by Lisa Hobman
He had either not noticed her emotional state or he had chosen to ignore it. Whatever the case she was relieved.
‘Come on bloody hop-along, let’s get you home. No surfing lessons for a while you’ll be happy to know. And let’s hope the pills they’ve prescribed are happy ones, eh?’ He thrust a pair of crutches at her and helped her to stand.
She grabbed the crutches and leaned on them. ‘Look, I’m sorry… again.’ Her voice wobbled and she chewed the inside of her cheek to try and stem the tears. ‘It’s been a rough couple of months and it’s resulted in me being suspicious of everyone—deserving or not. I’m angry and I’m heartbroken but none of that is your doing, so I’m really very sorry for how I’ve acted towards you since I came here. I’m doing my best to push people away to try and protect myself but… I want you to know that I really do appreciate you calling the ambulance and following me here. And taking me home. And for generally being friendly when I’ve given you no reason to keep trying. I don’t deserve your kindness, Mac…’ Her voice trailed off into a sad and defeated whisper.
He said nothing for a few moments. He just stared at her like a rabbit trapped in the glare of oncoming traffic, a deep furrow to his brow.
Eventually he gave a small smile. ‘I still preferred it when you called me Tiger.’ In spite of the tears leaving warm trails down her face she burst out laughing and his small smile turned in to a full-on grin. ‘Ah see, I might drive you mad but I make you smile too. Now come on, apology accepted. And maybe, I don’t know, give that brush a wee wash out, eh?’
She pulled her brows in. ‘What brush?’
He leaned in and nudged her with his shoulder. ‘The one you keep tarring everyone with.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, I see.’
‘Come along then crazy crutch lady, or they’ll think you’re moving in.’
‘Crazy crutch lady?’ She began to hobble towards the exit.
He shrugged as he walked beside her. ‘Well you didn’t like crazy cat lady.’
Chapter Twenty-one
Once they arrived at Mac’s car, he opened the door for Cassie and helped her inside the ancient four by four, lifting her as if she weighed nothing. Once she was strapped in he jogged around to the driver’s side and climbed in, slamming the door.
He turned the key in the ignition and as the engine roared to life the car was suddenly filled with a pounding bass beat and electric guitars. Mac cringed and reached quickly for the off button. ‘Shit, sorry about that. I’m guessing it wasn’t your cup of tea, eh?’
She pursed her lips and widened her eyes. ‘Maybe you should stop judging books by their covers, eh?’ It felt good to serve him a dose of his own medicine and she couldn’t help the grin on her face when surprise took over his. She continued, ‘And I liked it actually. Who was it?’
He nodded, evidently impressed. ‘That, my friend, was the LaFontaines. I’ve seen them live at Belladrum. They were bloody awesome. Shall I put it back on?’ he asked excitedly.
‘I think you should.’
‘All righty then.’ He leaned across and hit the button and they were once again surrounded by the catchy tune, voices singing about sharks in the water and a talented guy rapping in a familiar Glaswegian accent.
All the way back to Coldingham, Cassie found herself tapping along on her unharmed leg in time with the music. Every so often she would catch Mac singing and then grinning at her. His smile was infectious—although it could’ve been the pain meds—and she found herself grinning too.
Once they arrived back at Rose Brae, Mac helped Cassie into the cottage. The poor little dog was so excited to see them that he peed on the kitchen floor whilst making high-pitched yipping noises.
‘Oh no! Cliff!’ Cassie tried to bend but Mac stopped her before she face-planted onto the tiles.
‘Whoah, you go sit. I’ll sort this wee fella out. He’s probably been fretting.’
Cassie did as instructed for once and she watched as Mac gathered cleaning products and some paper kitchen towels to clean up the little puddle of excitement. ‘Thanks again, Mac. It’s getting really late; I totally understand if you need to leave.’
‘Hey, it’s really no bother. Once I’ve got this sorted, I’ll take him for a walk. If that’s okay with you?’
Once again floored by his undeserved kindness she nodded. ‘Thanks again. For everything. I… I really don’t deserve it.’
