‘Listen,’ she said. ‘You should sleep in the bed with me. There’s plenty of space.’
‘Naw, it’s fine. I want you to get some decent rest and you don’t know me from a barof soap.’
‘True, but you’ve shown you’re honourable. I trust you. I can trust you, can’t I?’
‘Aye, Alicia, you can trust me, but I don’t want you to have to worry even one wee bit about this.’
‘Jamie, look. If you were going to do something to me, these flimsy drapes here wouldn’t make the blindest bit of difference. We’re in a bothy in the middle of I don’t know where and I hate to say it, but my safety is completely in your hands. So far, you’ve looked after me, so what I am saying is, I would like you to get some sleep.’
‘And I would likeyouto get some sleep but how likely is that with some random guy snoring his arse off in the bed next to you?’
‘You snore? Through your ass?’
Jamie laughed. ‘Well, no on both counts. However, I’d still rather you have the bed to yourself.’
Alicia swung her legs through the drapes and lowered herself down to the bumpy stone floor. Even through her socks, the cold shocked her feet.
‘Where are you going?’ Jamie asked. ‘Not to use that outdoor loo in the dark?’
‘No, definitely not. I’m coming to get you.’ She shuffled over to him in the flickering candlelight, his commanding outline backlit by the dim amber glow. The shadow on the wall twice the man. He watched her approaching him. Still. Solid. Scrutinising.
Alicia stumbled in the dim light and in one swift movement he was there, catching her, his chest a buffer. Oh, the heat of him. Alicia could sleep here. Standing up.
‘Hey.’ As if she were a feather, Jamie helped her back to an upright position. ‘Careful. Go back to bed.’
‘I will go back,’ she said. ‘As long as you come with me.’
Jamie sighed. ‘Alicia!’
‘Jamie. Come on. You have to sleep. I need a capable and well rested orienteer to guide me back to the hotel tomorrow. So it’s in my best interests, you see?’
‘I see. How can I argue with that? Okay, I’ll come to the bed, but I am taking the wall side, and you are having the whole blanket.’
‘I suppose that’s a decent deal.’
‘I’m really not comfortable with this, though.’ Jamie looked for his hiking pants which were hanging on the back of another chair.
‘Well, I am, if that makes you feel any better. We’ll leave the candle on and keep the drapes open. And don’t worry about your pants. I’m sure you’ll be much more comfortable in those thermals. ‘Come on.’ The urge to grab his tricep was strong but he wasn’t grabbing any part of her body so she should respect his.
‘Don’t take offence,’ Jamie said, as he rolled himself over to the wall side of the bed, ‘but I’m going to face the wall. Just so you know where my hands are.’ He waved his hands in the air like a magician. Their span was huge and they looked like they could do tricks.
‘Okay. Thank you.’ Alicia stomped on her own wayward thoughts.
‘You’re welcome.’
‘I hope you sleep okay.’
‘You too.’
She tucked the blanket up to her chin, tried not to think about how many other people had been under it before her, and closed her eyes.
But it was never going to be the blanket that kept her from sleeping.
‘Jamie.’ She whispered his name ten minutes later. ‘Are you asleep?’
‘Aye,’ the answer came back.
Alicia giggled.
