I can see it clearly. I can see this sharp, intelligent, high-flying lawyer looking down on her sensitive daughter for liking pretty clothes and struggling to keep up in class.
“I want to do something for her,” I mutter. “Something…special.”
Fraser strokes the lamb’s ear. “Like what?”
“I don’t know,” I say impatiently. “I don’t do that stuff. That’s why I’m asking you.”
“Ahh.” He nods understandingly. “You’re outsourcing your grand gesture. Romantic.”
“It’s not a gesture. It’s just…a thing. To make her happy. Women like you. You’re good at this stuff. So you come up with something, and I’ll do it.”
“Okay, give me a sec.” He thinks for a moment, tapping his bottom lip. “Well, there is thisonething I do that girls love.”
“Aye?”
He lowers his voice. “Don’t tell anyone, okay? It’s sort of my secret sauce. Can’t have it getting around.”
I lean in. “What is it.”
He looks around, as if we might be overheard by some spy hiding in our lounge. “Well,” he says, “what you do is—and bear in mind, this can take a bit of practice—you put your mouth between her legs?—”
“Fraser.”
He puts his hands up. “I know, I know. It’s unorthodox. A bit out there. But it works, I’m telling you.”
“I want something that will make herhappy,” I growl. “Not just sex.”
He looks politely confused. “Not quite what you’re looking for? Give me an example then.”
“Like…” I think. “Taking her out shopping or something. She likes clothes.”
“Mm-hmm,” Fraser says.
“May as well get her nails fixed too,” I mutter to myself. “They’ve been broken for ages. Not had any gems on them for a week atleast.”
“Mm-hmm,” Fraser says again.
I frown. “And I don’t know what a cake pop is, but she mentioned she likes them. We should try to find them.” I look up at Fraser. “You know. Stuff like that.”
“Right,” Fraser says. “Great. Let’s do all that then.”
“What? Don’t you have any ideas?”
“Oh, I’ll take her on my own date. Wouldn’t want to overshadow yours. Not after you’ve put so much thought into it.” His eyes sparkle. “I will invite myself along though, if you don’t mind. We’ve not got much time with her. I’m not letting you hog her for a whole day.”
I’m taken aback. “It’s not adate.”
“No? It will be for me, I think. Inverness tomorrow, yeah? We can coordinate it with the city deliveries, and even Alec won’t be able to complain.” He stretches and yawns like an animal. “Well, I better get back to work. See you tomorrow for the date.” He claps me on the shoulder and strolls out of the lounge, whistling.
He’s ridiculous. “It’s obviously not a date,” I tell the lamb in my lap.
She sticks her tiny tongue out at me.
FORTY-NINE
SUMMER
Iclose my eyes, feeling Fraser’s heart thud steadily beneath my cheek. Overhead, the sun warms my body.
