“Well, I don’t take much. Just pocket money, really.” He’d turned down the offer of a proper salary when Duncan had suggested it years ago. Back then, he hadn’t been interested in independence. So his brother still looked after him financially as if he were a wee lad.
Hew pressed the side of his fist to his lips and turned away from the door, knowing how lame he sounded. He’d already admitted to her that he dropped out of college. Now she knew he had no savings or even an income.
He raised his head as she appeared in front of him, holding a medium-sized canvas of a view of Kindrogan Castle in the snow, framed by the mountains on either side.
“I’d love to have this one to remind me of my weekend here.”
His heart clenched. Her words sounded as if she had no intention of returning.
“Of course,” he said. “I’m glad you like it.”
She set it carefully on the floor, leaning against the wall, and returned to him. She raised a hand and touched her fingertips to his stubbly cheek.
“I want to set something straight right now. What you did at college ten years ago doesn’t matter one iota, and I don’t care if you have a million in the bank or nothing.” Then she rose to her toes and pressed her lips against his.
Chapter Ten
Faith sat beside Hew in the Kindrogan Estate pickup as he drove along the track towards Kinder Vale. Her weekend bag rested on the backseat with the picture Hew had given her, securely wrapped in bubble wrap and brown paper. They traveled the same route in the same vehicle as four days ago, when he had collected her from the train station, yet now everything was different. Back then, she had thought him cold and distant, and now she thought the complete opposite.
As Hew changed gear up the hill, Faith brushed her fingertips across the back of his hand, just a fleeting touch. He flashed her a grin she wouldn’t have believed he was capable of when she arrived here. The grin transformed his face into the warm, caring man she had so recently come to know.
The previous evening, they had prepared spaghetti bolognese together in his kitchen at Boathouse Cottage, working side by side as if they had been cooking together forever. Later, she’d snuggled next to him on the sofa while they watched a family movie with Fergus. Once Fergus went to bed, they had cuddled on the sofa and talked into the night, sharing everything from their earliest childhood memories to their hopes for the future, delighting in finding out where they agreed and disagreed.
Hew Mackenzie was a good, kind man, a little shy with people he didn’t know, and definitely burdened with guilt and regrets about his past. But he listened to what she had to say and wasn’t afraid to admit his mistakes. He was steady and well balanced with his feet planted firmly on the ground. He had his priorities straight. His son, his family, and his work mattered to him, and he thought about others instead of being wrapped up in himself. He was so different from Liam, who had carelessly destroyed her relationship with him by indulging in a succession of infidelities, because the only person who mattered to Liam was himself.
Faith had promised herself, never again would she go through that. Where Liam had been blond and charming, Hew was dark and considerate. After three years alone, she really thought she might have a chance of being happy with Hew.
“I sent one of the lads out on the snowplow to clear the drifts after the wind last night, so the road should be clear all the way to the village,” he said.
The vehicle’s tires skidded and it fishtailed as Hew made a run up the steepest hill, but they made it into the pine forest and followed the ice-crusted track. The wider road to the village had been salted and gritted after the snowplow went through and was easier going.
The collection of old slate-roofed stone cottages came into view, the start of Kinder Vale. Faith stared out of the window as they passed a police station, the doctor’s office, and some small shops. They navigated around an area that was covered in snow with a Christmas tree still lit up in the center. On the far side of the village, Hew pulled up outside a single-story brick building with its own parking area.
“This looks promising.” Faith leaned forward and took in the neat modern lines of what appeared to be a custom-built veterinary hospital. She’d expected the local veterinarians to work from an old converted house as they so often did in England.
Hew parked and climbed out to stride around the back of the vehicle and open her door. She waited for him, not wanting to spoil his gentlemanly gesture by jumping out before he got there. She took the hand he offered, even though she was wearing her boots and unlikely to slip. He gripped her fingers firmly as they headed towards the building, and she suppressed an urge to grab hold of him and dance around like a teenager.
This was all so new, so exciting. She was acutely conscious of the feel of his hand around hers, and very much aware that she must make the most of her time with him. In an hour, she would be boarding the train back to Edinburgh, and would likely not see him for a few weeks.
They stepped into the warm, welcoming waiting room, decorated with colorful posters about the importance of worming your pet and keeping its teeth clean. Two people sat on the contemporary wooden chairs, an elderly man with a cat basket on the seat at his side, and a middle-aged woman with a collie dog sitting at her feet.
A woman Faith judged to be in her late twenties manned a light wood reception desk, with shelves full of veterinary products on the wall behind her. She put the phone down as they approached.
“Hew,” she said, smiling. “How can I help you?”
“Greg’s expecting me. I spoke with him yesterday.”
“Okay. I’ll just let him know you’re here.” She disappeared along a hallway into the building and knocked on a door before entering.
Excitement buzzed through Faith. The veterinary center had a nice vibe, clean and clinical but friendly.
An older man in a tweed jacket and brushed-cotton shirt followed the receptionist back to the waiting room. Smiling broadly, he offered his hand to Hew. “Good to see you, lad.”
“Greg, I’d like you to meet Faith Wallace.”
