14. Rabbie
14
Rabbie
I shouldn’t be taking any time away from the cafe, especially with how busy things are at the moment. But I jumped at the chance to be able to spend time with Crystal away from the cafe. After witnessing the way her mum spoke to her yesterday, I have an overwhelming need to make her happy, and time away up at the cabin will be perfect.
I had to bite my tongue when her mum kept throwing dig after dig at her, telling off her wouldn’t be a good look, besides I don’t yell or speak to women in that way. I kept squeezing Crystal’s shoulder because the red-hot anger running through my body was too much. How could anyone see her in that way, especially her own mother?
“You ready, sugar?”
I blink up and smile as she walks into the living room, she’s wearing her signature cowboy boots, and denim shorts. Her winged eyeliner makes her green eyes pop. I don’t care what her mum thinks, I think she’s beautiful just the way she is. Her thick red hair is curled today, and it’s so long it nearly reaches the small of her back.
She stops dead in her tracks and cocks her head to the side, when I don’t answer. Seriously, what is it with me and forgetting how to use simple words around her?
“Aye, I just need to have a quick word with Nellie and David downstairs,” I stand and grab her bag.
“Wow, you’ve packed light,” I move her bag up and down.
A small smirk spreads across her face, and she rolls her eyes playfully.
“We’re only going for two nights. Besides, since Cam told me there’s a hot tub at the cabin, I plan to spend most of my time soaking in it and that requires no clothes.”
My cock springs to life at the thought of seeing Crystal half naked in a hot tub. Fuck, maybe this weekend wasn’t such a good idea after all. This is going to be tortuous for me and my cock.
We both make our way downstairs and load our bags into my car. Nellie and David are waiting by the back door, looking like parents sending their kids off on a trip.
“Alright, you two, we are off. The locals know that the kitchen is closed for the weekend, but I’ve made plenty of fresh scones and bread. If there are any issues, the cabin has a landline, I’ve left the number on the fridge. We will be back on Sunday afternoon.”
“Don’t stress, you go have some fun,” Nellie eyes me with a smirk.
I tense up because I hope it’s not that obvious that I have a crush on Crystal?
“Aye, boss. We’ve got it covered here,” David slaps me on the back.
“David, we all know I’m in charge,” Nellie rolls her eyes at her twin brother, and shoos him away.
“Don’t forget to feed Edie, that’s the most important thing.”
“Dinna fash, she will be fed twice a day and will get lots of cuddles.” Nellie reassures me.
This is the first time leaving Sweet Treats since becoming the owner, and my anxiety about leaving my livelihood in the hands of Nellie and David makes me feel a little nauseous. I know they will be fine, and living here in Crossmackie we all look out for one another. Crystal places her hand on my arm, and all the anxiety melts away as she gives me a reassuring smile.
“We should get going before it gets dark,” she reminds me.
“Aye, see you on Sunday. Behave you two, no bickering,” I point between them and smile.
Crystal and I climb in my car, and make our way out of the village. We’re not even two minutes out of the village before Crystal is reaching for the aux cord in my crappy old car. As a business owner I should have a better car, but I don’t really use it that often because I rarely leave Crossmackie. I have a wee old van too but David drives that around to drop off deliveries. I let him keep it at his house and drive around outside of work on the condition he fills it with petrol.
Crystal smiles at me as she hits play on her phone and my car is filled with the twangy sound of country music.
“I thought you were a city girl?”
“Sugar, you know me. I’m still a country girl at heart,” she says as she bops her head.
“Aye you are,” I smile at her.
I like seeing her happy and relaxed, it’s a stark contrast from yesterday. I didn’t like seeing her so upset, especially when it was because of her mother. She doesn’t deserve to be put down like that, she’s amazing just the way she is.
“Oh sorry, did you want me to put Tay Tay on for you?” She asks me in a mocking voice.
The playfulness in her voice is warming and I can’t help but laugh.
“You’re going to hold that against me forever aren’t you?”
“I sure am, sugar.”
She laughs along with me as we drive through winding roads, and I finally start to relax around her. It’s been nothing but business between us, and I’m looking forward to the weekend at the cabin. I catch Crystal looking on in awestruck at the vast Scottish Highlands as we drive, and the feeling of pride makes my skin tingle. I hope she’s finally starting to enjoy her time here.
We listen to a mixture of her playlists and mine for the rest of the drive, and soon we’re turning down the long gravel road towards the cabin. In winter it’s hard to get here in the snow, but it’s perfect this time of year. The leaves are hues of red, orange and brown, and the air has a crispness to it that it stings your nose.
