The Coulson Boys (Adam)

by Karen Lamb

  I looked at my watch, it was 7pm and right on queue Adam called.

  “Hi handsome,” I got in first.

  “Hi yourself,” his voice softly smiling, “how are things?”

  “I had a much quieter day, lots of relaxing and eating before I tried my hand at painting, there is a stunning view right outside the lodge were the loch laps up over the gravelled edge.”

  “You sound happy Claire.”

  “I am, I decided just because life has dealt me a few crap cards there was no need for me to feel sorry for myself.”

  “Good positive attitude, well done. No more exploits with Hamish?” I wondered if this would crop up!

  “As you know Hamish invited me for some supper last night and it turned out to be a bit more elaborate than I had imagined.”

  “Aha!”

  “In point of fact, we dined in his private dining room in the Castle.” There was a lengthy pause, before he asked the same question as Laura.

  “I thought he was a Gillie?”

  “Hmm! Well, not quite, it turns out he’s the laird of the Estate.”

  “Okay, that’s a game changer for sure,” said Adam sounding suddenly tense.

  “I don’t understand why you would think that, don’t tell me your jealous, because you have absolutely nothing to worry about.”

  “Are you sure Claire because if there is something going on I’d prefer to know now.”

  “Adam, enough! I‘m ending this call right now so you can reconsider what you have just said, I know you are under some pressure, but I don’t appreciate anyone, especially you, questioning my decisions and distrusting me. Good night Adam,” and I switched my phone off.

  I was just about to burst into tears when the doorbell rang, dam Hamish was early. He greeted me with our customary ‘friends kiss’, his hands full with trout and other goodies. I grabbed the whiskey and a box, which had a mixed leaf salad inside.

  “Thanks lass,” then took a closer look at my face, “everything OK Claire?” I smiled and left no comment behind as I walked into the kitchen.

  I popped the salad into the fridge and brought a bottle of white wine out from the door. Waving the bottle, I asked.

  “Would you like a glass of wine or are you predominantly a whisky man?”

  “I can be sophisticated and classy when necessary!”

  “Please, not on my behalf“ I said distractedly.

  “Are you sure you’re ok Lass, you’re not being yourself?”

  “Yes, I’m fine.” I snapped.

  “I’ve got to say, you look like you could cry!”

  “It’s nothing really.”

  “I disagree something or someone has upset you.” Tears began to fill my eyes, I sniffed.

  “It’s Adam, I think he’s jealous that I had dinner with you last night and if he knew you were here having some supper here tonight, I think he may have jumped to the wrong conclusions.”

  “And what conclusion would that be Claire? That we were having an affair!”

  Hamish pulled me into his arms and gave me a big hug, and as he rested his chin on top of my head he gently rocked me.

  I let my body relax into his hold; at that moment I needed comforting.

  Slowly and reluctantly he eased his hold of me,

  “Would you like me to go. Would that help?”

  “No,” I said with a stubbornness that surprised me, if he can’t trust me, then that’s his problem.

  I wiped the tears from my face and smiled at Hamish.

  “Now pour me a drink, before we eat my first caught trout. “

  ADAM

  I stood outside, my body was shaking with anger and fear, Claire had cut me off, I had the awful feeling that our relationship was teetering on an abyss!

  I ran a hand though my hair, as I tried to make sense of my emotions. For the first time in my life I was in love and a jealousy was gnawing away inside. This amazing beautiful woman had stolen my heart and another man was threatening to break us apart! I had awoken Claire from her grief and offered her love in exchange. I didn’t know what to do? I was hundreds of miles away, struggling to help heal my family from a rift, which was seriously in danger of breaking us apart.

  My father’s heart attack had shocked every one of us in different ways. Each of us was dealing with our own demons, which demanded to be heard.

  Dad was coming out of hospital in a couple of days, his operation had been successful, and his recovery was ahead of schedule. Mum was delighted; she couldn’t wait to have him home and under her watchful eye!