Greg offered Faith his hand, and she accepted it. “Nice to meet you, lassie.”
“Thank you for agreeing to see me. I appreciate your time.”
“Come on through.”
He led them to a staff room off the end of the hall, containing comfy chairs and a small kitchen area equipped with a kettle and microwave oven. “Tea,” he asked, starting to set out three cups before they answered. After they each had a cup of tea, Greg led them to the chairs and they sat.
Greg was older than she’d expected, his sandy hair threaded liberally with gray, his nose and cheeks weathered a ruddy color. He listened attentively while she explained her situation and admitted that although her stint as an army veterinarian had been interesting, the breadth of her clinical experience had been limited in the army.
“Well, we don’t need an extra veterinarian in the practice. My son, Alex, is my partner here. We have enough work to keep two of us busy, but there is little prospect of growing the practice because of the geography.”
The disappointment hit Faith harder than she’d expected. When she woke this morning, she’d had her head in the clouds. She’d convinced herself that her relationship with Hew was meant to be, and that this job would work out the way she wanted.
“However…” Greg smiled, obviously aware he had just burst her bubble. “For the last couple of years, I’ve been promising myself it’s time to slow down. My knees and the small of my back object when I’m crawling around after sheep in some crofter’s shed in subzero temperatures. I’m not quite ready to step back completely, but if you were happy to start with us on a part-time basis, then you’ll be in place when I retire for good in a couple of years when I’m sixty.”
“That sounds…promising.” Faith’s mind spun, doing mental arithmetic to estimate how far her savings might stretch.
One of the good side effects of being in the army was the lack of time she
had off to spend money. As a result, most of her not ungenerous salary went straight into her savings account. She should have enough to survive on part-time earnings for a few years, and if she didn’t, she would have to find a second job to supplement her income.
The sound of a door opening came from the hallway. “Sounds like my son might be between patients. I’ll see if I can collar him for a moment.” Greg jumped up and stuck his head out the door. “Alex, can you come in here for a moment?”
A younger version of Greg appeared in the doorway, with the same sandy hair and ruddy cheeks, only dressed in dark jeans and a navy scrub top with the red-and-gold practice logo embroidered on it. Greg introduced her, and she shook hands with Alex and exchanged a few pleasantries.
When Alex went back to his patients, Faith and Hew bid Greg farewell with the promise that they would keep in touch, and in the spring, she would return and spend a trial day with them to make sure they liked each other.
Faith hummed inside with excitement as they headed back to the pickup. She took in every detail of the surgery she could, imagining herself here wearing the navy scrub top bearing the practice logo.
Hew’s hand settled on her back, a warm and encouraging touch. “Well done, lass. That was more successful than I dared hope.”
“I know. It would be fantastic to work here.”
As they drove towards the train station, Faith saw the village in a new light, imagining herself living here, going into the small local shops. Her euphoria lasted the two miles to the station, when she remembered she had to leave Hew.
Once he’d stopped the vehicle, he angled his body towards her and lifted one of her hands to his lips to kiss her knuckles. It was so sweet the way he did that, sort of old-fashioned.
“I wish you didn’t have to go,” he said.
“I’d rather stay here with you.”
She leaned over the gearshift into his embrace and pressed her face into his neck, breathing in the fragrance of him. Apart from the first time she met him when he smelled of shortbread, he always smelled of the fresh Scottish air with a hint of pine trees.
He carried her bag and picture onto the platform and stayed with her, keeping her nestled beneath his arm out of the bitter wind while they waited the five minutes until the train pulled in. One last kiss and she boarded. The door slammed, and she ducked to keep him in sight out of the window as the train moved off. He had his hand raised in farewell as he disappeared from view.
Faith stowed her things, slumped down in a seat, and breathed deeply a couple of times, her emotions swinging all over the place, one second happy and the next near tears. She wished she could leave the army now and move up here, but she would have to be patient. It was only five months until the end of her contract.
Five months that would probably feel like an eternity.
Chapter Eleven
The next six weeks passed in a strange pattern of slow-dragging weeks of work spent looking forward, interspersed with rare days of leave with Hew that whizzed past at lightning speed.
Faith managed one visit to the Highlands, when she spent one of the days at the veterinary clinic with Greg and Alex. This time she stayed with Hew at Boathouse Cottage. He’d cleared all the paintings out of his spare bedroom, put in a bed and a dressing table, and turned it into a lovely guest room, especially for her.
Twice, Hew came to Edinburgh and stayed overnight in a hotel. The first time, Fergus came too, and the three of them had a fun time together like a family, visiting Edinburgh castle and Hollyrood Park, where they took the footpath up the hill to Arthur’s seat, an extinct volcano with a hill fort dating back two thousand years. From the top was a magnificent view over Edinburgh and the surrounding countryside.
The second time, Hew came alone and they had a chance to talk. They walked hand in hand through the old part of the city along Victoria Street past the brightly colored shop fronts and the cobbled street in the Grassmarket. As darkness fell and the city lit up, they ended the walk on Rose Street in a small Italian bistro. In a private corner lit by a candle in the center of the red-checked tablecloth, they ate pasta and drank wine, Faith’s hand resting in Hew’s as they talked about the future.