From his position kneeling on the floor he rested his elbow on his knee and fixed her with a stony glare. ‘So what do you deserve, eh? To be left to fend for yourself and struggle? Look, what’s done is done, okay? I’m not one to hold grudges so just leave the past where it belongs, eh? Fresh start. Friends?’ He smiled kindly.
She didn’t know whether it was his kindness or her tiredness but her lip began to tremble once again so he rushed over to crouch before her. ‘Oh feck, I didn’t mean to make you cry. I’m so sorry, Cassie, you were right; I do speak without thinking sometimes. But I didn’t mean to sound awful. I was actually being nice for once.’
She shook her head and laughed through her tears. ‘No, it’s fine. I seem to be doing this a lot lately.’ She rolled her eyes as she wiped moisture from her face. ‘It’s becoming a habit and I don’t like it. I guess this whole break-up and relocation thing has caught up with me. I’m shattered and you being so nice isn’t helping my emotional state.’
He laughed. ‘Jeez, so when I’m a shit I piss you off and when I’m nice I make you cry? There’s no hope for me, woman.’ She laughed again and he responded with that handsome crooked grin of his. ‘Look, I’ll take the wee man out and you have a breather, eh? It’s almost eleven o’clock and I’m guessing the trauma of today has taken its toll. My mum always used to say, “You’ll be right as the rain tomorrow.” And I reckon she was onto something there. But one last thing…’
Cassie sniffed. ‘What’s that?’
He stood and grabbed Cliff’s lead before turning to face her again. ‘No more thanks and definitely no more tears, okay?’
Cassie agreed, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment for her emotional outburst. She reached for her bag to find some tissues and her hand landed on her phone. She pulled it out and gasped. ‘Oh no! It’s ruined!’
Mac stopped by the door and turned. He cringed. ‘Oh yes, sorry about that. A car ran over it when you fell head first into the road. I could rescue you or it. I chose you.’ With that final comment he closed the door behind him.
As she stared at the mangled plastic and glass it dawned on her. Seth had located her via the phone. He had bought her the top of the range thing and was paying for the contract. How the hell could she have forgotten that? All he needed to do was put some kind of trace on it. Bastard. Well at least this meant that her life after Seth could start properly when this final tie was severed. She would purchase a new phone and in doing so get a new number.
She threw the wrecked item on the table. ‘Blessing in disguise really,’ she mumbled.
With a lot of effort she made her way to living room and lowered herself steadily to the couch. It was freezing now but she didn’t have the energy to build a fire. In spite of the drop in temperature, she drifted off as the exhaustion of the day’s events took over and she succumbed to much needed sleep.
‘Hey, sleepy head. You can’t stay there all night, you’ll crick your neck. Come on sleepy head, wake up.’
A gentle voice whispered into her dream and she fluttered her eyes open. Mac was crouched beside her and Cliff was sitting on the couch to her left, his tail wagging in that crazy way she loved.
She rubbed her sore eyes. ‘What time is it?’
Mac glanced at his watch. ‘It’s after one. Do you want me to help you up the stairs? Or I could bring you a blanket down here?’
‘No, no, I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.’
He nodded. ‘Okay, well I’ve put my number on the pad by your landline. Just in case you need anything. And don’t hesitate to call me okay?’
&nbs
p; She sighed. ‘Thanks again for today, Mac. Really.’
He scrunched his brow. ‘Erm… I thought we weren’t doing that whole thanks thing again.’
She cringed and smiled. ‘Whoops. Forgot.’
‘Right, well I’ll be off. Get some sleep but make sure you get comfy first, eh? Goodnight.’
‘I will. Bye, Mac.’
Chapter Twenty-two
Mac
He pulled the door to Rose Brae closed behind him and walked back over to the Jeep where he had parked it on the little lane beside the row of cottages. The drive home took a few minutes meaning he was back at his chilly caravan quickly.
Watching Cassie fall into the road had been bloody awful. The fact that a hulking great four wheel drive had narrowly missed her had made his heart almost leap from his chest. It was a good thing he’d been there. Right place, right time.
