Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
LEWIS
Now
I woke early after a restless night and couldn’t get back to sleep, so I’m already down in the kitchen preparing for breakfast, cutting fruit for the continental selection and chopping mushrooms and tomatoes for the hot options. Elspeth may be the head chef for dinners and lunches, but I’m the breakfast chef and have been for years—it’s a role I started long before becoming hotel manager. Getting up early has never bothered me. For some reason I enjoy setting things up while everyone else in the building is still asleep.
It’s been two days since Richard dropped by to ask me what the deal is between me and Iona. I haven’t seen her since the Pheasant, when I stupidly admitted I’d never get over her. That’s not what kept me awake last night, though.
Jamie traipses into the kitchen, yawning, also up earlier than usual.
“You couldn’t sleep either?” I say.
“Nah. But don’t worry, when the guests come down, I’ll plaster on a smile and pretend everything is sunshine and roses.” He rubs his eyes then pours himself a cup of the coffee I prepared earlier. “She’d have been fifty-nine today.”
I let out a small sigh. “I know.”
The last time I saw Maw, I was literally shoving her out of my room. She’d been so looking forward to gabbing with Elspeth about me and Iona, but... she never got the chance. The car she, Da, and Jamie were travelling in came off the road and crashed into a tree. Maw died. Da too. Jamie, in the back, survived, although his injuries dashed any hopes of him ever playing rugby professionally. He doesn’t even watch the sport now. I reckon he finds it too painful—maybe because it was how he and Da bonded.
Me, though? I was fine. Because I faked an illness that night.
Jamie takes a sip of coffee then places his cup on the work surface. By looking at him, you wouldn’t know what he’s been through. It’s pretty amazing how he’s recovered. On a whim I cross the kitchen and pull him into a hug. Normally, he’d shove me away for attempting such a thing, but today he doesn’t protest. Neither of us says anything, but there’s comfort in our shared silence. I clap his back then withdraw again, in time to see Ally enter the kitchen.
“Jesus,” I say. “Can’t remember when I last saw you up this early.”
Since setting up Bannock Adventures with Aidan, Ally has passed his former breakfast duties—of serving as front of house—to Emily. That means he usually gets to stay in bed longer than the rest of us.
“Aye, well, the one night Ru sleeps through without stirring, and I’m lying awake the whole time because I can’t sleep.” Ally stretches his arms above his head then lets them drop back to his sides. “I figured I might as well get up and be useful. Is there coffee going?”
He pours himself some. As he sips on it, he taps out something on his phone. Moments later, both Jamie’s screen and mine light up. There’s one new message in the “McIntyre Clan Group Chat”.
Ally
How you doing, Cat?
“Wow,” Jamie says. “Inspiring stuff.”
“Aye, well, it can’t be easy for her being up in Wick today, away from family and friends.”
Jamie chuckles. “I’m not disagreeing with that, Ally. My point is you sent her four words—not even a kiss. Bloody hell, I thought Emily had thawed that frozen lump you call a heart?”
“Jesus Christ! All right, fine.” Ally taps his phone a couple more times.
Ally
x
Jamie howls. “That’s even worse! A single kiss as a message on its own. You’re the eldest—the leader. Can’t you come up with anything more moving to unite our family today?”
Ally leans against the counter. “All right, if you’re so good at this stuff, why don’t you send her something? You normally communicate solely in GIFs. Is there one for I’m sorry you’re in Wick by yourself on what would have been Maw’s birthday ?”
“Hmm...” Jamie furrows his brow and scratches his chin. “I bet there’s something from the US version of The Office . There always is.”
As though suddenly struck by inspiration, he taps away on his phone, and soon an animated image appears on my screen. It shows the character Meredith speaking to camera and holding an alcoholic drink. As her mouth moves, a caption flashes up: You’re not alone, sister. Let’s get a beer sometime .
“Not bad,” Ally begrudgingly admits. “That one actually works pretty well.”
Jamie gives a smug smile. “There isn’t a single emotion or sentiment in the entirety of the human experience that can’t be communicated with a four-second clip from The Office .”
Shaking my head, I compose a message of my own.
Lewis
Cat, it’s a shit day, but I hope you’re all right. When can you come back to Bannock for a visit? We miss you. x
After maybe thirty seconds, all three of our phones light up with a new notification.
Cat
Wow, so none of you could sleep either? Love the predictability of your messages—Ally with the bare minimum, Lewis with the genuine sentiment, and Jamie with the inappropriate GIF.
Jamie
Excuse me? That was VERY appropriate. Ally thought so too.
Cat
To be fair, of the three messages, I did like yours best.
Jamie posts another Office GIF, this one of Michael and Dwight doing the Raise the Roof dance.
Cat
But you do realise THAT GIF is inappropriate. Right?
Jamie
*thinking-face emoji*
Cat
Anyway, I’ll try to pop home soon. BTW, I may live far away, but even I’ve heard about the duet in the Pheasant. What’s going on, Lewis? I thought you and Iona barely talked anymore.
Jamie
Aye, it’s been a REALLY long lovers’ tiff.
Lewis
*middle-finger emoji* We were never “lovers”. I’m so tired of saying that.
Jamie posts yet another Office GIF, this time of Ryan holding up a sign. It says, Kelly, I know you are with someone but I love you. I will wait forever .
Jamie
That’s you, Lewis. Just replace “Kelly” with “Iona”.
I put down my phone, grab a wooden spoon, and chase Jamie around the kitchen, intent on smacking his arse with it. Grinning, he dodges and evades me, proving that, even though rugby matches may now be behind him, he can still move quickly when he wants to.
Ally sighs and grumbles that it’s too early in the morning for such shenanigans, but we both ignore him.
“Like I said,” Jamie calls over his shoulder, racing around the kitchen island with me hot on his heels, “that show covers the entirety of the human experience—even your bloody weird relationship with Iona!”