Page 59 of Chasing a Highland Dream

‘Goodnight, Aiden.’

‘Goodnight.’

27

The following morning, before Bella got out of bed, she checked her phone. There was a WhatsApp message from Olivia.

Hey honey. Are you okay? Last night was a little odd but I want you to know I hadn’t said anything to anyone about Aiden. Not even Brodie. Aiden is a strange character and I think you should maybe watch yourself there. I know it’s really none of my business but he came across as quite possessive.

Bella replied right away.

Hi. I’m fine. And I appreciate you standing up for me last night. But I agree about Aiden. Not really sure what to do. He’s really attractive on the outside but I need to see past that, don’t I?

A fast response came.

Absolutely. Something about him doesn’t sit right.

Olivia was very perceptive usually and the fact she had raised concerns sent shivers through Bella’s body.

To take her mind off things, Bella completed the online application for the interior design course and paid the small deposit to secure her place. A ripple of excitement travelled through her at the prospect of doing something creative. Of finally following her dream and daring to hope it might one day become a reality. She wasn’t sure why she had left it so long and felt excited at the idea of her materials arriving in the post. She needed to make the tough decision about Fifi now. Maybe she needed to say goodbye and save up for a new car?

No public castle tours were being run on weekdays for the foreseeable future; however, Olivia had agreed to allow the local schools in during Monday afternoons. Bella showered and dressed in smart black trousers and a teal long-sleeved top before making her way into the kitchen for a quick breakfast. Olivia had okayed a later start to the day for her as she was set to meet up with the builder at Isla’s house to assess the progress and discuss what needed to be done, how much longer things were going to take, etc. Bella had asked to borrow Olivia’s car and, of course, Olivia had agreed immediately.

Isla was already sitting at the kitchen table. ‘Morning, hen. I’ve made tea, it’s still warm in the pot and there’s some toast on the rack too. Cold, how you like it, although I’ve no idea why.’

‘Thanks, Granny,’ Bella said before placing a kiss on Isla’s head. ‘And I like it cold so it doesn’t get all soggy when the butter melts into it.’

‘That’s the best bit!’ Isla replied.

‘Shall I drop you off at the day centre on my way to the house to meet the builder?’

Isla smiled. ‘That’d be grand, hen, thank you. It saves Harris coming all the way out here.’

‘Are you ready because I need to go pretty soon so I can get back to work? There’s a lot of new enquiries for the apartments for me to go through.’

‘Aye, but I need to take Beau for a quick walk. I shouldnae be too long.’ Isla made to stand up. ‘Come on, wee Beau.’ Beau stood from under the table and gave his body a good shake.

Bella glanced at her watch. ‘Why don’t I take him while you get your shoes on?’

‘Oh, if you don’t mind, dearie. Thank you. Come on, Beau, Bella’s taking you for a wee walk. Isn’t that nice? Yes, it is, isn’t it?’ The dog tilted his head and wagged his tail as she talked to him in a baby voice. ‘Go see Bella, go on.’ Beau turned and trotted to Bella to have his lead clipped on.

Bella munched on the last of her slice of toast, eaten at lightning speed, then grabbed her jacket from the back of one of the kitchen chairs. ‘Won’t be long,’ she said as she left the kitchen and opened the front door.

Bella was disappointed to find her granny’s house was still not quite ready, but research had told her it could take weeks, if not months, for these types of things to be dealt with completely. And even once it was ready, she would need to help her granny shop for new furniture, kitchen appliances, carpets and so on, and so on. The list felt endless but at least the insurer had agreed to pay out.

Feeling a little disheartened, she left the house in the capable hands of the building crew and drove the short distance back to the day centre where she had dropped Isla an hour before. Her idea was she would call in briefly in the hope perhaps Harris might be there. He always had a positive effect on her mood and at that moment she needed it.

Luckily for Bella, Harris was exiting the day centre as she climbed out of her car. She almost didn’t recognise him and was rather taken back to see his beard was gone. In fact, she only knew it was definitely him, from that distance, by his purposeful walk and the police uniform. She waved at him, and he waved back, a bright smile on his face. His eyes lit up and crinkled at the corners when he smiled and seeing him without his usual thick mask of facial hair was a little distracting.

As they got closer to each other, he slipped his hands into his trouser pockets. His beard had been replaced by a light smattering of stubble. ‘Hey, Bella, we’ll have to stop meeting like this.’ He gave her his undivided attention, fixing his chocolate-coloured gaze on her, and folding his arms across his broad chest, made broader by his stab-proof vest. Today he wore a police-issue baseball cap, and it suited him more than the usual custodian helmet.

She tucked her hair behind her ears and felt her face warming and her pulse rate increasing. ‘I know! You’ll be thinking I’m stalking you. Anyway, you look different,’ she said, and immediately felt rather silly for stating the obvious.

He reached up and stroked his chin. ‘Oh, the beard? Yeah, I shave it off every so often, keeps everyone on their toes.’ He laughed. ‘Mum likes to pretend she doesn’t recognise me when I’ve shaved.’

Bella pouted. ‘I was just about getting used to your beard and now it’s gone.’

‘You’re not a fan of the old facial hair then?’