Page 33 of A Secret Scottish Escape

I gave him a cheeky wink. “Maybe Battalion could make the odd appearance?”

Dad’s smile slid off his face and he gently unhooked his arm from mine. “I don’t think so, sweetheart.”

I stopped for a moment. “What is it? I think it would be a great reunion, Dad. All the guys together—”

“I said no!”

I blinked at him, stung.

“Sorry. Sorry. I just don’t think that would be a great idea.” He softened his craggy features. “Sometimes, it’s best to leave things as they are.”

I watched him entwine his arm again with mine.

Chapter Sixteen

“I’m so glad you changed your mind about accepting Mac’s money.” Faith sighed, all sprawled legs on the sofa. She had come over to help go over the endless list of things I wanted to do, book, check up on, query and research.

“So, you think I’m doing the right thing then?”

Faith stared back at me from under her spiky lashes. “I’m delighted you’re staying.”

“That isn’t what I asked.”

She let out a raspy laugh. “OK. So, when you first told me that you were serious about buying Norrie’s business, I’ll admit I was a bit shocked.”

“You weren’t the only one. And now?”

Faith delved into the carrier bag she had brought with her and presented me with a box of my favourite white chocolate and macadamia cookies. “Now I just think you’re mad.”

“Thanks!”

“I’m only teasing.”

I padded into the kitchen and fetched two wine glasses from the cupboard. Faith followed, looking like a sleepy Breton catalogue model. “It is going to be a lot of hard work, but if anyone can do it, you can.”

She trailed her French manicure across my black and stone kitchen worktop. “Loch Harris could be doing with a bit of a kick up the arse, let’s be honest.”

Faith watched me glug some white wine into each glass and accepted hers. “I know that a lot of the visitors here often head into town for entertainment.”

A naughty grin spread across her pink lips. “I can’t say I blame them. Somehow, I don’t think Big Bob’s repertoire is cutting it.”

I leaned against the kitchen worktop, idly crossing and uncrossing my feet.

“I was all set to go,” I said, after taking a mouthful of the crisp wine. “I just wanted to get rid of this place.”

“And now you’ve decided to stay.”

“I don’t think it’s so much that I wanted to stay,” I admitted after a pause. “It’s far more a case that I can’t go. Not when I have the chance to take on something so challenging and hopefully help the area. I won’t have time to dwell on things.”

I raised my glass of sparkly wine to my lips again.

Faith tilted her head, her concerned, pale eyes almost as soft as the oyster silk of her blouse. She’d come over straight from work, and her dark, slim-fitting work trousers rustled slightly as she moved.

I looked at her across the rim of my wine glass. “I went to visit him the other week. Mac.”

Faith placed her wine down beside her on the breakfast bar. “You never mentioned that.”

I shrugged. “I know this must sound awful, but I never really intended to go back after the funeral. It just kind of happened.”