“Is my naked chest not appropriate for families?” The smile creeps back onto Angus’ face. His gaze lingers on mine for a few more seconds. My cheeks are flushed. “Ach, I’m fucking with you, London. I need to finish packing down anyway.” He pauses. “Can’t do you a flat white, but I can make you a coffee if you like?”
“Is it going to be instant?”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
I hesitate. I want to say yes. I want to linger longer in Angus’ company. He’s kinder than I expected, with a dry sense of humour, and the sight of his smile does unexpected things to my knees.
But my feet are already aching, and the ounce of momentum I gathered when I woke up is fading fast. I need to force myself into motion, before I give up entirely. And I need some time to myself. Time without men whose abs turned my entire body to jelly.
“There’s a café about an hour down the trail,” Angus offers, checking his watch. “Reckon it will be open by the time you get there. From memory, they do a mean flat white.”
I blink at the unexpected thoughtfulness. Angus sensed my hesitation, and instead of pushing the point, he’s given me an out.
One point for the burly Scottish yeti.
“Thanks. That sounds like just the ticket.” I grab my tent fly and roll it into a sausage. “Well, I guess I’ll see you on the walk?”
Angus shrugs. “Probably. Doubt I’ll be far behind you. Once I’ve had breakfast and packed up, I’ll be on my way.”
“Not going to team up with anyone else?” I tease. “Form a walking group? Make friends?”
He shakes his head. “I’m not much for walking in company.”
“How introverted of you.”
“Says the woman haring off at the crack of dawn.”
“I’m not haring off. I’m in dire need of well-brewed caffeine. There’s a difference.”
“That’s what all the introverts say.” Angus lifts one hand. “Well, I’m in dire need of a shirt, apparently. Something about being inappropriate to families and catching my death of cold.”
“I’m only looking out for your health.”
“Uh huh.”
“And the children!”
Angus laughs over his shoulder, striding towards his own tent. I resist the temptation to watch his well-developed back disappear across the campsite.Focus, Rowan. Tent. Walk. Flat white.
Recover from the cheating arsehole who broke your heart.
Only, right now, Ethan is the furthest thing from my mind, the sight of his naked, bouncing arse replaced by something equally raunchy, but far more pleasant.
And I don’t yet know if that’s a good thing.
* * *
The flat white is heavenly. I’m hard pressed to hold back a groan as the gloriously hot liquid touches my parched lips. The walk to the café was more of a trudge; with the full weight of the bag on my back, the pain in my feet was hard to ignore and calves were on fire again within five minutes. But the lure of coffee dragged me on, and by the time I got here, the discomfort had settled back to manageable levels.
The clouds clear and a ray of sunshine falls across the bench I’m sitting on. I take a bite of my croissant. Bliss. Pure, decadent bliss.
I’m savouring the final sip when the chatter of familiar voices rings around the corner. Priya dances ahead of the group, herpigtails swinging, and behind her Angus and Lila support Ewan between them. His face is grey, his expression tight, and he is clearly in agony, but still he lurches forward, the stick we found for him gripped tightly in his hands.
I salute their approach with my empty coffee cup and lever myself to my feet.
“Hi, Rowan!” Priya sing-songs happily. “You were up early.”
“Couldn’t sleep,” I reply, smiling at her. “You’re full of beans this morning.”
