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‘Not quite. Take this, too.’ It was a woolly hat. ‘It’ll help keep you warm.’
‘Just as well you’re around, otherwise I’d be completely unprepared.’
He laughed. ‘That’s what I’m here for.’
‘Do I just go in fast and hope for the best?’
He shook his head. ‘Follow my lead. We need to start by getting you acclimatised to the water. So come and stand with me.’ He reached for her hand and she followed him into the water, where they stood. ‘Splash your face like this.’
She gasped as the icy cold water shocked her system.
‘Just give it a bit longer and you’ll get used to the temperature. Come on, a bit further in.’
Amelia focused on her breathing as she waded out and the water covered her up to her chest.
‘Are you good?’ His voice was encouraging, which definitely helped and stopped her from doing a U-turn and running screaming back to the cabin. Then, with a surge of confidence, she allowed her shoulders to go under the water.
‘Look at that. There you go.’
Amelia smiled, feeling a rush of adrenaline surge through her as she started to swim. ‘I’m okay now. This isn’t too bad.’
‘Don’t go too far away though. Or out of your depth. You also need to be able to get back.’
Amelia gave him a thumbs-up sign as she trod water for a moment, looking around her. She tipped her head back, looking at the sky, and had a sense of complete exhilaration. Who would have thought she would be swimming in the sea in Scotland in December? Fergus stayed close, keeping an eye on her until she shrieked as a wave hit her in the face.
‘You okay?’
She laughed. ‘Amazing. This has to be the best thing I’ve ever done.’
He nodded appreciatively. ‘Gives you a buzz, doesn’t it? I kind of needed to ground myself after yesterday.’
‘Hospitals do that to you, don’t they?’
‘Yes . . .’
Amelia could have kicked herself. She’d totally forgotten to consider how Fergus had felt being back in a hospital again. What an idiot she was. ‘Was it hard being there?’
‘No,’ he said a bit dismissively and quickly changed the subject. ‘I’m so glad this is on our doorstep. It’s like a reset for my mind. I just hope Edie will cope.’
Amelia nodded. ‘I’ll look in later and check how she’s doing.’
‘Are you shivering?’ he said teasingly.
She grinned, splashing him. ‘Not really . . .’
‘That’s probably enough for your first day though. You don’t want to catch a chill. If you can still feel your fingers and toes, that’s a good sign. If they’re numb you know you’ve stayed in too long.’
Amelia didn’t argue. She had thoroughly enjoyed the swim but was ready to get out of the water. ‘Look at that.’ She pointed to a seal bobbing quite near to them.
‘That’s Sammy. As long as you’re not too close to him he doesn’t bother.’
‘Sammy the seal. I wish I’d brought my phone. Nobody will believe me.’ They walked towards their bags.
‘Here.’ He pulled out his phone and zoomed in on Sammy then took a photo of Amelia. ‘Smile.’
She couldn’t stop grinning. ‘I am so proud of myself. I honestly can’t tell you how amazing that was. Thank you, Fergus. How about a selfie?’
‘Sure,’ he said, chuckling.
