Chapter 15
15
IVY
Ivy leaned forwards and warmed her hands on the large fire Ross had lit. It was still early – the sun was just setting over the valley in front of them and the views were stunning. Kenzy and Logan were snuggled on a log to the right of Ivy, while she and Ross had chosen separate stumps side by side.
The trip so far was proving a disaster. Each time she’d brought up Miriam or Simon since the moment she’d been pitching her tent, Ross had deflected the comment with an unhappy memory of his own. A huge part of her wanted to just give up and go back to Hawthorn Castle, but there was another part of her that couldn’t bear the idea of leaving Ross feeling so alone. If she could keep up the momentum, she was sure she’d at least be able to convince him to talk to Miriam. She wanted him back, didn’t she? Surely she’d know the right things to say.
Kenzy suddenly unwound herself from Logan and yawned. ‘I don’t know about you, hon, but I’m thinking of turning in.’
‘It’s barely half past four,’ Ivy said, checking her watch.
‘Ach, early to bed, early to rise.’ Logan grinned, peeking over at the tent they’d finished pitching a couple of hours before. ‘Thanks so much for the meal,’ he said, glancing down at the empty metal bowl which until recently had contained stew. It had been a speciality of Bonnibell’s: rich and full of flavour, the perfect antidote to the icy cold. The mince pies she had sent to finish off the meal were mostly all gone too, aside from a few crumbs. If she started cooking for Grizzle too, Ivy guessed the hermit wouldn’t stay skinny for long.
‘We’re supposed to be trekking in the woods,’ Ross reminded them, sounding unhappy.
Was he concerned about being alone with Ivy again?
‘Sorry, hon, I don’t think I can keep my eyes open.’ Kenzy yawned again then winked before dropping a soft kiss on Logan’s jaw.
‘Aye,’ he agreed, giving her a dopey smile. ‘We’ll be up early though, see you at dawn.’ With that he snagged Kenzy’s waist and they both made their way towards their tent.
‘And then there were two,’ Ross said edgily, picking up the four bowls, a couple of which still had food in them. ‘I’ll feed the leftovers to Moose and Snowball, best not to leave food around the camp. It might attract—’ He stopped, clearly catching the dismayed look on Ivy’s face. ‘Mice,’ he added before going to fill up the pet bowls.
There was a sudden squawk and giggling from Logan and Kenzy’s tent.
‘Perhaps we should start our trek now?’ Ross said, as a blush bloomed across his cheeks. ‘It’s still light enough to see and we’ll take torches for when it gets dark.’
‘Good plan,’ Ivy agreed quickly as Kenzy giggled again. She was still wearing her snowsuit and had put the jumper Bonnibell had given her on underneath. ‘Will I be warm enough when the sun sets?’ she asked as she rose.
‘Yes, if you didn’t get cold last night, you’ll be fine.’ Ross quickly grabbed a spade and shovelled snow onto the fading fire, waiting until it was out before heading to his tent to pick up torches and a backpack. ‘The pathway’s not too far from here,’ he said, indicating that Ivy should follow. ‘We’ll go into the woods and see if we can track down reindeer. If we’re lucky we might hear owls and there’s a chance of spotting badgers, deer, foxes and squirrels out there too.’ He sounded excited. ‘The team at the resort have hung fairy lights around the trees – they’ll flick on soon because it’s almost dusk. You’ll like it.’ He smiled suddenly. ‘It’s very festive. A couple of our visitors have told us they spotted elves and one even saw Santa once the lights were on. Although he might have had one too many whiskies that night.’
Ivy chuckled. ‘Do you like Christmas?’ she asked. Twigs crackled under her feet as the snow thinned below the canopy of trees. She took in a deep breath and smelled pine needles, felt something inside her chest do a happy dance.
Ross took a moment to respond. ‘I remember enjoying it with my parents before they died. We were a close family then.’ He paused. ‘What about you?’
Ivy shoved her hands into her pockets. ‘We used to have family Christmases. But my dad passed when I was sixteen and that changed a lot of things.’ She took in a lungful of air, waiting for the sudden burst of pain to ease. It had been years ago, but talking about it still affected her. ‘Now Mum usually works the holiday shifts…She’s a successful surgeon. I’m very proud of her.’
Ross must have heard something in her voice because he stopped and turned so he could study her face.
‘If I’m not working, I might come to the resort next year. It’s very beautiful,’ Ivy garbled on, avoiding his eyes and looking around in case he asked her more about her family. She wasn’t ready to share with him, and definitely didn’t want the conversation leading to her potential new job in London, which seemed such a distant reality the longer she stayed. ‘I really understand why you love living here.’
Ross gave her a dazzling smile. ‘The outdoors has always been my happy place. I’m not sure how I’d have coped if I’d been born into Simon’s shoes.’ His good humour faded as soon as he mentioned his brother and he turned and shone the torch beam on the decorations which had been hung onto the trees, making them sparkle and shimmer. ‘We’ll follow the bauble trail for a while. If you hear a honk, don’t worry, it’s probably only Bob.’
