Page 124 of A Scottish Island Summer

‘Panicked?’

‘Campbell got Ava to send me your video and, luckily, it got through to me.’

I stared up at him. ‘Campbell did?’

‘Aye. He asked me if I’d seen it but I’d no idea what he was talking about, so he asked Ava to forward it on.’

I turned this over and over. Campbell had done this. For me. For us.

‘Sorry, folks, but time’s almost up,’ barked the driver, poking his head out of the coach.

There was a chorus of ‘Shut Up!’ and ‘Leave them alone!’ from the passengers.

I glanced up to see fascinated faces pushed up against the coach windows, watching with relish. Any moment now, I expected them to produce buckets of popcorn.

Logan ignored the irate driver and carried on with his explanation. ‘As soon as I saw your video, I packed my things and caught the earliest ferry and bus I could to get back. I headed straight to The Gorse and Julie and Kathleen told me what coach you were on, so I jumped back in the truck.’

I didn’t say anything. My heart was swelling in my chest.

‘Don’t go, Darcie.’ Logan gave my hand a squeeze and took a couple of steps closer. I could make out the flicker of his black lashes against his light eyes and the cupid’s bow shape of his mouth. ‘Please. Stay here with me.’

His eyes were dreamy and imploring. ‘I’ve fallen for you and so has Skye. And I think you’ve fallen for us both, too, if only you’ll admit it.’

My breathing was ragged as I gripped his fingers tighter.

He offered me a small smile. ‘The truth is, I fell for you the first moment I saw you. Even though you were a high-maintenance, stubborn diva in a tin foil dress.’ His mouth broke into his million-dollar grin. ‘I’ve never known a woman like you before. And even though I know you’ve dreaded a lot of the research adventures for your book, you’ve just got on with it, even saving a dolphin for pity’s sake!’

I let out something that was a cross between a laugh and a sob. ‘I had some help.’

Logan shook his head. ‘Doesn’t matter. You still rolled your sleeves up and did it. You’re a determined, brave, gorgeous woman.’

I bit back a loud gulp of air as the spring breeze whirled around us.

Logan gestured to his truck, sitting in the middle of the country road. ‘Thank goodness there were no police around, otherwise, I would’ve got a speeding ticket.’

I managed a tearful grin.

‘So, what do you say, Ms Freeman? Will you let me and Skye into your heart?’

My breathing was coming out in excited gasps. Could I do this? Could I stay here on Skye and say goodbye to London? What had happened to me? What had happened to the brusque, ambitious young woman of three weeks ago, who judged her own successes and failures by the amount of social media exposure and likes she received?

Logan had happened, that’s what. From the minute he came strolling down the harbour that day, he’d hit me like an express train, and I didn’t know what to do or say, or how to react.

As I stared up at him, his hair ruffling in the breeze, I knew I couldn’t go back to London. I didn’t want to. The prospect of leaving Logan and Skye behind was incomprehensible. He’d shown me that there was more to life than judging myself through a phone screen. There was the here and now, with all its colour and life and excitement. That mattered. All the other stuff didn’t.

I could return to London and turn my back on him and this island, or I could take a chance and live for the moment. It seemed the easiest choice in the world to make.

‘And what will I do if I stay?’ I said in a raspy voice, taking in every detail of his face.

‘Anything you want to. You’ve got your travel guide to write and now that you and Campbell discovered the cross, you’re getting lots of work offers. Campbell told me.’

Campbell had certainly been busy!

My attention fell again on Logan’s mouth. The burning urge to kiss him under this rain-splashed sky was all-encompassing.

‘All I want is you, Logan, and to be here with you. Nothing else matters.’

Our mouths finally met and we kissed over and over, while the sun at last forced its way out from behind the clouds.

And as the coach passengers cheered and thumped on the windows, I realised it’s true what they say: home really is where the heart is.