball. ‘I’ll take her.’

‘Back to Gayle’s?’

‘Yes, for now, but I’m happy to look after Olive for the summer. That was what I was I going to talk to Nick about. Faye and I are spending the rest of the summer here.’

‘Yes, I heard.’

‘News travels fast.’

‘It does around here,’ quipped Bonnie.

Jake was not at all surprised. He smiled and looked at Bonnie, expecting her to say she was pleased to hear it, and that they’d done the right thing deciding to stay on in Scotland for the summer.

Instead, she avoided his gaze. Jake guessed why.

If she was keeping something from him, she probably wanted him to go back to London the next day as planned.

Now he had the whole summer to see her again and find out what that was.

Jake looked at Bonnie. She was clearly busy organising the house, ready to start.

He realised now wasn’t the time to confront her about whatever she was keeping from him about Eleanor.

Bonnie asked, ‘So, what are your plans when I’ve finished doing up your house?’

‘It’s a surprise.’

Bonnie grinned. ‘Oh, okay. I’ll look forward to it.’

‘Oh, I meant it’s a surprise for Faye.’

Bonnie smiled. ‘Of course! How silly of me.’

It was to be the biggest surprise of all.

Jake had wondered whether, if Faye wanted to stay on for the summer, she would consider staying on for good.

It wasn’t something he wanted to broach straight away.

He was afraid he was just reading too much into things, and she’d say how silly he was being, and that her life was in London.

He thought, though, that the renovation of The Lake House might encourage her to stay.

Then again, she wouldn’t want that – a house with the ghosts from his past. Perhaps it was time to let it go.

He didn’t know why, but he suddenly had the urge to tell Bonnie all this.

‘You need to tell her what you’ve just told me.’

‘But—’

‘Don’t be afraid, Jake. You never know, Faye might surprise you.’

She already had – his city girl wanting to stay on for the entire summer in Scotland.

Jake raised his eyes to the mountain. Bonnie was right.

It was time to face his fears. Not only his fears of what Faye might say, but of making a visit to see Eleanor, and getting the wheels in motion to divorce her on their return.

‘I proposed to Faye.’

‘Oh, Jake! How wonderful.’ Bonnie stepped forward and gave him a hug.

Olive, still by his feet, whined for attention too. Jake bent down, gave her a fuss, and picked up the ball. He tossed it up and down in his hand, staring at the house. Jake had always wanted a dog, and a family, and an ordinary life, far removed from the Rosses’ corporate high-flying world.

‘You’ll have to have an engagement party and invite everyone.’

Jake dropped his eyes to Bonnie. ‘Pardon me? ’

‘An engagement party. We’d all love to come.’

Jake frowned. ‘I can’t do that just yet.

’ Now he wished he hadn’t mentioned that he’d proposed.

He knew what Bonnie was going to say: how come you can’t have a party?

She wouldn’t understand that it would be inappropriate to celebrate their engagement yet unless he explained about Eleanor still being alive.

Jake turned around and had just thrown the ball, realising too late he’d thrown it too hard, and it had gone over the hedge into the memorial garden, when Bonnie said, ‘Oh, that’s right. I suppose it’s not appropriate right now, until you’ve divorced Eleanor.’

Jake had just turned to her, wide-eyed, wondering how she even knew Eleanor was alive – the family had closed ranks and not told anybody anything, leaving the world to surmise that she’d died – when he heard someone shout out, ‘Ow! Who the bloody hell threw that ball?’

‘Oh, dear,’ said Bonnie. ‘That’s Marty.’

Jake frowned when he heard another noise. A loud thud. He knew Marty was somewhere in the grounds gardening that morning, but what was he doing in the memorial garden? It didn’t sound like gardening. There was that sound again, as though he was dropping something heavy into the wheelbarrow.

‘What’s he doing in there?’

Bonnie pursed her lips.

Jake took off towards the memorial garden, Olive scampering ahead. Bonnie followed.