Page 31 of A Scottish Christmas Hideaway
She chewed her bottom lip for a moment, suddenly looking unsure of herself, but the look quickly passed. She walked over to him, placing a hand on his chest and then letting her finger trail down it. He hated the way his body responded to her touch, a memory of what they once had.
‘How about we give it another go,’ she said, leaning closer to him. ‘Don’t you remember how great we were together?’
Reuben remembered the good times they’d had together when they were first married. But that had been fleeting and he also reminded himself of the hurt Belinda had caused him. Then he thought about Jessica and how good it felt to be with her and to kiss her.
Belinda smiled seductively at him, like a cat who knew it had caught its prey, and her hand lingered on the waistband of his sweatpants. ‘For old time’s sake at least,’ she said suggestively.
But he cleared his throat and gently pushed her away. ‘No,’ he said firmly. ‘Our marriage is over, Belinda. In fact, I think we should get on and make plans to finalise our divorce.’
She looked as though he had slapped her. It had obviously been a while since anyone had knocked her back and he was reminded again of how nasty she could turn if things didn’t go her way. Narrowing her eyes, she shook her head and threw her shoulders back. ‘If that’s what you want, then fine.’ She looked over his shoulder and out the window. ‘But look, Reuben, it’s snowing outside.’ A smirk crossed her face. ‘You can’t possibly expect me to drive back to Glasgow in that. The roads will be treacherous. You know how long it takes anyone to get out there and clear them or grit them. It will be hellish. Surely you don’t want me to take any chances?’
And she was right. He wanted to actually scream when he turned to see the snow falling thicker and faster. He couldn’t let her head off when it was snowing so heavily. He silently prayed that the snow would stop, pronto, and pulled out his phone to check the weather forecast. But it didn’t look like it was due to stop for another hour or so. ‘It might well clear up.’ His voice was brisk.
‘And if it doesn’t?’ she said suggestively.
‘Let’s hope it does.’ Reuben couldn’t bear the idea of being stuck indoors with Belinda this way. ‘If it doesn’t stop snowing, then . . .’ He took a very deep breath. ‘Then, of course, you can stay here.’ He added quickly, ‘I’ll sleep on the sofa.’
She beamed, her eyes triumphant. ‘That sounds like a deal. How about we get some takeaway for dinner? I also brought some champagne with me.’ She brandished the bottle she had pulled from her bag. ‘We could make a night of it.’
‘No thanks,’ he said brusquely. Sharing champagne with his estranged wife was the absolute last thing he wanted to do. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’
‘Can I have a glass of water then, please?’ she said shrewdly.
‘Sure.’ He filled her a glass at the sink and took it over to the table where she sat. He walked over to the cupboard and pulled it open. ‘If you’re hungry, let me see what I can rustle up. Something on toast. Beans or grilled cheese perhaps?’
Belinda didn’t answer. Reuben heard the pop of a cork. When he turned round, she had filled the tumbler with the fizz. She looked at him defiantly, drained the glass and then poured herself another.
Chapter Nineteen
It was just after ten the next morning when Jessica and her mum walked past Primrose Cottage. The sun was hiding behind a dense bank of grey cloud. Jessica tried to hide her utter dismay when she realised that Belinda’s car was still parked on the road. She had obviously spent the night with him. Jessica knew she had no right to feel anything at all — what Reuben did was none of her business. But she couldn’t help feeling a stab of jealousy at the thought of them together. She reminded herself that she had no right to stake any claim over Reuben, especially when he and Belinda were still married. He may have told people they were separated, but clearly Belinda had a different idea on that.
‘Penny for them?’ said her mum as they made their way onto the high street. ‘You’re awfully quiet.’
She forced a yawn. ‘Just sleepy still. It’s quite early to be up and about at this time on a Sunday morning.’
‘Well, you’ll feel brand new in about an hour. I promise. Trust me,’ said her mum with a chuckle.
‘Hmm,’ she said, unconvinced. ‘I’ll take your word for it. I still can’t believe I’ve agreed to sign up to this.’ She had eventually been broken by her mum’s enthusiasm and agreed to give the loch-side sauna a go. Her thoughts drifted again to Reuben and yesterday. They seemed to have connected on some level when he opened up to her about his dad. That’s what friends do, she reminded herself.They talk to each other.But she also knew friends didn’t look at each other in the way that they had. Just before Belinda had knocked on the door, it was as though time had been suspended between them. After leaving Primrose Cottage, Jessica had curled up on the sofa at home and watched a movie, trying to put all thoughts of Reuben out of her head.
‘Did you know that cold water therapy is a thing,’ said her mum as she walked briskly towards the beach. ‘It’s definitely helped me feel calmer. Ask your dad.’
Angus had politely declined the invitation to join them, saying he was quite happy reading the paper by the fire. Jessica had a feeling that he was making the most of her being home. It was giving him a rest from her mum’s busy schedule. ‘I do believe you, honestly. I know wild swimming is all the rage now. It’s funny to think that people actually choose to go and swim in the loch or in the sea, especially at this time of year.’ Her boots crunched over the frosted pebbles on the beach. ‘Saunas are springing up everywhere.’
‘Come on, this way,’ said Catriona, pointing towards the large wooden cabin at the far end of the shore. As they neared it, she noticed the panoramic windows stretching along its entire length, with views right across the loch. This could actually be better than she had thought. She followed her mum’s lead as she went into the small, covered area at the back of the sauna for changing.
‘Hi, Emmet,’ her mum said, waving at the smiling man who had just come out of the sauna.
‘Morning, Catriona. Nice to see you again. I was just checking the temperature and all is good to go.’ He was very cheery and dressed from head to toe in moisture-wicking sports gear, with a bandana wrapped round his head.
‘Super,’ she said. ‘Meet my daughter, Jessica.’
He extended a hand. ‘Nice to meet you. Your mum talks about you all the time.’
Jessica shook his hand. ‘I hope it’s all good,’ she joked.
She couldn’t help noticing how enthusiastic he was when he spoke. He was what she would describe as a double-guns type of guy.
He laughed. ‘Of course.’ He pointed at the small wooden office that sat back from the bay. ‘I’ll be in there. Shout if you need me. And enjoy. It’s a wonderful way to start the day.’
