Page 36 of The Loneliest Number (The Thirst Trap #3)

Chapter thirty-one

Cam

I t’s hard to peel my gaze away from her as the early morning sun creeps in around the curtains. The rain stopped sometime after midnight, and the sun is here to chase away the damp.

I haven’t been able to keep my hands off her all night.

She said she’d try. The relief I felt, the hope at that moment, was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.

We’d come together slowly. There was no rush when I knew I’d get her again.

Every time up to then had felt more frantic, just in case she walked away again and I couldn’t get her back.

We’d touched each other for hours, whispering as we sought pleasure.

And after she’d demanded I move things along, when we’d got our breath back, I tugged her into my arms and held her there all night long.

I wish we had days, weeks together, just the two of us without anyone intruding, but we have to leave tomorrow, and before that, we need to go and visit Great Aunt Ruth.

“Okay?” I ask as she gets dressed beside me.

She tugs on her jeans, jumping up and down to pull them all the way up and get them fastened before she pulls a white t-shirt emblazoned with a unicorn over her head.

I raise a brow at her, and she pokes her tongue out, making me want to reach across and bite on it.

But I can’t get distracted. I really need to check in with my parents, and then we need to be on our way to Ruth’s.

I sit on the edge of the bed to tug my boots on and lace them up. She steps close, her feet still bare, and strokes a hand over my beard. “I’m good, Cam. Are you?” Her lips are pursed with concern, her previous cheek forgotten.

“Yeah, I wanna check in with Mum and Dad on the way out, and then let’s see if we can get some answers.”

“You definitely want me to come? I don’t mind staying here and hanging out with the dogs.”

“I’d like you to come.”

She nods, moving away to slide on socks and trainers before grabbing her jacket. I take it from her, holding it open so she can put it on, then smooth my hands over her shoulders and down her arms, giving her a quick squeeze to tide me over until we can be alone again.

We head across the gravel driveway, and I knock on the back door before entering. Mum and Dad sit close together at the dining table.

“Hey.” My dad gives us a smile as we enter. “Fancy a roll and sausage with tattie scone? I’m guessing you’ve missed them since you’ve been down south. And a coffee?”

“We need to leave in about half an hour, but aye, sounds good.”

“I can help,” Abby offers, following my dad to the kitchen.

“Hey, Mum.” I take the seat Dad just vacated and place a hand on the back of her chair, trying to work out the best way to offer her comfort.

She looks over at me, her eyes puffy and red, and it breaks my heart. “Hey, love.” She leans into my shoulder.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t forthcoming about the letter before last night. I really was hoping to get it all cleared up before I told you, and I never intended to keep it from you.”

“I know, love. I have good and bad days. Some days I miss her so much, and I think the letter just brought it all up again. It doesn’t really go away. Some days it’s just easier to live with, you know?”

“I know.” I rest my chin on Mum’s head, wishing I could make it better. “Do you want to come to Ruth’s?”

“I think so. Dad’s not convinced it’s a good idea, but if she does know anything, she can tell us all together.”

“Okay, is Dad coming too?”

“Aye, can we take your car?”

“Of course. I was going to drive back the long way, take Abby to the Quiraing, but I can always drop you guys home first.”

“I’ll wrap up warm just in case. Let’s see how it goes. I don’t want to intrude on your time with your friend.”

I snort out a laugh. “Maybe more than a friend. She’s agreed to make a go of it.”

She claps her hands with joy. “Oh, Cam, I’m so pleased. I know you’ve had your own stuff going on, but I just want you to be happy. I haven’t spent enough time to really get to know her yet, but she seems lovely.”

“She is. But don’t put too many expectations on us, okay? I don’t think it’s going to be a conventional relationship.” Mum frowns and I pause, unsure how much to say. “Neither of us are thinking about marriage and kids and white picket fences.”

Mum nods, glancing across the room to Abby, who’s making coffee while Dad prepares the rolls. “As long as you’re happy and she makes sure you don’t work too hard, I don’t mind how it looks.”

Dad and Abby come back with steaming mugs of coffee and crispy rolls filled with square sausage and tattie scones.

“So all the Macleod men are obsessed with potatoes then?” Abby teases before she digs into her roll.

“What’s this then? Some kind of intervention?” Ruth asks as we all pile into her sitting room. She’s sitting in her favourite armchair, next to the window, where she can keep an eye on what’s happening on the street outside.

After hugs and introductions, Mum and Dad take the two armchairs opposite Ruth, and I tug Abby down beside me on the loveseat opposite the window. Abby glances around the room, taking in all the framed photos and artwork covering every inch of wall space available.

“Good to see you, Cameron. It’s been too long.” Ruth turns her owl-like gaze on me. “You’re working down in London, I hear.”

“That’s right. I’m renovating a building down there. It’s called The Juniper.” Ruth’s eyes narrow shrewdly. “It’s the building Gran left to me.”

