Page 38 of Christmas at the Scottish Lodge
‘Why don’t I make you that hot drink?’ Jed asked quietly, and when Mairi looked up, he was facing the older woman, his expression blank. ‘I think Mairi was just about to go to bed.’ He glanced at her, making her insides churn. ‘Alone.’
How did he do it, go from all that passion to nothing?
‘Sounds like an excellent idea. Perhaps you should have a cold shower before you do, dear,’ Greer said with feeling, before she pulled a notepad from her dressing-gown pocket and wandered out of the sitting room in the direction of the kitchen. ‘I’m assuming you’re coming, lad?’ she shouted after another beat.
Jed glanced at Mairi, his forehead creasing. ‘I don’t know what just happened,’ he said, his voice gravelly. ‘But I think we might have just made a mistake.’
With that, he turned and followed Greer into the hallway, leaving Mairi wondering what had gone wrong.
Would Greer use this situation to damage Holly Berry Lodge? And was the kiss with Jed the start of something, or the beginning of the end…
17
JED
22 December
La Gazzetta dello Sci
Is it all over for Jed Murray?
Coach tells all!
‘That was good, lad,’ Jed said as Scott powered back down the steep incline of the snowy running trail a day later, grunting as he reached the bottom before he bent and pressed his hands to his knees, trying to catch his breath. Wind howled around them as Jed glanced towards a cluster of sparkling pine trees. He knew Holly Berry Lodge was a mile behind it, even if he couldn’t see it from here. But it had been difficult to concentrate this morning because his head had been filled with thoughts of Mairi – who was probably working in the kitchen about now.
He couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss they’d shared and how it had felt to touch her again. Or what might have happened if Greer hadn’t caught them half naked with all that heat pressed against his crotch…
He’d told Mairi their kiss was a mistake, but who was he kidding? He didn’t even know how he’d stayed away from her for so long. Now she was in Aberlinnie, under his nose, he wasn’t going to be able to keep it up.
‘I know you probably want to be careful of your knee, but what about me actually doing some skiing?’ Scott muttered, righting himself and frowning as he darted an angry look towards the black run, which Jed had informed him earlier was off limits today.
‘My knee’s fine,’ Jed said. It still ached but there was no sign of permanent injury.
‘So we can do the run?’ Scott’s face lit.
‘Nae. That’s for another time,’ Jed said firmly, ignoring the way the teenager’s face twisted and his mouth zigzagged as he tried to suppress a pout.
If he had his way, it would be at least another week before he let the boy anywhere near a slope when he was wearing skis. He wasn’t going to be responsible for pushing him so hard he got hurt.
‘I’m not your da, so those expressions don’t work on me,’ Jed said flatly, starting to enjoy himself when Scott huffed.
‘Aye, well, they don’t work on him either, but he’s a lot nicer about it than you,’ he grumbled.
Jed nodded. He’d noticed the easy flow between the two of them. Was ashamed to admit he’d felt a small nip of jealousy too. Conversation had never been easy between Jed and Boyd. He’d always felt like an inconvenience. Unless he was winning…
‘You need to work on your endurance so you don’t get injured – that means up and down this hill as fast as you can go. You’ve got to improve your speed and power – the exercises will build up your stamina and increase your lactic acid tolerance,’ he explained. They’d also make him less vulnerable to injury.
Scott’s face puckered. ‘I already have plenty of endurance.’ He stamped his trail shoes, making the ice grips mash the snow. ‘I’m seventeen and in my prime. Didn’t you compete professionally when you were my age? I bet no one toldyounot to ski.’
Jed shrugged. Scott had raw talent, but it wasn’t the same. Jed had trained for years – nothing had been as important. Let’s face it, he hadn’t had much else to fall back on, aside from his aunt Effie. And he’d been ready. But that hadn’t saved him in the end.
‘I remember you once saying, “If you can dream it, you can do it.”’ The boy’s expression turned wily. ‘I had a dream last night, it was brilliant, I was?—’
‘So did I,’ Jed interrupted, guessing where the story would end. ‘It was of you stacking it and ending up sliding down the mountain on your backside,’ he lied, his voice dry. At least he would have had that exact dream if he hadn’t been thinking about Mairi half undressed, of him tugging the silky nighty over her head…Suddenly his whole body hardened, and he contemplated dropping to his knees and doing a snow angel on his front.
‘That didn’t happen,’ Scott said, sounding annoyed.
Had Jed been as cocky and implacable at the same age? He supposed the answer was yes, only he’d probably been worse. It was interesting having his faults reflected back at him. He’d have to be careful, or he might start feeling sympathy for the myriad collection of coaches who’d had to put up with his constant complaints. He’d been just as irritated, just as impatient as the boy. He'd been reckless too – but he knew part of winning was being bold and not worrying about taking risks.
