Page 25 of Grace on the Rocks

“Good footwear and a warm jumper.Ifyou come across a wee s-snake, don’t worry.They’reharmless.Alsoendangered, so no tromping on them.”

“Noted,” she agreed. “WhatifIdon’t see it, and step on it by accident?”

“Run,” he said with a grin.

“Who knew there were so many rules?”

He shrugged. “Thesnails are edible.”

Wes grimaced.

“Really don’t want to eat first?”

“A nice bowl of snails?No, thanks,Ijust want to get out there,” she said, filling up her water bottle from the tap.

“Tablet for the road, then,” he said, offering up a small bag of the sweet treatCaithad left, whichWesaccepted before saluting and heading off down the beach.

Though it didn’t come naturally,Bryanhad intended to play the gracious host, to wait until a respectful hour before making so much as a single floorboard creak.Butthen his sister texted thatMacouldn’t wait to see him for tea tonight.Andhis investor emailed to say they’d arrive inGlasgowon business in three weeks and would take the ferry out to see his island and his proof of concept, and just like that, he couldn’t afford to wait another minute to get started.

It was over a dram ofRionnagach, discussing his andJules’ shared passion for whisky and their individual hopes for the future, when he first realized the house’s potential.Todayit was a dark, slightly chilly haven, but he could transform it into a beautiful symbol of growth and sustainability.Almostimmediately, he’d begun making plans to return home.

Now, the leisurely vegetarian fry-up he’d planned was shoved aside for a bowl of cold muesli while he waited forDàibhidhBuchanan’shardware store to open.

* * *

“Aye,your solar panels arrived last week,” cousinDàibhidhwhispered. “Butare you sure you want to put those things up for the whole island to see?”

“Aye,”Bryanassured him.Theyweren’t so bad looking.

“Only, your grandad’s place has such a lovely thatch roof,”Dàibhidhprotested.

“Aye,”Bryanagreed, although the thatch was only in front for looks.Theback was pure shingle.He’dhelped change it over seventeen years ago, side by side withGrandadMacandEòghann.

“Just, d’you mind not telling folkIordered them for you?”

Bryan eyed his mother’s cousin and shrugged, tossing the other odds and ends he needed onto the counter.

Dàibhidh rang up his purchases, glancing nervously around the store each time another old man came in for a browse and a chat.Finallyhe whispered, “Pullaround back, andI’llhave the lad load you up.”

Nodding his thanks,Bryantook the bag of tools and fittings.He’dexpected a little resistance from the town, butDàibhidh’sanxiety was killing his confidence.

“Lùcas!”Dàibhidhshouted out the back to a sullen boyBryanhad seen pretending not to sing his balefulTaylorSwiftin the direction of another oblivious lad at karaoke the night before. “Thatlot in the back shed,”Dàibhidhinstructed. “Helpyour cousin load it up.”

Lùcas shook the dark fringe out of his eyes and unfolded himself from a stool to amble off towards the shed.

“Eòghann says you’re myAuntieMal’sson?” he asked, whenBryanfinished backing his grandad’s old truck up to the shed.

“Aye.”

“So we’re cousins.”

“Sssecond cousins,Ithink, aye.”

Together they hefted up the awkward boxes of solar panels one at a time and loaded them into the truck.

“Eòghann says you’re renovatingOldMac’splace?”

Eòghann had certainly shared a lot of information in the roughly ten hours sinceBryanhad seen him. “Doeshe?”

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