Page 60 of Summer Escapes on the Scottish Isle

She said, ‘I’m not. Not yet, anyway. But when you’re more mobile, I’m going to do a bit of hand building.’

‘Why?’

‘Because I don’t have a wheel. I didn’t bring it with me.’

Irritably, Vinnie shook his head. ‘You won’t be here long enough to make anything.’

‘I’ll be here for a couple of months, Dad,’ she reminded him yet again. ‘Maybe longer. We’ll have to see how it goes.’

‘I can manage fine on my own.’

‘Not with a broken hip, you can’t,’ she argued. Were they destined to have this same argument every day until she left? She bloody hoped not, because she was tired of it already. ‘Anyone would think you didn’t want me here,’ she muttered.

Vinnie put his fork down. ‘I don’t. You’ve got your own life to lead. There’s no need for you to be stuck here with me.’

‘I don’t look at it as beingstuckhere. I look at it as helping my dad because he needs it.’

‘I don’t.’

‘Will you stop it! I’m staying and that’s final. It’s the summer holidays so I don’t have to be in college until September, so please don’t worry that I’m having to take time off work. And being here has given me some real inspiration, so you’re actually doing me a favour.’

His glare was, unsurprisingly, disbelieving, but everything she’d said was true. Technically.

‘What about that boyfriend of yours – Hadrian? What does he say about you being so far away?’

‘He understands,’ she replied. Even as she said it, she didn’t believe it, but she wasn’t going to tell her father that she and Hadrian were over in front of Mack. Anyway, she owed it to Hadrian to tell him first, before she told her dad, who would probably be pleased, because he didn’t seem keen on him, despite never having met him.

Maybe that was the reason? Freya always visited her dad alone, because Hadrian invariably had other plans whenever Freya mentioned going to Skye.

Vinnie grumbled, ‘You should be there with him, not with me.’

Freya pressed her lips together and focused on her plate.Goodness knows what Mack is making of this, she thought, embarrassment heating her face.

Mack changed the subject. ‘I’m taking my firstColours of Skyetrip out the week after next,’ he said, then went on to explain to her dad what that meant and what it entailed, giving Freya time to compose herself.

She didn’t know whether that had been his intention, or whether he’d felt uncomfortable being on the outskirts of a family spat, but she was grateful to him, nevertheless.

‘I thought it was next week?’ she said.

‘So did Mhairi, but I managed to push it back a week. She’s persistent, I’ll give her that.’ Mack chuckled. ‘I’ve never known anyone so determined to get her own way.’

Vinnie snorted. ‘You have, you’ve met my daughter.’

‘Dad!’ Freya turned to Mack and mouthed, ‘Sorry.’

Mack merely smiled and changed the subject again, but this time the topic wasn’t such a welcome one.

‘Have you made a decision about New York yet?’ he asked, and Freya flinched.

Closing her eyes briefly, she drew in a slow breath, opening them to find both men staring at her.

Mack looked stricken, and she guessed he’d realised that she hadn’t told her dad. She’d wanted to wait until he was stronger before she mentioned anything.

Confused, Vinnie said, ‘New York?’

She decided it was best to tell him now, and she hoped he wouldn’t be too upset at the thought of her living on the other side of the Atlantic.

Hesitantly she said, ‘I’ve been offered a job as course director at the Black and White Art Academy in New York.’

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