Page 37 of The Boathouse by the Loch (The Scottish Highlands #4)

‘I’m just going to head down to breakfast.’

Robyn had just emerged from the shower, her hair wrapped in a towel, her face devoid of makeup. ‘Right now?’

David was already marching to the door.

‘Can’t you wait until I’ve dried my hair and put on some makeup? Then we can go down together.’

David had already showered and dressed. He wanted to go downstairs first so that he had a chance to speak to Gayle alone. ‘I’d rather head on downstairs, if you don’t mind.’

‘I don’t mind. I just thought you wanted to spend every waking second with me now I was back – remember?’ She grinned.

David laughed nervously. ‘Oh, yeah.’ He’d forgotten he’d said that. He walked over to the dressing table where she had sat down and stood behind her. He watched her as she unwrapped the towel and her hair fell around her shoulders. He kissed the top of her head. ‘I like your hair now.’

‘You didn’t like me blonde?’

David knitted his brow.

‘It was just a bit …’ He tried not to use the word odd or strange . ‘Surprising.’ Robyn’s decision to dye her hair had been most unexpected. But now it was back to her natural dark hair colour. He preferred it that way.

She glanced over her shoulder at him. ‘Would you like another surprise? I was thinking of changing the colour again.’

‘Why do you want to do that?’

Standing behind her, David caught the look on her face in the mirror as she turned away from him. She wasn’t smiling. She was looking anxious. Something wasn’t right.

He’d had his suspicions when he’d asked her if he should be worried about the two of them.

David was no fool. Now she was talking about wanting her memories back.

All these months, since he’d known her, she’d never once talked about getting her memories back.

In fact, she’d admitted it was the last thing she wanted.

So – why now? Despite his own anxieties over what would happen when she remembered her past, he had reassured her that whatever she was afraid of would not be half as bad as she thought.

David was only saying that to make her, and himself, feel better. She’d said herself that she was afraid of what was really in her past. David couldn’t get out of his mind the possibility that even though she couldn’t remember anything, her subconscious was telling her something.

He kissed the top of her head once more. ‘If you want to dye your hair again, then go for it.’

‘Really?’ She turned to look up at him, smiling.

He swallowed and forced a smile. Whatever or whoever it was she had been running from on Christmas Day, when she had been driving like a bat out of hell on that snowy road out of Aviemore, it was still haunting her.

The fact that she wanted to dye her hair again, hiding her identity, was not a good sign.

‘I’m going to nip downstairs while you dry your hair. ’

Robyn caught his hand before he left and planted a kiss in the centre of his palm. ‘I love you, David Gillespie. You know that – right?’

David gently took her face in his hands, kissing her. He drew back. ‘I don’t want to lose you.’

She grinned. ‘And you won’t. That’s a promise.’

‘Good.’ David got up. ‘I’ll see you downstairs.’ He was just opening the door when Robyn said, ‘Hey, let Gayle know that before I leave, I’d like a quick colour and cut – if she has the time.’

David frowned. ‘All right,’ he said tightly, and closed the door.

‘What’s with the face? I thought you two had worked things out.’

David walked into the kitchen, thankful that Nick and Marty were not around.

He’d forgotten that he and Robyn didn’t have the house to themselves.

Although Marty and Nick had made themselves scarce the previous night, he knew they could show up at any time.

It was Saturday, which meant neither of them would be at work, although it occurred to him that Marty might be doing some gardening work at the weekend.

Still, he didn’t hear any footsteps on the stairs, and Olive was nowhere to be seen. He asked after the dog.

‘She’s out on a morning jog with Nick.’

‘Great.’

Gayle pointed her half-eaten toast at David and said, ‘I thought you liked Olive?’

‘I do. It’s just that this morning I want to be left alone.’

Gayle put her toast down and wiped her mouth. She looked towards the kitchen door. ‘Where’s Robyn?’

‘She’s blow-drying her hair,’ David said sullenly.

Gayle pushed her plate away. ‘I see.’ Gayle raised her eyes to the ceiling. ‘Trouble in paradise?’

‘We’re okay.’ Sort of , thought David. Now that he was in the kitchen, sitting in front of Gayle, he didn’t know whether to confide in her or not.

Was it the case that he was just making a mountain out of a molehill, and that he had nothing to worry about when it came to Robyn and her past?

But something was definitely going on. She wanted her hair dyed again.

‘You want something to eat?’

‘No, not hungry. Besides, I said I’d wait for Robyn.’

‘Coffee?’

‘Yeah.’

Gayle brewed some coffee and joined David at the table. She put a mug of steaming black coffee down in front of him and said, ‘Now, why don’t you tell me what’s going on? Perhaps I can help.’

