Chapter Nineteen
Brodie’s plan this morning was to start clearing away some turf for the path which would lead down to the jetty.
Seeing Flora on the beach this morning had been an unexpected but pleasant distraction.
It had taken Reuben less than sixty seconds once they were back inside the sauna to start his interrogation.
‘She’s just Iris’s granddaughter. And annoying at that,’ he said curtly.
‘You quite sure about that?’ teased Reuben. ‘You seem pretty distracted by someone who is just annoying.’
‘Quite sure,’ he’d said, trying to brush him off as casually as he could and not think about the pang of jealousy he felt on seeing Emmet talking to her.
He would put bets on Emmet having asked her out; he had a soft spot for brunettes.
Brodie was . . . intrigued — not exactly the right word he suspected — by what Flora might have replied.
‘She seems nice,’ quipped Reuben, clearly enjoying himself. ‘And I believe she’s here for the summer?’
Brodie smiled tightly. ‘You probably know more than I do. Didn’t you say she was over at yours last night?’
‘Phew. It’s warm in here,’ Reuben said, patting his face with his towel, then grinning. ‘Yep. Jess had Gillian and Lily round for drinks and thought it would be nice to invite Flora along.’ He shot Brodie a bigger, and this time openly teasing, grin. ‘She seems your type of woman.’
Brodie shifted on the bench and raised his arm to wipe away the sweat on his own brow. ‘Right, well, I think I’m ready for another cool down.’
Reuben raised an eyebrow and smirked. ‘Okay . . .’
Brodie looked at his watch. ‘Then I’d better get home and ready for work.’
* * *
For the past couple of hours Brodie had been working hard in Iris’s garden, focusing his eyes on what he was supposed to be doing, but he’d had to check himself several times when he felt his eyes drift towards the house in the hope of catching a glimpse of Flora.
The way she laughed was imprinted in his mind, and then there was her beautiful smile.
He wasn’t used to feeling like this toward anyone.
Especially not someone he’d had such a fiery start with.
He had never met anyone like her before in the course of his job — even though he’d previously had female clients making it more than clear they were interested.
He still shuddered when he thought of the married woman who used to sunbathe in her hot pink bikini, in all weathers, and made it clear she fancied him.
He’d resisted, not that it had been difficult with her being married.
But he definitely didn’t want to be known as a gardener with added benefits.
Or be on some kind of register for dirty-talking gardeners or libertine landscapers.
It was bad enough that when he set up his business his friends would tease him and call him Captain Compost, the Dirty Digger or the Prince of Pruning: all inferring he was some kind of green-fingered gigolo.
Which he wasn’t. He was just glad those jokes had eventually worn off.
Brodie might only have been in Iris’s garden for two hours or so but he was already at sauna levels of sweat and was gasping for a drink. He’d finished the two water bottles he’d brought with him, so he walked over to the cottage and knocked.
‘Come on in, dear, no need to knock,’ said Iris. ‘More water?’
‘Aye, please, it’s thirsty work. I might need to go in the loch again at lunchtime.’
She nodded wistfully. ‘I wish I was young enough to still go in. Frank and I used to love our wee swims out there. It was so romantic. Especially when we would snuggle up in the sitooterie afterwards with our blankets and flask of hot chocolate. But now I feel the cold. Not like you young ones.’
Brodie filled up his water bottles as he listened to Iris reminiscing.
He couldn’t ever imagine what it must be like to be so devoted to one person in the way she and Frank had been to each other.
Although he hadn’t been fortunate enough to meet him, he felt as though he knew him because of how much Iris had shared.
‘Oh, I knew there was something I wanted to ask you. I know it’s a bit cheeky, Brodie, but can you have a wee look at one of the windows in the conservatory roof?
I’ve been feeling a draught come in and I wasn’t sure if one of the rubber seals is damaged.
I mean, I know the place is a bit ramshackle but I would hate for it to start leaking.
Especially with the birds being in there. ’
‘Nae bother at all,’ said Brodie following her through into the room off the kitchen.
‘I love you,’ squawked Scrumpy and Sidney excitedly. ‘I love you. I love you.’
‘Boys . . .’ Iris wagged her finger at them sternly.
Brodie looked at the pane in question and saw that the seal was indeed damaged. ‘Leave it with me, Iris. I’ll see if I can replace it so that it insulates for a bit longer.’
‘Oh, Brodie. Thank you. What would I do without you? You’re one of a kind.’
Just then, Flora appeared in the doorway, wearing shorts and an old T-shirt streaked with paint. ‘Oh, hello there. I didn’t realise you were down here.’ She smiled at Brodie. ‘I’m just about to have a break and a coffee if anyone fancies one? Or a cold drink? Gran? Brodie?’
‘I’ve got some water thanks. But I would love a coffee,’ said Brodie.
He and Iris followed Flora back into the kitchen.
‘Brodie is scorching hot,’ called Sidney as he flew out of the conservatory and perched on a kitchen chair. ‘Twinkle, twinkle.’ He started preening his feathers.
There was a pause and Brodie watched as Flora’s eyes widened in disbelief.
‘Brodie is scorching hot. Brodie is scorching hot.’ Scrumpy was squawking it even louder than his friend and he landed next to him on the seat.
Brodie tipped his head in amusement as he watched Flora’s cheeks flush bright red. Her eyes darted to the birds and she looked as though she wanted to throttle them both. She looked absolutely mortified.