Twelve
SKYE
New Year’s Eve started with towels and ended with a kidnapping.
Christmas had passed, quiet and gentle, with an empty inn and a relaxed dinner by the seaside at Rosie and Alexander’s place. They had two pet puffins, Neeps and Tattie, that more than cheered up the gloom that had clung to my shoulders since Noah left.
It was almost impossible not to smile when the two small birds made a noise that sounded like a drunk man laughing softly to himself. We’d had an easy Christmas with just Harper and Reed joining us, before they went to open the pub for anyone who needed a break from family or a place to celebrate with others. I wondered what Noah was doing for Christmas.
Bloody hell, but I missed him.
More than I wanted to admit.
Even though this time was different.
Because Noah was texting me, nonstop. At first, I tried to ignore it, but he just kept texting. For a man who had an aversion to his phone, he’d suddenly seemed to discover it as his favorite way to communicate. He’d send pictures, silly jokes, or lyrics half-finished, asking for my opinion.
Sometimes I responded. Sometimes I left him on read. My heart didn’t know what to think about it, so I kept my walls up, though he was slowly building a door.
By mid-morning on New Year’s Eve, I had the laundry turned over, the scones made for tea, and a quiet house that felt a size too big. I had two rooms booked with short stays, and though I’d normally be full over the holidays, I was grateful for any bookings I could get. I moved through rooms checking small things because that’s what I did when my brain didn’t want to sit still. Extra tea bags in the blue room. Matches on the mantel. Fresh shortbread on the tray by the kettle. Every task took the edge off for five minutes and then the edge returned.
By late afternoon, I was ready to settle in with a good book, when the front bell rang like someone meant it. I opened the door to find Esther, Meredith, and Shannon on the step, lined up like a firing squad in winter coats and smug smiles. Cherise stood behind them holding a garment bag and a plastic tub of makeup.
“Happy Hogmanay,” Esther announced. “We’ve brought your sparkle. You’re coming out.”
“No, I most certainly am not,” I said. “I have guests.”
“You have one German couple who are up at Kingsbarns for a fancy meal and a woman named Eileen who hasalready told me she intends to be asleep by half past nine,” Esther said. “We checked on our way over.”
“You checked my guest list?”
“We checked with Eileen,” Meredith said. “She’s my second cousin. She snores like a tractor and won’t hear a cannon.”
“Skye,” Shannon added gently, “you need a night where you wear something silly and eat food you didn’t make.”
“I’m not in the mood,” I said. Understatement. My mood had sat down on the floor and refused to put on shoes.
“That’s why we’re here,” Esther said, already stepping across the threshold. “Fetch your lipstick and your spine.”
They didn’t ask permission to come in. They took off their coats and moved like a team. Cherise unzipped the garment bag and revealed a dress. It was a deep emerald green with sparkles splashed across it and fringe at the hem. I hated how much I liked it. Where had they even found a dress like that in Kingsbarns?
“What’s the theme?” I asked, because the Book Bitches never did anything without a theme.
“No theme,” Meredith said at the same time Esther said, “Karaoke.”
I leveled a look at Esther. “Haven’t you DJed enough this month?”
“I give the people what they want.” Esther sniffed.
“Where is it?” I asked. I hadn’t heard about the community center being booked out.
“A house outside town,” Esther said.
“Whose house?”
“Come and see,” she said, which was not an answer.
“I’m not playing dress up to sit in a stranger’s lounge.” I put my hands on my hips.
