Surprises on the Scottish Isle (Coorie Castle Crafts #1)

Chapter 15

Tara’s keys were in her hand and she was about to unlock the studio door when she heard her name being called. Jinny was hurrying towards her, clutching her hood to keep it on her head as the wind whipped around the side of the building.

Tara held the door open for her and Jinny dashed inside, brushing the raindrops from her fringe. ‘Welcome to Skye,’ she laughed. ‘You’ve been spoilt with all the lovely weather we’ve been having. This is more typical.’

Flicking the lights on, Tara said, ‘I did hear a rumour that it rains a lot.’

‘Aye, that’s what gives it its character.’ Jinny gave her a sideways look. ‘You had good weather for your boat trip yesterday.’

Tara didn’t bother to ask how Jinny knew. She was quickly beginning to realise that everyone knew everyone else’s business in Duncoorie, especially in the castle.

Jinny told her anyway. ‘Mack is my brother-in-law. He’s thirty-five, single, solvent and sober – most of the time. He does like a dram or two.’

‘That’s, um, good to know.’

‘He’s bonnie, too.’

Tara had noticed. Mack was an attractive bloke. Tall, well-built, muscular – probably from hauling all those ropes and leaping in and out of his boat. She’d also noticed the speculative and appraising look he’d given her. She’d got the impression he’d liked what he’d seen. Had he asked about her, she wondered. He’d chatted to Cal briefly after they’d got off the boat. It could have been about anything, but as Mack had been talking, he’d cast a glance in her direction. Call it female intuition, but she thought he might be interested in her.

The possibility made her pause. She wasn’t ready to start dating again, even though her feelings for Dougie had withered and died a long time ago, but at some point she would be, and Mack was a good-looking guy. She intended to make a new life for herself on Skye, and that included romance.

Unbidden, Cal’s face popped into her mind, and she shook her head to rid herself of it.

‘Don’t you think so?’ Jinny asked, and Tara realised that her friend had assumed she was replying to her comment about Mack being attractive.

‘Sorry, I was thinking about something else. Yes, Mack is good looking.’

‘But you don’t fancy him?’

‘Are you trying to set me up?’

‘There’s not much point, considering you’ve still got the hots for Cal.’

‘I have not!’ Tara blushed furiously, but her denial was met with the scepticism it deserved as Jinny raised her eyebrows and gave her an arched look.

Jinny said, ‘He’s single, solvent and sober, too.’

‘He’s also my ex, my landlord and a single parent.’

‘So? Ever heard of second chance romance?’

‘In books.’

‘It happens in real life as well.’

Tara let that pass. ‘Landlord,’ she reminded her.

‘Irrelevant. It’s not like he’s your line manager. You rent a studio from the estate, that’s all.’

‘Single parent?’

‘I was under the impression you get on well with Bonnie.’

‘I do.’

‘Well then, what’s the problem?’

‘I’m pretty sure he’s not interested in me.’

‘Girl, have you seen the way he looks at you? Of course he’s interested. Even Mack says so.’

Tara had enough of the conversation. ‘Did you want me for anything?’ She didn’t care that the change of subject was blatant.

Jinny frowned, then her face cleared. ‘I did. I came to tell you that we sold the smaller of the doll’s houses and loads of furniture and stuff to go in it. Have you got another we can put in its place?’

Delighted, Tara let out a whoop. ‘I certainly have! As soon as the rain eases, I’ll bring it over. That’s great news! Thank you.’

‘I didn’t do anything,’ Jinny protested. ‘Like everything else in the shop, it sold itself.’

Tara didn’t believe her for one second. She’d seen Jinny in action and knew what a brilliant saleswoman she was. Once again, Tara thanked her lucky stars for bringing her to Coorie Castle.

It was yet to be seen whether she was equally as thankful for them throwing her and Cal together again.

Three days later Cal stuck his head around the door to Tara’s studio, seemingly to congratulate her on the brilliant sale she’d had earlier in the week, but mainly because it was killing him to keep away. Since the boat trip, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. Although, if he was honest, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her for weeks. She’d been lurking in his mind ever since he’d discovered she’d leased the studio.

‘I hear you had a nice sale the other day,’ he said.

Tara beamed. ‘I did. It was such a lovely surprise. Talking about surprises, thank you again for persuading me to join you on the boat trip. It was amazing.’

‘You’re welcome, but it was Bonnie’s suggestion. Not that I didn’t want you to come with us, of course. You’ve certainly made an impression on her.’

‘She’s a nice kid. I’ve planned out her doll’s house if you’d like to take a look.’ She got up from her stool and walked over to her laptop on the opposite workbench.

Cal tried not to notice how well her jeans fitted, but it was hard not to. He remembered all too vividly what she looked like underneath. Heat crept into his face, and he swallowed hard as he forced himself to concentrate on the image on the screen and not on how wonderful she smelt or how dearly he would like to kiss her.

She was busily explaining that because of its internal layout, Bonnie’s doll’s house would have dual openings, one at the front and one at the back, allowing full access to all the rooms, which wasn’t the case with most doll’s houses because they usually had a fixed back and sides.