‘Is that Edina Lachlan’s donkey?’ Ivy asked. ‘We met at The Workshop,’ she added when Ross gave her a quizzical look.
‘Aye, Bob has been known to stray onto the resort’s land. He’s got big teeth but he hasn’t eaten anyone. Yet .’ Ross smiled.
‘Ha, ha,’ Ivy clucked.
They walked in silence for a few minutes, the only noises coming from Moose and Snowball as they hopped in and out of the shrubbery. Then something barked in the distance and Moose stopped, his ears pricking up before he glanced back at Ross and whimpered.
‘That’s odd,’ Ross said, speeding up a little. ‘I swear that sounds like the demon dog.’
He jogged ahead, with Snowball and Moose hanging behind, obviously reluctant to investigate in case their master was right. Ivy began to walk faster too, taking care not to trip, as they ventured deeper into the woods and the light dimmed.
Then suddenly the pug came bounding out from between a cluster of evergreens. He stopped, obviously catching their scent, and bared his teeth when he spotted Ross. But as soon as Bowser saw Ivy, he let out a delighted yelp and headed straight for her. She knelt as he reached her, fussing and soothing as she plucked random pieces of undergrowth from his fur. Bowser tried to lick her face, whimpering pathetically as he strained to get closer, obviously upset.
‘Where’s Grizzle?’ Ross asked urgently as he lowered and tried to pat the dog too, quickly whipping away his hand when Bowser offered a low growl.
‘Are we close to his cabin?’ Ivy asked, looking into the darkness.
‘A couple of miles,’ Ross said, sounding worried. ‘I didn’t think he ventured this far since his eyesight started to trouble him. He’s not reckless, even before that he’d never come this far after dark.’
‘Maybe he’s hurt and the dog decided to come and get help?’ Ivy suggested, rising to her feet.
‘The only thing that animal is usually interested in is trying to take chunks out of me,’ Ross said dryly. ‘But I’m going to have to check on Grizzle just in case.’ He glanced back the way they’d come. ‘You’ll be better off waiting at the camp just in case he turns up there. I’m going to walk to Grizzle’s house, then I’ll check the tracks and pathways heading in this direction just in case he’s got himself lost on one of those.’
‘I’ll come with you,’ she quickly shot back.
Ross shook his head. ‘I’ll be much quicker on my own and I’d rather leave someone here to watch out for Grizzle in case he turns up.’ His forehead squeezed and he looked concerned. ‘I hope the old man was properly dressed, he could freeze in this weather, especially if he’s fallen or got himself lost.’ He puffed air between his lips, looking agitated. ‘I didn’t get a chance to visit him this evening…’
‘I’m sure he’ll be okay.’ Ivy put a gentle hand on Ross’s shoulder and felt the muscles underneath her palm flex. ‘Should we get Logan and Kenzy to help look for him?’
Ross pulled a face. ‘If I haven’t found him by the time I return I’ll wake them, but…’ His eyes drifted back towards the dark woods. ‘I don’t want to worry everyone. There could be a simple explanation and he’ll be furious if we make an unnecessary fuss.’
Ivy didn’t know Ross well, but she could see from his expression that he didn’t believe there was a simple explanation. Bowser barked and wagged his tail, perhaps understanding their intention, before he nudged Ivy’s leg.
‘I need to get you back to the camp,’ Ross said. ‘If you can take care of Bowser for me while I look? I suspect if I take him along, he’ll just try to eat me which would slow the search down considerably.’ Despite the harsh words, she heard affection in his voice.
‘Sure,’ Ivy agreed, following as Ross quickly backtracked.
He was obviously uneasy about his friend. Despite his insistence that he didn’t want to connect with anyone, his relationship with Grizzle proved just the opposite, which gave her hope.
They reached the edge of the woods in record time and Ivy kept her eyes fixed forward, ignoring any rustling in the undergrowth. She’d light the fire again and wait until Ross returned – no way would she be able to settle until he was back. If he was gone too long, she’d wake Kenzy and Logan and they’d follow. As they made their way out of the trees, Ivy spotted an orange flicker and then a haze of smoke billowing into the sky.
‘Someone’s lit the fire again,’ Ross said, speeding up.
Bowser barked and catapulted his round body forwards, overtaking them. By the time Ivy and Ross caught up, the dog was nuzzling and barking excitedly, slobbering all over Grizzle. The older man looked exhausted: he was slumped on one of the logs, his hands hovering over the fire.
‘Ach, I thought you’d gone for good,’ he grumbled as he watched them approach, glaring at the tent where Kenzy and Logan were obviously sleeping. ‘Whoever’s in there hasn’t put in an appearance, but I heard someone snoring ten minutes ago.’
‘How did you get all the way out here?’ Ross demanded, grabbing a couple of the thick logs he’d cut earlier and feeding them to the fire. He grabbed a thermos from his tent and poured the older man a drink without asking.
Grizzle snatched the mug from his hands and gulped it down without comment. Ross filled a bowl with water and put it on the floor for the dog. Bowser growled as Ross drew closer, but when Ivy leaned down to pet him, he gave her a sweet doggy smile.
