Finding Hope at the Loch (Loch Lannick Book 7) Read online

  “That sounds brilliant.” He focused on the sketches, seeming genuinely impressed.

  “I hope Isla will like it. I want to make it a surprise so she only sees it on the day.”

  “She’ll love it,” Rory said.

  “I’m going to work my way through this online course to give me more ideas for the cake and what techniques will be best to use.” She stood with the laptop in her arms. “I can do it in the kitchen, if you’re going to watch TV.”

  It was a couple of hours later when Rory appeared beside her at the kitchen table.

  “I’m going to bed,” he said.

  “Okay,” she murmured while scrolling slowly through an online shop for cake-decorating supplies. There were already six items in the basket and she kept being tempted by more.

  Rory kissed the side of her head and said goodnight before leaving her alone.

  “Night,” she finally replied when he was too far away to hear.

  The house was quiet when Lexie arrived back after work. She crept up the stairs to avoid waking Nick. Going back to his house after work still felt wonderfully new and exciting. She’d moved in just over three months ago and it had been the most blissful three months imaginable.

  Pushing the bedroom door open, she found the room bathed in low light. The lamp was on at her side of the bed and a glass of water sat beside it on the table. Nick always took a glass of water up to bed with him, and now he always took one up for Lexie too.

  He stirred when she got into bed.

  “Sorry,” she whispered.

  He turned to face her, flickering his eyes open. “How was work?”

  “Fine. Nothing exciting.” She snuggled into him, enjoying the warmth of his body.

  “I was going to come in and see you, but I fell asleep in front of the TV and then decided to have an early night.”

  “I presumed so.” He often came into the pub when she was working, but on Fridays he was prone to collapsing on the couch after work and not moving again. “Why are there a load of empty jam jars on the kitchen table?” she asked, entwining her fingers with Nick’s.

  “Logan brought them over. They’re for the wedding. The plan is to collect jam jars and stick shards of sea glass over the outside. Then put candles inside them. Logan wants to surprise Isla by decorating the room with them when they get married. I said he could store them here so Isla doesn’t see them beforehand.”

  “That’s sweet,” Lexie said. “He and Isla were in the pub this evening. Isla seemed pretty annoyed with the wedding planning already.”

  “Really?”

  “Aye. She claimed she’d happily elope.”

  “She’s not really someone who likes a lot of fuss,” Nick said. “I don’t actually think she’d want to elope, though.”

  “Probably not.” Lexie planted a kiss on Nick’s cheek, then reached to switch the lamp off.

  “What kind of wedding would you want?” Nick asked in the darkness.

  Lexie’s stomach fluttered at the thought of marrying Nick. He brought up the subject of marriage quite often, in a casual way. Consequently, it was something she had been thinking about a lot. Especially now that there was so much talk about Isla and Logan’s wedding.

  “I want a white dress and a couple of bridesmaids. And I want everyone I know there to celebrate. I’d love a really traditional wedding with the first dance and throwing the bouquet. And lots of flowers and confetti and fancy invitations.” Basically, she wanted everything that Isla complained about. She smiled at the thought. “What would you want?”

  “I want to marry you,” he said, his face close to hers on the pillow. “I’d be happy with a big wedding, or a tiny wedding, or anything in between. I just want to marry you.”

  Lexie couldn’t help the grin that spread over her face. “Nick, are you proposing?”

  “No.” He tightened his arms around her. “Just saying!”

  Lexie relaxed further into him. When they’d decided to move in together, she’d insisted that Nick be more open with her about his feelings. Now he was so direct that they’d developed a running joke where Lexie asked if he was proposing.

  Hopefully when he proposed for real she wouldn’t have to ask.

  Chapter Three

  “You’re not seriously going to tell Elspeth you don’t want her to bake the cake?” Logan asked Isla on Saturday morning.

  “Yeah, I am.” Isla finished her coffee in one long gulp. “I’m going to talk to her now so she doesn’t get too carried away with the idea.”

  “She’s going to be upset.”

  “She’ll get over it. And it is my wedding. I should be able to choose the cake.”

  Logan shrugged. “Fine. Whatever you want. I’m going to work.”

  “I’ll be tactful,” Isla said.

  Logan went to the door and pushed his feet into his shoes. “I highly doubt that,” he muttered.

  “Are you annoyed with me?” Isla asked.

  “I just don’t see what the problem is with Elspeth baking the cake. I think she’d do a good job. And does it really matter if it’s not 100% perfect?”

  “It’s not about it being perfect. I want to choose a cake and have some input in it. If Elspeth makes it, she won’t want me involved. She’ll make a cake that she wants. And it’s bound to end up with us arguing. I’d rather let her down gently now.”

  “Just make sure you are gentle,” Logan said with a hand on the door. “I’ll see you later.”

  Taking his arm, she pulled him back to kiss him. “I thought I’d tell Elspeth that making the cake will be too stressful and I’d rather she just enjoys the day.”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  As he tried to move away, Isla tightened her grip on him. “You really don’t want me to say anything, do you?”

  “No.”

  “Well, I’m going to.”

  “I realise that. Which is why I’m trying to leave this conversation and go to work.”

  Letting go of him, she placed her hands on her hips. “There are lots of times I want to work but you make me discuss wedding stuff. The one time I have a strong opinion and you want me to go along with what Elspeth wants.”

