Page 25 of The Castle in the Bay

Alexander pulled a face back at her.

Iona smirked. Definitely something going on there, though she wasn’t sure what.

‘Monty’s grown on me,’ Iona said. ‘But he’s not as fitness mad as you, Ruaridh, so just go easy on him, ok?’

Ruaridh chuckled. ‘Sure, but he was the one out running. Maybe he just needs a nudge.’

‘Or a shove,’ Alexander added.

Catriona shot him a look. ‘He’s a guest. Will you please be more welcoming?’

Alexander’s jaw tightened. ‘It was a joke.’

Iona tossed out her ponytail. ‘Well, I’m off to catch some waves. On my own, seen as how my students cancelled.’

‘I could join you,’ Ruaridh said.

‘Sure.’

‘Just so long as you don’t expect me to do your washing while you do that,’ Catriona said.

Ruaridh pulled a cringing face. ‘On second thoughts, looks like I have a date with the washing machine.’

‘Lucky you.’ Iona waggled her eyebrows.

Alexander bent down and lifted something off the ground. ‘Any of you drop this?’ He held out a small notebook.

‘I think it’s Monty’s,’ Iona said. ‘I saw him scribbling in something like that the other day.’

‘Do you want to hand it to him?’ Alexander held it out.

‘I suppose so.’ She took the notebook from Alexander.

As she strolled around to the annex, she flipped through it, wondering if there was a name in it, in case it wasn’t actually Monty’s. Seemed just to be a list of places on the island. Kisimul Castle had a question mark beside it. Shouldn’t it be a tick? He’d already been there. But maybe he was questioning something else about it, or marked it before he went and never got back to it.

She knocked on the annex door and waited, letting the gentle breeze ruffle her hair. No reply. Had he gone out again? The door didn’t have a letterbox. Well, did it really matter. She could just prop it up on the door and leave it for him to find. Bending over, she went to place it down.

The door opened.

Iona peered up. Her eyes travelled over sturdy bare legs, a fluffy white towel, a surprisingly buff chest, and eventually came to land on a bright pair of hazel eyes that were staring back at her.

‘Hello?’ he said.

He didn’t have his glasses on, but really that was nothing compared to the rest of him. She straightened up, not sure where to focus. She’d expected him to be weedy and a bit scrawny. There was no denying he was thin, but he was well-toned, and the light smattering of coarse hair was Viking-like.

‘Iona?’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘Is everything ok? Do you want me for something?’

She blinked. That was an interesting question. Maybe she did… Though she shouldn’t. ‘I, um… We found this notebook in the yard. I think it’s yours.’

Monty squinted at it. ‘Yeah, it looks like mine, though I suppose anyone could have one like that.’

‘It’s got a list of places around the island. I looked because I was checking in case it had a name in it.’

‘Oh, yeah. That’s mine. It must have fallen out of my pocket.’

She handed it back to him, her skin tingling a little as their hands touched. ‘I assume you don’t mind getting wet in the shower.’ She cringed inwardly at the words – how stupid did she sound? ‘I mean, it’s only seawater that bothers you.’

‘Pretty much. Or any water that I can’t control.’ His eyes held hers and another weird tremor ran through her.

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