‘That Bonnibell.’ Grizzle hummed as the hot drink slid down his throat. ‘I’d recognise the lass’s hot chocolate anywhere. Scottish nectar I call it.’
‘Grizzle?’ Ross asked, patiently waiting for a response to his earlier question.
‘Ach lad, don’t fuss. I broke the door again and Bowser ran out.’ He rubbed the dog’s ears. ‘He must have spotted something because he chased after it. I thought I’d follow and try to find him, but those stupid new glasses fell off and I couldn’t see so well in the dark.’ He scratched a hand over his eyes.
Ross’s lips thinned. ‘Don’t you think it’s time you admitted you need to see an optician?’
‘I’ll take care of it myself, lad. Which reminds me, I’ve got another two pairs arriving tomorrow. Will you pick them up from the post office?’
‘Aye,’ Ross grumbled.
‘Where did you find Bowser in the end?’ Grizzle shot Ross an accusatory glare.
‘He was in the woods,’ Ivy interjected. ‘We were walking and he just appeared.’
‘Ach, well it was clever of him to find you. I’m sure he’ll be able to guide me home, so I’ll be off in a minute.’ Grizzle began to rise, then he groaned and lowered himself back onto the log.
‘Everything okay?’ Ivy asked, watching as Grizzle rubbed his eyes again and glanced around, squinting.
‘Aye, lass. I just need to warm these achy old bones. I’ve obviously been on my feet for longer than I thought.’ He sniffed. ‘Have you any food? Mairi left a pie in the fridge but it smelled funny.’ He shuddered.
Ross let out an irritated sound. ‘I’ve got some of Bonnibell’s beef stew in my tent. Why don’t I warm it? After you’ve eaten, if you’re feeling up to it, I could walk you back to your cabin?’
Grizzle’s mouth pinched. ‘I don’t need a boy scout, I’m perfectly capable of finding my own way there,’ he said grumpily.
‘Bowser looks exhausted,’ Ivy said as the dog looked up at her with rounded eyes. ‘I’m not sure he’s up to a long walk and Ross isn’t going to be able to carry him without losing a limb.’
Bowser’s low growl confirmed it.
‘You can’t carry the dog either,’ Ross jumped in, giving Ivy a stern look.
‘Then I’ll wait it out,’ Grizzle muttered, wriggling on the stump. ‘I can sleep here beside the fire until morning. I’ve slept in worse places.’ He gave Ross the evil eye when he looked like he was going to protest. ‘Besides, if I’m not at home it’ll spook Mairi when she tries to sneak in with another meal.’ He chuckled, suddenly perking up, his cheeks flushing pink again and giving him a healthy glow.
‘How about you sleep in my tent for a couple of hours?’ Ivy offered gently. ‘I’m guessing Bowser will appreciate it and I’m really not ready for bed.’ She stretched her arms wide, trying not to yawn as the older man regarded her through suspicious eyes. ‘Honestly,’ she said. ‘I told Ross I was planning to stay up – I want to see how many wild animals I can spot.’ She turned towards the younger man and widened her eyes, encouraging him to agree with her.
His appreciative expression made her stomach swoop.
‘Aye.’ Ross nodded. ‘Ivy’s excited about the creatures we get out here in the wilderness.’
‘You’re not going to leave her out here on her own?’ Grizzle asked suspiciously.
‘Of course he won’t,’ Ivy said lightly. ‘Ross has already promised he’ll stay up too.’
‘I assume the lad hasn’t forgotten that he’s bringing you to visit me soon,’ Grizzle said, his expression wily. ‘I need the lass’s help with those Christmas decorations, don’t forget.’
Ross’s whole body stiffened and Ivy folded her arms and watched his reaction. He was obviously less than impressed with the idea of taking her back to the older man’s house, but with any luck, it meant she’d get another day with him.
‘If you want,’ he grumbled. ‘Tomorrow. We can pack up camp and all go together. But only if you agree to sleep here now…’
‘Ach, well. I suppose Bowser could nap for a while.’ The older man scratched his dog under the chin. ‘The lad looks tired. But we’ll need to be up and gone at first light and glasses or not, I’ll show you the way.’ With that, he stood and shuffled his way carefully towards Ivy’s tent.
‘Just a sec,’ Ivy said, bouncing in front of him and retrieving her small backpack of clothes before sweeping a hand and guiding him inside. ‘Sleep well,’ she murmured before turning back to face Ross, unable to stop a yawn from escaping.
‘Wild animals?’ he asked, grinning at her, his expression one of delighted surprise. ‘You’ve a way with people,’ he added softly, making her heart skip. ‘I can’t believe how quickly the old man has taken to you. I’m beginning to understand why Miriam sent you to talk to me.’
Ivy grimaced. ‘At least Grizzle listens.’
She watched Ross unzip his tent and grab a couple of blankets before indicating that she should sit on the log Kenzy and Logan had been cuddling on earlier. Then he swept the blanket around her shoulders and went to feed the fire.
‘Oh, I listen, Ivy,’ he said quietly before slumping beside her and turning to study the flames. ‘I’m just not sure I’m ready to hear.’