Page 9 of Summer in the Scottish Highlands (The Scottish Highlands #5)

Natty walked into the kitchen with Olive and asked, ‘What’s The Lake House?’

Jake looked at her in surprise. She clearly hadn’t been listening to some of the adult conversation on the train when the subject of The Lake House had been raised. She had probably been too busy staring out of the train window, trying to spot a wildcat.

‘It’s Jake’s house, here in Scotland,’ said Gayle matter-of-factly.

Natty had sat down at the table, Olive by her side. She stopped what she was doing – tying her last ribbon in Olive’s hair – and looked at Jake. ‘Can we stay in your house, Jake?’

Jake came over all flustered. He hadn’t anticipated the subject of The Lake House cropping up again, although he should have.

After all, the place backed on to Gayle’s, and the rooftop of his house through the trees could be seen from the window of the attic bedrooms. Not that he had any intention of pointing that out to Faye or Natty.

Fortunately for Jake, Faye stepped in. ‘But you like staying at the guesthouse, and besides, it would mean you’d have to leave Olive.’

Natty suddenly flung her little arms around the dog’s neck. ‘ I don’t want to leave Olive – ever!’

Jake turned to Faye and mouthed thank you. He’d already had this conversation with Faye, when she’d mentioned them staying at The Lake House for their holiday.

‘Can we see your house?’ Natty asked.

Jake didn’t know what to say. He’d hardly ever said no to anything Natty had asked of him. What reason would he give?

Gayle looked at Jake, clearly sensing he was having a problem answering that question. She changed the subject. ‘Would you like to join me for dinner this evening?’ she asked them all.

‘I thought the guesthouse was bed-and-breakfast?’ said Faye.

‘Jake booked bed-and-breakfast, but I do evening meals on request.’ Gayle smiled. ‘And I’m requesting that you guys join me.’

‘Oh, we’d love to join you,’ said Faye, not catching Jake trying to imperceptibly shake his head and catch her attention so that she did not accept the invitation.

Faye had yet to find out that Gayle was not a good cook.

At all. Luckily for him, he’d managed an intervention on Gayle’s stew the last time he was there, before he’d had to eat it, but who knew what she’d cook up that evening.

‘Yes please,’ said Natty. ‘Can we have dinner in your kitchen? I like your big kitchen with the huge table, and the Aga.’

Jake turned to Natty. ‘Do you?’ He knew of somewhere else with a huge kitchen, and an Aga – his very own house – The Lake House.

‘Oh, yes. It’s a proper kitchen.’

Faye put her hands on her hips and frowned across the table at Natty. ‘So, isn’t the kitchen at home good enough anymore?’

Jake looked from mother to daughter and smiled as Natty put her hands on her hips, mimicking Faye. Her chin up, Natty said, ‘There is nothing wrong with our kitchen. ’

‘Well, good. I’m pleased to hear it.’

‘But it is small.’

Jake’s mouth curled into a smile as Natty got the last word in.

Faye shook her head and turned to Jake. ‘You didn’t have other plans for this evening, did you?’

Jake had it on the tip of his tongue to lie, but he couldn’t. Gayle looked eager for them to join her, and despite her terrible cooking, Jake didn’t want to let her down. He said, ‘Not at all. An evening meal here sounds … great.’

‘Fantastic!’ Gayle beamed. ‘Three more for Scottish meat pies and vegetables it is then.’

‘Sounds amazing,’ said Faye.

Jake gave her a sideways glance, thinking that it might sound good, but what it would taste like was a whole other matter.

Gayle was getting out some mugs to make tea when she turned from the counter. ‘Oh, I’m assuming no one is vegetarian, because I can try my hand at a vegetarian pie if—’

‘Natty and I are not vegetarians,’ said Faye. ‘You’re not either, are you Jake?’

He shook his head. ‘The meat pie is fine by me.’

‘I have to warn you that I’ve just started to experiment with the pie crust and haven’t quite perfected the recipe yet.’

I bet, thought Jake, not at all surprised that Gayle was almost pre-warning them that things might not go quite to plan in the baking department.

‘I’m going to start preparing the meal.’ Gayle continued. ‘I’ll try to have it ready around six, if that’s not too early for you all.’

‘That’s perfect,’ said Jake. ‘Will there be other guests joining us?’ He recalled the helpful lady in the tourist information mentioning that the guesthouse was fully booked from that night. He thought there must be other guests arriving.

‘No. My other guests have arrived today, but they’ve booked evening meals in a restaurant in Aviemore.’

Lucky them , thought Jake, wondering if they somehow knew in advance about Gayle’s cooking or simply didn’t realise an evening meal at the guesthouse was an option.

‘Can I play with Olive in the garden before dinner?’ Natty asked, looking at Gayle and then at Faye. ‘It’s still light out.’

