Chapter 2
Nigel hadn’t had many details other than that Fergus, the laird that Bex had lived and worked for during her time up in Scotland, had passed away. He’d let her know as soon as he’d been informed, but he thought it had happened a couple of days ago.
A couple of days ago? The knowledge caused a tension to ripple through her body.
Why had nobody contacted her? She had friends in the village.
Good friends. At least that’s what she’d thought.
Although, maybe that was why Lorna hadn’t responded to her message yet.
Because she wasn’t sure whether she was supposed to be the one to break the news or not.
Either that or they’d assumed she was an out of sight, out of mind person. Which she absolutely wasn’t.
‘He’s requested you go up there to work with the lawyer,’ Nigel had told her on the phone.
‘That’s not normal, is it?’ Bex replied.
‘No, not really, but that’s the information I’ve got. So he obviously wanted it. Are you okay to do that? You’ll get paid, obviously, but that’s not what I meant. I know you were very fond of the old man.’
‘I really was,’ Bex said.
Even after she and Duncan had got together, Bex had still spent a large amount of time at the castle, and not just working there.
She had grown used to her large room with the four-poster bed, but even more so, she had got used to Ruby, the red Labrador, who had taken to her and slept on the armchair at the end of her bed at night.
If she went more than a couple of days without sleeping at the castle, Ruby would get more than a little perturbed.
Unfortunately, Ruby wasn’t the only one who wanted attention, and Duncan’s Maine Coon cat, Kenna, insisted she got her fair share of love and fuss too.
In the three months since Bex’s last visit, there had been a definite furry shaped hole in her heart, as well as the one in the shape of the broad muscular Scotsman.
A small part of her was grateful that she was going to get to see her animal companions again, although that meant she was definitely going to have to see Duncan, too.
But for now, Bex was trying to push those thoughts from her mind and focus on getting to LochDarroch and learning why Fergus had wanted her there.
Normally, when she flew for work, Bex would always have the luxury of selecting business class, and it was a luxury she enjoyed, even on short flights.
But when she had finally managed to book her seats at 10 p.m. the night before, economy was all that was available and for once, she didn’t care.
Getting to Highland Hall was what mattered.
If they hadn’t had a flight, she would have taken a train.
She would have even contemplated driving again, which after her first trip up there, she’d promised herself she would never do again.
But this was different. She just needed to be there.
With a small carry-on suitcase, Bex made her way through to departures and was standing in the queue when her phone started buzzing. She retrieved it from her pocket and felt a slight hitch in her chest at the sight of Lorna’s name flashing on the screen.
‘Bex, I am so sorry.’ Lorna didn’t even give Bex a chance to get a breath in before she started.
‘I had no idea you didn’t know. I thought Duncan would’ve told you.
But then I should have rung and checked.
I’m so sorry. It was only when we were talking this morning that I realised no one had spoken to you. I really had no idea you didn’t know.’
‘It’s fine,’ Bex said as Lorna’s guilt bombarded her down the phone.
‘I would have assumed Duncan would have let me know too, but hey, I guess things are different between us now.’ A deep throb began behind her sternum as she realised just how different things between her and Duncan truly were.
They would stay friends. That was what they’d promised one another when they called it a day on their relationship, and she’d wished with all her heart it would have been true, but deep down, even then, she’d probably known it hadn’t been possible.
How could you stay friends with someone who had been so much more than that for such a long time?
After all, it wasn’t like they’d been friends before.
Suddenly aware of the silence that had filled their conversation, Bex cleared her throat and carried on talking. ‘It’s all fine. I know now, and I’m coming up. My flight leaves in less than two hours.’
‘Really?’
She nodded despite Lorna being unable to see. ‘Yes. Apparently, Fergus requested that I work with his lawyer.’
‘He did?’ Lorna sounded as confused by this as Bex was. ‘Well, when do you get there? I’ll come and pick you up at the airport.’
‘You don’t have to.’
‘I know I don’t, but I’m on my way anyway. Mum wanted me to take her into town at some point this week, so she can go today. I’ll pick you up, drop her off, then we can go back.’
