They’d laid a rug and set up a picnic on the bakery floor where they watched the snow fall on the green and made promises that they would look after and love each other for ever.
Cam swallowed and briefly closed his eyes. He clutched the letter in his apron pocket, trying not to think about the worst-case scenario.
Molly started to chuckle, bringing him back to here and now. ‘And Martha predicted you’d become a baker and make this place a success.’ She gave him a knowing look.
Cam was shaking his head. ‘That wasn’t anything to do with psychic powers. That was to do with the village rumour mill and my grandmother telling everyone she met that I was taking over this place but not to say anything.’
‘Okay, fair point. But let me tell you about Martha. Apparently, she’s asked Isla about taking over one of her vintage campervans on a permanent basis.’
‘Why would she want to live in a campervan at her age when she has the comfort of the farmhouse?’ Cam didn’t understand.
‘Not to live! She’s thinking more of setting up a little business to entice the tourists to have their futures told. Ten pounds per reading, ten customers at day…’
Cam looked horrified. ‘This is a quaint village in the Scottish Highlands, not the promenade at Blackpool. People actually pay for this?’
‘People are fascinated by this stuff and she’s only charging us a fiver tonight.’
His eyebrows shot up. ‘You have to pay for one of our best friends’ grandmother to feed you a pile of claptrap? I’m in the wrong job.’
‘I could see you with a shawl, beads around your neck…’ She laughed. ‘Don’t knock it until you’ve had a reading. A night with Martha Gray! Many of her predictions have come true, from babies to businesses. Maybe I should ask her about the winner of the bakers’ competition?’
Cam let out a strangled laugh. ‘Will you ask her about the winning numbers of the lottery too? Because if these special powers did exist, she would be rolling in it.’ He slipped his hand around Molly’s waist and they stared out over the snowy green in quiet contemplation.
‘I could ask her to predict the sex of this one.’
Cam smiled down at her stomach. ‘She has a fifty-fifty chance of getting that right.’ He pulled Molly in closer, resting his head on top of hers. ‘I love you,’ he murmured. He could feel the emotion surging inside him and the tears welling up in his eyes. Molly looked up towards him, and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. ‘You aren’t going all teary eyes on me, are you? You big softie.’
‘Molly, I really do…’ Feeling a presence, Cam trailed off and looked over his shoulder.
‘Has he told you that he tried to attack me with a baguette?’
Hearing Bree’s voice, Molly spun around as the girl waltzed into the bakery and jumped straight on to the counter, causing Cam to have a mini heart-attack.
‘Off there, health and safety,’ he demanded, shooing her off.
‘Whoops, sorry,’ replied Bree, jumping down and tightening her dressing gown. Cam noticed she was still wearing his slippers.
‘What’s this? You haven’t really tried to attack Bree with a baguette, have you?’ queried Molly, wondering what had been going on in the early hours of the morning.
‘Of course I didn’t,’ he replied then murmured under his breath, ‘Even though I am very tempted.’
‘Don’t mind him, he can be a little grumpy in the mornings,’ said Molly but Cam was staring at her deadpan. ‘I’m only joking,’ she added, patting his chest. ‘Bree, would you go and switch the kettle on for me? The mugs are in the cupboard next to the fridge. I could murder a cup of tea and a croissant.’
Bree disappeared and Molly took a croissant from the pile in the basket, tore a bit off the end and devoured it.
‘No wonder profits are down,’ said Cam good-humouredly, mirroring Molly’s actions and eating one himself. ‘I have to say though, these are very good.’
‘Are profits down?’ asked Molly, wondering if that was the reason Cam seemed a little troubled at the moment.
‘Only slightly this week, due to the weather,’ he replied.
‘I wouldn’t like to be out in this today.’ Molly shivered. ‘Cam…’
He knew exactly what she was going to say before the words left her mouth. ‘We agreed one night. Bree leaves this morning.’
There was only one way this conversation was heading and Cam didn’t want to go there. The last half an hour had been calm and tension-free and that’s the way he wanted it to stay, but Molly had different ideas.
‘But where exactly is she going to go after breakfast? A park bench? We can’t send her out in this.’
