The Little Gift Shop on the Loch Read online

  ‘Its fine, I’ve got it,’ she muttered, the sudden closeness of him sending her reeling. God, she’d missed that deep drawl.

  ‘What … why … how did …’ She stopped, shaking her head in frustration. Forming some actual words might be helpful. ‘What are you doing here?’

  His eyes scanned her face. ‘To speak to you.’

  A terrible thought winged its way into her head. ‘Is everyone all right – Iris, Angus?’

  ‘They’re both fine,’ he reassured her quickly. ‘I bumped into Angus yesterday, in fact.’

  ‘Oh. How is he?’ she asked in a small voice.

  ‘He’s doing great. Apparently Misty is missing you though.’ He didn’t smile but something sparkled in his eyes. ‘Really badly, apparently. Can’t eat or sleep.’

  Lily shot him a look. ‘Angus never mentioned anything when we spoke.’

  ‘He probably didn’t want to worry you.’

  Lily narrowed her eyes. ‘So why are you here then?’

  ‘Like I said, to talk to you.’

  Lily frowned, feeling whatever composure she’d achieved over the last few days begin to unravel. ‘How did you know where to find me?’

  ‘Iris gave me your address.’

  Silently berating Iris, Lily’s frown deepened. ‘How long have you been here?’

  ‘Not that long.’ He shrugged, looking at his watch. ‘Left Carroch about three hours ago.’

  Lily flicked her eyes up and down the street and saw his Land Rover. She didn’t dare to think how fast he must have driven. The Land Rover looked as much out of place as Jack did and was breaking at least parking four parking violations; Lily knew a particular traffic warden who would take great pleasure in slapping on the appropriate tickets.

  ‘You know you shouldn’t really be parked there,’ Lily pointed out.

  ‘What?’ He squinted over at the land rover before switching his gaze back to her. ‘Yeah, I’m really not too bothered about that right now.’

  Mrs Robertson’s curtain twitched and Jack gave her a coy wave. ‘Nice neighbours you have, she invited me in for a coffee you know.’

  Lily rolled her eyes inwardly, supposing they should get whatever this was over with. ‘You’d better come in.’

  She slotted the key into the communal entry door and headed up the stairs, leaving Jack to follow her. Her fingers fumbled slightly as she unlocked her own front door and headed straight through to the kitchen.

  Jack came in behind her and Lily grabbed the bags back from him. Her kitchen, not exactly large at the best of times, suddenly appeared miniscule with him in it. She needed to keep busy. Dumping her swimming bag in the corner she opened the fridge, gratefully hiding her face in its coolness as she unpacked the Parma ham, roasted peppers and mozzarella, her appetite suddenly vanished.

  ‘Can I get you a drink? Tea, coffee … think I’ve got orange juice …’

  ‘I don’t want anything. Not to drink anyway,’ Jack replied patiently.

  Lily clattered about finding a glass and pouring herself a drink, anything to keep from looking at him. She gripped her glass tightly, hoping he didn’t see her fingers shaking. The clock on the wall suddenly seem to tick very loudly and Lily felt her heart banging in time with it. Eventually with no alternative she turned to face him.

  ‘You all done?’ he asked.

  Lily nodded. ‘Please take a seat,’ she said politely, sounding ridiculously formal.

  Keeping his eyes firmly on her, he lowered himself onto one of the two stools, his legs splayed in front of him. ‘Adam told me you went to see him?’

  ‘That’s right,’ she answered primly.

  Lily thought back to the day of the festival. In some strange way it already felt a lifetime ago. After she’d left Jack, she’d gone to find James. She recalled the look of surprise on his face when she told him she was’nt taking the job, but he’d get over it, of course he would. After that, she’d managed to track down Adam and have a quiet word with him alone.

  ‘He told me you’re going to help with the financial side of things at the distillery?’

  Lily nodded. ‘I wanted to let him know about Dunn Equity and what it might mean if they invested.’

