Chapter Twenty-Six
The next couple of days passed quickly for Reuben as he put the finishing touches to Primrose Cottage.
Brodie had been round to work on the window seat in the room upstairs which looked great.
It was the perfect nook to curl up in and look out at the garden.
As Reuben finally packed away his tools, he shook his head, thinking about someone telling his younger self that, one day, he would find himself falling for the girl up the road.
He stopped himself in his tracks when he realised what he had just admitted to himself.
There was no doubt he felt a sense of connection to Jessica, but he was also plagued with self-doubt.
Did she feel the same? Or did the fact his ex-wife was still on the scene muddy things for her?
The last thing he wanted to do was complicate her life any further.
On the drive back to Rowan Bay the other afternoon, after their walk, they had chatted generally about the latest box sets they’d been watching on television and music they liked.
She hadn’t said anything else about her ex and he hadn’t mentioned Belinda again.
The curious part of him did wonder what she was holding back.
Things had definitely shifted between them and the more time he spent with her, the more captivated he was becoming.
Especially after that night at the bakery.
There had definitely been another moment between them.
When they walked back to Rowan Lane together later on, they had joked and laughed together and he had even found himself offering to take her paddleboarding in the loch when the weather got a bit warmer.
Then he had realised he was getting ahead of himself and quickly changed the conversation.
Perhaps having some space away from each other would be for the best right now.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be near her.
He absolutely did and it scared him. Murray and family were due to arrive later that afternoon and he had promised Catriona and Angus he would drop the keys round to them.
He didn’t want to intrude on their family reunion.
He gave the cottage one last glance and pulled the door shut.
He would miss it. The thought of returning to Glasgow didn’t appeal at all.
He walked the few metres up the road to Thistle Cottage.
As he approached, Catriona swung the door open, holding a wreath.
‘Reuben, there you are. I was just coming to see you,’ she said. ‘I had some bits and bobs left over from the wreath-making workshop and I thought I’d just rustle this up for you.’
‘Catriona, what would I do without you,’ he said fondly.
‘Probably have a much quieter life,’ she said chuckling. ‘Shall I just come down and put it on the door now.’
‘Sure.’ He followed Catriona back to his cottage and watched as she pulled a hammer and nail from her jacket pocket. ‘Oh, I suppose I should ask if you mind me defacing your newly painted front door?’
‘Hammer away.’
It took just a few moments for Catriona to arrange it to her liking and she stood back, folding her arms in satisfaction. ‘What do you think?’
‘Great,’ he said, wondering if he should say anything else. It was fair to say it wasn’t the most traditional of wreaths with its random assortment of baubles and tinsel. ‘It’s quite, um, different.’
‘It’s upcycled,’ she said firmly, eyeing him suspiciously. ‘Funnily enough, Angus said exactly the same as you. Well, not quite — he described it as unusual.’
He inwardly groaned. ‘I’m sure Lexi will love it,’ he said quickly. ‘It’s bright and shiny and very Christmassy. You must be excited about seeing them? In fact, I was just coming up to give you the keys.’
She clapped her hands together, her eyes dancing. ‘I can’t wait.’ Then she glanced at her watch. ‘Only a day to go.’
He narrowed his eyes and looked at her confused. ‘What do you mean? I thought they were due in very soon?’
She shook her head. ‘They were. But the blooming airline bumped them off their connecting flight and so they’ve been put up in a hotel at Heathrow. Which is not ideal at all with the wee one. She will be exhausted. It’s such a long way to fly. But at least we don’t have to wait too much longer.’
‘Ah, that’s a pain,’ he said. He knew she had been ticking the days off on the calendar since Murray announced they were coming back.
‘What can you do? I can sit about and mope or just get on with things. Which is why I made the wreath. Now tell me, do you have time for a cuppa?’
It was an appealing thought and he was torn over whether to go and sit in the cosy kitchen at Thistle Cottage or return to his cold, empty flat in the city. He hesitated only for a moment. There was no immediate rush for him to leave Rowan Bay.
‘Go on. I’ve got some banana bread that I’ve just taken out the oven,’ she said.
‘You’re on.’ He followed her as she strode back towards the house, and he kicked off his shoes at the door. She led them through to the kitchen.
‘Jess is out just now,’ said Catriona as though she was reading his mind. ‘She was having a brainstorming session with Gillian and Struan at the inn.’
‘I see. It sounds like she’s got a lot of great ideas when it comes to the bakery. That gingerbread house was genius. It’s been the talk of the village.’ It did look great though, sitting proudly in the window, dusted with icing sugar and surrounded by twinkling fairly lights.
Catriona filled the kettle, flicked the switch on and then busied herself with pouring milk into a jug and bringing the cake and some plates over to the table.
‘Between you and me, Reuben, it’s been a bit of a lifesaver for her.
I can’t believe how much she’s changed since she arrived here. For the better.’
He nodded sympathetically.
‘She’s had a hard time of it this past year. Anyway,’ she said, ‘it’s great seeing her so enthused again and to have the sparkle back in her eyes.’
