Chapter 11
11
ROSS
Grizzle’s cabin looked dark when Ivy and Ross approached, but there was enough of a glow from one of the side windows to suggest the older man was probably still awake. It had been a difficult walk, especially since Ross had been carrying tools and had needed to take Ivy’s hand a few times, aiming to guide her along the safest route so she didn’t trip or fall. He didn’t want to deal with any more injuries. He just wanted this over with so he could get her back to Snowman Chalet and avoid any more questions – and yet another tsunami of guilt.
After hearing about Simon leaving Hawthorn Castle, he was confused. Why had Miriam sent Ivy to see him? Did his grandmother really want him back? He shook his head, quieting down the flicker of hope swirling in his chest which was driving him crazy. He just needed to check Grizzle was okay and get Ivy back to the lodge as quickly as possible. But the snow was still falling in thick icy flakes, and the longer they were outside, the more he was giving up on the idea of delivering her home. He’d kept a safe distance from his family for years, barely thought about them from one day to the next. Now they were seeping into his thoughts and everything he did or saw seemed to remind him of them. How in hell had he got himself into this situation?
As they drew closer to the door of the hermit’s cabin, the pug began to bark and moments later, the four-legged beast shot out, yapping and vaulting across the snow, making a beeline for Ross’s boots. Then, he sniffed, seemingly catching Ivy’s scent. All of a sudden the dog stopped yelping and its ears pricked up. Ross tried to step in front of Ivy, aiming to protect her from the miniature fiend, but the woman side-stepped him and bent down as Bowser skidded up.
‘Protect your face!’ Ross shouted, trying to step in between them again.
‘Is this the scary dog you warned me about?’ Ivy asked dryly as the hellhound stuck its nose into her gloved hand, then put a paw on her thigh and tried to lick her cheek.
Seriously?
‘That’s not a dog, it’s a demon from hell,’ Ross grumbled, watching him carefully. ‘A contrary one at that. I brought treats last week and he still tried to nip my leg. You bring him nothing and…’ He gaped, shocked by the creature’s reaction. ‘Bowser, this is so embarrassing.’ Ross shook his head in disgust as his arch enemy continued to slobber all over Ivy while simultaneously eyeing him with a menacing expression.
‘I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone,’ he huffed once he was sure Ivy was safe. He shook his head as he marched to the porch and carefully opened the damaged door. He’d brought tools in the bag, guessing it would only take a few minutes to rehang the hinges. Perhaps Ivy could distract Grizzle while he worked? ‘It’s just me,’ he called out as he entered.
‘Here again?’ the older man growled. ‘I thought at least the storm would keep you away.’
He was still in the same chair and the fire which Ross had left burning this morning had gone out. The air was freezing again and there was an odd scorched smell.
‘Did something catch fire?’ Ross asked, striding inside, his heart hammering. He switched on another lamp and felt his whole body slacken when he saw everything was intact.
‘Ach, it was that casserole you saw in my fridge this morning. Mairi must have overcooked it before she left it there. I put it in the Aga, but it was burned when I took it out,’ he snorted.
‘Didn’t she include cooking instructions?’ Ross asked, aware he’d taped the information to the edge of the container.
‘Lad, I didn’t bother reading those,’ Grizzle said. ‘I threw the lot in the bin, along with the dish. That woman…’ he complained, although the mere mention of her had brought a flood of colour to his neck and face.
Ross shut his eyes and took in a deep, calming breath. The meal hadn’t been burned when he left it, which meant the hermit had ignored the instructions, or not read them at all. Ross would have to fish the meal out of the bin later when Grizzle was otherwise occupied to see if the casserole dish could be saved.
‘You must be starving. Shall I fix you some pasta?’ Ross knew there were a couple of packs in the cupboard along with a tin of tomatoes because he’d left them there himself. ‘I know I could eat.’
‘ I’m not hungry and I’m perfectly capable of cooking for myself. You should go back to your own place if you want to be fed,’ Grizzle snapped as the door nudged open and Ivy walked in with Bowser, who was gazing at her adoringly. ‘Who’s that?’ The older man sniffed. ‘Smells better than you, lad.’
‘I’m Ivy Heart,’ Ivy said, as she took in the dim room and wizened old man hunched in front of the fireplace.
She didn’t say a word, but Ross could tell she was taken aback. He felt a twinge of regret that he hadn’t warned her about what to expect. He wasn’t used to sharing, didn’t feel comfortable unpeeling layers of his life. Perhaps he was just worried Ivy wouldn’t like what she saw? The thought had him taking a step away because he shouldn’t care.
‘I’m a friend of Ross’s,’ she said, widening her eyes.
Ross stared at her standing under the bright overhead light, and was weirdly reminded of the lush summer leaves that grew on the oak trees dotted around the resort. He could almost smell them as he gazed at her, remembering how they looked when dappled sunlight slid between the branches. His heart thumped. Annoyed, Ross looked away and shook himself as Grizzle let out a surprised cough.
