Page 21 of A Summer House on Arran
Just then the door opened, and Olivia came in, wiping her brow, sweaty from her run. ‘Well, that was a bit of an effort,’ she said. ‘I am definitely out of shape.’
Kitty thought she looked the picture of great health as she strolled into the kitchen, her cheeks glowing from exercise.
‘Whatever you’re making smells amazing. Is it something with cinnamon?’
‘Yes,’ Kitty said with a smile. ‘Cinnamon and raisin muffins.’
‘Will they be ready soon?’ Olivia sounded hopeful.
‘In a bit.’ She grinned. That was the sort of question her son would have asked.
Olivia stepped towards her, pulling a leaflet from her pocket. ‘Oh, look, before I forget. Amy gave me this.Andshe said she would get us a discount if we wanted to go. She knows the guy doing the tour.’
Kitty took the leaflet from her and realised it was the same one she’d picked up. She chuckled when she made the connection. ‘Oh, well, let’s sign up, then. I mean, when I show you who the tour guide is, I think you’ll agree it’s a great idea.’ She handed her phone to Olivia and watched her watch the reel again.
‘I mean, he seems like a nice guy, doesn’t he? Like he knows what he’s talking about.’ Olivia shot her a look of appreciation, then frowned. ‘He looks kind of familiar.’
‘That’s what I thought too,’ said Kitty. ‘Like someone off the telly, but I don’t know who.’
‘Well, there’s only one way to find out. Shall we?’
‘Let’s do it,’ said Kitty decisively.
‘Deal. When do we go?’
‘The day after tomorrow,’ said Kitty. ‘Plenty of time to prepare.’
‘Okay. Well, I’m going to hit the shower, then you can tell me what I need for this walking tour and where we’re going.’
‘Sure.’ Kitty reached down to remove the muffins from the oven. ‘These will be ready to eat when you’re out the shower. Meantime, I’ll call and get us booked on the trip.’
‘Brilliant. Thank you. Let’s go!’
Kitty started quietly singing a Calvin Harris song and getting the words completely wrong.
Olivia burst into laughter. ‘I love that song.’
‘Oops, sorry, that’s an old habit of mine. Drives Cameron mad. I’m not even aware I’m doing it. I just tend to start singing if someone mentions a song title. I’ll try and be more aware. It can be an embarrassing habit, especially if the lyrics are a bit dodgy. Cameron has walked away from me many times when we’ve been in public.’
‘Oh, don’t quit on my account,’ said Olivia. ‘Please keep singing.’
Kitty grinned and gave a small shrug. ‘You may live to regret this.’ She looked back at her phone. ‘Oh, Olivia. What’s your surname? Just in case he asks.’
Olivia paused for a fraction of a second, long enough for Kitty to notice. ‘Sure. It’s Kennedy. My surname is Kennedy. Thanks, Kitty.’ She turned and headed to her shower.
When Kitty was sure she could hear the sound of water, she picked up her phone again and typed inOlivia Kennedyto Instagram. There were many results, but after a bit of dogged scrolling she saw Olivia’s face. The name of her Instagram account wasOliviaKDancing. She clicked on it and was surprised to see the privacy settings weren’t on, which meant Kitty could look through all the pictures Olivia had posted. Her eyes widened as she saw picture after picture of her appearing at Disneyland, onLet’s Danceand then on stage with some really famous singers. Likereallyfamous. Which made it even weirder that she was here. Something must have happened for her to end up on Arran. As she heard the sound of Olivia coming out of the shower, she put her phone away. It really wasn’t any of her business, and if Olivia wanted to share details with her, that was her choice. In the same way that Kitty had her story too, and she didn’t just share it with anyone.
Chapter Eighteen
Logan was back in James’s flat after dropping off the leaflets. It hadn’t been long since he updated the dreaded Instagram account with the latest pictures of Skye. He scratched his head and sighed. The things he had to do in the name of work. But it would be worth it if it would drum up some more business for Stravaig. He’d been keeping an eye on the sea — the conditions looked good for some kayaking, so he decided he’d head round to the outdoor centre in Lamlash and see if they had a kayak he could take out for a few hours. His phone buzzed, and he grinned when he saw the text message from James.
Amy’s found you a couple of recruits for the tour. Can you do a family and friends rate?
He quickly tapped in a reply.
Sure. Only because it’s you. What are their names?
James replied immediately.