  She could only base it on her experience at Bremners and she’d been honest with Adam – the investment may have secured the department store’s future but it had also come at a cost to staff and the company’s unique identity. Relishing the possibility of putting to use all the experience she’d gained in the last year working for Bremners to now help the distillery, Lily had offered to take a look over the distillery’s accounts, fairly confident she’d be able to give Adam a few pointers in the right direction to steer the business back on track without outside investment.

  ‘I knew the chances were that Jock had probably missed a few tricks, made a few errors of judgement. Hopefully we’ll be able to help give the distillery a fighting chance to stand on its own two feet. I can do all my part remotely.’

  Lily was delighted when Adam had accepted her offer and knew she’d be able to fit it in easily enough with the job she’d just started. A role with an export company, it had been one of the jobs she’d applied for when she’d been in Carroch and they’d been delighted when Lily offered to start immediately. She knew the role wasn’t going to be too demanding and she’d have time to devote to the work for the distillery.

  ‘I texted you later but you didn’t respond. Then I came to the shop the next day but you’d gone.’

  Lily shrugged. ‘I decided it was time to head back to Edinburgh. Once I’d made up my mind, there didn’t seem much point in hanging around.’

  Jack studied her face for a long moment. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘The day at the distillery … I don’t think I handled it very well.’

  Her heart thumping, Lily met his gaze evenly but didn’t say anything.

  ‘It was seeing you with James … knowing you were considering a job with him. Not only that, but that the distillery might be involved.’

  Lily stared at him. ‘You seemed so ready to believe I knew about Dunn Equity’s possible involvement.’

  ‘I know and I’m an idiot,’ he said gruffly. He studied the floor briefly then lifted his gaze to Lily. ‘Since the accident and Adam losing his wife, I’ve felt helpless.’ Jack lifted his hands and let them drop again. ‘There was nothing I could do for him. When he came home and decided to rebuild his life at the distillery, I finally felt I could do something. Be there for him, help him any way I could at the distillery.

  ‘So imagine how I felt when I the woman I’d fallen in love with not only was considering a job offer with a man she’d had feelings for and was about to make a move on the distillery owned by Adam—’

  Lily shook her head. ‘Sorry. The woman you … me …?’

  ‘The woman I fell in love with,’ he repeated. ‘Practically since the first moment I saw you.’

  Lily flopped down on the stool opposite him, dazed.

  ‘I knew you were the person who makes me happy and who I wanted to make happy but when I saw you with James and he started talking about offering you a job and investing in Dallochmore, I didn’t know how to handle it, what to think—’

  ‘I wanted to tell you about the job,’ Lily broke in. ‘I was planning on telling you the day of the whisky festival. There was so much I wanted to say to you that day but then James turned up.’

  She paused, her breath shaky. ‘There was never anything between me and James – I knew that as soon as I saw him again at the interview. But when he offered me the job I couldn’t just turn it down. Growing up with Mum life was often uncertain, and I was determined to get a good job, provide for myself. And I did it. I was good at my job and I was happy with my life. Or so I thought.’

  Outside rain was falling again, soft and steady against the window and Lily watched the raindrops trickle down the glass for a moment.

  ‘Funny, all the years I went to Carroch with Mum, I almost resented it.’ She smiled sadly. �
�But I guess it must always have been part of who I was, more than I ever realised. When James offered me the job, I felt caught between two lives. Even though in my heart I knew I didn’t want to take the job, I was scared to let go. I’m so used to being on my own, relying on myself.’

  Jack reached over and took her hand. ‘You don’t have to be on your own anymore, Lily. Not if you don’t want to be.’ His eyes searched hers, his expression full of hope but Lily saw the edge of uncertainty as he waited for her response.

  She stood up and took a step so she was in front of him, feeling a smile starting somewhere deep inside her. ‘I don’t want to be. I love you too, Jack. That’s what I had wanted to tell you all along.’

  Jack’s face changed, his features suddenly relaxing and softening. He pulled Lily towards him and she sank into the strength and warmth of his arms and it was the best feeling she’d ever had.

  ‘Nothing felt right after you left,’ he murmured against her hair.

