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“Look, Lexie,” Jett says when I turn to face him again. “About me and Violet. The engagement. I just want to … What the fuck?”
“Huh?”
That’s … not how I was expecting that sentence to end.
Jett’s staring at something behind me, looking annoyed. I twist around to see what’s got his attention and jump in fright at the ghostly white face pressed up against the window, its nose flattened against the glass. Just as I’m about to scream, though, the figure straightens up and waves, and I groan in frustration as I recognise McTavish, whose record for turning up at the worst possible moment remains triumphantly unbroken.
“Hiya,” he says cheerfully, as I open the back door to let him in. “I came to the front first, but then I remembered the doorbell was broken, so I thought I’d try the back instead.”
He comes inside, smelling strongly of wood smoke and scraping his feet loudly on the doormat.
“Sorry it took me so long, Lexie,” he says. “It’s lambing season, ye ken, so I’ve been out on the hills all day. I’d have left it to my da’ but it’s that long since we last had sheep that he doesnae have a scoobie. You ken what I mean?”
I have literally no idea what he’s talking about, and I’m pretty sure Jett has even less, but it doesn’t matter, because Jett’s tucking the envelope containing the DNA test into his jacket again, clearly preparing to leave.
“Well, I’ll leave you to it,” he says, giving McTavish a curt nod. “Someone will be in touch with the test results, Lexie. I hope it works out for you.”
“Jett, wait,” I say, panicking. This all sounds horribly final, somehow, as if he’s not planning to be around when the results come through. “What were you going to say before? It was something about you and Violet? I really—”
Iwasgoing to say “I really need to know” — which would be true, but also kind of pathetic, really, so I clamp my mouth shut and look at him appealingly, trying to transmit everything I want to say to him straight into his brain.
It doesn’t work.
I know, who would’ve thought?
“It was nothing,” he says, his voice giving absolutely nothing away. “Doesn’t matter. Anyway, speaking of Violet, I better get back. She’ll be wondering where I am.”
I bet she will.
He nods again to McTavish, then turns and walks out through the back door without giving me another glance.
Damn.
That wascold.
“Er, I’m no’ interrupting something, am I?” says McTavish, finally registering the atmosphere he’s unwittingly walked into.“Sorry, Lexie. I did message earlier to say I’d pop round. I need to talk to ye about The View.”
“Yes. Yes, of course,” I say automatically, my mind still on Jett, and whatever he’d been about to tell me before he left.
Before he left to go back to Violet.
“Come on then,” I say to McTavish, trying to muster up a smile. It’s not his fault Jett and I can’t seem to communicate anymore. “Hit me with it. How much trouble am I in?”
***
Miraculously, McTavish doesn’t fire me.
But only because he can’t bring himself to say the words.
“I ken ye’re in a difficult spot, Lexie,” he says, scratching his head. “And I want to help ye; I really do. But it’s just… Violet King.” He shrugs, as if that says it all. Which it actually does, to be fair.
“She’s really got it in for ye,” he says. “Says she’ll take out a restraining order if ye come near her again. Says she’ll make the whole crew move out o’ The View. Well, obviously we cannae have that.”
“No, obviously not,” I assure him. “It’s fine, McTavish,” I go on, stretching my mouth into another grin, which I suspect is probably much scarier than it’s supposed to be. “I understand. It’s not the first time Violet King’s threatened me with a restraining order. I don’t want to get you into any trouble. Well, anymoretrouble. You’ve done so much for me, and I’m… I’m just really sorry to have let you down.”
I end this sentence with a sniff. I’m notcrying, you understand. But hehasbeen really good to me, and Idofeel terrible that I’ve made it so hard for him to help me. Not evenOld Lexie —BadLexie — would want to hurt McTavish. It would be like kicking a puppy.
“If it was up to me, I’d keep ye on,” says McTavish, who I suspect isn’t being totally honest with himself. “But it’s Jack’s business as well. And if we lose this booking, we’re going to be right scunnered. Things are difficult enough wi’ all the villagers up in arms about the filming. Jimmy’s threatening another curse and everything.”
