Page 33 of A Scottish Highland Hideaway

He didn’t reply. There was an odd gulping noise down the line. “When did you last speak to Mum and Dad?”

“A few days ago. Mum was trying to talk me into coming down for a visit. She said I’ve got to move on from what happened with Declan and I think I’m slowly beginning to now⁠—”

“Well, I think it’s sodding ridiculous!” he erupted. “Ok, he was a tosser and he hurt you, but you can’t live like a bloody nun for the rest of your life.”

My eyes widened at my brother’s harsh words.

“You loved him and we can’t help who we fall in love with, but you can’t hide in Heather Moore forever.”

“I’m not hiding,” I snapped back. “I’ve been taking stock and trying to move on. And I miss all that vacuous, constant partying like a hole in the head.” I let out a laugh. “It’s all right for you though, all loved up with the gorgeous Jacob. I’d rather get a puppy than get involved with someone else again.”

I gave a theatrical shudder.

Marcus wasn’t saying anything.

“Marcus? Are you ok?”

I shot forward at the sound of my older brother’s voice suddenly cracking.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” My imagination took off like a rocket from a launch pad.

Marcus was struggling to compose himself. “It’s Jacob,” he managed after a few moments.

“What about Jacob? Oh God, what’s happened?”

There was a splinter in his voice as he spoke. “It’s over.”

“What?”

“The engagement’s off. Jacob’s finished with me.”

I couldn’t believe it.

It didn’t make any sense.

Marcus and Jacob were the epitome of a serious, loved-up couple. They were often on the verge of finishing each other’s sentences. They would take off on their bikes together for hours, with cute picnics and matching outfits. Dad would often joke that if you weren’t constantly seeing them together in the same room, you’d start to wonder if they were the same person.

They met three years ago, when Marcus was allocated Jacob’s environmental enterprise account at the marketing firm where he works.

From the moment he met him, I’d never seen my brother so happy.

I jumped up from the sofa, struggling to take in Marcus’s news. “But why? What happened?”

There were a few heartbroken gulps down the line.

“I never saw it coming,” he managed in a small voice. “Everything’s been great, or at least I thought it was. Then, out of nowhere, he came home earlier this afternoon and told me we need to talk.”

Marcus sniffed. “Jacob told me to sit down while I was in the middle of preparing dinner. Then he just came out with it,” he gulped. “He said he’d been thinking about things for a while now and had changed his mind about getting married.”

I paced up and down my sitting room. If Jacob Geddes were in front of me right now, he would be bent double and nursing two very red and swollen testicles. “I just don’t understand, though. Where’s this come from? Have you two had an argument?”

“No. That’s the thing. I can’t comprehend any of it.”

Random questions loomed in my head. “Look, I hate to ask this, but do you think there might be someone else involved?”

Marcus admitted that thought had occurred to him too. “I did ask him that, but he denied it. He said his business is really taking off and it wouldn’t be fair on me if we went ahead with the wedding.”

Fury festered inside my chest. “How very magnanimous of him.”