‘You and I dancing has caused some speculation and intrigue.’
‘Not half.’ Lissa nodded.
Clara laughed, nudging Sam’s shoulder with her head. ‘Aw, but that’s because Sam’s such a lovely man.’ She closed her eyes. ‘It’s why we love him so much.’
He shook his head, laughing and pinching the bridge of his nose. ‘You must be drunk.’
‘She’s certainly something.’ Lissa burst out laughing.
As the evening grew late, a few people started to drift away, waving and shouting goodbyes. Clara couldn’t stop yawning.
‘I’m obviously too old for late nights. I should call a taxi.’
Sam checked his watch. ‘I can give you a lift if you want. And you.’ He turned to Lissa.
‘Wait, have you not had anything to drink?’ Lissa raised her eyebrows.
‘Nope. I have to get back to Clachnabronnachan, and it was easier to drive.’
Lissa stared between him and Clara. He didn’t need to hear her comment to know she found it amusing he’d been stone-cold sober through all their tipsy antics.
‘Such a saint.’ Lissa gave Duncan a look. ‘We’ll take a lift if you don’t mind. The taxi was bloody expensive, and you’ll pass our house on the way to Clachna-whozzit.’
‘My house is in the other direction though,’ Clara said. ‘Are you sure it’s ok?’
‘Yeah, of course I am. We’ll detour that way first.’
They said their goodbyes, then headed out into the cooler evening air.
Clara wobbled a little, and Sam steered her gently with his hand on the small of her back.
‘Duncan can go in the front,’ Lissa said. ‘Girls in the back, like the royalty we are.’
The drive was reasonably quiet, with Duncan sounding like he was already asleep and snoring, while Clara and Lissa hummed something soft.
Clara’s cottage was a cute little place at the edge of a wood on the Glenvorneth Estate. A couple of lights from the manor house twinkled in the distance.
Sam pulled up to the cottage at the side of the driveway. Clara shuffled forward to lean through the space between the front seats. ‘Thanks for everything tonight, my lovely.’ She planted a light kiss on his cheek, and he smiled.
‘Night-night.’ He reached around and patted her hand. She got out, and he waited until she’d opened her door and gone in before he drove off.
Lissa gave a mock groan. ‘Well, forgive me, Sam, but I’m not giving you a kiss goodbye.’
Chuckling softly, he drove back to Glenbriar. Lissa’s house was in a modern estate on the edge of the town, where most of the houses looked the same. Lissa had to get out and shake Duncan awake. ‘Thanks for the lift.’ She waved to Sam.
Once they were safely inside, he drove on towards Clachnabronnachan. The silence was drowned out by a buzzing in his ear. A strange sensation descended on him, trying to make him think, but he didn’t really want to. The more he resisted, however, the more painful it became, and his head ached.
When he reached the tiny hamlet, he stood for a moment in the driveway of his neat, detached stone house, in the quiet row of buildings, staring up at the midnight-blue sky. The stars were faint tonight – just a scatter of cold pinpricks in the dark. He fumbled with his keys, found his phone and saw a message from his friend Dominic about the wedding. Talk about bad timing. Sam couldn’t imagine getting through it on his own – but he’d have to. He had no other choice. Pushing through the door, he let it thud shut behind him.
He rubbed both hands over his face, still feeling the ghost of Clara’s kiss on his cheek. The warmth of it had faded, but the ache hadn’t. He tossed his keys onto the table, the clatter far too loud in the stillness.
For God’s sake, pull yourself together.He was just tired. That was all. He needed to sleep, let these ridiculous thoughts drain away.
But her voice kept circling, soft and bright, in his head.
‘Sam’s such a lovely man. It’s why we love him so much.’
He closed his eyes. Hopefully, she hadn’t meantsheloved him. Because he couldn’t love her back. Not because he didn’t want to try.
