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I turn from the photo to the man beside me, my heart thumping fast. The young boy has grown into a strong, handsome, caring man, and here we both are, years later, grown-up now, but somehow we’ve found our way back to each other. What are the chances?

The doubt I felt earlier has gone. Maybe I was never meant to get married to Harry. Maybe here in Bannock is where I’m supposed to be.

Throwing caution to the wind, I kiss Ally, not caring about all the people gathered around us. There are claps, whoops, and cheers, and even Jamie joins in.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

ALLY

I’m in the office working through some emails, including one informing me that the hotel’s gas and electricity rates will be going up soon. Just great.

Sighing, I take another look at the handwritten quote Iain the builder handed in earlier. The cost to finish the function room is high, as I knew it would be.

To punish myself further, I turn back to the laptop and open the shared spreadsheet Aidan created and to which he’s started to add all the equipment we’ll need to get our new business up and running. The unfortunate thing about outdoor equipment is it’s really fucking expensive.

Outgoings, outgoings, outgoings. And of course, while finishing the function room is the biggest item on Lewis’s list, it’s not the only one. He’s got plenty of other ideas for the hotel, all of which cost money.

Just the thought of all the cash we’re going to have to spend gives me heart palpitations. What if we don’t make it back? What if this ruins us? And it’s not just my family I have to worry about: Elspeth is still insistent she wants to invest in our business, and to be honest, Aidan and I will need her money to get going. But what if we end up ruining her too?

I put my elbows on the desk and sink my face into my hands. My leg jigs up and down, a sign I’m not far off from losing it.

“Are you okay?”

I look up. Cat is standing in the doorway, in dark jeans and an open tartan shirt with a white top beneath. I give her a half-smile, putting a lid on the angst I’m feeling, as I always do when I’m around her.

“Aye, I’m fine. I was just taking a wee break from the emails. What’s up?”

She comes in and perches on the edge of the desk. “Well, I know you’re busy, but Iona and I will be setting off soon, so I wanted to grab you for a quick chat before I’m away.”

It’s been two days since the big lunch in the restaurant, and the girls are already returning to Glasgow.

“Aye? What about?” I sit back, focusing my attention on my wee sister.

“Well . . . I was wondering if you could transfer me some more money.” She lowers her gaze and runs a finger along the edge of the desk. “I checked my bank balance earlier, and it’s pretty low.”

Still smiling, but with a slight frown, I say, “But, Cat, I transferred you a good bit of money a couple of weeks ago, remember?”

“Aye, and that was great, thanks.” She meets my eye again. “But . . . our rent’s gone up, and city life isn’t cheap.”

“You mean the clubs, drinking, and takeaways aren’t cheap?” I raise an eyebrow. “And those look like new clothes. And then there’s the nose piercing.”

She has the decency to bite her lip and shrug sheepishly, but it’s not enough to stop my blood pressure from going up. I’ve never lost it at my sister before, not even once, but it bugs me that she’s always relaxed and at ease while I’m forever freaking out.

I take a few slow and deep breaths. Not only have I never lost it at Cat before, I’ve also never said no to her. She knows how to get what she wants—always has. Even before Maw and Da died, she was the baby of the family and the only girl. Da had a soft spot for her, and me, Lewis, and Jamie? We all did too. I suppose she’s grown up spoilt.

Counting to ten, I remind myself that Cat is studying and has a plan. Sure, she’s burning through money rather quickly, and I bet she’d be more frugal were it her own hard-earned cash she were spending, but at least one day in the not-too-far-off future she’ll have a job and be earning a wage. That’s something.

Finding my calm again, I smile at Cat. “Aye, I’ll send you some more money. It’s not a problem.”

“Thanks, Ally!” She pulls me into a fierce hug and plants a kiss on my cheek. “You’re the best! I’ll be back up after my finals.”

“Which you’re going to smash because you’ll be studying hard. Right?”

“Of course! Bye, Ally!” With a twiddle of her fingers, she leaves.

Alone again, I allow my head to slump back into my hands. I stay like that for thirty seconds then wake the laptop. I open a new browser tab and log in to internet banking to transfer Cat some money. Once that’s done, I scroll through my transaction history to check how much I’ve transferred her this year alone, and Jesus, it’s a lot. On top of all the other outgoings, I need to factor in another year of supporting her.

“Fuck me,” I murmur.