‘Thank you. That’s very sweet. I appreciate it.’
It was only after Bex had hung up that she fully digested what Lorna had said. Lorna was going to have her mum in the car when she came to the airport to get her. Meaning Bex was going to have to face Duncan’s stepmum.
As Duncan’s mother had died when he was only little, Carrie, Lorna’s mum, was as important a figure in his life as Lorna was.
Bex had met them countless times over the previous year and a bit.
Dinners out, birthday celebrations, summer barbeques, the lot.
And they had always been incredibly warm and welcoming.
Ideal in-laws, she’d thought at the time.
But it would be different now, wouldn’t it? Different now that she was Duncan’s ex.
Trying to push the myriad thoughts from her mind, Bex readied herself to move through security.
The queue had moved faster than she’d expected.
Juggling her items, with her passport in hand, she barely looked at what was in front of her as she swung around, and as such, didn’t notice that her suitcase was swinging straight into the path of another person, until it was too late.
‘Oh God, I’m so sorry,’ she said as the wheels collided with the man’s ankles.
The man stumbled forward. ‘What are you—’
He stopped mid-sentence as his eyes locked on hers. And what appeared to have been a scowl on his face faded as the slightest hint of a smile curled up on his lips.
‘It’s fine,’ he said. ‘No harm done. Although, you could’ve caused some serious damage if you’d wanted to.
I never realised that wheely suitcases were such a deadly weapon before.
’ His voice reminded her of someone who would present the evening news.
His British accent, crisp and clear, with every consonant enunciated perfectly.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she said, letting out a tight laugh that sounded unusually high-pitched. ‘Really, I—’
‘It’s not a problem. There’s really no need to worry yourself.’
She was staring at the man, she realised, and she didn’t need to be.
She’d said her apology, and he had accepted it, meaning it was time for her to move.
But there was something about him that made it impossible to look away.
He was about the same age as her, maybe a little older – mid-thirties, probably.
His dark hair was thick, swept over to one side, and his jawline was so ridiculously sharp she was struck by the sudden urge to reach out and stroke it.
Although she didn’t think he’d be quite so quick to forgive that as he had been with the whole ankle swiping thing.
‘Are you all right?’ the man asked. ‘You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?’
‘No, no, no.’ A flash of embarrassment rushed to her cheeks.
‘I mean, no, I’m fine. Yes, I’m sorry—’ She wasn’t sure whether she was making sense or not, but there seemed to be some sort of disconnect between her mouth and her brain.
And the way his eyes twinkled really wasn’t helping matters at all.
Who on earth had eyes that actually twinkled?
‘It’s not a problem,’ he said, again with that deep resonant tone. ‘Not a problem at all. But it’s your turn.’
‘Sorry?’
‘You need to put your luggage on the conveyor belt right here.’ He gestured towards the security, where a wide-open space on the belt was awaiting the next piece of luggage to be scanned. ‘May I?’
As Bex watched on, unable to swallow the lump that had filled her throat, the man stepped forward, picked up her suitcase and lifted it up onto the belt for her.
Bex didn’t need anybody to carry her luggage.
She was a strong businesswoman who frequently travelled for her job and never shied away from manual tasks, from moving desks at work to helping Daisy moor up her boats.
Yet there was something surprisingly attractive about a man taking control in that way.
‘I hope you have a safe flight,’ he said, offering her another eye-twinkling smile.
‘Yes, you too,’ she croaked out, grateful that she’d been able to find her voice at least.
A moment later, the man was dealing with his own luggage, while Bex was left with an unusual feeling swirling in her abdomen.
As she walked through the scanner, she cast a glance back towards the man, who was busy removing an expensive-looking watch from his wrist. It was just nerves at seeing Duncan, she told herself.
Nerves at seeing Duncan, combined with the slightest hint of attention from an attractive man.
An attractive man she was never going to see again.
At least, that was what she thought, and she actually managed to convince herself that was true until she reached her boarding gate and found him standing there in the line for first-class passengers. Of course they were on the same flight…