  That gave me less than two days to help broker a deal with my brothers as to the future of the farm. I knew what it was like to be stuck in a job that wasn’t fulfilling. My brothers all had different skills and together they were a successful team, the problem was Dad! He demanded loyalty and that meant the farm was operating under his vision, one that was not the same as his sons. Dad needed to let go and trust the boys had the where with all to make the business bigger, better and more efficient to suit current day farming methods.

  I had realised that Daniel was the restless one and needed to spread his wings, he couldn’t put up with dad and his ideas anymore and it made sense for him to leave and make a new life for himself.

  I would give my family a few more days and then I knew I had to go to Skye and see Claire. I was prepared to do anything to make her see that we belonged together.

  CHAPTER 34

  I had decided to give Adam and I time to reflect, all communication was by text, and there were many, as we thought through what we wanted to say without hearing our voices and picking up on our emotions.

  Hamish had been a gentleman and not taken advantage of the fragility of our situation. I knew that I was deeply in love with Adam, but I wasn’t ready to fully commit to our relationship, there was a fear that wouldn’t go away, and I needed to work through that until I was absolutely sure. I also wanted to give Adam the time he needed to be with his family.

  Today was the start of my cookery classes, it was the perfect distraction I needed. The kitchen was equipped with every culinary tool and device any keen cook could have wished for. Marco was dressed in his whites and looked every bit the king of his castle. I suspected our group of five were more than a little intimidated and in awe of this man’s reputation.

  We were all given white aprons with the castle’s crest and name boldly printed across. Marco was in his element, he loved to teach and show off his skills. Today was all about working with eggs. We learnt to boil, poach, scramble, all things we thought we knew how to do; wrong! even the simple addition of some white wine vinegar to boiling water and a swirl of the water with a spoon before carefully dropping in the egg, resulted in a smooth round white poached egg. The eggs could then be placed into iced cold water to arrest further cooking and stored in the fridge till needed; simply putting these cooked eggs into boiling water for seconds to reheat meant that later you could have instant poached eggs in seconds!

  Boiling eggs was a timing issue, depending if you wanted the yolk soft, medium or hard boiled, different stages were used in dishes, the soft yolk on top of a piece of cooked fish was a delicious rich sauce addition. Hard-boiled left to go cold and then grated over salads and curry dishes added a simple stylish touch. So many demonstrations of how professionals cooked the simplest of ingredients surprised us.

  As the lesson finished, I removed my apron and folded it before slipping it into my bag. I was looking forward to stretching my legs and taking a walk along the Loch before a well-earned glass of wine and a quiet night in front of a roaring fire.

  As I walked in the early evening light, I noticed how the evenings were getting cooler; I had been here nearly two weeks, only two more left before I had to leave. I was filled with a mixture of emotions. I desperately needed to see Adam, and at the same time I didn’t want to leave this place, it had taken me under its wing and I felt a peace here that I don’t think I had felt anywhere else in the world.

&nbs
p; Hamish had been a godsend to me; I loved his dry wit and his brutal honesty. I also knew he spelt danger, and I had to be aware at all times he had an agenda when it came to me! He had invited me for a drink in the bar, but I had declined saying I was tired and wanted a quiet, early night, I could see the disappointment in his face, which made me realize I had made the right decision.

  I had suggested to Adam that we continue with texting and photo exchanges till the weekend, he then had all the time he needed to focus on his family, and time to think about our relationship. We had arranged to talk on Saturday and discuss our feelings and where we went from here!

  The next few days were a blur of cooking, baking, and generally having lots of fun in Marco’s kitchen. On the last day he invited me into his office for a glass of champagne.

  “Claire, I have to commend you on your enthusiasm and ability, you have embraced these last few days and devoured my every word.” He raised his glass to salute me, the glasses clinked

  “Thank you Marco, what a teacher, it has been a most enjoyable week,” I replied as we sat drinking champagne while talking about our love for food.

