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He glances down at himself. “Oh, shit, I forgot. I was excited about telling you, but it doesn’t matter now. I’ll cancel. I should be with you today.”

“Cancel what?”

“Well, your and Aidan’s words yesterday about working with the resort got through to me—as did your words, Grace, during the yoga. You talked about letting thoughts drift away like clouds. It’d be silly not to grab at a chance of achieving my dreams because of my feud with Robbie. So, earlier, I called the resort to see if I could book a meeting with Craig MacDonald. Not only was the answer yes, but I was able to make an appointment for today. Aidan and I are due to speak with him in a few hours. Lewis and Jamie let me off breakfast duty early so I could get ready, but like I say, I’ll phone up again and cancel. You need me today.”

“Don’t be daft! I’ve got Grace.” I take her hand in mine, managing a weak smile. “And David’s here too. I’ll be fine. This is a big deal for you and Aidan. Don’t cancel on my account. Go for it!”

He looks unconvinced. “Are you sure?”

“I’ll be upset with you if you don’t go.”

He chuckles. “All right. I’d thought you may be able to give me and Aidan some tips for a successful business meeting—you’ve more experience of them than us—but that doesn’t matter right now. I want you to focus on yourself today.”

“I can give tips!” I insist. “Let me make myself presentable, then you can invite Aidan around, and we can all have a chat.”

Fifteen minutes later, Aidan arrives. Like Ally, he’s dressed smartly, despite his sling. He greets me and Ally before turning his attention to Grace. The way his smile widens when he gives her a one-armed hug has me wondering if there’s attraction there.

“All right, Ally and I have a big meeting soon.” Aidan leans against the wall, choosing to remain standing. “He reckoned you might have some advice for us, Emily.”

“Sure! First, address the sling. It’s not the best selling point for your business. Robbie’s dad—Craig, is it?—will be concerned about the safety of his guests. Make it clear to him you injured yourself falling down your stairs and not doing one of your activities.”

Aidan nods. “A good point.”

I turn to Ally. “And as for you, you said Grace’s advice about letting go of things got through to you, and that’s great. When you’re in the meeting, put all other thoughts out of your head, especially any problems you have with Robbie. You’re enthusiastic about the business—as is Aidan—so let that shine through.

“Most importantly, and this is a warning to both of you, don’t make it all about you. You want access to the resort’s shower and changing facilities, and you want the opportunity to sell your activities to the resort’s clientele. Be sure to highlight what the resort will get out of it. Maybe they don’t have a lot to offer families with teenagers. Maybe they don’t get a lot of guests in their twenties with a thrill for adventure and for whom a swimming pool and golf don’t quite cut it. Maybe your activities could attract new kinds of customers to stay with them.”

We chat some more about things, and I’m glad of the distraction. It’s nice to have something to focus on other than the article. By the time we’re done, Ally and Aidan are confident and excited.

“Thanks for all the advice, Emily. I’m pumped!” Aidan slaps Ally’s back with his good hand. “Let’s do this, mate!”

Ally nods then pulls me into another hug. “Are you sure you’ll be okay today?”

“I’ll be fine,” I say with more certainty than I feel. “Good luck at the resort! I can’t wait to hear how you get on.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

EMILY

While Ally and Aidan are away at their business meeting, Grace, David, and I wander through Bannock. It’s starting to feel like a second home, although unbelievably, I’ve still not visited the town’s only café, the Coffee Bothy. I’ve been trying to keep my caffeine intake to a minimum: a strong coffee over breakfast has been enough to set me up. Today, however . . . yeah, today I could do with another coffee. So I suggest to Grace and David that we pop in.

As soon as I open the door, I’m hit by the delicious smell of freshly ground beans. It’s pretty in here, with local artwork for sale on the walls, including several paintings of the wild landscape and craggy mountains of the Highlands. The pictures are beautiful, but my eyes are drawn to the cake display, where I recognise some of Morag’s creations. The bakery must supply this place with its cakes. That makes sense. Morag’s sweet treats are, after all, out of this world.

From behind the counter, a man with thinning hair and a grey beard beams at us. He opens his mouth to greet us, but someone else gets in first.

“Welcome!” a parrot squawks from a cage to our left. “Did you miss me?”

After a moment of stunned silence, Grace, David, and I burst into fits of giggles.

Grace is the first to recover. She steps closer to the cage, admiring the gorgeous grey bird with a red tail feather. “Who’s this?”

“Stick ’em up!” the parrot tells her, which sets us all off again.

“This is Pepper, and I’m Tom,” the man says, chuckling. “Welcome to the Coffee Bothy! Are you, by any chance, the three Londoners who are staying in the Bannock Hotel?”

“Yes!” I confirm. “And you sound just like us. You’re not Scottish!”

“True! I’m a Londoner, born and raised, but Bannock has been my home for many years now. I’ve never lost the accent, though.”