Page 78 of A Scottish Island Summer

Chapter Nineteen

I was sitting hoovering up one of Kathleen’s amazing Highland cooked breakfasts at just after eight o’clock the next morning.

This was all new to me. Seeing this time of the morning and waking up feeling invigorated after a solid night’s sleep. Skye’s fresh, bracing air, that must be it.

My loaded plate consisted of shiny button mushrooms, a couple of rashers of streaky bacon, a fried egg and a slice of juicy tomato, and I was eating with relish when a figure strolled into the dining room.

It took me a few seconds to realise that the fresh-faced older gentleman, dressed in black denims and a pastel pink jumper, was none other than Campbell.

Gone was the dark, privet hedge beard, he looked like he’d had the best sleep he’d had in months.

Most of the other early riser guests had already eaten their breakfast and were setting off on excursions for the day, while the more relaxed still had to appear, so there was only one other table occupied, the elderly couple who were seated there arguing over a map.

Campbell straightened his jumper as he sat down opposite me. ‘Good morning!’ He beamed across the table. ‘Sleep well?’

‘Yes, thanks.’ I faltered, still taking in his sharp jaw. ‘You look ten years younger now.’

‘I was hoping for fifteen, but that’ll have to do.’

I gestured to his face as I raised my cup of tea to my lips. ‘Change of image?’

‘New start,’ he confirmed with a smile that showed off his white, if slightly crooked, teeth. ‘I’m feeling very optimistic about everything.’

‘Well, that’s good.’

Campbell pointed at his hair. ‘I’ll get to the local barber for a haircut next.’

I cocked my head at him. ‘You have a really interesting face. You’d make a great subject for a portrait picture, especially if I were to focus on your eyes.’

Campbell rolled said eyes good-naturedly. ‘I’ll take that as a compliment.’

He admired my breakfast and as soon as Julie glided up to the table to take his order, he pointed at my plate. ‘The same as this discerning young lady, please, Julie.’

Once she had gone, he gestured to his clothes. ‘Kathleen very kindly lent me some of Pete’s clothes. Luckily, he had a similar build. I hoped that once we’ve had breakfast, we could go and pay your young man a visit?’

I prickled. ‘He’s not my young man. I’ve told you that.’

A newly invigorated Campbell merely winked at me from across the salt and pepper pots.

‘Logan is supposed to be picking me up from here at half past nine this morning.’ I glanced down at my watch. ‘Tell you what, you have your breakfast and then we can both head over to his flat instead. How does that sound?’

Campbell’s eyes shone. ‘That sounds like a plan.’

I reached down by my chair for my bag and quickly rang Logan. ‘You don’t need to collect me at half nine. I’ll come over to your apartment shortly. I’ve got a surprise for you.’

‘I hope you aren’t trying to make a grown man’s blood pressure hit the roof.’ There was that teasing, mischievous tone I’d come to expect in Logan’s voice.

I tutted and hoped I wasn’t blushing too much in front of an amused-looking Campbell across the breakfast table. ‘In your dreams.’

* * *

Logan stared incredulously from me to Campbell and back again.

He was holding open his flat door. ‘What the…?’ He blinked at Campbell again. ‘So, I was right. I knew it was you. I mean, I thought it was…’ His voice vanished into a confused whisper.

Campbell shot me an amused expression as I stood beside him. ‘Is he always this coherent?’

‘You’re one of his childhood heroes,’ I explained. ‘It’d be like me meeting Lady Gaga. Give him a second or two to recover.’