Page 22 of Journey to the Scottish Highlands

Evan tutted. ‘What it is to be popular.’

‘Stop feeling so sorry for yourself and come on.’

The entrance to Brock Wood Farm was illuminated by a gorgeous, old-fashioned oil lamp either side of the farmhouse door.

Evan raised one hand and was about to knock when a voluptuous woman in her sixties with fiery, red hair swept out of the door.

She looked at me, then at Evan, and then her inquisitive, hazel eyes fell on Pirate. He wriggled in my grasp. ‘Oh, my goodness, Murdo!’ she called. ‘Come here! Come and see!’ She grinned at both of us. ‘Thank you so much. Where did you find him? His poor mum has been going spare.’

‘I spotted him just a few minutes up the road, near the woodland. Not too far from that pub,’ I explained.

A man with an impressive ZZ Top grey beard came barrelling out next. ‘We didn’t realise the little bugger was missing until late. Looks like he squeezed under my fencing. That’s getting repaired first thing tomorrow morning.’

The lady beckoned for me to hand over Pirate. I gave him another hug and offered him to her with a strange, dull throb of reluctance. I’d got attached to the little toot.

The farmer shook both our hands and offered his grateful thanks again. ‘Sorry, I’m Murdo by the way, and this is my wife, Carla. How did you know to bring him here?’

‘A lady in the pub told us. She and her husband recognised the blue marking on his coat,’ said Evan, pointing at Pirate in Carla’s arms.

Carla laughed as Pirate shimmied against her ample bosom. ‘Would you both like to come in for a cup of tea? Or something stronger?’

I shook my ponytail. ‘That’s very kind of you, but we just want to reach our bed and breakfast and crash out for the night. And I’m driving anyway.’

Murdo gave Pirate a rub on his flank as he peered out of his wife’s arms. ‘Ah. Young love, eh? I remember it well.’

It took a moment for me to register what the farmer meant. ‘What? Us? You mean…? Oh God, no! As if! It’s nothing like that.’

Evan’s eyes danced down at me. ‘Daisy here is giving me a lift back to Scotland to visit my family. As a favour. That’s all.’

Carla nodded her understanding. ‘Oh, I see. Right. Well, thank you so much again for rescuing this little devil.’

Evan moved to leave. I darted up to Carla and gave Pirate a stroke on the nose, and was rewarded with a hot, wet lick on the face, which made me laugh.

We waved our goodbyes and jumped back inside the car.

I fired up the engine and clicked my seatbelt back into position.

‘They thought we were a couple,’ glittered Evan across from me, in the dark.

I adjusted the rear-view mirror for a little longer than was necessary. ‘I know. They must have a terrific sense of humour in these parts.’