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What did she want?
At that moment, it was to be as far away from the hotel industry as possible. Although Agnes knew that wasn’t what Logan meant, her job was getting her down. The truth was, and she’d known it from the first day she’d worked in a hotel, she wasn’t really a people person. She was more of a behind-the-scenes person. She was good with project management and strategy, which is why she needed to work in a huge hotel, where the guests never dealt directly with the manager. If she was stuck in a tiny boutique hotel, there was a good chance she’d end up the female version of Basil Fawlty. Because, in general, people sucked.
After placing the nylon-covered cushion she’d brought with her on a rock, Agnes sat at the edge of the loch and unwrapped her sandwich. With a heavy gray sky that hung low over the murky waters, the weather matched her mood. Dense clouds shrouded the hills on the opposite side of the loch, and the muted daylight sucked
the color out of the landscape. Everything around her was gray and brooding, pressing down until she swayed under the weight of it all.
Even wrapped in a knee-length padded coat, the cold still seeped through to her bones. It brought back memories of her childhood, trying to sleep in icy cold rooms under threadbare blankets, going to bed wearing layers of clothes and still shivering. If she never saw her breath again, it would be too soon. No, staying in Scotland wasn’t for her. She needed a position in a nice big hotel, somewhere in the sun, where she could manage from her huge office, far away from every single person in the building.
It was what she’d been working toward since she was fourteen. And now that her sisters were all settled, starting families of their own, happy and in love, it meant she was free to follow her dream. They didn’t need her anymore. Although, a small voice in the back of her mind wondered how she’d cope without her sisters nearby. Maybe, just maybe, she still needed them.
As the gentle lapping of the water soothed her frayed nerves, and the sandwich took the edge off the biting tension that consumed her, Agnes had to admit that Invertary had a certain charm. In the summer, she imagined it would even be considered beautiful, with the green rolling hills and the blue loch, the whitewashed houses and the old stone castle. It had everything tourists wanted from a trip to Scotland. And, yet, it struggled to survive.
Young people were leaving in droves, the high school had very recently shut down because of declining numbers and the kids had to bus to Fort William. Shops were closing due to lack of business, and there was an air of stagnancy about the place. In fact, the only thing she was aware of that brought people to town was Josh. Half of the hotel’s patrons were there to catch a glimpse of the singer.
It was little wonder Dougal wanted to build a conference center in an attempt to attract people to the town. But Agnes wasn’t sure it was the right way to go. Without expanding his hotel, there would be no place for the conference attendees to stay when they came. It seemed like bad planning to her.
As she ate, she pulled out her phone, opened the app she used with her sisters and started a group call. If they were free, they’d answer, if not, she’d try again later. But she wanted to spend a few minutes touching base with them, reassuring herself that they were fine and happy. They’d been living in each other’s pockets their whole lives, and it was far too unsettling to be without them. It was as if she were missing three limbs.
The screen changed, and a tiny image of Isobel’s dark-haired visage appeared. “Aggie!”
Unexpectedly, Agnes’ eyes welled up, and she blinked rapidly to clear them. “Isobel, how are you?”
Before her older sister could answer, Mairi’s head appeared in a little window beside her. “Hello! What’s going on?”
The last window popped up, showing Donna’s smiling face. “I’ve missed you three,” she said.
“Me too,” Agnes said, her heart already feeling warmer at the sight of her sisters. “I’m sitting out by the loch, having lunch, and I thought I’d check in. You’re all too far away now.”
“Not that far,” Donna said. “Just Glasgow.” Someone called out behind her, and she turned to wave. “I’m in the studio,” she said when she turned back. “I’m working on a set of illustrations for a kids’ fantasy book.” She practically danced with joy as she spoke, and Agnes melted inside. At last, her gentle sister had found something she loved to do: studying art at the same college her husband lectured at.
“That sounds awesome,” Mairi said. “Send us some pictures. I love your drawings. As for us, we just woke up. It’s absolutely Baltic here, I’m freezing my backside off. And there’s snow. So. Much. Snow. Look!” She turned her phone to show them the view from her hotel window. Mairi was in Montreal, meeting with two of the geek boys who’d signed up for her dating agency and recruiting more talent. Her matchmaking business had taken off, and she was having a blast with it.
“I’m getting cold just looking at that,” Isobel said. “It’s raining here in London, and everyone’s in a bad mood because of it. Or, it could be because they’re working on a tough case right now. Who knows? All I know is everybody’s grumpy.”
“It’s cold here too,” Agnes said. “And damp. And gray.” She swung the phone around so they could see the loch.
“But pretty,” Donna said.
“Yeah.” Agnes sighed. “It’s pretty.”
The sigh wasn’t loud or heavy, but it was enough to make all of her sisters focus on her.
“What’s wrong?” Isobel demanded.
“Who do I have to hurt?” Mairi said. “I can be on a flight within the hour. It’s only seven hours between here and Glasgow. I can be with you in about twelve.”
“You look sad, Aggie,” Donna said, her brow furrowed with worry. “You never look sad. Do you hate it there? Do you want to come live in Glasgow with Duncan and me?”
Her smile trembled. “I love you three, and I miss you. I guess it’s just that I’m used to having you around.”
“Oh.” Donna softened. “I never thought of that. You’re usually so strong all the time. Now I feel bad that we’re all getting on with our lives, with our men, and you’re doing a job you don’t really want to do, with no one beside you. I can come to Invertary as soon as this term ends. I’m so sorry you’re there on your own. I’d hate that too.”
“It’s fine,” she reassured her soft-hearted sister. “Honestly, none of you need to rush to my side. I only wanted to see your faces.”
“Callum has other connections,” Isobel said. “He can ask around and find you a job in a different hotel if that’s what you want. Maybe one in London, near us.”
“No, no, it’s fine. It’s just”—Agnes heaved a sigh—“there are days when I wonder what I’m doing.”
