‘Yes. Events Manager. I do a lot of freelance work.’
‘Cool. You must be very organised.’ Kyle held back a leafy branch for her as she walked under a tree.
‘On a good day. I like lists.’ She took the branch from him and let it go when she’d passed by.
‘Same. You can’t go wrong with a list. I can’t bear people who complain they’re disorganised yet do nothing about it. Just make a list, power through it.’ He shrugged. ‘Simple.’
‘Well, I guess not everyone finds it that easy. Hence why I have a job. I’m grateful for the disorganised.’
‘Fair enough. You’re one of those compassionate people, I suppose.’ He rolled his eyes, and then laughed, which was unexpected. ‘Always seeing the good in others. Not me, I’m afraid.’
‘I don’t know about that, but I suppose I always try to understand people.’ Deb thought about it for a moment. ‘Mostly because I value being understood myself.’
‘Yeah, it makes sense. I’m just a hothead.’ He gave her a wry smile. ‘Tend to jump into things. Act first, think later. Not always a great thing.’
‘Well, at least you get things done,’ Deb said, politely. ‘Oh! Wow, what a view!’
They had come out of the trees and were standing on an open viewpoint above the loch, but at a point that Deb had never been at before. Before them, the widest part of the watery expanse stretched out and into the distance, surrounded by the heather-covered hills and mountains. As clouds scudded acrossthe sky, the sun and shade changed the colour of them from bright mauve to a dark greenish grey. From where she stood, the mountains looked as if they were covered in velvet pile which changed colour depending on which way it was stroked. To the right, Deb could see Loch Cameron Castle in the distance, with the village opposite it – from here, everything looked tiny.
‘Where does it go?’ Deb pointed to the loch on their left, as it stretched out and thinned into the distance.
‘Eventually it runs into the sea,’ Kyle explained. ‘Most lochs aren’t sea lochs, but this one is, technically, though it’s very shallow and small at that end.’
‘I didn’t know that,’ Deb confessed, taking in the view, and watching a bird of prey as it circled above them on the thermals. ‘What’s that?’ She pointed at it.
‘Red Kite, looks like. They went almost extinct here for years and were reintroduced. Seem to be thriving now, I see them fairly frequently up here.’ He followed her gaze. ‘Beautiful, isn’t it?’
‘Yes. I don’t think I’ve seen one before.’
‘You might look around for some discarded feathers here and there. I’ve found them sometimes. They can be quite large.’ Kyle’s eyes never left the kite and it swooped and hovered in front of them.
‘I will, thanks.’
He looked back at Deb, and smiled surprisingly warmly. ‘Those type of birds, in other countries, they’d have a legend or a tale attached to them. Like, a power animal meaning, or something. Birds like eagles and hawks, they’re really important to other cultures. I always think it’s sad that we don’t have those kinds of legends about animals, here.’
‘I can see that. They are majestic creatures.’ Deb was bemused. Far from the rude, dismissive man she thought Kylewas, here he was waxing lyrical about the local wildlife, and the spiritual significance of birds of prey.
‘Mmm. Well, I should get going. Break’s over.’ Kyle sighed. ‘Believe me, there’s nothing I’d like more than to stay here looking at this wonderful view with you.’
With me?Deb thought. Despite herself, a glow of warmth bloomed in her chest.
‘Sure. Thanks for bringing me here.’
‘Welcome. Nice to share it. You remember the way back?’
‘I think so. I’ll stay a while longer.’
‘All right, then.’ Kyle nodded, and turned back, heading into the trees. ‘Good to see you, Deb.’
‘And you, Kyle.’
Deb watched him go, feeling confused. Kyle had been friendly to her for no reason. They’d met in a random field, completely unexpectedly, and shared a moment of beauty. It was… odd. But, it wasn’t at all unpleasant.
She turned her gaze back to the circling kite, and wondered what meaning it might have. A totem, or an omen of some kind? And, if it was an omen, an omen of what?
NINE
‘And that’s a canasta.’ Gretchen Ross tapped her wrinkled index finger on the row of six Kings and two Jokers that were laid out in front of Deb. ‘Impure, of course, because you used a couple of wild cards. So, it scores a bit less, but now that you’ve got it, you can go out when you want to.’
