Page 51 of Christmas at the Scottish Lodge
‘I’ve no idea,’ Jed said as his eyebrows met. ‘Douglas mentioned Greer asked him for an interview too. It must have something to do with the review. First impressions of the lodge perhaps?’
‘I’ve not got a good feeling about this,’ Effie said, looking unhappy.
Mairi frowned – hopefully, her brother wouldn’t say anything wrong. They still had a day to impress Greer. With luck, a seamless Christmas would give her all the material she needed for a glowing write up…
23
MAIRI
25 December
Daylight glittered through the curtains in Mairi’s bedroom and she lay for a moment as she woke staring at the pretty rays of light dancing across the ceiling. She swept an arm over the empty space beside her in the bed, wishing Jed was lying there too. But with Quinn staying at Holly Berry Lodge, being with him was risky – it would be far too easy to get caught out in their lie. She sighed. Would Jed be sleeping beside her next Christmas; would anything have changed? As much as she was filled with hope, there was a knot in the pit of her stomach telling her he was going to run again.
Her mobile pinged and she picked it up from the bedside table.
Happy Christmas from your favourite agent. Have you done any writing this morning because the best gift you could give me is a finished manuscript. Failing that I’ll settle for a large G&T. Kenna xx
Mairi barked out a laugh even as the knot grew tighter. Kenna was joking of course – they’d agreed a moratorium on discussions about the book deadline until the day after tomorrow, but it was a timely reminder that she had less than a week to get it done. She still had no idea of how she’d create her perfect happy ending and wasn’t confident she even could. It seemed her creative mind was just as stuck as her real life.
She sighed and swung her legs out of the bed. It was time to get up and face the day, time to help get everything ready for the lodge’s Christmas meal. She’d think about her book after the Winter Wonder Ski Championships were over tomorrow – hopefully by then she’d have the happy ending with Jed she was craving and everything else would follow on.
Effie was pottering in the large kitchen when Mairi got downstairs. The older woman was wearing a bright red jumper with a picture of Father Christmas on the front, and a set of antlers sporting wobbly snowmen. She looked happy and excited.
‘A very merry Yule,hennie!’ Effie exclaimed when she saw Mairi, dropping the spoon she was using to stir a pot on the stove before bounding over to give her a hug.
Mairi pressed her nose into Effie’s jumper and breathed in peppermint mocha.
‘I’ll get you a festive drink!’ the older woman declared, immediately spinning around and heading back to the cooker. As she did, Mairi glanced around the kitchen. Someone had hung sparkly snowman lights on the ceiling overnight and placed pretty reindeer and present-shaped ornaments on all the available surfaces. It looked and smelled perfect. Just like it had every time she’d stayed in the past.
She pulled out a chair from under the breakfast bar and sat, immediately spotting something shaped like a whisky bottle wrapped in sparkly paper. ‘A present for you?’ she asked when Effie returned with a steaming mug.
‘Ach, that’s for Jed,’ she said. ‘It’s from that wee chef who works in the hotel – she dropped it off last night. What’s her name again?’ Effie squinted as she tried to recall.
‘Bonnie,’ Mairi filled in, frowning. Jed’s fake girlfriend had brought him a gift, but she, his wife, hadn’t got him a thing. She’d been so caught up in her quest to get a divorce, then working at the lodge – and trying to fix what was broken between them that she hadn’t even thought about it.
Her mouth twisted – even if she had got Jed a present, she wouldn’t have been able to give it to him. Not with Quinn and Effie here. She sighed heavily. Nothing had really changed since she’d arrived. She was still in limbo.
The older woman rested her elbows on the breakfast bar and gave Mairi a long look, her eyes filled with sympathy. ‘Jed has no feelings for the lass. As nice as she is – it’s only ever been you for him.’ Her gaze was intense.
Mairi flinched. Did the older woman know something? She swallowed as her cheeks flamed and opened her mouth to explain, but Effie mimed zipping her lips.
‘Let me say this, lass.’ She pulled in a breath as if preparing. ‘Jed was hurt when his da walked away from him after my sister died.’ She winced. ‘He may be my brother-in-law, but Boyd Murray was never good enough for either of them. When he left, when he abandoned his wee lad, he damaged him and I’ve never been able to fix what got broke.’
The older woman swallowed, her eyes glittering. ‘It’s why the boy finds it so difficult to accept love from others.’ She shrugged. ‘Even me. He doubts their motives and looks for ways to prove he’s not good enough.’ She paused. ‘I think he’s just tryingto protect himself – but it hurts.’ She blinked slowly looking unhappy.
‘But—’ Mairi’s head spun as she digested the information she was being gifted. An insight into the man she loved – a way for her to understand what made him tick. A reminder perhaps that she had to be patient?
‘The right woman,’ Effie continued, ‘the one that’s meant for him—’ She paused and gave Mairi another meaningful look. ‘Might have to push the man. It might be best if she wasn’t so patient or nice – it might be better if she demanded what she wanted rather than waiting for it to come to her. It’s the way his father’s always behaved – push and demand. It’s what Jed understands. But that woman would have to be brave because she’d be risking everything.’
Effie waited, letting the words sink between them as Mairi’s head began to whirl even faster. What did that mean she should do exactly?
‘What—’ Mairi started to ask and almost jumped out of her skin when she heard the thunder of footsteps coming from the hall. She let out a long sigh. Being at Holly Berry Lodge meant that alone time – time to think and reflect – was scarce.
‘Happy Christmas!’ Quinn boomed, bursting into the kitchen with Kenna who wore a stunning red dress that lovingly followed her curves.
‘I’ve come to see if you need help getting things ready for today?’ her friend asked Effie, giving Mairi a quick kiss on the cheek.
‘I was going to ask the same,’ Quinn said sharply, looking at his nemesis with surprise.
