Page 28 of Chasing a Highland Dream

‘Had her a long time, have you?’

Bella appreciated his attempts to sing from the same hymn sheet. ‘Since I was a teenager. She used to belong to my granny so she’s very special to me.’

‘Ah, I see. Well, my mate Neil is an excellent mechanic. Mel’s husband from the band?’ She nodded. ‘I’ll hop back on the bike and go let him know to come and collect her. You’ll not get a signal out here. Are you okay to wait with her while I go? Then I’ll go to the station and grab my spare helmet from my locker, and I can run you back to Drumblair.’

‘Oh no, Harris, I can get a taxi, honestly, I don’t want to ruin your day off.’

‘Hey, it’s not a problem. I’d rather do that than leave you stranded. And anyway, it means we get to have that ride sooner than expected.’ He seemed quite happy with his plan.

Bella nodded, she was too sad to argue. ‘Thanks, if you’re sure?’

‘Absolutely. Do you have an emergency triangle?’

Bella nodded. ‘I do, in my boot.’

‘Okay, put that out and stand away from the vehicle in the grass. I’ll be as quick as I can.’ He put on his helmet, mounted his bike, started it and drove off at speed.

After putting the triangle out, Bella stood away from her car, looking on with a pit of sadness in her stomach. She hoped it could be repaired. If it had only been the tyre that would have been easier, but the engine was still steaming, which was a worrying sign. She couldn’t afford a new car and wasn’t going to ask her granny for a loan. She had given her the car in the first place, that was enough for a pensioner. She could only hope it didn’t cost the earth to get Fifi running again.

A short while later, Bella heard the roar of a motorbike again and, sure enough, Harris returned. Once he had dismounted from his bike, he removed his helmet and walked towards her with another helmet hooked over his arm.

He handed Bella the helmet. ‘Here you go, put that on and make sure it’s nice and secure under your chin. Neil is on his way to pick up, erm, Fifi. What he doesn’t know about cars isn’t worth knowing. Anyway, he’ll take her back to his and give her a check over. He’s got my number so he can call me once he knows what the damage is. And I’ll let you know so you can get in touch with him.’

‘I really appreciate this, Harris. You didn’t have to go to so much trouble.’

He smiled. ‘Really, it’s no bother. Come on, let’s get you home.’

Once the helmet was fastened, Bella’s head felt weirdly heavy. Harris held out his arm and helped her to climb on behind him.

‘Put your arms around my waist and hold on. You’ll be fine. I’ll take it steady,’ he told her over his shoulder in a muffled voice.

She did as instructed, and her heart skipped as the engine growled to life. Harris pulled off and she gripped the man’s torso as if her life depended on it… because really it did. As they rode down the narrow lanes, her hair whipped up around her neck and although she tried to watch the scenery as it whizzed by her face, she found her eyes closing and she tucked her head in behind Harris. She wanted the journey to be over and to get back to the castle in one piece. Her heart was in her mouth and her jaw was clenched tightly closed as her stomach lurched on each corner they rounded, fear she would fly off into the hedgerow knotting her guts. She was definitely not a thrill seeker, that was one thing the journey showed her about herself.

After what seemed like hours but was probably a matter of minutes, they pulled onto the long driveway leading to Drumblair Castle. Harris had slowed substantially, and Bella lifted her head to watch as the imposing structure came into view. The MacBain clan flag billowed in the breeze atop one of the towers and Bella could just about make out the outline of the wildcat in the centre.

They pulled around past the front of the castle and then along into the courtyard that opened out in front of the stables. Bella spotted Aiden sitting on one of the benches situated between the apartments with his laptop resting on the seat beside him and a mug of something in his hand. His eyes were closed, and his head rested back against the stone until he heard the bike, at which point he opened his eyes and watched their approach with apparent interest.

Bella heaved a sigh of relief when Harris pulled the bike to a halt. He held out his hand and helped her to dismount before climbing off the bike himself.

She tugged the helmet from her head with a loud ‘Oof!’ as she almost removed her ears and feared decapitation at the same time. ‘Thank you so much for your help.’ She desperately tried to straighten her hair, which she figured was probably sticking up at all angles.

‘Like I said, it’s no bother at all. What did you think of the ride?’ Harris gestured towards the bike and smiled in a way that led her to believe he hoped she’d reply positively.

Continuing to faff with her hair, she said, ‘Oh… erm… it was… erm…’ Words, Bella, use your words, preferably nice ones that don’t include puke or heart attack.

He chuckled and nodded. ‘You’re still a four wheels type of gal?’

She laughed with relief and nodded. ‘I’m afraid so.’

‘Noted. So, four wheels when I take you out then?’

Bella was a little taken aback. ‘When you take me out?’ Had she missed something? Or was that the payment he required for helping her?

His face flushed and he cleared his throat. ‘Ah, erm, I forgot to actually ask you, didn’t I? I remember having the conversation in my head but…’

‘Yes, I think you forgot to ask,’ she replied with a smile. ‘But… to be honest, I’m not really looking for⁠—’

He pursed his lips and nodded. ‘Right, no bother. Totally fine. I’ll be off. Oh, but can I have your number so I can get in touch when I hear about your car?’ He held out his phone.