‘Ach, well the lad could do with a few. He’s obviously lonely because he’s always barging in here annoying me,’ Grizzle complained.
‘And delivering your eBay purchases,’ Ross reminded him, his tone teasing.
Grizzle sniffed again and waved a hand. ‘Come closer lass.’
When Ivy complied, the older man stood so he could get a better look. He would have been taller than Ivy once, Ross realised with a jolt, but his hunched shoulders meant they were now almost the same height. His friend was getting old, and suddenly the idea of him living out here alone bothered Ross. What would happen to Grizzle if Ross wasn’t around?
‘You’re nicer looking than the lad.’
At Bowser’s sharp bark of agreement, Grizzle chuckled. It was the first time Ross had heard that sound from his friend in a while. Ross knew how it felt to be lonely, but the older man insisted he wasn’t – despite that he’d recently begun to manufacture a stream of excuses to ensure Ross visited every day.
‘You can stay,’ Grizzle declared to Ivy. ‘Do you want something to eat?’ He rubbed his stomach. ‘I’m hungry.’
‘You just said—’ Ross said sharply.
‘I could eat,’ Ivy jumped in, pinning Ross with another odd look. ‘Shall I cook something?’
Grizzle shrugged, his face brightening. ‘I’m sure whatever you make will be tastier than anything Mairi’s been leaving,’ he growled.
Ivy gave Ross a quizzical look.
‘I’ve not got much in,’ Grizzle continued as Ross widened his eyes at Ivy and shook his head, holding his breath until she nodded. ‘There’s pasta, some tins of tomatoes, chilis, garlic and a few herbs on my windowsill.’ He counted the ingredients on his fingers and Ross was surprised his friend had any idea about what he had. ‘It would be nice to eat something edible for a change.’
Ross fought the desire to correct Grizzle – his cooking was great.
‘An arrabbiata then. That’s one of my favourite dishes.’ Ivy pulled off her hat and gloves and started towards the kitchen. Then she stopped and pulled a horrified face when she spotted the pots of herbs beside a drooping cyclamen Ross had given Grizzle and an azalea Bonnibell had gifted him too. ‘These could all do with some water,’ she admonished, sounding upset.
‘Ach lass, I’ve never had green fingers when it comes to anything indoors. In my world plants are meant to live outside,’ Grizzle said. ‘You feel free to do whatever you need to revive them. I’ll bet some of them are starting to look as wrinkled as me.’ He watched intently, sliding his new pink glasses up his nose as Ivy went to tend to them. Her movements were almost reverent as she carefully took each plant from the windowsill before picking off the dead leaves and filling the sink so she could place the pots in it.
‘Watering them from the bottom usually works best,’ she murmured.
Ross realised she was talking to herself. He could have watched her all day, but instead he carefully put down the bag of tools and went to work on the door, quickly changing the screws on the hinges and adding a few extras to make it more secure. He took special care not to make any noise in case Grizzle noticed and ordered him to stop.
When the pasta and sauce were bubbling on the stove, Ivy checked the plants again. The leaves were perking up and she offered them a smile and carefully put them back on the windowsill before setting to work lighting the fire. Ross was about to offer to help, but she must have realised because she shook her head. Instead, he took a seat on the chair beside Grizzle, and linked his fingers when Bowser eyed them speculatively.
‘It’s been a while since I had any proper visitors,’ Grizzle confided, watching Ivy work.
‘What does that make me?’ Ross asked grumpily.
Grizzle shrugged. ‘The lad visits every day, but he only comes to see me because he’s got nowhere better to be,’ he said to Ivy, his tone conspiratorial. ‘It’s not normal for a man his age to spend so much time alone or with a bodach like me.’
‘ Bodach? ’ Ivy asked, a smile lighting her face and making something inside Ross’s chest bounce.
‘Ach, it means a grumpy old man,’ Grizzle translated, chuckling before his attention turned to Ross again. ‘Perhaps now you’re here you’ll be able to keep him out of my hair.’
Ross let out a heavy breath as Ivy raised a speculative eyebrow in his direction. ‘I got the impression Mr Ballentine wasn’t keen on my company. He seems perfectly content keeping himself to himself,’ she said lightly as she returned to the small kitchen to check on the bubbling pots.
Ross could see she found the cantankerous old man amusing – although he wasn’t sure he liked that it was at his own expense.
‘Ach that’s all blather and nonsense,’ Grizzle mumbled, squinting at Ross and shaking his head. ‘Dig deeper and you’ll discover he’s lonely. Living in the middle of nowhere on his own. It’s not natural.’
Ross grunted, although his friend’s observations hurt. He wasn’t lonely all the time, and spending time by himself was better than the alternative. Besides, he liked his life. Didn’t he?
‘But you live out here on your own, don’t you?’ Ivy probed, adding more seasoning to the pan before she knelt to put another log onto the fire.