  Hamish was chatting to Kathryn at the reception desk when he caught me leaving Marco’s office.

  “Claire, how are you, I wonder if you would let me walk you to the lodge?” Feeling like I had been ambushed my instincts told me to be cautious.

  “ Is everything all right?” I asked, his face was definitely hiding something from me.

  “Yes and no! come on let’s walk,” and he took my arm.

  “So, you’re enjoying your stay up here?” I looked at him and tried to work out where he was going with this conversation. I smiled thoughtfully.

  “Well, you know it’s not exactly what I had planned! None the less, I have been mostly very happy here, it has given me time to consider what I want to do with my future life, I confess that I have completely fallen in love with your beautiful estate and the people who live and work here, I think you are truly lucky to be able to call this place home.” My reply surprised me, I hadn’t expected such a heartfelt answer, but in that moment and without warning I knew I would really miss this place.

  “Well, that is good news Claire, there is a magic here, no doubt about it, but it isn’t for everybody”. I noticed nervousness, as he seemed to be considering whether to continue.

  “What’s wrong Hamish?”

  “To be honest I’m probably going to make a mess of this but the thing is……..well lass, I am in a very clumsy way trying to ask you to marry me?”

  “Oh Hamish, no stop, you know the answer, so don’t put yourself through this!”

  “I have to try Claire, you have an ability to make people like you, and fall in love with you in a heartbeat, I know you don’t realise it, but there you go, it’s a charming ability which few people have and one that has kidnapped my heart.”

  “Hamish, I am very flattered with your honesty, and I am so sorry if I have let you hope that we have a future together. I have been lucky to see a side of you, which is appealing, friendly, and vulnerable, if it hadn’t been for your company these last two weeks I probably wouldn’t have decided to stay up here on my own. There is a woman out there who is waiting for you, be bold like you have been with me, it actually can be very endearing. I’m sorry Hamish, my future is not with you.”

  He was surprisingly composed and accepting of my answer.

  “I had to try again Claire in case there was a chance I could persuade you to elope with me!” His lightness made me laugh.

  “Hamish, you’re a lovely man and there will always be a part of me that wishes could stay here with you, but!” I shrugged to show the inevitability of our situation.

  “I know lass, you don’t have to explain, Adam is the one you hope to have a future with, right?” I quietly nodded my head, because it was suddenly clear that I wanted to build a long, happy and loving future with him.

  “Thank you, Hamish, for making me see what I truly want.”

  “Well, as long as some good has come from all this I can’t complain. So, it’s back to plan B,” he said, “I will be looking for a buyer and sell the estate.”

  “Are you sure you have thought long and hard Hamish, it’s in your blood, it’s your home. He nodded insistently.

  “If you had reconsidered my proposal I would probably have stayed, but on my own and with no hope that it will stay in the family, then my decision is clear, I will sell.”

  I gave him a big hug.

  “Good luck with whatever you do.”

  “Thank you lass and the same for you. We can still be friends?”

  “Absolutely, in fact, fancy a spot of fishing tomorrow?”

  “It’s a date,” he said cheekily,

  “You don’t give up!”

  “Never!” he grinned. Then he kissed my cheek and headed back to the castle.

  ADAM

  Claire’s enforced silence with only texting had been torture, but I respected her decision. I had taken the time to really stop and meditate on what I wanted, whom I wanted and how I could achieve it.

  I had been so focused on my family and helping them that I had forgotten my own happiness. I had spoken with each of my brothers and listened, deciding to offer no advice and allow these three grown men to come to their own decisions, even if it meant the farm might need to be restructured or even sold.

  Finally, I spoke to mum, she had been through hell and back, but she confided that the heart attack had actually helped strengthen her hand with dad, and I was now confident she could convince my father to retire.

  My focus was now on Claire, my mum had sensed I was unhappy and connected that with her. She listened patiently to my hopes and dream and my fears. Her only advice was, if you love her, fight for her, and do it quickly.

