“Good heavens, what happened to you? Are you all right?” She set some shopping bags on the counter and turned to Caitlin, hands-on-hips, and surveyed the remains of her first aid— the open kit, gauze and a tape dispenser on the table.
“A little damage control. I stepped on something on the beach. Sorry for any mess we made. I’ll sweep up.”
Mrs. Smith ignored her offer. “You were out there, barefoot?”
“Aye, well, Holt and I had a wee contest to see which was colder, the ocean or a loch. So I had to take off my shoes.”
Mrs. Smith laughed at that. “And who won?”
“Actually, we never came to a decision. A wave knocked me under, and Holt had to rescue me.” A warm tingle ran down her spine at the memory of being held in Holt’s arms. Caitlin wanted to wallow in the feeling, but with Mrs. Smith eyeing her, she pushed it away, finished replacing supplies in the kit and closed it.
Mrs. Smith gave her a speculative look. “As long as you’re sure you don’t need stitches.” When Caitlin shook her head, she turned back to her groceries.
“’Tisn’t bad,” she managed to say. “I’ll get out of your way soon.” As she put the kit in the drawer where Holt had found it, her gaze fell on the picture on the window ledge. “I don’t want to pry, but that’s a fine-looking lad. Who is he?”
Mrs. Smith paused from putting away groceries to smile at the photo. “My son, on the day he graduated from basic training. He lived here while he went to school, then joined the service.”
“He’s very handsome.” What was it about men in uniform? It seemed to make a square jaw sharper, the glint in the eye more steely.
“Thank you.” Mrs. Smith gazed at the picture for a moment longer, then seemed to recollect herself. “Dinner will be ready in an hour, dear. You should go upstairs and rest until then”
“Brilliant. I’ll take your advice.”
An hour later, Caitlin limped a bit on the way down to dinner. The gash in her foot hurt like mad if she put too much weight on it but was not enough to require a doctor. Holt glanced at her foot as she walked in the small dining room. She forced herself not to limp, despite the discomfort it caused.
He didn’t mention her injury or ask why she hadn’t let him re-bandage it. Nor did he mention their contest or anything that followed. She tamped down on the disappointment that hollowed out her chest. True, he’d been rescuing her, but the touching and the heated looks, she hadn’t imagined them, right? Instead, now he behaved as if they hadn’t been wrapped in each other’s arms a few hours earlier. He’d retreated back into himself, and for the entire dinner, didn’t have much more to say than politeness required.
When the dessert course arrived, Holt announced casually, “I need to run into town tomorrow morning. Is there anything I can pick up for you while I’m there?”
Caitlin knew an opportunity when she saw one and wasn’t going to let this one pass her by. Going with Holt would save her a drive on the wrong side of the road, and might give her a chance, away from the estate he loathed, to see him unbend even more than he had in the water today. In any case, she could deliver the coffee she’d promised Doc Coates, then if there was time, do some quick shopping for gifts for Farrell and Mrs. Smith.
“Actually, I owe a visit to a…friend…before the holiday.” What did one call one’s rescuers? Not a friend exactly, but acquaintance didn’t feel right, either, not for Holt and not for Doc Coates. “Perhaps I could do that while you’re busy, then you could pick me up?” She could see the wheels turning in Holt’s mind as he debated how much of an imposition her request would be on his time and plans. After much less cogitation than was his usual practice, he nodded.
“Sure. No problem. Will you be okay walking on your cut foot?”
Finally! So he did remember what happened today. Caitlin appreciated his concern, no matter how belatedly he expressed it. “I’ll be fine.”
He studied her for a moment, then asked, “Can you be ready to leave right after breakfast?”
Did he doubt her word? If she didn’t want him to do her this favor, she might have challenged him on that look, but she didn’t want him to withdraw his offer. “Aye,” she said, sipping her wine. “Earlier, if you need…”
“After breakfast will work,” Holt said around his last bite of cake. He rose and headed for the door, then turned back. “Wear something warm. It’s supposed to snow tomorrow.”
“Thanks, I will.” She grimaced at his retreating back. Though they’d discussed where she came from several times, including during their contest on the beach, he still didn’t seem to understand that she came from a cold climate in Scotland, and she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.
CHAPTER5
The next morning, Caitlin made sure her cut heel was bandaged and padded enough to let her walk comfortably, then got some work done before she heard Holt come down for his breakfast. She had another cup of tea while he ate, then went to grab her coat. She arrived in the foyer in time to see Holt pull the estate’s Mercedes SUV up to the front portico. So he trusted her to be on time. Or perhaps, he simply intended to warm the car so their drive would be more comfortable. He did have a considerate side, even if, like his smile, he rarely chose to display it.
She wrapped her scarf around her neck and stepped outside. The sudden cold took her breath for a moment. “Hiya. You were right,” she announced as she slid into her seat, intending to reward his consideration with an appeal to his male ego. “It’s much colder than yesterday. I hope whatever you have planned in the village is indoors.”
Holt kept his gaze averted as he pulled from the drive onto the street. “Business is typically conducted in an office, so yes, indoors. What about you? Where shall I drop you?”
“Do you know where Dr. Coates’s office is?”
Holt’s gaze cut to her. “Doctor? Is your foot infected? Are you ill?”
She appreciated his show of concern but sighed in relief when he turned his attention back to the road in front of them. “Nay, no’ even a wee. Dr. Coates is a veterinarian. A friend.” She’d never told Holt about the attempted purse-snatching but now was as good a time as any. “He saved me from getting nicked my first trip to the village. I think you call it a mugging.”
