Page 27 of A Scottish Love Story
‘Yes. It’s the best one, if I can get stopped there.’
‘I will run in and get what you want if you find a place to wait. What do you like? Fish and chips, salt? Vinegar?’
‘Everything, and mushy peas as well if they have them. What are you having?’
‘I’ll just ask for a small portion for myself to keep you company. Shall I bring you a drink?’
‘Yes, please. Anything will do, so long as it’s wet.’ He looked at her with a faint smile. ‘You know, I did wonder if you were disappointed I had not asked Jenny and Don tonight. I’m never sure where I stand with you. Sometimes I think we get on well together on our own, but I don’t know how you feel.’
‘I think I’m always the same, but I do feel your mother’s care must be my priority. Now we have discovered we have some interests in common, like the farm and breeding cattle, we always have things to talk about.’
‘Yes, we do, but there are other more pers... Ah, here we are.’
Roxie wondered what else he had been going to say.
‘Looks like you’ll have to double park. I’ll run in and get them if you wait in the car, ready to move if needed.’ Without waiting for an answer, Roxie jumped out.
The service was fairly fast as fresh batches of fish and chips were being lifted out as she entered the shop, and there was still plenty left when it came to her turn. The smell had made her hungry too, but she knew she would never eat a whole fish supper herself.
‘Mmm, the smell makes me famished,’ Ciaran said as she climbed back into the car. ‘I will drive a bit further along the road. I know a turnoff where it will be less busy.’ He soon found the turning he wanted and parked on the grass verge beneathsome trees. They both tucked in with relish, but, after eating the fish, Roxie knew she could never finish all the chips, even though she had asked for a small portion. She hated wasting food.
‘Want me to help you?’ Ciaran asked with a grin.
‘Yes, if you can?’ She moved closer to him, but instead of putting the chip in his own mouth he fed it to her with a chuckle, before eating a couple himself.
‘They were extra good or I was extra hungry,’ Ciaran said as he started the car again.
‘A bit of both, I think.’ Roxie smiled. ‘If you had told me you hadn’t had any tea, I would have brought you something to eat while I drove us here.’ They chatted in a friendly manner all the way back until Ciaran drew the car to a halt outside her door.
‘That was a lovely evening,’ Roxie said with a sigh. ‘Thank you for taking me.’ He turned towards her.
‘So, do I get a goodnight kiss?’ he asked. Roxie leaned closer, expecting him to kiss her cheek, but he cupped her chin and turned her face to his. He kissed her tenderly on her mouth.
‘I’m pleased you came,’ he said softly when he released her. ‘I wanted to repay you for milking all the cows for me. I don’t believe I ever thanked you properly.’
‘Oh,’ Roxie said flatly. ‘I would help any friend in an emergency. Good night.’
Ciaran knew by her tone, and the brisk way she got out of the car and slammed the door, that he had said or done something that had not pleased her.
Roxie chewed her lower lip as she unlocked the door and let herself in. She was not a weepy person, but, for some reason, she felt her eyes filling with tears. She tried to blink them away when she heard Amy call from the sitting room.
‘I’m ready for bed, Roxie, but I thought I would wait to hear how you enjoyed your first visit to our little theatre.’
‘I enjoyed it very much,’ Roxie replied and wished she didn’t need to see Amy face-to-face for once.
‘Come on in, dear and tell me about it. Was it a good performance? Some of them are very talented, although they all have other jobs to do.’
‘Yes, they were good. One man was especially good. Ciaran seemed to know him.’
‘That would be Daniel. I remember him in the school concerts. He is a talented young man. He often won at the music festivals when he was younger. So, what bit didn’t you enjoy?’ Amy asked shrewdly.
‘I-I enjoyed it all. Ciaran was famished so we stopped for fish and chips. He demolished them in no time. He’d had to skip tea due to a cow with milk fever.’ Roxie knew she was babbling.
‘I see. But, Roxie, my dear, I can see by your expression that something has upset you.’
Roxie couldn’t stop herself from blurting it out. ‘I’m not upset. I thought he enjoyed my company, but he only took me to repay me for doing the milking for him! Friends don’t need repaying for helping out. I wouldn’t have gone if I’d known he was only doing it for that reason.’
‘I am sure Ciaran did want your company, my dear. I know him well enough to know he would not spend an evening with you if he didn’t enjoy being with you. He would have bought a big box of chocolates or a bottle of perfume to repay you.’