  Lily lifted her face to him with a teasing look. ‘So Misty isn’t the only one who’s been missing me?’

  ‘Misty’s doing fine.’ He run a finger tenderly down her cheek. ‘It’s me who’s been a mess since you left. When I found out you’d gone, I thought I’d blown it. It was Adam who told me to get my act together.’

  ‘Adam?

  ‘He guessed I had feelings for you.’ Jack gave a small laugh. ‘Must have been more transparent that I thought. It was only then I realised how scared I’d been to find happiness again. Why should I deserve to be happy? Not when Adam was alone. Not when he had lost so much. But Adam told me to stop being an idiot and get myself down here.’

  ‘I always thought he looked like he a wise man.’ Lily smiled.

  Jack gently cupped her face in her hands. ‘I love you, Lily. Everything about you. I want to be with you, plan a future with you.’

  He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her, tenderly at first and then deeper, more urgently. Lily’s hand slid over his broad shoulders and around his neck and she could feel him pulling her closer against her, their bodies moulding together.

  When eventually Jack gently drew back his eyes roamed her face and Lily knew the love and desire glittering in his eyes were mirrored in her own. ‘Will you come back with me now?’ he asked.

  ‘Now?’

  ‘Well, maybe not this precise moment,’ he said huskily pulling her towards him again. He peppered her neck with kisses, then along her jawline before finally finding her lips. After that, it was difficult to think of anything coherently.

  Jack’s green eyes glistened when they finally pulled apart. ‘I’ll take that as a yes,’ he said.

  Epilogue

  ‘We’re going to be late if you don’t get a move on.’

  Lily hurried down the stairs, fixing on her earrings. ‘And whose fault is that?’ She arched an eyebrow at Jack who was waiting for her at the bottom. He looked pretty much how she felt. Deliciously tousled and sleep-deprived for all the right reasons.

  ‘Totally yours for being so gorgeous and irresistible,’ he smiled happily.

  Lily giggled as she reached the bottom step and Jack nuzzled into her neck. ‘If you carry on like that we’re definitely going to be late,’ she murmured, reluctantly extracting herself from his arms.

  Jack groaned and let her go but his gaze lingered on her. ‘You look beautiful.’

  Lily had never thought of herself as beautiful but today she felt it, her face lighting up as she smiled back at him.

  ‘You ready for this?’ he asked, shrugging on his own jacket before helping Lily on with hers.

  ‘Absolutely.’

  Jack closed the front door behind them and they stood for a few moments hand in hand at the water’s edge. Lily breathed in the cold crisp air of a perfect winter’s morning. The mountains in the distance were dusted with snow and the loch was illuminated by the sun in a cloudless blue sky. She felt like pinching herself, hardly daring to believe this was going to be on her doorstep every morning from now on.

  Lily felt Jack’s hand tighten around hers as they walked across the main road and approached the shop, both feeling the significance of today and they stopped again, this time to look up at the beautiful new façade of the shop.

  There was only ever one possible name for the shop. It had come to Lily weeks ago but she’d kept it to herself, only daring to imagine that one day she might see the name above the door. And now that day had come.

  Lily felt emotion well inside her as she gazed up at the sign bearing the name The Rowan Tree Gift Shop. The day Jack had stopped to show her the single tree on the moor had always stayed with her, reminding her just how precious life was. It was also the moment she had started to fall in love with Jack.

  Angus had designed it to show the branches and dark red berries of a rowan tree woven cleverly into the dark green lettering and Lily had had it made especially. The exterior of the shop had been freshly painted white and all the woodwork restored. The morning light glinted off the latticed windows which were now brimming with festive displays of gifts.

  ‘Isn’t it perfect?’ Lily said feeling her stomach fizz with nerves and excitement. Jack curled his arm around to bring her in for a hug and then together they went to open the shop for is first day of trading.

