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‘Oh good. That’s great.’
Edie felt a wave of affection for the gentle man who had been through so much yet always took time to ask after others. Cano and his family were Kurdish asylum seekers who had settled in Glasgow. They had always wanted to move to Arran, after spending many happy holidays on it with their children. Their two daughters were now grown up with families of their own on the mainland. But they came over regularly to see their parents.
‘Wait here.’ He disappeared into the back of the shop and a few moments later reappeared with a paper bag. ‘For you and your friend.’
‘Oh, Cano, that is so kind of you. Thank you.’
He beamed with pleasure.
‘See you soon,’ she said and walked on, Molly tugging at her lead. The sun had started to set and she admired the twinkling lights that hung around the shop windows, making the street look quite magical. She took her time to walk back, enjoying taking a peek inside other worlds. Sighing, she wondered ifhewould have loved it here as much as she did. She still missed him terribly. Edie’s heart had swelled when she was with him and she’d radiated with happiness. He really had been the love of her life. But there was no point in dwelling on the past. She knew she needed to move on and thought she had. But the arrival of the letter had thrown her. She’d tried to ignore it and distract herself with Amelia’s arrival and making sure the hut was perfect. But the letter’s contents kept popping up in her mind along with the question, what if?
As she reached Coorie Cottage she felt a sense of relief. She would always be grateful that she’d made this little house her home. She hoped Amelia would find some solace and respite here too from whatever she was running away from.
Chapter Nine
The next morning, Amelia woke up in the cosiest of beds and for a couple of blissful, suspended moments had no idea where she was. Then she remembered and she stretched, enjoying the sensation of not having to rush to get up and off to work. Leaning forward, she opened the curtains and smiled at the sea and clear blue sky in front of her. She spotted a lone paddle-boarder in the distance and fleetingly wondered if it might be Fergus. She fell back into the pillows and lay there watching, the duvet tucked around her. It was as though she was staring at a painting and she marvelled at the stunning view. The sun was waking up and she spotted a robin, watching from a branch. Something was missing though, and she realised she was waiting for the familiar feeling of dread to arrive. This morning the sinking sensation in her stomach took slightly longer to appear. But once again she was reminded why she was lying in this bed alone and the circumstances that had brought her to this place.
Staring up at the ceiling, she studied the wooden grooves and wondered for the umpteenth time how she was going to get through this and move on. She reached for the phone on the ledge behind her. He hadn’t replied to her text. Though should she really be surprised?
She sat up and swung her legs round, stretching her arms up. Then she looked at her hand for a moment and decided it was time to remove her wedding ring. She slipped it off decisively and tucked it away in a zipped pocket in her handbag. Padding through to the en-suite, she hesitated for a moment as she felt her bare finger and then she turned the shower on, turning the dial to blue. Apparently cold water was good for the soul and the circulation. Stripping off, she gingerly stepped into the cubicle. She closed her eyes and squealed as the force of the icy water shocked her. It was hard to stand there comfortably under the freezing water but she quickly washed. She could stand it no more, so turned it off. Her skin was tingling, her heart beating faster as she reached for a fluffy white towel.
Catching her reflection in the mirror, she saw some colour that hadn’t been there for a long time. She had a pale complexion anyway but her skin had looked sallow for the past couple of months. At least now she looked a bit healthier. Though maybe that was more to do with the shock of the cold water. It must have done something for her circulation as her veins tingled. She smiled at herself. Maybe a daily cold shower would help get her through this.
Hearing a gentle tap at the front door, she slipped into her bathrobe and unlocked the bathroom door.
‘Just me,’ called Edie. ‘Are you okay? I heard you squealing.’
Amelia opened the door. ‘Good morning,’ she said, and laughed.
‘Now, don’t worry, I won’t make a habit of this. You need your space. But I thought seeing as you’ve just had your first night in the hut, I should check on you.’
Amelia looked fondly at Edie who this morning wore dark green jeans, wellies and a mustard rain jacket.
‘I slept so well,’ she said, pulling the robe tighter around her. She smiled at the robin that had landed on the end of the veranda.
‘Oh, that’s Johnny, our resident robin. Looks like he’s found a new friend.’ Edie tilted her head to one side. ‘Your cheeks are glowing this morning, dear. The sea air must agree with you.’
‘Well, that or the cold shower I had, which caused the squealing.’
Edie groaned. ‘You’ve got to be joking?’
‘No. The water was absolutely freezing.’
Edie’s face fell. ‘Och, I am so sorry, Amelia. That is not good at all. I will need to call Fergus and see if he can fix it.’
‘No need to do that, Edie . . . I had a cold shower on purpose.’ Now Edie looked confused.
‘But why would you do that?’
‘Because cold water is meant to be good for you.’ Amelia burst out laughing. ‘Sorry, Edie. Everything is perfect and the shower is fine. But I decided I would start the day with a cold blast to get me going. And it definitely did.’
‘Ah, I see,’ she said, clearly baffled as to why anyone would want to do that. ‘Well, here you go,’ she said, placing a paper bag on the counter. ‘A wee treat from the bakery to enjoy with your coffee. Cano, the owner, is really looking forward to meeting you . . . when you’re up to visiting.’
Amelia smiled appreciatively. ‘That is so kind of you. Thank you. I will go and see him soon, I promise.’
‘Well, look, why don’t you come over to the house later and we can have a chat about the job, if you’d like? I can take you and show you around?’
* * *
