Kate smiled and joined the driver at the back of the van where he removed her luggage. He could "ye" at her all day long and she'd never get tired of it.
"That's okay. I can take it from here. Thanks, though." She pulled fare and tip from her pocket, handed the bills over, and then grabbed a handle in each hand, taking the small stone path leading to the cottage.
There was a number three written on the light blue door. The shutters were the same color and the windows boxes were full of flowers. It was tiny, one level with a front door, flanked by two windows. She knew from the pictures online that it had a small kitchen, a living room with a wood-burning fireplace, and one bedroom with bath.
Sure enough the door was unlocked and the key was on the kitchen table just as Lucy had said in her text earlier.
It was just as cute on the inside. A small bottle of whisky, a basket with fresh bread, cheese, smoked salmon, and a bottle of white wine had been left on the table along with several guides and brochures and the breakfast menu for the next morning.
Tired, she set the wine in the fridge, pulled her luggage into the bedroom, sat on the bed, and burst into tears.
She could have blamed the jet lag, but it'd be a lie.
And she was sick of lies.
Angry with herself, she dried her tears and went to the bathroom to splash some cold water on her face. It was freezing, but invigorating. She wished her whole body could feel that way. Get a jolt. Wake the hell up.
Looking through the small window over the sink, she eyed the loch. It was so still and quiet, and she bet it'd feel amazing. The road was deserted. The woods shielded the cottage. To the left, the curving road led back to the castle. To the right, the road continued, disappearing around the bend. There were sheep grazing on the hills and according to Lucy the cottage was on part of the working farm of the estate.
There wasn't a soul around...
Kate chewed on her bottom lip. Should she do it?
There was a time when she'd been the wild one. Riley was the hard-ass, sometimes troublemaker. Lucy, the dreamer. And Kate had worn her heart on her sleeve—much good that had done her. She was no longer wild, and no longer trusting or forgiving.
It'd been so long since she'd done anything spontaneous. She wasn't sure who she was anymore or when she'd become so . . .safe and predictable.
Her teeth gritted together. Maybe that was her problem. Maybe she'd lost touch with herself a long time ago. Screw predictable.
She was out the front door before she could stop herself.
Quickly, she crossed the grass and stepped onto the rocks above the water where she removed her shoes and socks. Already her adrenaline was rising, filling her with energy and more excitement than she'd felt in a long time. The sun was going down and there was a definite chill coming. But chill was good. Chill would get her blood flowing.
From her position, she'd have to jump. The water was clear and certainly deep enough.
With one last look around, making certain she was alone, she pulled off her yoga pants and T-shirt, then shimmied out of her underwear and bra. For a second she just stood there, straightening her posture, closing her eyes and feeling the air on her skin. Feeling empowered.
Then, she drew in a deep breath and leapt off the rock.
Holy crap!The arctic water stole her breath and she came up shocked and gasping. Through the din, she heard a dog barking nearby. Treading water, she turned toward the sound to see a black Scottish Terrier standing on shore. Its coat was matted, no collar, and it looked a little on the thin side. Lost or a stray maybe.
"Quiet!" she commanded in her best alpha voice.
Immediately it stopped barking and sat down. Impressive. Apparently, it was trained, too, picking up on Kate's tone without pause. With a shrug, she spun around in the water and then started to swim. Cold, yes, but it did feel amazing.
She hadn't done anything this crazy in a long, long time.
Happy, she dove under, gliding through the clear water, then coming up to swim on her back and watch the sky change colors as the sun set.
Eventually, the cold water won out and chill seeped into her bones. But finding a place to exit proved challenging. There was no point in swimming back to the rocks she'd leapt off—they were too high to climb.
Crap.
She probably should have thought about that before she'd leapt.
Finally she found a flat area and made her way over the slippery rocks to the shore. Not exactly how she pictured the whole skinny-dipping endeavor going. Now she had to hurry down the road buck-ass naked and shivering. Not that anyone would be—
Shit! Car!