Luckily, she weighed next to nothing and he had managed to carry her unconscious, limp body on to the pavement where he called for an ambulance. The whole time he was waiting with her he was willing her to wake up and be okay. He’d teased her something chronic since she arrived and she clearly couldn’t stand him. She had been nothing but stroppy and evasive since that first meeting—a city slicker looking down her nose at his unkempt ways. But he’d seen a totally different side to her on their surfing lesson. She’d smiled and laughed and he was the cause of that too. She had such a beautiful smile that lit up her whole face. And she shared his affinity with the beach. He still wondered why the hell she’d chosen Coldingham to relocate to. What on earth was there here for someone like her when she was so used to the city? Surely the beach wasn’t that much of a draw for her? It had been a strange evening. Seeing tears in her eyes as she repeatedly thanked him for helping her when she felt she didn’t deserve it was so sad and it made him wonder what kind of shit her boyfriend had been. Okay so he cheated on her with her friend—that was bad enough. But to feel so undeserving of care? He must have been a complete arse. Although it had been good to see a tiny chink in her icy façade. He hoped that maybe they could be friends after all. Even if it was so he could prove to her that not all friends betray you like hers had.
The morning after all the drama he rose early even though he had no surfing lessons planned. He took the opportunity to go for a run on the beach and was out the door before seven. There was a sea mist hanging over the sand giving the appearance of a horror movie set and there was no one around apart from a couple of his hardened surfer buddies who he waved to as he jogged. Those guys would be out there regardless of time, tide and weather. It was a wonder they hadn’t sprouted fins and gills. For a split second he envied them and almost considered returning to the van to get his board but then he remembered Cliff would be needing his morning constitutional.
The coastal breeze refreshed and cooled Mac’s heated skin as his feet pounded the sand and he glanced up the hill towards home where the rest of the villagers were beginning to wake. He smiled to himself as he ran. Of all the places in the world he could be there really was no place like home, his home. His roots were in Coldingham and the roads, pavements and beach were ingrained in his heart like the veins in his body. The people were like an extended family and he knew he could never live long enough to repay their kindness following the death of his parents even though he had taken it hard and rebelled there for a while. They just understood and accepted that the pain was what was causing him to behave so negatively. Perhaps that was why he had somehow gravitated towards Cassie. He recognised her grief and knew that her attitude to begin with was as a result of what she had been through. He had been given a chance so he would do the same for her.
Some people might find it dull living in such a provincial little place but for Mac that wasn’t the case. He loved to travel—especially to the Highlands—but he always looked forward to returning to his little caravan in his Scottish seaside village. He knew he would always call Coldingham home.
He jogged up to Cassie’s cottage, knocked on the door and waited. After a few minutes a panting, frustrated, red faced woman greeted him. ‘Ugh! I officially hate crutches,’ she growled.
Mac chuckled and shook his head. ‘And here I was thinking they were a fabulous fashion accessory.’ She rolled her eyes but smiled at the same time. ‘Anyway, I’ve come to take the Cliffmeister for his walk.’
Her eyes widened. ‘Really? But… why?’
He scrunched his brow and wondered why it wasn’t obvious after her complaint about the crutches. ‘Well… in case you’ve forgotten, you’re a teensy bit incapacitated right now. And a dog’s gotta do what a wee dog’s gotta do, you know?’ He whispered behind his hand and gestured towards Cliff, who was standing beside Cassie wagging his stubby little tail.
Cassie’s cheeks flamed. ‘Well that’s brilliant. Thanks, Mac. Come on in.’ She hobbled inside and Mac followed.
‘So how did you get on last night? Manage the stairs okay?’
She slumped on to a kitchen chair. ‘Well put it this way, my bottom is sore and Cliff thinks I’m insane.’ She laughed and he liked the musical sound. ‘He watched my every move and followed me cautiously. Oh and he tried to run off with one of my crutches when I was in the loo.’
Mac burst into laughter at the ridiculous image this all conjured up. ‘Probably thought it was a huge shiny stick and all his Christmas and birthdays had come at once.’