Cal was only half-listening; he was too distracted by her nearness. His arms itched to envelope her, and his mouth tingled with a longing to taste her lips.

‘If you’re happy, shall I go ahead?’ she asked.

‘Er, yeah, great. Please do.’

‘Can you do me a favour and let me know whenever Bonnie is at the castle? I don’t want her coming in and finding me working on it.’

‘Of course.’

‘I’ve got plenty of other things on the go that she can help with – if you don’t mind.’

‘I don’t mind, as long as you don’t. Feel free to send her packing when you’ve had enough of her. She won’t take offence.’

‘I will,’ Tara smiled.

There was a pause, and Cal wondered if she wanted to send him packing but was too polite to say. ‘I’m going into Portree later, if you need anything picking up,’ he said, moving towards the door.

She caught her bottom lip between her teeth as she thought. ‘Um, there are a few bits and pieces I could do with. Actually, never mind, I’ll pop in myself at some point, then I can’t tell you off for fetching the wrong thing.’

A memory bubbled to the surface. She’d done that very thing when she’d asked him to pick up a book on contemporary art, but he’d bought the wrong one. He’d apologised, and Tara had shown him she’d forgiven him by taking him to bed.

‘Why don’t you come with me?’ he suggested, and he got the impression she was going to refuse, when her phone rang.

‘Excuse me a sec. Oh, it’s the estate agent,’ she said with a frown.

Cal automatically assumed it was the same agent who was selling Yvaine’s cottage, but Tara cried, ‘That’s great news. Thanks. Tell him I accept.’

When she came off the phone, she was grinning widely. ‘I’ve just accepted an offer on my house. Or should I say we have. Dougie is happy with it, so with any luck contracts will be exchanged in a couple of months. It shouldn’t be long, because the people who put the offer in are cash buyers with no chain! Woo hoo!’ Her eyes sparkled. ‘You know what that means? I can start looking at houses, so I will come to Portree with you, if that’s OK? I’ve got an estate agent to visit.’

Cal parked the Range Rover in a square with a war memorial in the middle, not far from Portree’s main street. Tara noticed a selection of shops, restaurants and other businesses, as well as a post office, but she didn’t see any estate agents.

‘There’s one just there,’ he said after she’d asked, guiding her around the corner. ‘And a couple further along the street. Shall we meet back at the car in about an hour? Will that give you enough time?’

Tara hedged, not knowing whether it would or wouldn’t. Besides, since she was here, she wouldn’t mind taking a quick look around the town.

‘Or,’ he said, ‘I could wait for you in The Isles Inn, and we could have a bite to eat once you’re done. They do great bar snacks.’

‘Sounds good,’ she replied, and after Cal had told her where to find the pub, Tara went off to explore.

Her first stop was the estate agent he’d pointed out. It wasn’t the same company that had shown her around Bonnie’s house, but even if it had been, Tara no longer felt like a fraud. She was legitimately looking for a property, and with an offer accepted on the house in Edinburgh, she was in a good position to put an offer in on a property herself – assuming she found something suitable within her price range.

Yvaine’s cottage was eminently suitable and within her budget, but Tara couldn’t bring herself to consider it. It would be too weird. And what would Bonnie make of it? And Cal?

Tara came away from the first estate agent armed with the details of several properties, only one of which was in Duncoorie, and by the time she’d visited the other two estate agents, she was feeling a bit overwhelmed. There were so many variables that she didn’t know where to start with putting them in any kind of order.

After a quick scoot around the shops to purchase a few essentials and a trot down to the waterfront with its colourful houses and view of Loch Portree, it was time to make her way back to the square and the pub where Cal was waiting.

Tara’s heart leapt when she saw him. He was perched on a stool chatting to a woman behind the bar, and both of them seemed to be enjoying the other’s company.

Jealousy jabbed at her with bony fingers, and she flinched.

Plastering a smile on her face, she strolled casually up to the bar and was gratified when Cal noticed her and broke into a grin.

‘Can I get you a drink?’ he offered.

‘Soda and lime, please.’

He nodded to the barmaid, who didn’t look anywhere near as pleased to see Tara as Cal did. ‘And can we have a couple of menus?’ he asked, after she’d poured their drinks.

Taking them over to a table near a window, they sat down and Cal handed Tara a menu. It was only after they’d ordered did he ask whether she’d had any joy with her property search.

‘Yes and no,’ she replied, cryptically. ‘There’re quite a few houses within my price range, but hardly any in Duncoorie.’

‘I didn’t think there would be. And those that come on the market are snapped up pretty sharpish.’ He stared into the unlit fireplace. ‘There’s always Yvaine’s house.’

Tara shuddered. ‘I did think about it, but it would be too weird.’

Cal must have been thinking the same thing because after hearing she wasn’t interested in it, he brightened. ‘Show me what you’ve got?’

