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‘Hey.’ Rhona broke away from Calum and hugged everyone. Her infectious smile spread around the group. Feeling returned to Calum’s fingers and he exhaled slowly.
‘I’ll steer her out the bay if you like,’ said Ron. ‘That’ll give you a chance to be with your lovely lady.’ He gave Calum a pat, smiling at them both like they were the most beautiful people he’d ever seen.
‘Is that you pretending to do me a favour?’ asked Calum.
‘I like being at the helm,’ said Ron.
‘I wouldn’t know where to start,’ Alister said.
‘If you want to learn, I’m sure Dad would help.’ Calum mustered his best smile, pushing away the bad memories, forgetting this was his former maths teacher and instigator of so much hate over the years. This was a peace mission. And he wanted to prove himself worthy of Alister’s daughter. Their parents’ blessing wasn’t necessary but it would make things much sweeter.
‘Yes, I wouldn’t mind seeing how it works.’ Alister climbed into the cabin and disappeared behind Ron. Anne and Judy took seats on the deck and chatted with cheery faces. Anne was well practised in gossip and spent most of her day chatting to people in the shop, so she was no stranger to keeping a friendly conversation going.
Calum sidled up behind Rhona and wrapped his arms around her from behind. ‘Do you think this is an act?’ he whispered. ‘Are they behaving like this to please us?’
‘Maybe. But they’re trying. I just hope they can keep it up.’
Calum tugged Rhona close, dipped in and kissed her on the cheek. ‘I love you.’
She melted in his arms and he rocked her gently as the boat chugged out of the marina.
‘I love you too but I do have one regret.’
‘Do you?’ Calum’s heart prickled. What had he done wrong?
‘I still haven’t succeeded in one of my missions.’ Rhona leaned back and smiled at him.
‘Which is?’
‘Getting you skinny dipping.’
Calum laughed and bent his head into her hair. ‘Is that all? You had me seriously worried there… And wait a minute… You were going to get me to A: like history, B: get dirty and C: sleep with you in a bivvy. I’ve done all three.’
Rhona giggled. ‘Ah no, when we went to Coll, I added that one.’
‘No, you asked me if you could add it and I quite categorically said no.’
‘Like you did with the other three?’
‘Uh-huh… Like that.’
Rhona waggled her eyebrows. ‘So, when are we doing it?’
‘Let’s do this trip first.’
‘Really?’
He leaned in and claimed her lips, closing his eyes as he gently kissed her. ‘Anything, Rhona. Anything for you.’
The sun splintered through the clouds and despite it being early September, the air was warm and balmy. They cruised around the bay and Ron anchored the boat in a picturesque spot with a view back to Mull, the mainland on the other side.
Calum clinked his lime soda on Rhona’s glass, then his mum’s. ‘Couldn’t ask for a better day.’
Anne patted his knee. ‘I couldn’t ask for a better boy.’
‘Thanks, Mum.’
‘And you’re exactly the right girl for my boy.’ She smiled at Rhona. ‘I can see it in the way you look at each other. Perfect. Just perfect.’ She wiped a tear away.