We drive over the crest and the large log cabin comes into view, and Crystal’s jaw drops. The cabin is secluded with no neighbours in sight. It has a small forest behind with a small creek running through it.
“When Cam said cabin I was expecting a small rickety thing, not this,” Crystal looks over at me.
The cabin is practically a house, it has everything a normal house would have, five bedrooms, two bathrooms and a large open plan living area. It’s more glamping than camping.
“Aye, well it used to be a rickety old thing that was falling down and infested with mice. Cam knocked it down and rebuilt it with all the modern luxuries. You’ll be glad you won’t have a mouse running over you in the middle of the night like we did when we were wee lads.”
Crystal’s eyes widen, and she scrunches her face in disgust. It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. I pull up in front of the house, everyone else seems to be here already. I jump out of the car, and grab both of our bags. Crystal is looking around with a huge smile on her face.
“It’s so beautiful here.”
“Aye, it is,” I say, not taking my eyes off her.
She looks at me, and the energy between us is charged. Surely she feels it too. The front door opens and Dylan comes rushing out with Cam closely following her. Crystal smiles at her friend who also is wearing a look of astonishment.
“You made it, omg you need to see inside,” Dylan squeals as she grabs Crystal’s hands and drags her inside.
Cam smiles at his giddy girlfriend, it’s nice to see him happy again. It took him a while to admit that he actually liked Dylan. We all saw how much he liked her, but he was as stubborn as ever and tried to push her away.
But Dylan was persistent and put him in his place after he was rude to her multiple times over the summer. I’d never thought I’d see the day when the big surly, Cam MacTavish, would be put in his place by someone as sweet and soft as Dylan. He follows her around like a love sick puppy, and it pains me to know I’ll never find a love as pure as theirs.
He claps me on the back as I follow the girls inside.
I drop our bags by the stairs, and make my way into the heart of the cabin which is the large open plan living area. The back of the cabin is all thick glass doors that look out onto the beautiful forest and creek. Dylan is dragging Crystal around the kitchen talking a million miles an hour.
I find Hamish and Fiona in the living area tending to the fire that is making the cabin warm and cosy. They’re both kneeling at the hearth gently stoking the fire and in a soft conversation. The four of us have been friends for a long time, but Hamish and Fiona have a close bond. I wish one of them would hurry up and say how they really feel because everyone else can see how much they love each other.
Dylan has taken Crystal off on a tour upstairs, it’s nice seeing two new people appreciate this beautiful cabin. Cam and I join Hamish and Fiona in the living area, with drinks. We clank our beer bottles together, and it feels just like the good old days. We all take a sip, not one of us speaking a word, but I know my three best friends more than anyone, and their coy faces are making me anxious.
“You seemed a little too eager to get up to the cabin this year. Why’s that?” Hamish doesn’t even ease into the questions.
“We come here every year,” I try to act cool.
“Aye, but it’s your first year owning Sweet Treats. D-d-doesn’t have to do with a certain redhead does it?” Hamish stutters.
Hamish has had a stutter since he was a teenager, none of us really notice it anymore. He hardly stutters around the people closest to him. He struggles with some words sometimes but we all ignore it.
“Dinna be daft, I hired her to do the website. It’s just strictly professional”
None of my friends looked convinced by my statement. I don’t think I’m even convincing myself anymore. Cam smirks at me, Fiona rolls her eyes and Hamish flat out laughs at me.
“If it is so professional why is she staying with you?” Fiona pipes in with her arms crossed.
Fiona always has Hamish’s back, the wee besom.
“Cause this one couldn’t keep his woman from moaning too loud. The poor girl wasn’t getting any sleep,” I point my thumb to Cam.
That wipes the smirk off his face, and it quickly flushes pink. Fiona and Hamish laugh so hard, and I can’t hold it back any longer and join in.
“What’s so funny?” Dylan asks as her and Crystal walk over to us.
“Nothing, lass,” Cam eyes all of us with a warning to keep our mouths shut.
I bite the inside of my mouth and look at Crystal, she has a playful look on her face and I think she might’ve overheard what we were talking about.
“Alright I’ll pour us some more drinks and get dinner started,” Cam jumps up to break the weird tension between the group.
“I’ll come and help,” I say.
I brush past Crystal on my way to the kitchen, and our body’s seem to react in a way that’s magnetic. There’s this zapping energy between us, and by the look on her face she feels it too. Or I could be completely imagining this; I don’t know. I keep telling myself this because I’m terrified that I could actually like this girl.