Page 80 of A Scottish Lighthouse Escape

I crouched down in front of her.

‘You need to get checked over by a doctor,’ said Mitch through jittery teeth. He grasped another blanket and whirled it around himself, like a superhero.

‘Here’s my phone,’ I said, plucking it from my jeans’ back pocket and handing it to him. Mitch was towel-drying his hair with one of my spare towels. He was standing there like some topless, sinewy male model.

I jerked my eyes away and focused all my attention on poor Rhea. From wanting to bop her on the nose, I now felt sorry for her. ‘Rhea, what are you doing out here after the weather we’ve had? It’s freezing.’

She was fighting to look me in the eyes from under her straggling fringe. She clung to the blanket around her. ‘I took a boat out.’

She shot Mitch a fearful glance, but he was too busy speaking on the phone asking for an ambulance.

‘In this weather? Whatever for?’

She rubbed the seawater from her face. ‘I wanted to say goodbye to him properly. You know, just me, on my own, privately…’

‘Say goodbye to who?’

‘Freddie’ she struggled. ‘My husband. He died ten years ago today. He loved coming out here to fish.’ She took a breath. ‘So, I pinched one of the boats that was tied up further along the shore and took it out with some flowers to throw in the water. But I lost control.’ Her voice caught. ‘Och, I’m just a stupid, old woman!’

Rhea’s grief, and her actions because of it, swam through me. It resonated. Emotions can do that to you, make you do things that under normal circumstances you would never even consider. I swallowed. ‘No, you’re not. You’re still grieving.’

‘I stood up and then toppled into the water. Lord knows what would have happened if your chap hadn’t arrived on the scene when he did.’

Poor Rhea. Misery and embarrassment were radiating out of her lined, grey eyes.

Mitch came striding back over. He’d thrown his coat, jumper and boots back on, but his jeans were still sodden. ‘Ambulance will be here shortly.’

‘Oh no!’ groaned Rhea. ‘I don’t need a doctor or the hospital.’

‘Just get checked over,’ ordered Mitch. ‘Best to be careful.’

Moments later, the zingy yellow sight of the ambulance appeared at the top of the footpath and two paramedics made their way down to us.

While they attended to Rhea, I cornered Mitch. ‘You need to get home and get those wet clothes off.’

Mitch arched a brow. ‘Only if you promise to help me.’

I became flustered. ‘I mean, get dry clothes on after your Aqua man stint.’

Mitch nodded his head towards Rhea. ‘Has she told you what happened?’

‘Yes. She borrowed a boat and went out on the water to leave some flowers for Freddie, her late husband, but she got into difficulties.’

Mitch tutted. ‘Fancy going out after that storm last night.’

Defence of Rhea and her emotional, impulsive actions kicked in. ‘Grief can do funny things to people.’

‘And who the hell let her borrow a boat? That’s just irresponsible.’

A blush stung my cheeks. ‘Well, Rhea didn’t actually borrow it.’

‘What do you mean?’

I shuffled on the spot, then started moving around, gathering up the remaining wet towels and blankets. ‘She took it.’

‘You mean stole it?’

‘She was going to return it,’ I insisted. ‘Her head is all over the place right now, Mitch. She’s upset and embarrassed. It’s the tenth anniversary of losing her husband.’