Page 93 of Surprises on the Scottish Isle

She was wondering what the time was and how soon she could be on the road if she heaved herself out of bed now, when she froze.

She wasn’t on her own.

Someone else was in bed with her.

Cautiously, she opened one eye, then the other and very gently turned her head so as not to disturb—

Bonnie?The child was curled on her side, her hair fanned across the pillow, her breathing even and deep.

Tara rubbed her eyes and looked again.

Bonnie was still there, which begged the question, where was Cal?

She managed to get out of bed without waking the little girl and shuffled in a rather ungainly manner into the corridor.

She found him in the living area.

He was sprawled on the sofa, a cushion under his head, one arm dangling, sound asleep.

Tara studied him: the way his hair was sticking up, the stubble on his jaw, his long limbs. He looked younger in repose, the man he used to be superimposed on the man he had become. Her heart ached for the love that had slipped through her fingers for a second time.Or had it?

Yesterday he’d told her again that he loved her, and she believed him, but it didn’t alter the fact that he had to put Bonnie’s happiness first.

Tara glanced back at the bedroom where his daughter lay sleeping, and wondered whether Bonnie had forgiven her dad, or whether sharing a bed with Tara had simply been preferable to sharing the couch with Cal.

Cal’s eyes were open.

Startled, Tara put a hand to her chest, her pulse hammering as his amber gaze bored into her.

He cleared his throat. ‘How did you sleep?’

‘Better than you, I suspect.’

‘Is Bonnie awake?’

‘No. Why is she in my bed?’

‘Because she couldn’t settle on the sofa.’ He sat up, running his hands through his hair, making it stick up even more.

‘I’m not surprised. It isn’t big enough for both of you.’

‘I was on the floor. I didn’t think you’d appreciate waking up to findmein your bed.’

‘I don’t think Bonnie would have approved, either.’

‘Oh, I don’t know…’

Tara frowned. Moving away from the doorway, she took several steps towards him before halting. Something was going on, but she wasn’t sure what.

‘When I was out looking for you, Mhairi had a chat with Bonnie,’ he said. ‘About me and you.’

‘And?’

‘Let’s just say, Bonnie isn’t going to hold me to my promise.’

‘She isn’t?’

He smiled. It was tentative and there was a wariness in his eyes. ‘No.’

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