Page 54 of The Christmas Highland Lodge

‘I’m very good, thanks. I got your number from your mum at Christmas Crackers. I hope that’s ok and I’m not troubling you at all.’

‘Yes. No problem at all.’ I fiddled with one of my pens on the kitchen table. ‘So how can I help you?’

‘I tried to call Blake but he isn’t picking up.’

I glanced at my glowing laptop screen. ‘Right.’ I tried to ignore a stab of irritation. Miss Turner had tried to call Blake. He had given her his business card. It all pointed to a mutual attraction. No doubt she was calling me because she was keen to speak to him to arrange a date.

I refocused on what she was saying.

‘First of all, I just wanted to thank you both again for yesterday. The children had a fantastic time.’

‘Don’t mention it. You’re very welcome.’

‘Well, what you both did was appreciated by everyone.’ Then she said, ‘The reason I’m ringing is because I wanted to ask you if you knew anything about a present left for little Natalie Scott this morning here at the school?’

I clicked on the cabins’ Twitter account. ‘A present? No, I don’t know anything about that. What sort of present?’

‘A very lovely and generous one,’ replied Miss Turner. ‘It’s a Santa sleigh ride around Loch Strathe, followed by a slap-up lunch for Natalie and her dad in The Heather Grove.’

‘The Heather Grove?’ I repeated. ‘Wow! That gorgeous new restaurant in town?’

‘Yes. There was a gold envelope, topped with a red ribbon, handed in to the school office for Natalie this morning.’

‘And who is it from?’ I asked, intrigued.

‘The tag on it just says, “From Santa” but I think we can work out who that is.’

Miss Turner allowed her words to hang.

I blinked, turning over what she meant. ‘It was from Blake?’

‘That’s what I’m thinking. Mrs Cash, who’s always in early, said we had a prompt delivery of stationery. When the delivery driver came in, he said a guy in a hoodie approached him, thrust an envelope at him and asked him to hand it in to the school office on his behalf. Then he disappeared.’

Was it Blake? It sounded like it. My mouth popped open, stunned. I processed this kind, caring gesture. Shocked didn’t even begin to describe how I felt on hearing about this. Talk about left field. I realised I was almost stuttering. ‘Are you sure about this? Did the delivery guy get a look at the hoodie-wearing man at all?’

‘A very brief one. He said the chap was tall, muscular and looked like he had a beard. It must have been Blake. There’s no other explanation.’

I sank back in my kitchen chair, thrown. My mind shot back to Blake’s reaction when he heard Natalie’s story and the way he had tried to reassure and comfort the little girl.

‘You’ve got a good one there,’ sighed Miss Turner, shattering my thoughts. ‘I don’t suppose he has a twin brother?’

‘Sorry?’

‘Blake,’ she clarified.

I realised what she meant. I shot forward in my chair, flustered. ‘Oh no. We’re not… you know… I mean, we aren’t… together. We’re not a couple.’

‘Oh, sorry,’ she apologised. ‘I just assumed…’

‘Not a problem. No. We’re just work colleagues.’

Miss Turner rounded off the call. ‘Oh, I see.’ Her voice lifted with relief. ‘Well, sorry for bothering you. Thank you again to both of you for yesterday and if you see Blake, please pass on my grateful thanks to him for doing this. You should have seen Natalie’s face when she opened that envelope!’

The call ended and I sat there in my kitchen for a few more moments, turning over everything in my head. So, Blake had arranged all that for Natalie and her dad? What a lovely and thoughtful thing to do. She seemed such a sweet little girl and her story must have really affected him.

I fiddled with my mouse, not paying attention to my laptop screen. I was still stunned. That wasn’t the Blake Dempster I knew. Or at least, who I thought I knew. I felt off-kilter, all at once.

I finished loading up the new cabin photographs I’d taken and then gathered my things together to head up to Rowan Moore House to catch up with Max and Stephanie.