‘All right.’ David heaved a sigh. ‘She asked me to tell you that she wants a cut and colour before she leaves. If you have the time.’

‘She wants her hair dyed again?’ Gayle frowned.

‘I’m not happy about it either,’ said David, catching her frown.

‘You prefer her natural hair colour.’

‘Well, yeah. But that’s not really it.’

‘You’re wondering why, after all this time, she wants to dye her hair again?’

David nodded. ‘I find it odd that it’s coincided with her trips to London. I just think there’s something she’s not telling me. But I don’t want to push it, otherwise …’

‘Otherwise …?’

‘I’m afraid she might leave me and move back in here for good. And that’s the other thing. She told me she wants to go and see Dr Jamieson at the hospital about her memory problems.’ David kept his voice low, glancing the door, feeling bad for sharing their private conversation.

‘She did?’ Gayle said in surprise. ‘I thought she didn’t want her memories back.’

‘Yeah, me too. But something’s changed.’ David stared at Gayle, and fell silent. Did he really expect that Gayle could help him with any of this?

Gayle leaned forward, elbows on the table. ‘It seems to me that all this has come to the fore since you moved into the boathouse.’

David sat back in his chair, nodding his head and wondering if maybe it had nothing to do with Robyn’s London trips at all. ‘Yes, yes. I do keep coming back to that.’

‘The boathouse,’ they both said in unison.

‘But why? She says it isn’t me. She was happy to move in together.

She says she loves the boathouse and where it is.

So, I really do not get it.’ He stared at Gayle, waiting for some words of wisdom – even if they came from one of her numerous self-help books on the bookshelves in what had once been her father’s study but was now a room to relax in, with easy chairs, scented candles, soft lighting, and bookshelves filled with Gayle’s library of self-help books.

The stereo playing whale calls was thankfully switched off.

Gayle sat back in her chair with a pensive look.

‘She’s not happy because your house doesn’t feel like her home.’

Gayle and David exchanged a glance before turning in their seats to look at Doris, who had suddenly joined the conversation from where she was sitting at the end of the table, eating a bowl of cereal .

David said, ‘Pardon me?’ He was aware that Doris’s dementia was not improving, but the last he’d heard she was on a drug trial. Of course, there was no cure, but it seemed to have slowed her decline quite remarkably.

‘Look at what she did with this place.’

David sighed. ‘She really hasn’t got time to go redecorating the boathouse. Besides, she said she likes it just the way it is.’ David wondered if she was just being kind so as not to hurt his feelings.

Gayle regarded her mother thoughtfully. ‘I think you’re on to something.’

‘But she hasn’t got time to redecorate,’ David said again. ‘She’s got the shop, and clients in London. And then The Lake House …’

‘No, I’m not talking about redecorating,’ said Gayle. ‘Mum just said your place doesn’t feel like her home. What do you think will make her feel more settled?’

At that moment they were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and a familiar noise. They all knew what was coming – Olive bounded into the kitchen.

‘Hello, girl!’ David exclaimed, giving her a fuss. ‘Well, don’t you brighten up a room.’

‘That’s dogs for you,’ commented Nick, walking into the kitchen, checking his smart watch, and looking quite red in the face. ‘When they’re not spreading muddy paws around your kitchen, chewing your furniture legs, or stealing food from the table.’

Olive’s snout appeared up on the table.

‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, Olive.’

Gayle said, ‘Don’t worry about it. Good run?’

‘Oh, yeah. Hi, David. How’s things?’

David was busy giving Olive a stroke, grinning at the silly dog, when he suddenly had an epiphany. ‘Things are fantastic! ’

‘Great. Where’s Robyn?’

‘She’ll be down for breakfast soon,’ commented Gayle, eyeing David.

‘Wonderful. I’d love to catch up with her. It’s been a while. Well, I’m going to hit the shower.’

Nick jogged out of the room.

Gayle turned to look at David. ‘You’ve thought of something, haven’t you? Something to make her feel more at home, more settled.’

David continued giving Olive a fuss. ‘Yes. I’m going to get her a puppy.’

‘A dog?’ said Doris.

David grinned. ‘Oh, yes. She loves Olive.’

‘You’re going to get an Old English Sheepdog?’ asked Gayle.

‘Well, I don’t know what breed yet. Then I was thinking I actually haven’t taken her out on the boat.

I’ve got a small wooden rowing boat. The weather has been amazing.

I also thought how she’s kind of not into driving, really.

I thought she might like a bike to cycle on the footpaths in the forest.’