Page 16 of Surprises on the Scottish Isle

With a bright smile she greeted the two ladies who’d entered the studio, and when she’d made her very first face-to-face sale, Tara knew her instincts had been right – shewasgoing to love it here. In fact, she was loving it already.

Chapter 5

At first, Cal didn’t notice how quiet Bonnie had become. He was concentrating on the road and reflecting on the lovely couple of weeks he’d enjoyed with his daughter and his parents. He’d had a great time and so had Bonnie.

Driving back to Skye on Sunday morning, Cal felt exhausted – having a nine-year-old was knackering – but at the same time he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way, despite suspecting that he needed a holiday to get overthisholiday. Bonnie was so lively. She rarely sat still and never stopped talking.

She was quiet now, though.

‘Have you had a good time?’ he asked.

‘Uh-huh.’ She nodded.

‘What was your favourite bit?’

Bonnie shrugged. When he attempted to meet her eye in the rear-view mirror, she was staring out of the window, her face turned away.

‘Go-karting? Boating? The adventure park?’ he tried.

Another shrug.

‘Are you tired? I know I am. We’ve been on the go since we got there. I bet Nana and Grandpa are shattered.’

Silence. Bonnie didn’t even acknowledge that he had spoken.

Cal refused to give up. ‘You’ve got loads to tell your mum, haven’t you?’

She glanced at him, caught his eye and hastily looked away.

Ah, so that was it. Bonnie was missing her mother. It didn’t come as a surprise. This was the longest she’d ever been away from her.

The knowledge stung, nevertheless. Regret that his daughter would rarely have both parents with her at the same time settled over him. It must be hard, and his heart went out to her. It mightn’t be his fault that he and Yvaine were no longer together, as she’d been the one to end it, but he felt responsible all the same. If only he’d—

He shook his head to clear it. There was nothing to be gained by recriminations or wishful thinking. And if he had never met Yvaine, then he wouldn’t have Bonnie, which was unthinkable.

‘I bet you’re looking forward to seeing your mum,’ he said. ‘I expect she’s missed you, too.’ He met Bonnie’s gaze again, before snapping his attention back to the road, dismayed to see the worry lurking in her eyes.

He was about to ask what was wrong when she said, ‘You won’t ever have a girlfriend, will you, Dad?’

To Cal it didn’t sound like a question. It sounded like a plea. ‘Probably not,’ he replied, keeping his tone deliberately light. He couldn’t promise he wouldneverhave a girlfriend (he had been on several dates over the past few years, although none of them had come to anything), but neither did he want another serious relationship.

‘I don’t want you to have a girlfriend,’ she persisted.

‘That’s OK, because I haven’t got one.’

‘I wish Mummy didn’t have a boyfriend.’

Cal stiffened. On full alert but trying not to show it, he asked casually, ‘Why is that?’

‘I think she likes Lenn more than she likes me.’

They’d just driven through the village of Achnasheen and still had well over an hour to go before they reached Skye, so as soon as he was able, Cal pulled over onto the side of the road then scooted around in his seat to face her. ‘Your motherdoes notlike Lenn more than she likes you. She loves you with all her heart.’

‘But she went away without me.’

‘Yes, she did. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you. It just means she wanted to have some grown-up time, doing things you wouldn’t enjoy.’

Bonnie scowled.

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