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‘Your visits make my day.’ Her voice was barely a whisper like she didn’t really want him to hear.
He pretended he hadn’t, it made things simpler, but what? She meant that? He made her day. Did she know she made his too? He’d spent way more time here over the past week than was necessary, neglecting his other jobs.
‘Bye for now,’ he said.
The dirt she’d transferred to the back of his hand was still there when he got to the car. He hadn’t even considered washing it off as he passed the Portaloo; in fact, cleanliness be damned, he might never wash it ever again.
Chapter 11
Rhona
The following day, rain slammed down, pooling in the trench. Rhona’s boots sank as she dragged her way across. This was too much – even for her. Trudging back towards her house, she thumbed out a message.
RHONA: Not able to work today. There’s too much water and mud in the trench. Sorry X
At least she’d tried. She’d had a pointless walk in the rain anyway. When she got back to the house, she had a reply.
CALUM: I never thought you’d ever say the phrase too much mud! But no worries. Take care.
With every site visit tension simmered. Not the he’s-a-Matheson-so-I-hate-him tension she got if she mentioned his name at home. A much more pleasant tension. One that kept her awake at night thinking about him.
She hung her sodden waterproofs in the front porch, her mind popping back to their school days when she’d dreamed of being the one to melt him. That could almost be notched up as an achievement now. Maybe he hadn’t melted completely but he’d definitely softened. Their new reality addled her head… He was her employer and her family’s arch-enemy but also someone she found attractive. What did she really want from him? Her heart and body were on a different page from her brain – sending her confusing messages.
Nelson, the huge fluffy grey cat, stalked down the hallway and jumped on the sofa, making the only noise in the silent house. Rhona didn’t make the mistake of petting him; he’d scratched her arm and left a deep gouge on her first day back. Instead, she nipped upstairs for a shower.
The hot water revived her rain-chilled bones. She scrubbed the mud from her pores, then began her ritual of combing shampoo and conditioner through her long blonde hair. She wore it tied back so often it seemed pointless to make a thing out of keeping it hydrated, but she liked her hair. Gathering it together, she slipped it over to one side. The water gushed, clouding the room with steam. Rhona’s awareness of her body brought images of Calum flooding back.He’s really getting to me. Why can’t I stop thinking about him?He was forbidden and that made it so much worse. ‘Oh, god,’ she moaned. Any other guy and they could have gone for a drink, a walk, whatever. But not him. They couldn’t risk being seen together. It was bad enough trying to hide a dig in a remote corner of the island, never mind a public liaison. Especially if it led anywhere like the places Rhona was imagining. She finished off in the shower and wrapped herself in a huge towel.
The hair drying routine took even longer than the washing when she did it properly. Most days, she didn’t bother; she tossed it into a ponytail and let the air do the job. But today she had time to pamper herself. The result was a surprisingly clean Rhona. She smiled at her reflection, golden locks bouncing round her shoulders, then peeked out the window. ‘Seriously?’
The garden was basking in sunlight. All trace of rain had blown off to trouble another island.Ridiculous Hebridean weather.It never conformed to weather forecasts and frequently changed so randomly. Should she go back to the dig? When she’d finally cleaned up? No. The ground would be a quagmire and she couldn’t face getting covered in it again.
Down in the garden, the summer house door opened; Judy ambled out and stretched. Whatever she was painting in there, Rhona still hadn’t found out. But finished pictures of landscapes and seascapes adorned the walls. Her mum had a talent – one she didn’t appreciate being interrupted. Exactly why Alister spent most of his days fishing, golfing or gardening.
Rhona picked up her phone and tapped it. Maybe Kirsten would be about? It was worth a try. She typed a message, then checked her emails. Taking on the work for Calum had happened at exactly the right time because the virtual research she’d been doing had dried up.
About an hour later, her phone buzzed.
KIRSTEN: Hi. I’ll be back about five. Come down if you want and I’ll show you the house. Fraser’s on a late tour so I’d love the company!
Rhona checked the time. No great rush. But Uisken Bay where Kirsten and Fraser were building their new home was at the other end of the island and it took a long time to reach it on the twisty roads. Plus, Rhona had to persuade her mum to let her borrow the car.
‘Where are you going?’ Judy peered out from behind her easel.
‘To Uisken to see Kirsten’s new house.’ Rhona kept her hands firmly planted in the back pockets of her jeans.
‘That’s quite a way. Are you sure you can do it?’
‘Of course I can.’
‘You haven’t always been the most confident driver, you were the only one to fail your first test.’
Said like I was the only one in the world!But Judy meant the only one of her siblings. Summed up her life.She’d found that rare shell pottery on Crete but she didn’t dare tell them. Alister would look up the report and find it published under the name of Annike Steib. How could she explain that? Arran was the only family member she’d told, half hoping he’d hunt Annike around the world until she told the truth but his reply had been flat. Maybe years of telling him to stop treating her like a child had paid off and he’d left her to do it herself.
‘That was ages ago. I can drive fine now.’ Though she hadn’t for a while and the last time was a left-hand drive vehicle in Greece.
‘Well, ok, darling. But please take care.’
‘I will.’
