Page 18 of A Highland Family Affair

Olivia felt her face heating. She may have appeared to be a ‘got it all together’ type of woman on the surface, but underneath she sometimes wanted someone else to take charge. Of course, now that she knew he found her sexy when she was assertive, she wouldn’t be admitting to it any time soon.

‘Anyway.’ He cleared his throat. ‘There’s something I need to ask… or say… or well… something important we need to do… or talk about…’

God, she loved it when he got all shy and stumbled over his words. It was cute and endearing. ‘Really?’ Her heart leapt in her chest, and she felt sure her voice had pitched so much so that dogs would be running to the restaurant from all over Inverness. She cleared her throat too and repeated in a lower, more casual register, ‘Really?’

He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out…

An envelope? Oh. Okay. Right then…

He slid the envelope across the table and was clearly trying to stifle a grin.

‘What’s this?’ she asked, staring at the decidedly un-ring-box-like thing on the table. Disappointment tugged at her insides just a wee bit and she hoped it didn’t manifest in her expression. He didn’t deserve for her to be ungrateful.

‘Open it,’ he instructed firmly, his grin immovable.

She lifted the envelope with shaking hands. Maybe he’s written his proposal in a note? She fumbled out the envelope that was within the original envelope, a little confused by now. She took out the contents of the second envelope. ‘A trip to Skye?’ she said with a gasp.

‘I thought you might like to see Bella and visit where she’s living now. I know how much you miss her.’

Olivia shook her head. ‘But… Brodie, I don’t understand. These are for the week before Christmas. That’s… only a few weeks away. I can’t go on holiday. I have the Christmas Countdown Fayre happening at the castle and… I have no assistant. I can’t just up and leave.’

Brodie took her hand. ‘So, we’ll employ someone ASAP. Someone with experience. Or I’m sure Innes will step in. He’s good at taking charge. It’s only a few days and we’ll be back just in time for Christmas with the family. Don’t you want to see Bella and Isla?’

‘Of course I do. And this is so sweet of you, don’t get me wrong, I really appreciate it but…’

He fixed her with a determined stare. ‘No buts, Olivia. We’re going. There, I’m putting my foot down. You work so hard, and I think the break will be good for both of us.’

It was evident he was brooking no argument on the matter, and he was right, a trip to Skye would do them the power of good. Since opening the castle to the public there had been little time for trips away and Skye would be very romantic.

‘I’ll call the agency first thing on Monday then,’ she said.

7

On Monday morning, Olivia contacted the local employment agency in Inverness and arranged to interview several people from their database. The interviews were set for Tuesday afternoon and Olivia was confident, from her discussions with the manager at the agency, that they would be able to find someone suitable, if only for a short period to cover Olivia’s trip and to perhaps help over the festive events.

Brodie had headed off to the cathedral in the city to assist Bishop Latham with some research, as he did from time to time, and Olivia was sitting in her father’s study looking through the CVs of the interview candidates that had been emailed through.

A knock on the door was followed by Kerr’s voice. ‘Hey, Liv, am I okay to come in?’

‘Oh, hi, Kerr, of course you are.’

He sheepishly walked into the room, hands in his pockets, followed, of course, by Sir Lancelot. He glanced around the place that had become the hub of the castle’s business practices. ‘Wow, I used to be terrified of this room. I was only ever called in here when I was in trouble… which was quite often now I think about it,’ he said with a wince and a scratch of his head. ‘Dad would sit there, where you are now, hands crossed on the desk and a stern look on his face…’ He shivered. ‘Why can’t you be more like Olivia?’ he said in a voice that mimicked their father’s. ‘I was always a disappointment.’

Olivia’s stomach knotted and for a few seconds she wasn’t sure how to respond. ‘Good thing you’re not in trouble now then, eh?’ she said with a smile.

‘It makes a change,’ he replied with a nervous laugh.

‘So, what brings you here? What can I do for you?’

He cleared his throat and scratched his head. ‘I… erm… I’m attending my first AA meeting tonight. Then GA later in the week. I wanted to let you know.’

‘That’s great. I’m really happy you’re going ahead with it.’

He nodded. ‘Me too. It’s about time, I think.’ He stood there silently for a moment. ‘I was wondering… as part of the programme we can bring along a family member. And I wondered if you might come along. Moral support, I guess. I’m so nervous and I think having you there would really help. A familiar face amongst the total strangers.’

She raised her eyebrows. ‘You want me to come with you? To your first meeting? Wouldn’t you rather go alone, see what it’s like?’

He shook his head and stared at his shoes while absent-mindedly twiddling with Lancelot’s fur. ‘No, I… I think there’s more chance of me actually going if you’re there too.’