  CHAPTER 35

  The last few months had been a whirlwind of life changing moments, I felt that I had arrived at a conclusion and that was I needed a long talk with Adam. Tomorrow was when I had said texting ended and talking was back on the table.

  The trouble was I wanted to hear his voice now. I dialled his number and then I heard his beautiful deep sexy voice; oh my god I realized how much I missed him.

  “Hello beautiful, I believe you’re breaking the rules, tomorrow is when we start talking,” this was difficult, but I knew I had to play by her rules. “I will call tomorrow Claire.” His words stung me, and I was shocked he wasn’t going to talk to me now, he had to listen to me, I needed to tell him how I felt and so much more, then he said, “I love you Claire, till tomorrow, and he ended the call!”

  What had just happened? Was he giving me a taste of my own medicine? He sounded so calm, his voice strong and sexy and I swear my heart was pounding at an alarming rate. He said he loved me, so everything was good, or was it? you can love someone but not want to be with them, at this moment I couldn’t make up my mind if I should wait or pack my bags and run to him!

  Sleep was not possible when all I could think of was Adam, I ran the short conversation over and over in my head, trying to understand what he was playing at and what I should do, in the end I decided to wait until tomorrow, he held all the cards and I couldn’t make him talk to me until he was ready.

  The next morning I felt tired and on edge, I was glad that Hamish had agreed to take me fishing; if I ever needed to be distracted it was now. I had played every kind of scenario in my head and in the end, I had decided Adam and I were probably no longer a couple. It didn’t matter that he had said he loved me, I had concluded he wanted to end our relationship, I had somehow pushed him away and he thought I was playing games up here with Hamish. It didn’t matter that I knew differently, but I could understand that he may have jumped to the wrong conclusion and he was hurting.

  I jumped as the phone rang, preying it was Adam, then I saw Laura’s name come up, my disappointment was palpable as I answered her call.

  “Hi Claire, I hope it’s not too early?”

  “No, I was up getting
prepared for a day’s fishing with Hamish.”

  “Well, I’m glad I caught you, I needed a chat and to hear some of your wisdom, I’m not sure if I feel all that wise at the moment,” trying to keep myself together long enough to hear what Laura had to say.

  “Fire away, tell me your latest news.”

  “It’s pretty much all good, Frank is coming home today, I can’t wait, I can supervise his recovery, I’m going to be the best nurse ever. They say it will be at least two months before he is able to walk and then he will need lots of physiotherapy sessions to make sure he fully recovers.”

  “That’s great Laura, I’ve never visualized you as a nurse, but I am sure you will be great!”

  “I have been to see his boss and told him he is packing in full time work, no more 60-hour weeks. When he is fully recovered he’s considering doing consultancy work, but that will only be a couple of days a week. We have done more talking Claire in the last two weeks than probably the whole of the last year! We don’t need this big old house, so it’s going up for sale, the estate agents said it will sell quickly, so by the time he is better we hopefully will have sold. I have looked around at what is on the market, we just need a three-bedroom house, that way we can easily live well within our means and there will be plenty of time for holidays and long weekends. Frank reckons he can work from home if we have a space allocated as an office. It’s all so exciting,”

  “I am so happy for you, it’s going to be a big change for you both.

  “I know and I have thought about having him around all the time, but I actually can’t wait, I really want to make this work Claire! Oh, one other thing, would you mind if we lived even closer, like the same village, I’m on the lookout for a beautiful cottage like yours, fancy selling up and moving in with Adam?”

  My tired brain was in melt down, as I tried to process this additional news.

  “Sounds like you have been very busy Laura, and you will be the first to know if I consider selling the cottage, but I can’t see it happening anytime soon! Listen Laura, I have to go, Hamish will be here in a minute, and I’ll call tonight. Keep up the good work, sounds like you are handling Frank’s situation really well.”