Page 42 of The Boathouse By the Loch

‘Good, I’m glad you’re staying.’ She turned away.

‘Do I have a choice?’ she heard David mumble to her back.

Gayle paused at the door, glancing at the photo before she slipped it into her pocket.

She was back to thinking how people so often failed to see what was right under their noses, for one reason or another. However, she thought David had hit the nail on the head when he suggested it wasn’t the case that they failed to see it, but that they didn’t want to.

‘What’s up with Olive?’ David got to the bottom of the stairs that led to the attic room and caught Olive outside his bedroom door, sniffing along the bottom of the door.

Behind David, Gayle looked over the banister and grinned.

Olive woofed.

David walked along the corridor towards her. ‘Hey, girl – what’s got into you? Ah, I know what it is. You think Robyn has come back too.’

‘Here, give me that.’

‘Don’t you want me to take it down to the kitchen?’

‘No, I’ll do that. Why don’t you freshen up for dinner.’ She caught David frowning at the door. ‘You know what? I’d rather come downstairs, if you don’t mind.’

Gayle guessed that his idea to stay at the guesthouse while Robyn was away in London hadn’t worked out how he’d expected. She guessed the room just reminded him of happier times. But then again, he hadn’t wanted to stay at the boathouse without Robyn either.

‘Do you want some help making the stew, or sorting out the room upstairs? Or—’

Gayle held up her hand. ‘No thank you.’ She motioned at the door.

David sighed. ‘Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt if I freshened up after spending all day out on deliveries.’

‘Good.’

‘At least I’ll have some company.’

They both looked at Olive. Gayle frowned. She could just imagine that the surprise – Robyn lying seductively on the bed in a new see-through chiffon nightdress might be somewhat spoilt by a large over-exuberant Old English Sheepdog racing into the room and bounding onto the bed, giving her lots of sloppy doggy kisses.

Gayle had no idea what was going on behind that door right now. It was probably not at all what she had just imagined. But even so, Olive would definitely cause a bit of a ruckus and would get in the way of the big surprise reunion.

‘I’ll take her.’

‘No, don’t do that.’

‘I insist. I don’t want her in the bedrooms.’

David raised his eyebrows. ‘Since when?’

Gayle took hold of her collar. ‘Since now.’

She saw David’s shoulders sag in resignation. ‘All right.’ He turned to the door.

Gayle resisted the urge to hang back and witness the surprise. ‘I’ll be downstairs, getting the dinner on. It will be ready at seven.’

‘Seven! What am I going to do until then?’

Gayle was already heading for the stairs, the basket balanced in the crook of her arm, one hand on Olive’s collar, pulling the reluctant dog with her. She whispered, ‘Dog treat.’ Olive shot forward and raced down the stairs. Gayle whispered, ‘Clever dog.’ Olive knew where her favourite treats were, in the kitchen cupboard.

As she got to the bottom step, she heard a whoop from David. Robyn? You’re back? No way! When did you … how … was Gayle in on this?’

Gayle paused on the bottom step and heard Robyn say, ‘Get over here.’ The next thing she heard was the bedroom door shut and the key turn in the lock.

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