Tara took them out of her bag and for the next half hour, whilst eating cheese toasties and soup, they hashed over the various properties until Tara felt she had a better understanding of what was out there and what she wanted. The most important consideration was the distance from Duncoorie. Although Portree was only a thirty-minute drive away and there were many more properties for sale in the town, she wanted to be as near as possible to her studio.

That she would be nearer to Cal wasn’t a factor. Or so she told herself.

‘Did Mhairi give you a time limit on how long you can stay in the boathouse?’ he asked.

‘She didn’t, but I’m guessing she doesn’t want me there indefinitely. I’ve got some leeway to find the right property, but I don’t want to outstay my welcome.’

‘What about this one?’ Cal picked the topmost sheet off the little pile they had created. ‘It’s only a mile out of the village. I’ll grant you it’s a bit old-fashioned, but it’s perfectly habitable.’

It was, and the price was reasonable, too. It was a detached, substantial three-bedroom house, with quite a bit of land. The whitewashed walls and grey slate roof were typical of the area, and there were lawns to the front and back. It needed some updating inside, but she could live with it as it was for the time being.

So what was stopping her from going to view it?

She told herself it would be better to wait until her share of the Edinburgh house was safely in her bank account, and that setting her heart on a property now might lead to disappointment should it fall through. But deep down Tara knew the real reason – she wanted to stay at the boathouse for as long as possible. Knowing that Cal lived just a short walk away anchored something in her soul that she hadn’t realised was adrift.

What if Jinny and Mack were right, and Cal still had feelings for her? Could she trust him not to break her heart again?

Quietly Tara snorted to herself. Again? It hadn’t healed from the last time. It was still broken, and she strongly suspected only Cal could mend it. However, she’d reached a state of equilibrium and if she allowed Cal back in, she was in danger of losing that.

But did she want to spend the rest of her life wondering what might have happened if she’d had the courage to give it another go? And if she didn’t and he began a relationship with someone else, could she live with that?

Feeling courageous and more than a little reckless, she said, ‘Where would you like me to live? Duncoorie or somewhere further away?’

‘Duncoorie.’ His reply was immediate. Then he looked her in the eye and said, ‘If it was up to me, you could live in the boathouse forever.’

She swallowed. ‘I thought that after everything that had happened between us, you wouldn’t want me here.’

‘Tara…’ His voice was a low rumble. ‘Believe me when I say I do want you here.’ The intensity of his gaze made her drop her own for fear he might guess she still loved him, despite what he’d done and everything that had happened throughout the intervening years.

For so long she’d told herself she hated him, but it couldn’t be further from the truth.

Suddenly she felt incredibly sorry for Dougie. He hadn’t stood a chance, had he? No wonder he’d sought solace elsewhere. She hadn’t been able to give him her heart because it had already belonged to someone else.

Neither she nor Cal spoke on the way back.

When they reached the castle, Tara expected him to drop her off at the top of the track leading to the boathouse, but instead he drove down it and pulled up outside.

‘I meant it,’ he said, as she reached for the handle. ‘I do want you to stay. Very much. But there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you. Something I should have told you years ago. And if I’d told you back then, we mightn’t have split up.’

‘What?’ She searched his face for a clue, but he wasn’t giving anything away. He looked serious though, and her heart gave an uncomfortable lurch. Whatever it was, she had a feeling she wouldn’t like it.

‘I lied to you. I didn’t split up with you because we were too young, or because you lived in Glasgow and I lived in Inverness, or any of the other reasons I gave. I ended it because my dad had a breakdown and my parents made me promise not to tell anyone. I might have broken my promise and told you, but they needed me there and I didn’t know how long it would be until he was better. I didn’t know if he ever would get better, that he’d ever be well enough for my mum not to worry that he’d do something unspeakable if he was left on his own.’ Cal’s eyes filled with tears.

Tara wanted to reach across and brush them away, but she sensed he needed to get it off his chest first.

‘We thought he might have to be sectioned at one point, but he begged and begged, and Mum—’ He swallowed and took a deep breath. ‘It took him a while to improve, baby steps, but he got there in the end. But it was too late for me and you.’

‘Oh, Cal…’ Tara’s heart was breaking all over again. ‘I would have waited for you, if I’d known.’

‘It could have been a very long time. A very long time indeed. I didn’t want to do that to you.’

All those wasted years, all that heartache. ‘How is he now?’

‘Better. He still has his down days, but that’s all they are – days.’

She had to ask. ‘Yvaine?’

Shame flared in his eyes. ‘After I broke up with you, I went off the rails a bit. It wasn’t serious, until it became very serious.’ He pulled a face. ‘But I wouldn’t be without Bonnie. She means everything to me.’

The honesty in his eyes made her heart melt, and the last remaining brick in the wall she’d built around it to keep all those broken pieces together, tumbled.

And that was when Tara kissed him.

It was only a brief flutter of her lips against his and she didn’t linger long enough for him to react before she was out of the car and running towards the boathouse. But when she opened the door and slipped inside, she couldn’t help glancing back.

Cal had a smile on his face.