Page 97 of The Christmas Highland Lodge

The niggling worry that Blake might have ventured up somewhere like Ben Linn again in a fit of pique threatened to take hold. He had no proper equipment with him though, let alone his usual mountaineering clothing.

My stomach twisted.

No. I had to stop thinking like that. He wouldn’t be so stupid. Unless he had dropped by Rowan Moore House to collect his things and then get ready?

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and rang Kim’s mobile, wandering up and down and tilting my head this way and that till I secured a reasonable signal. I didn’t think it would be likely that Blake would go to Rowan Moore, but I was getting desperate.

After a few seconds, she answered. I didn’t give the poor woman the chance to say anything. ‘Kim, it’s Lottie. Have you seen Blake at all?’

‘Only when he came by to see Max and I told him I was worried about you going to the Winter Wonderland cabin on your own.’ She hesitated. ‘Lottie, are you all right? You don’t sound too good.’

I fell quiet. My head was swimming with worry about Blake. ‘If he does show up, Kim, can you let me know straight away please?’

‘Yes, of course I will. Is everything ok?’

My brain scratched around. I didn’t want to say anything about what had happened. It didn’t seem right. It was Blake’s affair. ‘Yes,’ I faltered. ‘It’s fine.’

I ended the call and shoved my phone back into my pocket. My concern for Blake was gnawing harder at my insides. Every minute that ticked past, my imagination had him up some dangerous mountain, not thinking straight and putting himself in potential danger. If he wasn’t concentrating and took a stumble, fell or got himself into a tricky situation…

‘Blake,’ I yelled even louder this time. ‘Are you ok?’

Still no response.

I thrashed my way through the trees and came out the other side where the loch shone like a huge oval mirror.

I bit my lip and stared down the rolling hill and across the sleepy country road, towards the water. The hills were shifting and changing colour, swishing from moody grey hues to carrying a tinge of gold under the sun, fighting to break through the clouds. The snow was dusted across the peaks of them, glittering like shards of diamonds. Blake had better not have taken off up there. If he had, I would be having a right bloody go at him when I saw him.

I screwed up my eyes and scanned the loch. The light twisted and shifted. Wait. Was that a figure down by the shore? I lifted up one gloved hand and squinted downwards.

A tall, broad silhouette was standing on the shingled shore with his back to me. Was that him? It must be.

I picked up speed and raced down the hill, leaving behind the cabins, the bare, silhouetted trees and the aftermath of Jason and Blake’s discussion.

Oh, thank goodness! It was him. As I drew closer, I recognised his dark hair and broad shoulders. Blake was lost in his own world, studying the flickering waters of Loch Strathe as they swished and murmured.

I called his name. ‘Blake!’ and bumped down the last of the slope, ran across the deserted road and squeezed myself between the crumbling dry-stone wall to reach him.

He spun round and stared at me. ‘Careful, Lottie. You could break a leg, charging down there like that.’

Despite his attempt at light-hearted chat, my heart ached for him. His eyes were preoccupied.

He turned back to face the loch, which was throwing up haunting reflections of Ben Linn and the surrounding vista of heather-cluttered hills.

‘Are you all right?’ I asked, taking in his enviable lashes.

He scratched his beard as he considered my question.

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted it. ‘Sorry, that was a dumb thing to ask you.’

‘No, it wasn’t. I mean, there’s not a lot you can say, is there?’ Blake stood, gazing out at the view, before sinking down on a huge rock jutting out of the shoreline.

I observed him for a few moments. ‘Budge up please,’ I said, lowering myself down beside him.

His lips moulded into the briefest smile, before it vanished again.

I was aware of his strong, muscular thigh almost touching mine and I swallowed. God, I hated seeing him like this. He was gazing out again at the stunning view, but not processing it.

‘Your father turning up like that must have been such a huge shock.’