Page 105 of The Cottage in the Highlands

It shouldn’t have come as a shock, but it did. What else should I have expected?

First Miles and now Flynn.

Anger and pain charged up and down inside of me, spinning around and around like an out-of-control Ferris wheel. Flynn had the audacity to accuse me of deception with his grandfather’s street artist identity, compare me to a previous failed relationship and yet when I go to explain, he has a half-naked blonde in his arms!

I blundered out of the entrance to the office suite, my uneven boots slapping along the Glasgow cobbles. All the festive lights and decorations blurred and melted together in front of my tear-cluttered eyes. I found the next street and slumped against the cool white bonnet of Kerry’s parked car.

I had been putting myself through torture, agonising over how he was feeling and what his opinion of me was, now that he thought I’d betrayed him and his family. And there he was, grinning like a great white at a half-naked blonde?

How could I have allowed this to happen? After Miles, I had promised myself I wouldn’t put my heart out there at the mercy of anyone to trample on it again.

And now look! Here I go again!

I gulped back frustrated tears.

“Leonie?”

Kerry came puffing round the corner, her hair whipping against her flushed cheeks. “Wait up! Are you ok?”

I hoped my voice didn’t betray the dull ache inside me. “Let’s go, shall we? That man can stew in his own juice.” I blinked back fury and hurt. “If he wants to think that I was the one who went to Athena about his grandfather’s identity, then that’s up to him. What the hell do I care what he thinks anyway? What does it matter what he thinks of me?” I raised my wobbling chin. “He doesn’t deserve to know the truth.”

“Know the truth about what?”

Flynn emerged, the December sun casting a halo around his swept-back curls. Ironic really, I thought. Devil’s horns would be far more apt.

I could feel my mouth pinching in pain. “Nothing.” I knew I sounded petulant but I couldn’t help it, and that frustrated me even more.

How on earth had I allowed myself to get into this situation? To have my feelings hurt all over again?

Kerry stood between us in the middle of the cobbled side street, spectating with increasing frustration. She gathered herself up to her full height, which was only about five foot five. “If you don’t tell him the truth, Leonie, then I will.”

She gulped back any apprehension she might have had as I stared at her.

“Tell me what?” pushed Flynn, eyeing us both. “What the hell is going on?”

“It wasn’t Leonie who was going to have your grandfather’s alter-ego spread across our magazine. She never told anyone.” Kerry whipped her head to me, her cheeks burning. “It was me.”

Flynn pushed both hands into the pockets of his black combats and looked from Kerry to me and then back again. “You?”

“My aunt is Athena Mayhew, editor of Goddess magazine. I was trying to impress her.”

Flynn opened and closed his mouth while the Glasgow afternoon traffic rumbled past and Christmas shoppers negotiated around each other, clutching drawstring gift bags and looking harassed.

A cacophony of emotions travelled through his eyes. “But… but how did you find out?”

Kerry’s cheeks burst into a deeper shade of pink. “I overheard both of you in the office. I just happened to be passing and heard you talking about your grandfather being the people’s artist. As soon as I heard you say that, I knew he was Chandler.”

Kerry appealed to a granite-faced Flynn.

“This had nothing to do with Leonie. She never told anyone about your grandfather, let alone me or my aunt.” She let out a sigh. “It was just me trying to prove my aunt wrong about me not making the grade as a journalist. I wanted the brownie points.”

Kerry sifted a hand through her hair. “Leonie is the most trustworthy person I know. You shouldn’t think any less of her because she doesn’t deserve it.” She threw her hands up into the air in an exasperated gesture. “All this awful misunderstanding is down to me and I’m so sorry.”

I risked a look at Flynn. He was staring across at me. He rubbed at his face. “Oh shit. What a mess. I’m so sorry, Leonie. I should never have jumped to the conclusion that I did. If it’s any consolation, I feel awful.”

Pictures of the tulle woman shot into my mind. “Right. Thank you, Kerry. I appreciate what you’ve said. Now, I’ve got a lot on back at the office…”

In a couple of long strides, Flynn was towering over me. “What do you think you’re doing?”