“That’s right, I remember.” Of course she does. My Great Aunt has the memory of an elephant. She may be in her eighties, but she still has all her wits about her. It’s her frailty that we all worry about.

Susan, Ruth’s carer-companion, bustles in with a tea tray.

She sets it down on the coffee table and pours everyone a cup before passing round a plate of biscuits.

Abby and I both make a move for the last chocolate-covered one.

She gets there first, but I steal a bite.

She gasps at my audacity as I chew and swallow.

She shoves the remaining two-thirds in her mouth before I can steal any more and then swipes two bourbons as well.

I chuckle before realising that everyone is staring at us.

My parents look amused, and Ruth sits regally, her gaze switching between the two of us.

Finally, she offers what looks like a nod of approval.

“You’ll be good for him, lass. He’s grown up getting his own way. Don’t let him push you around.”

Abby holds her fingertips to her mouth while she swallows and then smiles towards Ruth. “I won’t. I’ll keep him in line, I promise.”

I bump my shoulder into hers, but she doesn’t look at me.

“So, what do you want to know?” Ruth’s gaze is back on me now.

“I wondered if you knew how Gran came to own The Juniper? If you can cast any light on the family history associated with it?”

“Hmmm.” She settles back in her chair, her gaze on a Skye landscape painting above my head before moving across to Mum. “I don’t know the full story, but I was aware of some of the circumstances.”

“It’s okay, Auntie Ruth,” Mum tells her. “Cam showed me a letter that was with the building deeds. From a man called William?”

Ruth nods. “I remember him. Do you have the letter with you?”

“I do.” I take the folder from my side and pass it to her.

We all wait in silence while she reads it, reaching the end with another nod. Her eyes flick to the top, I presume to the date listed there. “Ah, I see. It’s the date that’s got your underwear in a bunch.” She purses her lips.

“It’s dated weeks after Mum and Dad’s wedding,” Mum says, her voice shaking.

“Hmmm, I see that. I did wonder.” Her gaze sweeps from Mum’s face over to mine. There’s a pause before she adds matter-of-factly, “He was her lover.”

Mum lets out a gasp. Fuck. My brows raise. Abby lays her hand on my knee, giving it a comforting rub.

“I think she was in what you young ones call a love triangle these days.” There’s a wistful smile on her face.

“She was seeing this William fella on the quiet, but he was English and wasn’t welcome with the locals.

I think it started with her feeling sorry for him.

Now, I don’t know if our parents knew she was seeing him, but it did seem odd that they seemed to pluck John out of nowhere and claim that there’d always been an agreement between the two families that her and John would marry. ”

“Surely not. An arranged marriage?” Mum pipes up with a shocked tone.

“I don’t know that it was properly arranged.

I think they’d caught wind of the English lad taking a fancy for their daughter and decided to put a Scotsman in his way.

” Ruth takes a sip of her tea before continuing, “I knew she was seeing him in secret. I don’t know for sure if they were intimate, but she was smitten, even talking of going away with him.

Then her and John were suddenly engaged and then married as soon as the banns had been read three times. Everyone thought she was knocked up.”

Mum lets out a gasp. Ruth shakes her head.

“She wasn’t. I guess this William guy hung around for a while.

He was working here. He was some kind of broker for property; just learning the job.

One of the reasons the locals weren’t keen was because they thought he was selling off local property to the rich English. ” She curls her lip in distaste.

“I’m confused why Gran had to give him the train fare for the journey home if he had a decent job,” I admit.

Ruth looks down to read that part of the letter again. “Hmmm, it is strange. Perhaps he didn’t have any Scottish money? Or had to leave in a rush, and the bank wasn’t open? He would have had to have caught the ferry to Mallaig and get the train down.”

“I guess that explains it.”

“I always thought Mum and Dad were in love.” Mum speaks quietly from where she’s cuddled under my dad’s arm.

“They grew to love each other, Rebecca. You came along a couple of years after the wedding, and I remember them both being so happy.” She smiles, a fond, faraway look in her eyes as they scan over the family pictures hung on the wall across from her.

“John was a good man. Elizabeth knew that from the start, even when she was pining for her Englishman. They made a go of it, and they made it work.”

She watches Mum closely. “It’s never pleasant thinking about older generations having a love life, but from what I know, my sister was happy with John. He doted on her, from the get-go, as I recall.”

“I wonder if she ever heard from William again,” I say.

Ruth gives an elegant shrug. “She never mentioned him to me again after she married John. Have you looked him up?”

“Not yet. I wanted to keep it in the family first. But perhaps, if Mum is okay with that, I can make some enquiries,” I reply.

“Let me know what you decide. I’d like to know if you do locate him.” She gives a nod of finality. “So this Juniper building then? Tell me what you’re doing with it?”