but although at first they’d had stand-up fights that had ended inevitably in bed with tearful and passionate reconciliation, by the end there’d been no sign of it. And he’d missed it. Missed the fights, missed the making up. Missed his Maisie.
He sighed and turned into the car park of the café overlooking the top of Loch Linnhe, and by the time he’d cut the engine she had her seat-belt undone and was reaching for the door handle.
She straightened up and looked around, giving him a perfect back view, her jeans gently hugging that curved, shapely bottom that had fitted so well in his hands …
‘This looks nice.’
He swallowed hard and hauled in a breath. ‘It is nice. It’s owned by the people who run the hotel in the village. They’ve got a local produce shop here as well, selling salmon and venison and cheese and the like.’
‘And insect repellent?’
He chuckled, remembering her constant battle with the midges. ‘Probably.’ He held the door, and she went in and sniffed the air, making him smile.
‘Oh, the coffee smells good.’
‘It is good. What are you having?’
‘Cappuccino, and—they look tasty.’
‘They are. Do me a favour and don’t even ask about the calories.’
‘Don’t worry, I won’t,’ she vowed, making him laugh. ‘I’m starving.’
He ordered the coffees and two of the trademark gooey pastries, and they headed for a table by the window. He set the tray down and eased into the seat opposite her, handing her her cup.
‘So, how did the wedding go yesterday?’
A flicker of distress appeared in her moss- green eyes before she looked down at her coffee. She poked the froth for a moment. ‘OK. Lovely. Very beautiful. Very moving. The bride’s mother’s not well—that’s why I couldn’t hand it over.’
He frowned. ‘Why didn’t they postpone it?’
‘Because she’s about to start chemo,’ Maisie said softly. ‘They had to rush the wedding forward, and the last thing I could do to them was upset them at this stage. They wanted me, they trusted me, and I’d promised.’
‘Of course. I’m sorry, I didn’t appreciate that at the time. I can quite see that you had to stay, and I’m sorry if I implied that anyone else could take over from you. Of course that isn’t true, especially under those circumstances. You had no choice.’
She blinked. He’d really taken her comments on board, if that was anything to go by, but she wasn’t surprised. He’d always been one for doing the right thing—even when it was wrong.
‘You’ll be wanting to send them the images.’
‘I’ve done it. I downloaded them on the train and posted them at Euston. Just in case.’ She sighed softly as she broke off, biting her lip and thinking of Annette.
‘Poor woman,’ he murmured. ‘It must have been hard for the family, dealing with all those emotions.’
She nodded, but then she went quiet, sipping her coffee, absently tearing up the pastry and nibbling at it. ‘Rob, this wedding—are you sure it’s right for them? They’re so young.’
‘Not that young.’
‘They are! Just like we were. We were far too young.’
‘You can’t compare them to us. They’re three years older than we were—’
‘No. I was eighteen, she’s twenty. That’s only two years.’
‘She’s almost twenty-one. She’ll be twenty-one by the wedding, and Alec will be twenty-four. And those years make a lot of difference. You were only just eighteen and pregnant, and I was twenty- one and committed to the navy for six years, and we didn’t know each other nearly well enough.’
‘We still don’t.’
‘No. Jenni said that on Tuesday, and I think she was right. But they’re different, Maisie. They know each other through and through. They’ve been friends ever since they were children, and this has been growing for years. They’re genuinely deeply in love, and it’s great to see them together. We didn’t stand a chance, but they do. I think they’ll be very happy together.’
‘You don’t think they should wait?’
‘What for?’
Good question. She stared out of the window over the gently rippling waters of the loch and sighed. ‘I don’t know,’ she murmured. ‘To be more settled?’
‘They are settled. Alec’s got a good job—’
‘One you’ve given him. Rob, you are sure about him, aren’t you?’ she asked, her anxiety surfacing. ‘You don’t think he’s using her?’
Rob frowned. ‘Using her? Of course he’s not. They’ve known each other for years!’
‘That wouldn’t stop some people.’
‘Maisie, Alec’s not like that.’
‘So what is he like? Tell me—I’m worried, Rob.’
‘You don’t need to be. They’ve known each other since they were children—he taught her to ride a bike, for heaven’s sake. They used to play together when she came up in the holidays, and they’ve always got on. He was born in the cottage his parents still live in, and his father was my estate manager until he retired five years ago. He worked for my father, and my uncle before him, and his father before him, so he’s the third generation to look after Ardnashiel. It’s in his blood, even more than it is in mine, and I can’t think of a safer pair of hands either for the estate or for Jenni. He’s kind and decent, honest as the day is long, and he really loves her. You honestly don’t need to worry.’
She nodded slowly, reassured by his measured assessment of his future son-in-law. ‘And your mother? How does she feel about him?’
‘She likes him. She’s very fond of him, actually.’
‘Really? Even though he’s one of the estate employees? I’m surprised she thinks he’s good enough for her.’
His brows scrunched together in a frown. ‘What makes you say that?’
‘Well, they made it clear I wasn’t good enough for you—or was that just my lack of morals?’
He gave a harsh sigh. ‘You don’t change, do you?’ he said. ‘You always were a little too quick to judge.’
‘I wasn’t judging her, she was judging me! That’s unfair!’
‘Is it?’ he said softly, his eyes searching hers. ‘You didn’t give my father the benefit of the doubt, you rebuffed all my mother’s offers of friendship and you walked off and left me. That was unfair.’
She
