Page 62 of Chasing a Highland Dream

Olivia thought for a moment. ‘Do you think it may be because he lives in London and she’s worried about you leaving with him, or going to live with him eventually if things go well, something like that?’

Bella’s heart sank. ‘Oh, heck, I never even thought of that. I’ll have to put her mind at rest. I don’t see any of that happening. To be honest, he’s a bit full of himself. He was badmouthing some other authors after the film. Authors who I really like. Saying things like their vocabulary is limited and he has no idea why they’re higher in the charts than he is. It was a bit off-putting.’

‘Hmm, maybe the shine has worn off? Is there a reason for that maybe?’ Olivia gave her a knowing look.

‘What do you mean?’ Bella knew exactly what she meant, of course.

‘Oh, I don’t know, I think maybe a certain recently shaven-faced police sergeant might be going up in your estimations.’

‘How do you know about his beard being gone?’

‘I saw him yesterday when he came to see Aiden.’

Bella raised her eyebrows. ‘I didn’t see him.’

‘No, that’s because you were showing a young couple the long gallery as a potential venue for their wedding.’

‘Oh, right.’ Bella was, once again, surprised to find she was disappointed at missing Harris.

Bella borrowed Olivia’s car during the afternoon to take some mail into Inverness, including some of Brodie’s signed books. After leaving Drumblair, she followed the road that skirted the edge of Loch Ness and could see fishing boats off in the distance. In some places the road narrowed and every so often she had to pull into a passing place to allow for oncoming traffic. She gazed out at the loch and tapped the steering wheel in time with Queen’s ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ on Radio Highland.

As she left the village of Dores, the road veered away from the loch and at that point the scenery changed from water and mountains to bracken-hedged lanes that led towards the city. She passed by little white-painted houses, some of which had laundry flapping on lines in their gardens in the gentle breeze, and she spotted Highland cows with their long russet hair munching on grass in the lush green fields. Every so often the light would dim as the trees thickened at either side of the road; copses of firs reaching towards the sky and its life-giving sunlight. Overhead the canopy was pale blue and dotted with cumulus clouds and aeroplane contrails, and Bella absently wondered where the passengers were jetting off to.

Take That’s ‘Never Forget’ came on the radio and Bella sang rather too loudly, considering her window was cracked open, making the most of the balmy summer day. She almost gave a poor cyclist a heart attack as she passed him as the chorus hit. In her own mind, she could’ve been a brilliant backing singer for the band. It was a shame they had absolutely no clue Bella and her voice existed.

Once Take That had preached to the choir – Bella was never likely to forget where she came from – it was the turn of Florence and the Machine and ‘Dog Days Are Over’. Harris immediately sprang into her mind; his smiling eyes and his wonderful laugh after her terrible impression of a 1940s Bronx gangster’s moll. There was something about him, she had realised, something that made her smile and feel safe simultaneously.

Harris wasn’t the boring, strait-laced man she had presumed him to be when she first met him. And she found him popping into her mind more and more frequently. But she wasn’t attracted to him, was she? It was simply that he was a nice guy, good company and very warm-hearted, that’s all.

Bella posted the parcels she had brought with her and as she was leaving the post office, she spotted Harris and Mel speaking to some young guys across the street. She pretended to be looking in a shop window and watched them in the reflection, waiting to see if he spotted her. After a few moments, she decided she had hung around too long staring at the window display of what turned out to be a vape shop when she didn’t vape and had no intention of ever taking it up. She made to walk away and noticed Mel nudge Harris and gesture towards her.

‘Bella! Hang on!’ She stopped in her tracks and turned to see Harris jogging towards her. ‘I’ve just finished, fancy a coffee?’

Her body flooded with a rush of heat and what she could only presume was serotonin, a sensation that immediately lifted her mood. ‘Sure, why not?’ She hoped Olivia wouldn’t mind her being a little delayed.

‘Great, usual place? Or do you fancy somewhere else?’

‘Pettifer’s is absolutely fine.’

He turned to wave to Mel. ‘See you tomorrow, Mel! And tell Neil I’ll drop him a message later.’ Mel waved and headed off in the direction of the police station.

Bella and Harris set off walking away from Queensgate and through the busy streets filled with bag-laden shoppers, tourists with street maps, and suited businesspeople alike, heading towards Bank Street. The afternoon sun glinted off the River Ness and the buildings on the opposite side reflected in the water. Bella adored Inverness, it was the northernmost city in the United Kingdom and was known as the capital of the Highlands too. Bella loved the history of the place and especially the architecture. The oldest building in the city was built in the sixteenth century, a fact that blew Bella’s mind.

‘So, what are you doing in the city this time? Not more shopping?’ Harris asked.

‘No, work this time.’

‘Ah, I see. I came to the castle yesterday to see Aiden to catch up with him on some procedural questions he’d emailed with for his book. Olivia said you were busy and I should hang around to say hi, but I had a bit of a manic day.’

‘Yes, Olivia said she’d seen you. I hope you’re enjoying your work as a consultant on his book.’

‘Aye, things are getting interesting, that’s for sure.’

They arrived at Pettifer’s and took their favoured window table. Mrs P brought their usual order across without them needing to request it.

Once they both had their coffees and of course the obligatory slice of Victoria sponge, Bella asked, ‘So, how come you’re finishing work early today?’

He kept his focus on his coffee, as if he couldn’t look her in the eyes. ‘I’m, erm, heading west for a couple of days. I’ll be back on Friday.’