‘Yep, I’ve been here for almost forty years,’ Grizzle said proudly, puffing up his chest as he slumped back into the rocking chair, making himself comfortable. Ross had never seen him so relaxed around company. It was fascinating and baffling to watch the transformation.
‘Why?’ Ivy asked.
The question had the older man swinging back in his seat.
‘Because I dinnae like people,’ Grizzle blustered, calling Bowser over and taking his time fussing over the dog. ‘The lad’s tolerable,’ he said cheekily. ‘But I’ve always been happy with just me and my dog.’
‘Always?’ Ivy pressed.
The older man considered that for a moment.
‘Aye, perhaps not always. There was someone once.’ His eyes shifted to a smattering of framed pictures on the mantlepiece.
Ross stayed perfectly still. Grizzle wasn’t usually one to confide. What was it about Ivy that made usually taciturn people open up? He watched as she rose and went to look at the photos. He’d never paid much attention to them. Most featured Grizzle when he was younger, with a variety of men and women – people Ross had assumed were friends. There were some of the older man with his family, none of whom were alive now.
‘But some of us are meant to live alone.’ Grizzle’s eyes slid away from Ivy, who was still studying the pictures, and he glared at Ross. ‘While others are too bucksturdie ?—’
‘What?’ Ivy asked, sounding confused.
The older man chuckled. ‘Obstinate,’ he clarified. ‘To realise they need more than an old man and a couple of pets to bloom.’
‘I’ve always found plants thrive in company,’ Ivy said, turning away from the pictures. ‘I believe people are the same.’
‘I like my life,’ Ross muttered to himself, although he could hear the lie in his voice. It was easier when he didn’t think about it. But having Ivy here meant he was starting to see through the cracks.
‘You might like it more if you had people in it,’ Ivy said lightly before glancing around the room. ‘You could really do with some Christmas decorations in here,’ she said to Grizzle.
The subject change was welcome and Ross felt himself relax a notch.
‘Aye, there’s a box of them in my back bedroom, but my eyes aren’t as good as they once were so I can’t find them.’ Grizzle pushed the glasses back up his nose. ‘Besides, I’ve nae got anyone to put them up.’
Ross tensed. ‘I’d have done it if you’d asked,’ he said, exasperated. He wasn’t trying to impress Ivy, but he didn’t like looking bad in front of her either.
The older man snorted and waved a hand towards the door on the opposite side of the room. Ross hadn’t been in there for months, but he knew it was a spare bedroom, understood that was where the older man usually kept the treasures he collected and cleaned before selling them on.
‘I’m not sure we should do it now,’ Ross jumped in, glancing out the window and wincing as a gust of wind suddenly battered the glass. Sheets of snow billowed past on squalls, obscuring everything in their path. ‘We’re going to have to leave as soon as we’ve eaten, I can see the wind’s picked up and I think the walk back to my cabin is going to be challenging.’
‘Tomorrow then?’ Ivy suggested, beaming at Grizzle, her eyes suddenly sparkling. ‘I’m happy to return and do it for you.’
‘I can do it,’ Ross insisted, his lips pinching.
‘Ach, Christmas decorations need a woman’s touch, lad,’ Grizzle said, glancing between them, his eyes lighting up, clearly enjoying stirring things.
‘I thought you’d be heading back to the castle tomorrow? I think we’ve said all we need to,’ Ross said to Ivy. The longer she was here, the more he was going to mull over things he didn’t want to think about. And yet the thought of her leaving gave him an odd burning sensation in the centre of his chest.
‘I’m happy to stay for a few more days.’ Ivy gave Ross a thoughtful look. ‘So it won’t be any trouble for me to come back,’ she said to Grizzle.
Ross let out an irritated grunt.
‘That’ll be grand, lass,’ Grizzle declared. ‘The lad will bring you.’
‘I’m working tomorrow,’ Ross said quickly.
‘The day after then.’ Grizzle chuckled. ‘You don’t know how good it is to have fresh company. There hasn’t been anyone in this house since…’
‘I visited seven hours ago?’ Ross asked innocently.
‘It’s nice that Ross comes to see you so often,’ Ivy said, her tone protective.
Ross sat back in his seat, stunned to hear Ivy jump to his defence. Ross waited for Grizzle to shoot her down, but instead the older man shrugged and slowly nodded. Ross watched as Grizzle began to chatter with Ivy again, his expression animated as she headed back into the kitchen and took three bowls from a cupboard, ready to serve the pasta. His friend looked happy – the flush on his cheeks had turned rosy. For a beat Ross contemplated whether Ivy should stay at the resort.
Then he shook his head. He couldn’t risk allowing her to hang around. He wasn’t going to bring her back to Grizzle’s. Instead, he’d do everything he could to get her to return to Hawthorn Castle as soon as he could.
She was only here to get him to speak to his grandmother. And whatever happened, however drawn to her he was, it was vital that he remembered that.