She joined in with his merriment. ‘Yes, luckily he got stuck in the bathroom doorway.’
She really was pretty when she smiled and quite stunning when she laughed. He was definitely beginning to think there was a decent human being under all the angst.
She tucked her blonde hair behind her ears. ‘I know you said I wasn’t to say thank you anymore but… well I really am grateful for your help with Cliff. He really likes you. I know I haven’t been the easiest person to get along with since I moved here.’
He shrugged and reached for Cliff’s lead. ‘Hey, it’s nae bother. I know you’ve been through some shit and no one trusts easily after that. Especially when it’s those you think you know the best who’ve done the trust breaking. But we can’t all be as perfect as me, eh?’ He joked trying to lighten the mood.
She shook her head and smiled. ‘You’re modest too then?’
‘To a fault. Now can I get you anything while I’m out?’ he asked as he clipped Cliff’s lead on to his collar.’
‘Maybe some milk and bread? But unless they stock new legs in the Spar that’s all.’
He trailed his gaze downwards to where she had her damaged limb extended. ‘Nothing wrong with yours that a bit of rest won’t cure.’ When he lifted his head once again he found her blushing—but then he had just been openly ogling her.
He cleared his throat. ‘Ahem… right then, we’ll be off. I’ll call for milk and bread although you maybe should sign up with Peter. He’s the local milk man. It’ll save you loads of hassle in the long run. He’s a top guy. Oh, and he sells other stuff around Christmas time too. I always think it’s important to support local business. But then I see you get your dog food from Rob at Coldstream which is great.’
‘I totally agree. Use them or lose them.’
‘Aye. Indeed. Right well, we’ll see you later.’ He walked towards the door with his new best friend.
‘See you later, Mac. Bye Cliff.’ She was smiling again and Mac wondered if maybe she had turned a corner. Maybe she was settling better now? And maybe she was realising that not all men were arseholes. He certainly hoped so.
Chapter Twenty-three
Cassie
Cassie managed to make herself a bowl of porridge in the microwave and, after realising that getting it to the table was virtually impossible, she was standing at the kitchen work surface to eat it when there was a loud, thunderous pounding at the door. She almost jumped out of her skin and placed her spoon down, frowning. Crikey, that was a quick walk, I hope Cliff has behaved himself, ’cause Mac sounds pissed off if that knock is anything to go by,
she thought as she grabbed her crutches and headed to the door.
‘How come you’re back so qu—’ she gasped as she opened the door and saw the man at the other side of it wasn’t Mac after all.
‘Hello, Cassandra. I thought I’d stop by and say hello seeing as I’m in the area.’
‘S-Seth? Why… how… I mean what are you doing here?’ He looked exactly how he had when she first met him. A crisp, designer suit hanging from his well-toned frame and his greying hair neatly styled to frame his clean-shaven face. No signs at all of the heartbroken, dishevelled mess she had witnessed when she tried to collect her belongings, but then again she remembered that had been a failed ploy to manipulate her sympathy.
He smiled but the gesture was void of any feeling. ‘Oh, I’m looking at some property in the area. Nothing definite yet but you never know, we could be neighbours.’ He laughed without humour. ‘Well, you could be neighbours with whoever moves in, that is. I obviously won’t be moving to this provincial little place. A little too hum drum for me. Now, aren’t you going to invite me in?’
She sighed. ‘It’s not a good time, Seth. It’s probably best if you just go.’
He stepped towards her and glanced down, his eyes widening when he saw the crutches. ‘What have we here? Someone been harming you, have they? Who do I need to kill?’ He grinned but his words sent a tingle of unease down her spine.
She scrunched her face. ‘Good grief, Seth. I had a fall that’s all. And it’s just a sprain. I’m fine. Look, you should leave. I’m eating lunch at the moment.’
‘Nonsense. I’ll just come in for a while.’ He managed to push past her and walked in to the cottage uninvited.
Reluctantly she followed him and found him in the kitchen. He was peering around his surroundings with a look of disdain contorting his face. ‘How long are you planning on keeping up this charade then, Cassie?’