Gayle said, ‘It’s going to be light for quite some time into the evening. It’s the summer, remember? After dinner, we could take our pudding outside and have it at the garden table on the patio if you like.’

Natty grinned. ‘I’ve never done that before. We haven’t got a garden at home. Mummy, can we sit outside with our pudding?’

‘If you’re sure that’s okay, Gayle.’

‘Of course – why wouldn’t it be? My guests have the run of the grounds, as well as the house. And talking of going out in the garden, I have just the thing Olive enjoys playing with outside.’

Everyone watched Gayle walk out of the kitchen.

They could see her through the open doorway as she opened the cupboard in the hall.

Inside was an assortment of coats, boots and umbrellas.

Olive was watching too. She suddenly scooted after Gayle, squeezing around Gayle’s legs, her nose sniffing around the inside of the cupboard.

‘Here we are,’ said Gayle as she leaned inside and pulled out an old, rather chewed, frisbee. She returned to the kitchen with Olive scampering after her, getting excited. Gayle passed it to Natty.

Olive sat at Natty’s feet, looking up at her, tail wagging furiously, ready for a game .

Gayle said, ‘Now, just make sure you don’t throw the frisbee too high as it might disappear over the hedge into a neighbour’s garden, and then Olive might disappear after it. And we don’t want that – do we?’

Jake, Faye and Natty shook their heads. Jake imagined that Gayle didn’t want to be the one to tell Nick that her new guests had lost his dog.

‘I think I’ll go out in the garden with Natty and Olive,’ Faye said. ‘The grounds look lovely, and it would be nice to stretch my legs for a while after the train ride.’

Jake imagined that wouldn’t be all she was doing. Jake had an idea that Faye was going to keep an eye on Olive.

‘Right, I’m going to prepare the dinner.’

Jake stared at Gayle, wide-eyed. Oh, how he wished he’d remembered to book a table at a restaurant. It had been his intention, but he’d got wrapped up in the train journey and had forgotten.

Jake followed Faye, Natty and Olive out into the hall.

Faye turned to Jake, ‘Do you want to join us in the garden?’

‘Yes, come and play with us,’ Natty said, taking his hand.

Jake would have like nothing better, but there was something else he needed to do first if they were going to have a decent meal this evening. ‘I’ll come out soon, I promise. There’s just something I need to do first.’

Faye raised her eyebrows.

He turned to her, keeping his voice down so Natty didn’t hear, otherwise she might repeat it. Natty was busy checking Olive’s ribbons were still in place after Olive had scratched her ear with her hind paw.

‘Look, Gayle isn’t exactly a whizz in the kitchen.’

‘Huh?’

Jake didn’t know how to say this diplomatically, so he just came out with it and said, ‘Her cooking isn’t very um … nice.’

‘But her fry-up was lovely.’

‘Yes, I agree, but then it’s all downhill from there, I’m afraid.’

‘Oh, dear.’

‘So, I’m going to offer to help in the kitchen.’

‘Help?’

‘Yes, I did it once before when she wasn’t looking. I heard she now makes the most amazing stew. New recipe.’

‘She must have seen what you did to her stew.’

‘She must have caught me putting her condiments back in the cupboard, but was too polite to call me out on it at the time.’

‘Oh, how funny.’

‘You wouldn’t think so if you’d tasted the original stew.’

‘Ah, that doesn’t sound good.’

‘It didn’t taste good either,’ said Jake in all seriousness.

They both turned at the sound of Gayle in the kitchen, getting out pots and pans.

‘I think you’d better go and see what’s happening.’

‘I think so too.’

Natty skipped past them to the front door, carrying the frisbee, Olive hot on her heels.

‘Natty, wait for me!’ said Faye, as Natty and Olive left the house.

Jake caught Faye’s hand. ‘I’ll come out as soon as I’m sure there’s something edible in the oven.’

Faye grinned. ‘That sounds so mean.’

‘I know. But like her stew, Gayle will be on cloud nine when she finds out her pie has turned out so much better than she expected.’

Jake should have let go of Faye’s hand, but he didn’t want to. Then again, Faye wasn’t exactly letting go of his either. He was just about to draw her closer, when Natty shouted out, ‘Mummy – how do I throw a frisbee?’

Faye rolled her eyes, and Jake had to let her go, reluctantly.

Jake wandered into the kitchen.

Gayle turned around, an apron tied around her waist, the words, World’s Best Cook , emblazoned across it. Jake did a double-take, and bit his tongue, avoiding a sarcastic comment – or laughing out loud. He wondered if someone who knew Gayle well had bought her that apron.

‘Ah, Jake. I thought you’d be in the garden with Faye.’

Jake looked at the ingredients that were sitting on the kitchen counter along with a large dish. ‘Gayle, can I ask you a big favour?’

‘Anything, Jake. What are friends for?’