Page 18 of Christmas at the Scottish Lodge
Mairi had watched alongside rows of anonymous spectators with her heart in her throat as his faultless start had turned into a twisted mess. Suddenly, instead of precision and speed, there’d been bedlam.
People had started to shout and gasp, and Mairi had watched paralysed as Jed had twisted in the air, clearly attempting to put himself right. But it hadn’t worked. He’d hit the ground with a loud whack, the sound sharp and piercing, like rocks being pummelled to dust.
Then he’d plummeted, helplessly turning over and over, bumping on the ice. The surface he’d adored and built his life around seemed to have turned on him – pushing, clawing and trying to rip him apart. He was going so fast that his head seemed to blur into one with his skis, a tangle of metal and flesh. Mairi had begged fate to intervene, had wished she could somehow rescue him with the power of thought. But no one could save Jed; once the fall had begun, there really was only one ending.
So the horrifying descent had continued, and Jed had mercifully been knocked out. When he’d finally come to a stop at the bottom of the slope, medics had rushed to his inert body. Mairi had sat watching, unable to move as her heart had stopped. He hadn’t stirred and someone had screamed at the TV cameras to stop filming. They hadn’t – which meant they’d all got to relive those awful moments over and over.
Afterwards, sports journalists had reported that it was a miracle Jed hadn’t been killed. But for the longest moment,Mairi had stared at his limp body and thought she’d lost him forever – that her husband of less than a week had perished before they’d even told their families – and now they never would. Which as it turned out, was what had happened.
Bear turned right and Mairi forced her mind to focus on the present. She followed the edge of the bothy, ignoring the wind as it blasted into her eyes making them tear up. They’d been wet anyway.
She continued to follow Bear, recalling the aftermath of the accident, when she’d rushed to be by Jed’s side. He’d been transported to the closest hospital by ambulance, and she’d had to take the bus because no one had known who she was.
She’d frantically tried to call his mobile over and over as the bus had crept across the city, but Jed hadn’t answered – neither had anyone else. In the end, she’d scrolled through social media desperate for news. She’d found out he was still alive when one of the sports commentators had announced it. She could still remember the way her body had wilted in the seat, almost boneless with relief.
Mairi shadowed Bear as he turned left at the edge of the building. She could barely see anything and had to trust that if she went wrong, the dog would find her and guide her back.
Her ankle ached and she stopped as her mind turned to the moment she’d got to the hospital and asked to see Jed. His father had intercepted, his expression grim. He’d known they were married; apparently, Jed had confessed all in the ambulance. His dad had then proceeded to tell Mairi that it was her fault – that the career his son had spent a lifetime building had been ruined because of an infatuation that had distracted him from his true calling. He’d told her if she really loved Jed, she’d leave.
So she’d gone back to the hotel, devastated and riddled with guilt. The following day she’d visited the hospital again. She’d wanted to see Jed so she could ask if he blamed her too. But apretty, young nurse had turned her away. She’d been kind, but firm. When Mairi had explained she was Jed’s wife, it was clear the nurse already knew.
It was then she discovered she’d been barred from visiting on Jed’s instructions – and their whirlwind romance and marriage were done. It wasn’t just Jed’s dad who blamed her for the accident – her new husband did too.
After that, Mairi knew Jed didn’t want or love her. So she’d flown back to Edinburgh and had waited eleven months for him to change his mind. Her eyes filled as the memory overwhelmed her, and she blinked away tears.
‘Bear?’ she shouted into the darkness, her voice barely audible above the howl of the wind. ‘Where are you?’
She heard a faint bark and followed the sound, hoping to see Jed. But instead of a man, the dog was pacing beside a bush growing up the bothy wall. Mairi bent so she could look at what he was guarding, ignoring the pain in her ankle, and saw a tiny face peering out of the shrubbery.
‘It’s a puppy,’ she gasped, leaning closer so she could try to stroke it, but the dog flinched. The wind howled, blowing ice around them and it whined. ‘Cutie, you’re not going to survive if you stay out here,’ she soothed, glancing back at Bear. ‘Have you been taking care of him?’ she asked. He barked.
‘Are you one of the lost puppies Effie mentioned?’ Mairi glanced round, but visibility was poor. Bear barked again and patted her leg with his paw. She reached for the puppy, but it wailed and burrowed deeper. It was shivering. ‘I don’t know what to do.’ She glanced at Bear again. ‘Can you help?’ The mongrel yapped and nuzzled closer to the gap, then he nudged his way inside. He somehow grabbed the puppy by its neck and pulled him out. As soon as he had, Mairi hugged it to her chest, wrapping the pup inside her coat before doing it up.
Wind whistled above them dumping yet more snow. ‘We need to go back,’ she shouted. Bear barked and sprinted around the building. Mairi followed limping, then she spotted Jed in the distance carrying an armful of wood.
‘What were you doing?’ he yelled as he approached, looking worried. Then his gaze dropped to Bear and his face lit. He indicated the entrance of the bothy and Mairi nodded. Once they were inside, he shut the door and strode to the fireplace to put the armful of wood on the ground.
‘Bear found a friend,’ Mairi said, opening her coat. ‘We need to get him warm.’
Jed’s eyes widened. ‘Where was he?’
‘In some shrubbery on the other side of the house. Bear saved him.’
‘Good boy,’ Jed murmured, going to stroke his dog as Mairi limped across the room so she could grab the makeshift blankets and wrap the puppy up. Then she sat, rocking it in her arms. ‘He’s shivering. There’s no way of knowing how long he’s been out there. He must be starving.’
Jed looked around. ‘I haven’t got food, well nothing much.’ He tugged a small container from his pocket. ‘Just dog treats.’ Bear barked as Jed offered Mairi a handful. She broke one up and fed it to the puppy. It gobbled it down, as she gave one to Bear.
Mairi continued to feed the dogs the treats as Jed put the pieces into the wood burner.
‘Where did you get the wood?’ she asked.
‘I remembered there was a shed near here where the previous owners kept their firewood. There wasn’t much, but it’s dry and hopefully it’ll see us through,’ Jed said.
She watched, admiring the way he efficiently built the fire. He’d always had strong hands – they were large and calloused. She’d loved holding them; hers had felt so tiny inside his.
When Jed finished, he rose and headed for the bedroom before returning with a large piece of cardboard. He ripped some off and placed it with the wood, before using the lighter he’d found in the drawer to start the fire. Then they waited and Mairi let out a silent cheer when flames began to flicker.
‘I’ll keep an eye on this.’ Jed leaned on his haunches and nodded when the flames began to take. It would be a while before they felt the benefit, but at least they’d be able to get warm. Bear patted Mairi’s thigh and whined.
