Page 25 of Chasing a Highland Dream

Bella laughed. ‘And yet you’re here with me, not Brodie.’

Olivia smiled. ‘I don’t mind if you don’t.’

‘Have you heard anything from Kerr?’ Bella asked rather tentatively.

Olivia sighed. ‘Not personally. Uncle Innes saw him coming out of a pub in Inverness and warned him again to stay away. Kerr just sneered, told him it was a free country and walked away. He looked quite rough, apparently.’

‘I hope he stays away, Liv. We don’t want him showing up on opening day next Saturday.’

‘We certainly don’t.’

‘And how’s Brodie’s divorce going?’ Bella asked as the waiter placed two mocktails on their table.

‘It’s almost done. Not long now.’ Olivia’s wide, bright smile told of her happiness and relief at the fact.

Bella excitedly reached over and squeezed her hand. ‘And then you’ll be getting married!’

Olivia giggled. ‘I have to wait for the official proposal first. This little ribbon he tied around my finger is getting rather scratty, but I won’t take it off. He’s wonderful, Bells,’ she said dreamily. ‘I feel so lucky that we found each other again. Although I had no clue he even liked me back at school.’

‘Honestly, you two are so perfect for each other. The way he looks at you…’ Bella said with a wistful sigh.

Olivia’s expression changed to one of seriousness. ‘The trouble is… I’ve never loved a man so strongly, Bells, and it terrifies me.’

‘You have nothing at all to worry about, Liv. You’re the centre of his world, it’s so clear.’

Deep down, Bella wished she could find someone, too, in spite of her protestations that she wasn’t bothered. She was surrounded by loved-up people, from Olivia and Brodie, Skye and Ben, even down to Mirren and Dougie. And though she didn’t need a man to ‘complete’ her, or anything quite as prosaic, sometimes she thought it would be nice to have someone to go with on double dates with her friends.

At that point, Skye walked up to their table. ‘Hey, girlies!’ Bella and Olivia jumped to their feet and a group hug ensued.

‘It’s been too long since we did this,’ Skye said as she took a seat and waved the waiter over. When he arrived, she requested another mocktail. ‘Ben dropped me in town but it’s too early for alcohol. I might fall asleep if I drink.’

‘How are the wedding plans going, Skye?’ Olivia asked.

‘Exhausting,’ Skye replied with a huff. ‘I’m beginning to like the idea of escaping to Gretna, it’s got so complicated.’

‘Oh no, although your mum and dad would go ballistic if you did,’ Bella said, remembering the way they’d had to console Skye after she had suggested a small, quiet wedding to her mum. The fallout had been ridiculous and lasted for days.

‘Aye, that’s true. It’s getting silly now with who won’t sit next to whom, and who we can’t invite if we invite a certain person from that side of the family, and who can’t travel from the other side of the family. I’m a bit fed up with it all, to be quite honest with you.’ The waiter brought Skye’s drink and she took a long swig. ‘Anyway, enough about me, any news on that rat of a brother of yours, Liv?’

‘I was just telling Bella that Uncle Innes saw him coming out of a pub rather worse for wear.’

Skye pursed her lips and leaned forward. ‘Rumour has it he tried to get back with Adaira and she wouldn’t even let him in the house.’

‘Good on her!’ Bella said.

‘We just need him to stay away from the castle opening now,’ Skye said.

‘I may see if we can arrange some kind of security just in case.’

‘Anyway, has that writer arrived yet? Is he an old fat guy like you thought, Bells?’ Skye asked.

Olivia laughed. ‘The less said about the writer guy and his arrival, the better. But I think Bells would agree he’s rather cute and not an old fat guy at all, although very much taken, apparently.’

Skye curled her lip and harrumphed. ‘Really? That’s rubbish. If he’s a hottie, I was hoping for some romantic tale of your eyes meeting across a cobbled courtyard.’

It was Bella’s turn to laugh now. ‘Yeah, it definitely didn’t happen that way and I think you’ve been watching too many romance movies.’

As they giggled, Bella felt a presence beside her and Skye looked up with a quizzical glance.