Chapter Seventy-Four
Brodie wore dark jeans and a white shirt and her stomach flipped as he stood slowly.
‘What are you doing here? I thought you were working . . .’ her voice trailed away in disbelief.
He shook his head and grinned lazily at her. ‘No. I have the whole weekend off.’
Her eyes widened. ‘Seriously?’
He took a step towards her and gestured around the room. ‘Yes. And the tree house is ours for the next two days.’
Flora looked back at him, still trying to process it all. ‘But how . . . when . . . I don’t understand. How did you organise it all?’
‘I could say that I did it all by myself. But I didn’t. I had a little help from our friends,’ he said with a chuckle.
Suddenly it all started to fall into place.
Gillian arranging the drink today, her gran insisting she take time to get ready and make a bit of an effort, then Lily asking her to check the curtains as soon as she walked into reception.
Flora couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as the excitement started to bubble up inside her.
She threw her arms around Brodie and held him tightly.
This was one of the best surprises she had ever had.
He cupped her face in her hands and kissed her on the lips. ‘How about a glass of champagne to get the weekend started? It is Friday, after all.’
She still felt dazed as she followed him back out onto the decking, grateful for the cool breeze on her very flushed cheeks.
She sat down at the table, the soft glow of the fairy lights around them, with the loch view ahead.
They were completely hidden from view of the hotel and it felt as though they were in their own private retreat.
Brodie picked up the bottle of champagne and with a smooth twist, popped off the cork. The sound echoed lightly into the late afternoon and she listened to the sound of the bubbles as he filled the glasses. ‘There you go.’ He handed her a glass and grinned.
‘I am still in shock. You’ve left me speechless and that doesn’t happen a lot.’
He clinked his glass against hers. ‘Well, cheers . . . to us and to the weekend. Together.’
‘Cheers,’ said Flora and took a sip. ‘Are we really here for the whole weekend?’
He laughed softly. ‘We are. Just you and me.’
‘And we won’t have any interruptions?’
‘None at all. I have even switched off my pager. I am off duty and at your beck and call.’
The thought of having two days with Brodie was intoxicating but then she panicked, realising she only had the dress she was wearing and her trainers. ‘But I don’t have anything with me.’
‘Like a toothbrush?’ Brodie winked. ‘Don’t worry. Your gran packed a bag for you with all the essentials, apparently.’
Flora groaned. ‘Oh no, I can only imagine what she might have put in there.’
Brodie looked at her, his eyes twinkling with mischief. ‘Anyway, you don’t need many clothes. Not for what I have planned.’
Flora felt a surge of desire rise from her belly and spread across her chest as Brodie took hold of her hand.
‘We have everything we need here. Lily and Jessica helped me sort the food and drink. In fact, I think we could probably hide up here for a week with the amount of stuff we have in the fridge. There is no reason for us to leave the tree house at all, unless you want to go for a swim in the loch. Or take a bath,’ he said with a wink. ‘It does look quite nice.’
Flora giggled, remembering when she first saw the outdoor bath and all she could do was picture Brodie in it. Even though she had tried hard not to as it had seemed so inappropriate at the time.
‘What’s so funny?’
‘I was just thinking that sometimes dreams can come true.’ She gazed at him and he pulled her closer, the air charged with desire.
‘This isn’t a dream now, though. This is really happening.’ He brushed his lips against hers.
The scent of his aftershave stirred something in her and she couldn’t think straight.
She lifted her glass and took a sip, feeling the bubbles fizzing on her tongue.
The intense way he was gazing at her right now conveyed more than words ever could.
She couldn’t believe how much her life had changed these past few months.
At the start of June she was living in Edinburgh, jobless and panicking as the summer loomed ahead of her.
Yet she had taken a chance and had found her place in this village which had become her new home.
She hadn’t expected to fall in love either.
Especially not with Brodie. She chuckled as she remembered how much he had annoyed her whenever she saw him.
But now she was head over heels for him.
He raised an eyebrow questioningly. ‘Something amusing you?’
‘I was just remembering the first time I saw you and you nearly knocked me over.’
‘Maybe I was just trying to sweep you off your feet?’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Well, I think it might have worked.’ As she gazed into his gorgeous dark eyes, she saw her feelings reflected back at her. ‘To new beginnings,’ she said softly.
He clinked his glass against hers. ‘To us.’