Page 43 of Christmas at the Scottish Lodge
There was a lamp on the ground along with a pile of golden ski trophies and clothes which were strewn across the floor. It was mayhem. ‘You need to catch him,’ he said urgently sprinting to the doorway and glancing into the hall, wincing and tugging the towel as it began to drop.
Mairi tried not to look at him, but she could feel the low hum of awareness making itself known. After what they’d started in the dining room earlier, it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. ‘I’ll get him,’ she promised, her voice rough, just as she heard the cheeky puppy thunder down the stairs that led to the reception area.
She’d started to follow when she heard the crash of paws on the stairs again. Then Midnight appeared at the top clutching his prize. He stopped when he saw her and crouched, his blue eyes alight with mischief. Then he wriggled his bottom and started to sprint towards her, ducking from side to side as if expecting her to tackle him.
‘Just drop it!’ Jed ordered. ‘You’re going to damage it.’ He sounded upset.
‘I’ll get it, don’t worry,’ Mairi said softly and when she turned, she saw the towel had slipped down Jed’s hips, exposing the dark dusting of hair that arrowed downwards. She moistened her lips.
‘Stay there,’ she rasped, fighting the desire to reach out and whip the towel all the way off. ‘We can’t risk Greer seeing you.’
The woman had practically filled her notebook with complaints – if she saw Jed naked, there was no telling what she’d write.
‘I need to put some clothes on,’ he muttered and when she glanced over her shoulder, she saw he’d grabbed a pair of jeans.
‘Stay back,’ she told Jed as he tugged them on, followed by a T-shirt, before heading towards the hall. Then she got onto her knees and waggled her fingertips at the puppy, encouraging him to come closer. ‘I’ve got treats,’ she sang, hoping Jed would have some in his room.
The puppy crept closer, swaying this way and that. Now he was nearer, she could see his prize was sparkly – and looked a lot like…
Her insides jerked, and her blood went hot. Was that her missing wedding shoe?
She wanted to ask, but was worried about distracting Midnight, so she gradually crawled backwards, encouraging the puppy to follow.
‘Hide behind the door,’ she instructed, keeping her voice low. ‘Once I get him inside, shut it and we’ll catch him together.’ She paused and heard the soft sound of footsteps. ‘Midnight,’ she cooed, crawling backwards on her hands and knees. ‘Come here, baby,’ she sang, inching further into Jed’s room.
The puppy cocked its head and gave her a long look, before he sniffed and trotted inside.
As soon as they were both fully in the bedroom, Jed slammed the door. ‘You dafty, wee numpty,’ he grumbled, dropping to his knees beside the dog and shaking his head. Then Jed offered him a bone that he must have found while Mairi was coaxing him inside.
Midnight immediately dropped the shoe and grabbed the new prize. Mairi stared before looking up and meeting Jed’s eyes. He blushed, then bent and scooped up the shoe, clutching it in his hands, glancing around as if he were considering hiding it.
‘I know what it is…’ she murmured.
The flush on Jed’s cheeks travelled south and she swallowed, taking in the damp T-shirt and half undone jeans that he’d scrambled to pull on. A powerful surge of lust washed through her.
‘Mairi,’ Jed said as her gaze dropped to the hard curves of his thighs, tracing the familiar bulge in his trousers.
Her breath hitched. ‘It’s my wedding shoe.’ She rose to her feet and stared at him.
‘Aye, well…’
‘I thought I’d lost it.’ She could feel the warm burn of tears but didn’t know if she was happy or sad. Why had Jed hidden the shoe from her? What did it mean?
He shook his head. ‘You need to go. Now.’ He sounded desperate.
‘Why have you got my shoe?’
She watched as he squeezed it in his hands. The glitter caught the light, throwing sparkles on the walls and she felt a sharp spark of hope slice through her.
‘It’s nothing.’ Jed shook his head. ‘My coach packed my stuff when I was in hospital. They shipped it to the lodge, and when I opened the bag a few months later, I found it…’
‘And you kept it?’ Delight, confusion and hope coloured her voice.
His shoulders slumped.
‘The kiss wasn’t a mistake. What happened earlier in the dining room wasn’t either.’ She paused as joy flooded through her. There were so many signs that he cared – she should have seen them before. But she’d been so worried about being hurt or left again that she hadn’t wanted to fully believe or trust the trail of clues.
‘You want this to happen as much as I do.’ She wagged a finger between them, then held out her palm. Jed stared at it for a beat before handing her the shoe. It was a little beat up but otherwise perfectly intact. A lot like her heart.
