‘Oh God, Bella, you didn’t say anything about Luke, did you? I will tell him, I just haven’t had a chance and then I hoped you hadn’t said anything.’
‘Sorry, I completely put my foot in it when you arrived and I said I thought you were bringing Luke. I could tell you from your face that you hadn’t mentioned him to Ben.’
‘He didn’t hear that don’t worry. And no, not yet . . .’
Bella gave her a reassuring smile. ‘No, don’t worry. I didn’t say a thing.’
‘When are you going to tell him?’ asked Isobel.
Rosie sighed loudly and her shoulders visibly slumped. ‘I just wasn’t quite expecting all of this. It’s all been a bit of a surprise.’
She glanced over at Ben standing with Fergus, who then pulled something from his pocket, handed Ben his coffee cup and started to run.That was strange, thought Bella.
‘I don’t mean to be so secretive but, well, I suppose I will have to talk to him soon,’ said Rosie.
‘Talk to me about what?’ said Ben, arriving back at the table.
‘Um, about what you said to Fergus to make him dash off like that,’ said Bella hastily. ‘Did he not rate your chat?’
Ben grinned. ‘Ah, that was his pager. He got a shout. He’s a volunteer with the lifeboat crew.’
‘I hope it isn’t anything too serious,’ she said.
He shrugged and picked up his coffee. ‘Time will tell. He just has to drop everything when it goes off. I got used to drinking a lot of his coffees when I worked with him last summer at the outdoor centre. It always used to happen just when he had been in to buy his flat white.’
Bella chuckled, relieved that Ben was now more focused on eating his scone than what she and their mums had been talking about. She looked at Rosie who threw her a grateful look.
Chapter Thirty-One
With the excitement of Ben’s sudden arrival home, Rosie hadn’t seen Luke since their walk together in the woods but she had exchanged a few texts with him and he assured her he was churning out the words. That made her happy. She had told him that Ben had arrived back and would be working and living in Brodick. It was probably best he was keeping a low profile and that they did have some space from each other anyway. The last thing she wanted to do was distract him. However, today she had asked him if he would like to chum her and Rosie to Lamlash. Ash was due to arrive later that day and they needed to get some shopping in. Luke had texted her back saying he would love to come.
‘What if anyone recognises you?’ said Isobel as they got out the car beside the Co-op.
He shrugged. ‘I don’t think anyone will. I’m just a regular guy. It’s amazing how you can go about your business if you stay low key and don’t make a big deal of things’, he said.
‘I suppose that’s true,’ said Isobel. ‘I once saw that big hunk fromGame of Thronesin Boots in Buchanan Galleries. I didn’t know it was him. It was just some bloke trying to decide which brand of toothpaste to buy. I just wondered why the assistant was paying special attention to the dental section. I asked her where the floss was and she glared at me. It was only when the chap walked away, with the tooth whitening variety by the way, that she told me who he was. I would have been none the wiser.’
Rosie had no idea who Isobel was referring to and shrugged. She glanced at Luke unable to think of him as just aregular guy. It was a bit cooler today and he wore his jeans, a sweatshirt and had pulled his beanie hat on. ‘Saves me worrying about my hair,’ he had said earlier when Isobel had made a comment and asked him if he was going busking. She was becoming more and morelike her mother every day. As far as Rosie was concerned his hair was perfect.
‘Right, what’s the plan?’ Said Isobel. ‘Get the shopping done and have a wander? Or get the shopping done and then have a coffee?’
‘Shopping and coffee,’ said Rosie and Luke in unison.
Isobel smirked. ‘You’re both soin tunewith each other.’
Rosie looked sheepishly at Luke then glared at Isobel. ‘Come on. And Isobel, just remember it’s your turn to buy the coffees.’
‘No bother at all,’ she said, completely unfazed.
Rosie had made a list of things to buy for Ash’s stay. She planned to make a spicy sausage pasta that night and then do a barbeque tomorrow as the weather looked set to be fair. Then, after that, if Ash decided to stay longer, they could eat out. It didn’t take Rosie and Isobel long to gather all the necessary ingredients and then drop them off at the car. Luke was waiting on a nearby bench which overlooked the sea.
‘I love this place,’ he said. ‘It’s like a painting.’ He pointed over to the island. ‘That’s the Holy Isle?’
‘Yes,’ said Rosie, opening the car and putting the shopping in the boot. ‘You can go over and visit it. Or volunteer there. I think they’re always looking for people to help in the kitchen and the garden. I would imagine that is another good place to escape to.’
‘Have you been over?’ asked Isobel curiously.
‘Yes, I did a mindfulness course there last year.’
