Page 69 of A Scottish Country Escape

I busied myself with a stocktake, while Cate had insisted on coming in to give my gran a much-needed break.

Cate finished polishing some of the paperweights and stood up in the window. ‘I wish you’d stop talking, Els. You’re giving me a headache.’

I pulled an apologetic face. ‘Sorry. I’m miles away at the moment.’

‘You’re telling me.’

I couldn’t help it. There had been no leads from the radio appeal about Linda and the nature reserve seemed to be doomed. But what could we do? Was there anything we could do?

And to top it all off, Dexter looked like he would be leaving Fir Haven.

Cate stepped down from the window display and sauntered over in her indigo capri pants and loose lilac shirt. ‘I take it still no news on Linda?’

‘Not a thing.’

I could see Cate was doing her best to think of and say something positive to me. ‘Don’t get all despondent yet. You know what some folks round here are like. They could be contacting the radio station now or about to email you with something useful.’

I cocked a disbelieving eyebrow at her, even though I appreciated her support.

‘What? Why are you looking at me like that? I’m serious.’

I knew Cate was only trying to boost my flagging morale, but I didn’t think even Keanu Reeves could put a smile on my face right now.

She looked at me out of those concerned dark eyes of hers. ‘Please be honest with me. Now, I know you’re not going to like my next question, but I’m asking it anyway.’ She paused. ‘How much of this is about the reserve and how much is about Dexter?’

I whipped my head back to fiddle with a half-open box of pencil sharpeners in the shape of pink fondant cupcakes. The pain and disappointment of Dexter quitting Fir Haven was growing. I knew it was crazy, but the more I tried to ignore how I was feeling, the worse it got.

I scooped out more of the cake pencil sharpeners. Why the hell had I let myself get into this position?

I kept my flushed expression focused on the novelty sharpeners in my hands. Cate didn’t push the matter. The loaded silence answered her question.

Pictures of the reserve bobbed into my mind. I couldn’t give up on it, even though things were looking bleak. Not yet, at least. And I needed to keep busy and stop my thoughts from going where they shouldn’t.

‘I’m not giving up on the reserve,’ I said, finding my voice again. ‘Not yet.’

Cate’s eyes softened like melted dark chocolate. ‘That’s the spirit.’

‘And I’m going to focus more on this place,’ I added for good measure. ‘I think I’ve been letting Paper Roses slide a bit with everything else going on.’

Cate shook her dandelion ball of black hair. ‘No, you haven’t. Not at all. You’ve just been trying to juggle too many balls at once, that’s all.’ She flicked me a sideways glance. ‘So, what about you and Dexter finding Linda Carlucci?’

I shrugged. ‘His answer seems to be to run away.’

I switched on a weak smile as two grey-haired ladies clattered in through the shop door.

* * *

The rest of Friday afternoon was busy, but in my head it limped along.

Once 5pm came around, Cate reached for my leather jacket hanging on the back of the chair in the kitchen.

I frowned at her. ‘But we don’t normally close till 6pm.’

Cate’s stare challenged me to get into an argument with her. ‘You’ve been like a wind-up clockwork toy all afternoon. You haven’t taken a proper lunch break and if you’ve mopped this floor once, you’ve done it at least three times.’

I stuck out my lip. ‘I like to be busy.’

‘Yes, I know but there’s busy and there’s driving yourself into an early grave…’ Horror reared up in her voice, when she released what she’d just said. ‘Shit! Shit! Sorry!’