He was certain that she was giving him a bit of a meaningful look and he wondered if she also sensed the connection he and Jessica had developed. She poured him some tea and told him to help himself to the banana bread.
‘It’s delicious,’ he said between mouthfuls.
‘Thank you,’ she said, clearly pleased. ‘It’s been nice having Jessica home to cook for, and with Murray and the family arriving too, it’s given me a bit of focus.’ She lifted her mug to her lips and sipped. ‘You’ve done an amazing job with that house of yours. Are you pleased with it?’
‘I am. I guess it will always feel like home to me in a way, but it’s so different now, the way things are . . .’ He gripped the mug tightly.
Catriona pulled a chair out and sat next to him at the table. ‘You did the right thing by your dad, Reuben. I know it’s not easy, but at least he is safe and being looked after where he is.’
Reuben nodded, grateful that she always said something reassuring to him when it came to his dad. Plenty of people had made sweeping and insensitive comments about how they could never put their parents in a care home.
Catriona regarded him for a moment. ‘You know you’re very welcome to spend Christmas here with us if you’d like? I don’t know if you have plans or not . . . I know Belinda is back. She’s welcome to come too.’
He almost choked on his tea and had to cough to clear his throat.
‘She was back very briefly,’ he said dismissively.
‘She just wanted some advice about a work situation which I am hoping Jessica may be able to help with. But as far as I know, she was due to fly back out yesterday.’ He paused.
‘We are finally getting a divorce.’ He exhaled loudly. ‘To be honest, I am so relieved.’
Catriona nodded kindly. ‘I’m sure you must be.
You’ve been under so much strain. And I’m glad Jessica may be able to help with some legal advice.
That’s very noble of you . . . and that would explain why Jessica has been on her phone a lot.
There seem to have been quite a few hushed conversations and her phone has been beeping constantly with texts.
Maybe she can give you an update when you see her. ’
Reuben wondered when that might be. He wanted to make sure he gave them all a bit of space and didn’t want to be hanging around like a spare part.
He really appreciated Catriona’s kindness and her offer to have him at Christmas, but he didn’t want her to feel responsible for him.
He knew how much she was looking forward to having her family together again and the last thing she needed was an extra mouth to feed.
He finished the rest of his tea and then glanced at his watch.
‘I think I might try and see her before I head back to Glasgow. I’ll go to the inn now and then head back to my flat from there. ’
Catriona nodded. ‘Don’t be a stranger, Reuben. I know you want to give Murray some space but he’ll be excited to see you. You’re always welcome here.’
‘I know. I’ll give them a few days to settle in and recover from the jet lag and I’ll be in touch,’ he said, standing up. ‘Thanks for the cuppa and cake.’
‘Any time, dear,’ she said, showing him out.
It didn’t take him long to drive to the inn, and as he pulled the car into a parking bay, he was lost in thought.
He was thinking about Jessica again. She was smart and funny and beautiful.
But plenty of women he had previously dated ticked all those boxes.
Was it that familiar connection? Or that there was something else?
Something that made him feel as though he wanted to protect her?
Thinking back, perhaps he had always felt it, even when they were younger.
Even though he’d teased her, he had always kept an eye on her to make sure she was okay.
As he walked through the door and into the hotel’s entrance, he looked towards the reception, which was unmanned.
But he was aware of someone sitting with their back to him in one of the chairs by the fire, talking into their phone.
Then he realised it was Jessica. He was about to let her know he was there and would wait in the bar, but he paused at the tone of her voice.
It didn’t sound like she was having a friendly conversation.
In fact, the tone of her voice sounded quite serious.
He started to back away before he became privy to what was clearly a private conversation and found himself partly hidden by the hotel’s large Christmas tree, though he could still see her.
As her voice rose, he could hear every single word she was saying.
‘We have already been through this. What is it you want from me?’ She leaned forward in her seat and pressed her forehead into her hand.
‘If I could go back in time, I would. But I can’t and I’m sorry.
I have tried to be understanding.’ She sighed.
‘The last thing I would do is get involved with someone who is married.’ She shook her head as she listened.
‘Or separated. There are clearly a lot of unresolved issues here and there’s not much I can do about that for obvious reasons. Married men are not my thing.’
Reuben’s eyes widened. It was as though she was talking about him.
For a moment, he wondered if she could even be talking to Belinda.
Surely not. But what did it matter? He had just heard how she really felt.
She didn’t believe in getting together with someone who was married or separated, which he was.
Hadn’t he made it clear enough to her though that he and Belinda were over?
He racked his brains trying to remember.
But he couldn’t recall any specific conversation with her in which he’d told her they were getting divorced.
As the thoughts and questions crowded his mind, he decided it would be better if he left her to it.
He certainly didn’t want to get caught eavesdropping this way.
He had no idea what was going on and wasn’t quite sure he wanted to.
Surely life shouldn’t be this complicated.
And whatever she was talking about was none of his business.
Except it was, he told himself. She had to be referring to him.
It sounded exactly like his own situation.
It was too much of a coincidence. He had clearly misread the signals from her.
When would he learn that his own judgement with women was not to be trusted?
He quietly backed away so she wouldn’t see him and went back out to his car.