“You’re very talented, Hew. I’m sure if you contact some of the galleries in Edinburgh, you’ll find one willing to put on an exhibition of your work.”
Hew looked down at his plate, his dark eyes hidden by his lashes. He was reluctant to try to sell his paintings; she already knew that. She’d mentioned this a few times since they met, and in her mind, it was the key to boosting his belief in himself. There was no doubt he loved managing Kindrogan Estate and was very good at it, but it was equally clear he believed himself to be inferior to his siblings, the underachieving brother living in the shadow of his army-doctor brothers.
“Let me think about it,” Hew responded and immediately changed the subject.
Despite Hew’s reluctance, Faith kept her eyes open for galleries while traveling around Edinburgh. Once she had a list, she prioritized them in order of how favorably they were located and how nice they appeared, and called them one by one until she found a gallery owner interested in seeing Hew’s work.
When she stopped by Snakeswood Gallery, the owner was intrigued, not only by the photos of Hew’s paintings, but also by his story. Apparently, who he was and what he did enhanced the appeal of the paintings, as they were so relevant to his life and work. It wasn’t good enough to paint well; artists needed to have an intriguing platform to promote themselves, she was told.
Now standing inside the historic Edinburgh Waverley station, Faith leaned against one of the ornate green-and-white columns that held up the network of metal girders supporting the glass roof, and stamped her feet to keep warm while she waited for Hew’s train to arrive. It was nearly the end of March, but a cold spell had come in and the temperature was only a few degrees above freezing.
As she waited for Hew, a pang of uncertainty hit her. How would he take it when she explained the appointment she’d made with the gallery owner? In her eagerness to help him, had she overstepped the mark?
• • •
As the train from Kinder Vale approached Edinburgh, Hew’s phone chimed, signaling a text from Faith.
Faith: I’m at the station. Can’t wait to see you. XXX
Hew smiled and sent her back a few kisses and a smiley face. He had never been much interested in his mobile phone before. Half the time, he was in wild areas with no signal anyway, and he tended to forget about his phone until it made that crazy white-tailed eagle’s call that Fergus had set as his ringtone for a laugh. Hew had intended to change it, but in truth, he wasn’t sure how.
The last six weeks, he’d used his phone more than in the rest of the time he’d owned it. Every few minutes, he seemed to be fishing it out of his pocket to see if he had a text from Faith, or to look at one of the photos of Edinburgh she often sent him. He used to keep his phone tucked away, but now it was in an outside pocket of his coat for easy access. He’d even taken a few selfies at her request, although the thought still made him cringe with embarrassment.
Peering out the train window, he recognized they were nearing the station, so he stood, pulled his bag off the overhead rack, and made his way to the door. The carriage was half empty. At this time on a Friday afternoon, he was going against the flow. Most passengers using the railway would be commuters heading out of Edinburgh after the work week.
Brakes squealed, the train slowed, and when it stopped, he opened a door and stepped out. The public address system droned a message about a delayed train as he strode along the platform, heading for the area near the shops where Faith usually waited for him.
He slung his bag over his shoulder out of the way, ready to throw his arms around her. He saw her before she saw him, standing next to the pillar by a flower stall. She wore skinny jeans, brown ankle boots, and a puffy blue jacket with a matching hat, her long blond hair falling around her shoulders.
His pulse sp
eeded up at the sight of her. He sucked in a breath and released it slowly, calming himself. He spent every quiet moment dreaming of holding her and kissing her, and the moment her gaze found him, he opened his arms in invitation.
Faith’s face lit up with a smile, causing his heart to thud against his ribs. And then she was there before him, stepping close, leaning into him, her face against his neck. He closed his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her hair over her ear.
“Hello, lassie. It’s so good to see you.”
He wanted to kiss her, but he didn’t give her more than a quick peck on the cheek. Proper kisses were something to be shared in private.
“Oh, I’ve missed you.” She pulled back in his arms and grinned up at him.
He didn’t want to release her, but he did, and she burrowed her gloved hand into his before they made their way towards the exit.
“I have a surprise for you,” she said.
He cast her a sideways glance. “You’ve found a gallery?”
She’d been looking for such a place, he knew, and although the thought of exhibiting his paintings made him want to hike to the most remote bothy on Kindrogan Estate and hide, the fact she was eager for him to hold an exhibition of his work persuaded him to at least try it, if only to prove to her he would make the effort. He wanted to impress her, and this seemed to be the only way possible.
“It’s a potential place for your exhibition. The woman who owns Snakeswood Gallery loved the painting you gave me and wants to meet you. She likes the idea that you work and live in the landscape you paint. It makes you more authentic, apparently.”
“Authentic what?” Sounded like a load of twaddle to Hew.
“Do you want to take a taxi or walk? The place is up a narrow alley not far from the cathedral.”
“What do you think?”
“Hmm.” Her eyes twinkled as she pretended to consider, a finger pressed to her lips, her forehead furrowed. “You want to walk.”
Hew smiled. She knew him by now. Anyway, it was always nice to stroll up the Royal Mile to the Saint Giles Cathedral.
Faith (Beach Brides Book 11) Page 7
