Page 15 of A Summer House on Arran
‘Oh,’ said Logan, startled when he realised it was the woman from earlier. ‘I was just going to hand it into the bar.’
‘Sure you were,’ she said, sarcastically.
He felt his hackles rise. Who did she think she was? ‘Actually I was. That’s what we do here. We look out for each other.’ He threw her a look of disdain and walked back to his table. How rude! By the time he sat down she had vanished.
‘There you go.’ James walked towards him with two fresh pints.
‘Cheers.’ Logan scowled.
‘What’s up? Did I miss something?’
Logan shook his head. ‘No, I was just trying to be the community hero and was about to hand in a bag that a customerhad left behind, but she thought I was nicking it. Clearly, I’ve lost my touch.’
James clinked his glass against Logan’s.
‘And that’s why I don’t get involved with women. They’re far more bother than they’re worth.’ When he realised James was smiling dreamily, Logan shook his head in exasperation. ‘Oh man, this is frightening. Amy must be something very special.’
‘Oh, she is . . . and she has two sisters, though I’m afraid both are taken, which is a bit of a shame.’
‘I’m not interested in meetinganyone, thanks,’ protested Logan.
‘Famous last words, my friend, famous last words.’
Logan pulled a face. ‘No way. I’ll be an eternal bachelor. It’s far easier that way.’
‘Well, watch this space,’ said James. ‘I’m sure there will come a day when I remind you of this conversation.’
Chapter Twelve
Olivia stomped her way back to Lilybank Cottage, anger fizzing inside her. In a moment of stupidity she thought it would be a good idea to pull her phone out and switch it on in the pub, only to be greeted by a barrage of angry, accusatory voicemails. She had fled hastily and, in the process, forgotten her bag.
She was still in shock ashiswords rattled through her head, though she reminded herself that it was her own fault. She told herself that she didn’t need to switch the blooming thing on. Why on earth had she thought it would be a good time to check her messages and emails? All she had wanted to do was sit peacefully in the pub with a cold drink and to take stock of the situation at the cottage.
She sighed noisily, anxiously scratching her arm as she walked up the hill towards the holiday house. Inhaling the delicate scent of lavender that lingered in the air, she stopped and turned to look back at the view. The sparkling blue sea momentarily calmed the angry thoughts racing around her mind. Shaking her head in frustration, she thought about what could have been. It was such a lovely spot, and would have been the perfect place to hide away from the world. Her world that she had left behind. It was so annoying that it hadn’t worked out that way. She’d hoped the Arran retreat would give her space to walk and think and read and sleep and just be. Alone. But shedidn’tknow how she and Kitty were going to resolve the living ‘situation’.
Olivia could hardly argue that because she got to the cottage first and had unpacked her things, she should be the one to stay. That would make her sound like a complete brat, and it was clear that Kitty was feeling a bit frazzled and vulnerable too. She had felt so conflicted as she watched Kitty dissolve into tears earlier. She wanted to be kind and compassionate, yet she was tired ofthinking of everyone else. How she longed to be selfish and put herself and her needs first for a change. That horrid, all-too-familiar feeling of walking on eggshells had invited itself back into her life, and as a result she was back to feeling on edge.
She scowled as she thought about that idiot at the pub who had completely humiliated her with his harsh words. How was she to know that he was trying to help? Okay, perhaps she had been a bit quick to jump down his throat. In fact, now she thought about it, she felt mortified when she remembered just how sharp her tone was. But let’s face it, her recent experiences of men hadn’t exactly left her feeling warm towards members of the opposite sex. What a disaster.
It was all so different to how she felt in Italy with her new friends, Margaret, Isobel and Bella, with sunshine and laughter and the promise of a new beginning. Maybe she should contact them and find out if Bella’s offer to go to Corfu was still an option. Though was that really what she wanted to do? She shook herself. That wasn’t the answer either. She couldn’t just keep running. Perhaps this was a sign that she needed to head back to New York and face the music. As she walked through the gate and up the path towards the cottage, she couldn’t help but admire the way the sunlight caught the window. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.
‘Oh, there she is now. We’re through here,’ called Kitty.
Olivia felt her shoulders tense and fear grip her. Who on earth was here now? Hadn’t there been enough surprise visitors already today? Taking a tentative step into the open-plan living room, she glanced over to see another woman, who she didn’t recognise, sitting on the sofa.
‘Hello,’ Olivia said, puzzled.
The woman stood up and pulled her dark blonde hair away from her face, scooping it into a ponytail. She wore workout leggings and a white V-neck shirt. A wide grin spread across herface as she extended a hand. ‘Hello, you must be Olivia. I’m Amy and I am so, so sorry about all of this.’ She gestured around the room.
‘Hi,’ said Olivia politely, quickly shaking her hand. It took her a few seconds to work out who Amy was, then she remembered the welcome note in the kitchen from yesterday.
‘So . . .’ Amy watched her expectantly, as though she couldn’t quite decide what to say next.
Kitty started to talk. ‘It would seem that there has been a bit of a mix-up with the owners and communication.’
Amy nodded. ‘Yes, there has, and I am so sorry. I help my sister up at the B&B and we keep an eye on Lilybank Cottage for the owners. They’d decided not to re-let it, but the couple didn’t realise they had then each promised the cottage to someone.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Which is why you’re both here. I can only apologise.’
‘Okay.’ Olivia wrapped her arms around herself defensively. ‘Look, I’ve had a think about it and, if you can bear with me, Kitty, I will look into flights and see when I can book myself on one back home. There’s no point in your trip being ruined and I, er, I have some stuff I need to deal with back in New York anyway.’ She tried to sound as airy as possible, watching as Kitty’s smile turned into a frown.