  It had been a hectic few weeks since Lily had left behind her old life and returned to start her new one in Carroch with Jack. Although he’d d asked her to move in with him straightaway, Lily had waited a few weeks, wanting to concentrate on the shop first, determined to have it open in time for Christmas. It had been frantic at times but somehow she’d managed to source enough stock and the shelves were now filled with festive candles, scented pot pourri, hand-painted glass baubles and ceramic Christmas ornaments. Beth had created gift sets of handmade honey soap and wild raspberry body lotion contained in a floral embossed box and tied with tartan ribbon and these now took pride of place.

  Lily had spent a day with Iris displaying all the stock, their creative thinking fuelled by mulled wine and Christmas songs. The windows had been decorated with snowflakes cut from white paper along with tree branches adorned with fairy lights and boxes painted with silver and gold had become props to show off products.

  Lily knew it had all been worth it when a few hours later she stood back and looked at the crowd of people who had come to help them celebrate the first day of opening – it felt as if half the village had turn-up to wish her luck. The knitting ladies were there in force, already in the throes of planning a book club to be held every month, and of course Iris and Angus were there, offering glasses of prosecco or orange juice to everyone as they came in.

  Misty was sitting behind the counter, mistress of all she surveyed. She appeared to have forgiven Lily for leaving her for a few days and was happily installed back where she wanted to be. Lily didn’t think cats could smile but she could swear that’s what Misty was doing right now.

  As Lily looked around, she felt a bittersweet ache inside her that her mother wasn’t here to see the gift shop finally open. The shop may belong to her now but Lily knew it would also always be her mother’s. She was going to make sure The Rowan Tree gift shop flourished for Patty and that her spirit lived on it in it.

  Theirs might not have always been the most conventional relationship but they had loved each other and that was enough, Lily knew that now. Finally, she felt at peace with her mum and her memory of her. She was confident she had found the place she was supposed to be in life. This was where her mother had been happy and although she hadn’t expected it, Lily had also found happiness.

  She had plans for the flat upstairs. One of the rooms was going to be used as a stockroom and the other would be an office for Lily where she’d be able to do her accountancy work for Dallochmore. She’d done the initial work pro-bono but when Adam had asked her to stay on as the accountant for the distillery which she had happily accepted, he’d insisted on paying her the going rate. It was still early days at Dallochmore but Lily wa
s cautiously optimistic that no outside investment would be needed to turn its fortunes around.

  She looked over at Jack, who was smiling and laughing with Iris. He caught her eye and she felt as if her heart could quite literally explode with love for him. The days before she met him seemed to stretch into a sea of grey, monochrome days. As if her life before had been in black and white and was now in full technicolour.

  The future was bright and Lily couldn’t wait for it to begin.

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to my editor Charlotte Mursell for her invaluable guidance and all the wonderful team at HQ Digital.

  And thank you to my lovely family and friends for their love and support which means the world to me.

  If you loved The Little Gift Shop at the Loch then turn the page for an exclusive extract from Summer at West Sands Guest House …

  Chapter 1

  Molly Adams peered into the bottom of the laundry basket. The few items of clothing barely warranted a whole wash cycle but she reached down and bundled them into the machine anyway. She didn’t want anything lying about tomorrow, least of all her dirty washing.

  A surprising array of internet recipes and supermarket meals for one had taken care of her eating but laundry for one had taken her by surprise, an unexpected consequence of her husband leaving her.

  Standing in the small utility room, she let out a sigh. With its integrated appliances and fitted shelves, she’d always quite liked the warmth and cocoon-like feel of the small space and she stood for a few moments almost reluctant to move. The silence of the house was driving her mad and even the gurgling and slurping of the washing machine was welcome.

  Funny, it had been the laundry basket – or at least its contents – that had first alerted her. She could still recall the moment her insides had shifted uneasily as the unfamiliar scent wafting from her husband’s shirt assaulted her senses. She had placed the shirt in the washing machine, setting the dial to the highest temperature – totally unsuitable for the luxury two-ply fabric Colin favoured. Part of her had hoped the shirt might disintegrate in the wash. Perhaps if she destroyed the evidence, they could carry on as normal. Except deep down, she had known normal wasn’t good. She had noticed a brightness in her husband’s eyes, a spring in his step that she knew wasn’t of her making.