Page 2 of The Boathouse By the Loch

Jake noticed that she hadn’t mentioned the rest of the view. Her guesthouse backed on to The Lake House.

‘You just want to show off your rooms,’ Jake chided, not fully believing that his room had gone in the space of a few hours, especially when there were other, bigger rooms available in the guesthouse. He recalled that the room he’d stayed in was the most expensive. Gayle had said she didn’t normally rent it out, as it was reserved for friends only. She had made an exception for him and Marcus. Had she made an exception for someone else, or did she have friends staying?

He wondered if Robyn had returned to the guesthouse. He recalled mentioning to Gayle that he’d like to meet her, and she had said that Robyn popped in from time to time. She had lived with Gayle for a time. They were good friends. Perhaps she’d moved back.

Gayle who was normally chatty, didn’t volunteer who was staying in that room, and Jake didn’t ask.

Reluctantly, Jake followed Gayle up the stairs.

Gayle said, ‘You’re in luck again.’

He frowned at her back. ‘Really? How’s that?’ He didn’t feel particularly lucky as he followed her up to the attic room.

‘You know yesterday, when you turned up for two nights, and I told you that apart from my two longer-term guests …’

Of course, Jake remembered Nick Addison, the site manager who worked on a new development in town. He’d bumped into Nick on a piece of land outside town, where Jake remembered an old lodge had stood. Jake had originally thought of staying there for a couple of nights. It was Nick who had suggested Lark Lodgeguesthouse when Jake had seen that the old lodge in the woods had been demolished. And that was where he’d discovered the other long-term lodger at the guesthouse – Marty, the gardener who looked after the garden at The Lake House.

And now another friend had moved in, robbing him of his room. Jake silently berated himself for being so childish. It was not his personal room. In fact, he suddenly recalled that he was sure Gayle had told him that apart from these two nights, the guesthouse had been fully booked. So how come this attic room was free?

He had a feeling he was about to find out.

‘I told you that you were lucky because my last bookings, who were on a five-night break, left yesterday, leaving two nights free – last night and tonight.’

‘Yes.’ Jake raised an eyebrow. ‘I thought you said it was busy again from Friday onwards, apart from the single room being vacant.’ Jake remembered that she did special offers on three, five, and seven-night breaks, which attracted a lot of guests.

‘I’m more than happy with a single room on a lower floor, if it’s vacant.’

‘How long are you anticipating staying this time? You see, my seven-night stay in the attic unexpectedly cancelled.’

‘Ah. That’s handy.’ Although he’d promised Marcus and Faye he’d be back as soon as possible, he really didn’t know how much time he’d need to find out exactly what had happened on that mountain the previous Christmas. He didn’t want to be there indefinitely, so he booked a return flight, which meant he had six more days, if he needed them. He’d change his flight if he could return sooner. ‘Does that mean the attic room is available for the next six nights?’

‘It certainly is.’ Gayle threw a smile over her shoulder.

Jake grinned. ‘Perfect. Then I’ll take it.’

Gayle halted at the top of the stairs, outside one of the two attic bedrooms, and turned around.

Jake caught her expression. ‘What’s the matter?’

‘I will reserve the room for you for the next six nights.’

‘Great. Of course I’ll pay upfront.’

‘Now, that’s the problem.’

‘Huh? How come?’

Gayle cocked her head to one side. ‘May I be blunt, Mr Campbell-Ross?’

‘Please, call me Jake.’ He thought they’d dispensed with the formalities already. He had stayed the night, and they’d been on first-name basis then.

‘Well, we both know you are not here on holiday. You have … family affairs to sort out, I’m sure.’ Her eyes drifted to the skylight window.

Jake knew exactly what she was looking at. His eyes drifted to the rooftop of The Lake House too.

‘Obviously, that’s none of my beeswax …’

Jake smiled at the expression.

---