Page 91 of Surprises on the Scottish Isle

Mhairi smirked. ‘I did. She’s good, too. We played for Scrabble tiles.’

‘You could have actually played Scrabble instead.’

‘Where’s the fun in that?’ Her head cocked to the side. ‘You look dreadful.’

‘Don’t say that. It isn’t good for my confidence.’

‘It’s true. Was it bad out there?’

‘It’s been better.’

‘Whisky?’

‘Please. I think I need one.’

‘How is Tara? I know you said she was safe and well when you phoned, but that doesn’t tell me how she is.’

‘She’s leaving – tomorrow, I think.’

‘Ah. I see. I understood she was staying a while. I’d hoped you would have enough time to sort yourselves out.’

‘I’ll speak to her in the morning, try to persuade her to stay. She’s asleep right now.’ He wasn’t going to try to persuade her – he was going tobeg.

‘I’m not surprised. She must be exhausted after her ordeal. She was very lucky.’

‘She was.’ Cal took a mouthful of whisky, savouring the warmth. Tara’s brush with death had chilled him to his core. Today could so easily have ended in disaster.

‘Do you know why she took the boat out?’ Mhairi asked.

He shrugged, pretending he didn’t, even though he had a reasonably good idea. The loch was their special place, and the memory of her lying in his arms naked under the sun hit him with such force it made his chest ache.

‘Hmm. At least there’s no harm done,’ Mhairi said.

The door burst open and Bonnie bounded in, shouting, ‘Is my dad back yet?’ When she saw him, she flew into his arms, buried her head in his stomach and burst into tears.

‘There, there,’ he soothed. ‘No need to cry. I’m safe and sound.’

Bonnie sniffed loudly, and Mhairi handed her a clean handkerchief. She always had at least two about her person.

After Bonnie had blown her nose and mopped up her tears, his daughter looked up at him, her expression unreadable, and said in a rather scoffing tone, ‘I knewyouwould be OK. It wasTaraI was worried about.’ Then her little face crumpled again. ‘I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t mean it when I said I wished you were dead. And I didn’t want Tara to die either.’

‘I’m pleased to hear it. Thankfully, we’re both all right.’

‘Bonnie and I have had a little chat,’ Mhairi said. ‘Would you like to tell your dad what it was about?’

Bonnie hung her head, and Cal gave Mhairi a questioning look.

‘Mhairi told me I was being selfish,’ Bonnie mumbled. ‘That you had to have someone to look after you when I’m with Mum.’

‘And…?’ Mhairi prompted.

‘That it was wrong of you to break your promise, but you shouldn’t have made it in the first place. She called you a numpty.’

Cal raised an eyebrow.

‘You are,’ Mhairi said. ‘What else, Bonnie?’

‘I like Tara. If you have to have a girlfriend, I’d prefer it to be her, rather than someone I don’t know.’

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