  He stared at her for a moment, his jaw tight. Then he dropped a kiss on her forehead and walked out of the door.

  Isla hesitated for a few minutes then set off over to the cafe. She glanced into her parents’ kitchen window, thinking her sister might be baking there as she often did. When there was no sign of her she continued to the conservatory at the side of the house.

  “Hi!” she said cheerfully when she found Elspeth cleaning the inside of the windows with a rag and a bottle of spray.

  “Everything okay?” Elspeth asked.

  “Yes.” Isla stood tall, determined to get her point across and keep things amicable. “Logan told me that you’d offered to bake the wedding cake for us.”

  Elspeth stopped and turned to Isla. “I didn’t think we’d be able to keep it a secret, but can you do me a favour and not interfere too much? I want the design to be a surprise.”

  “That’s sort of the problem,” Isla said. “I already had ideas about what I want. Cake decorating is an art form, and I really wanted to work with a professional on it.”

  “So I’m not good enough?” Elspeth said, setting her cloth aside.

  “I just think you’ll have your ideas and I’ll have mine. I’m sure we’ll end up clashing over it and I don’t need the extra stress. Plus, it would be a lot of pressure for you. You’ll worry about it being perfect on the day and won’t be able to enjoy yourself.”

  “I’m really happy to do it. I already have ideas for the design, and I’ve been doing a lot of research about the best type of cake to use, and the icing and decorations. I’m doing an online course in cake decorating too.”

  Isla sensed that if she was going to have any say in her wedding cake, she needed to put her foot down now. “I already found a wedding cake specialist I want to use,” she said, without much thought. />
  “That’s such a lie.” Elspeth glared at her, challenging Isla to deny it. When Isla didn’t respond, Elspeth picked up her cloth and stepped onto a chair to reach the top window.

  The conversation seemed to have ended and Isla wasn’t sure what the result was. She watched her sister scrub at the windowpane. “So …”

  “So I won’t bake the wedding cake,” Elspeth said.

  “And you’re okay with that? Or are you angry with me? You’re not looking at me, but I’m getting an angry vibe.”

  “I’m busy,” Elspeth said. “But at least now I can cross learning how to make a wedding cake off my list of things to do. Thanks for that!”

  Isla lingered, looking up at Elspeth. Despite the lack of shouting, the conversation definitely didn’t feel amicable. Shouting might actually be preferable to the passive aggressive vibes Elspeth was giving her.

  “Are you angry with me?” Isla asked.

  Elspeth finished cleaning the window, then stepped down from the chair. “It’s fine. It’s your wedding. I can hardly insist on making the cake if you don’t want me to.”

  “I just don’t want you to spend the whole of my wedding day panicking about cake.”

  “You know I wouldn’t be baking it on the day, don’t you?”

  “Yes, but you’d be stressing about transporting it and putting finishing touches on it.”

  “It’s fine. I didn’t realise it would be such a big issue for you. Go and book a professional. I’ve got lots to do, so I’d rather not stand around discussing this all day.”

  “As long as you’re not offended?”

  Elspeth gave her an odd look, then went to the door, opening it wide. “I’m not offended, but please leave me to get on with work.”

  “Great,” Isla said, stepping outside. “See you later.”

  It hadn’t been the most comfortable conversation, but overall Isla thought it hadn’t gone too badly.

  Elspeth was working in the cafe on her own that Saturday. The weather forecast wasn’t great, so she wasn’t expecting many customers. She’d told her mum she’d be fine on her own when she’d mentioned meeting friends for lunch. Having Rory with them permanently made everything easier. It meant Elspeth never had to worry about finding someone to watch Arran on the weekends or have him hanging around the cafe.

  As predicted, there was only a trickle of customers over the day. It was annoying, not only because of the low profits, but also because it left Elspeth with too much time to think. She spent most of the day mulling over her conversation with Isla and got more irritated the more she thought about it.

  “My sister is such a cow,” she complained to Rory when he arrived back from a walk with Arran late in the afternoon. The cafe was empty and Elspeth was cleaning the outside tables before she closed up.

  “Is it bad that I automatically assume you’re talking about Isla?” he asked.

  “No. It just means you know my sisters well.”

  “What’s she done now?”

  Elspeth sighed and sat down heavily at the table she’d been clearing. “She doesn’t want me to bake the wedding cake.”

  “I thought it was them who asked you?” Rory said, sitting opposite her. “Now she’s changed her mind?”

  “Logan asked me.” Elspeth’s gaze drifted to Arran, who was ambling around the garden with Jasper, chatting away to the dog as though he could understand what he was saying. “It was going to be a surprise but when Isla found out she wasn’t happy about it, so she told me not to. She thinks I’m overestimating my capabilities.”

  “Did she say that?”

  “Not in those words. But I’m certain that’s the reason.”

  The corner of Rory’s mouth twitched upwards. “If I ever get married, I’d be very happy for you to make the cake.”

  “Thanks!” She smiled. “I won’t hold my breath, though. Who’d marry you?”

  He pulled a face at her. “Do you feel like going out for a drink later? A change of scene might be good for you.”

  “Alcohol might be good for me,” she said dryly. “I’ll see if I can find someone to babysit.”

  She left Rory and got on with tidying up the cafe, then brought out bowls of soup and a plate of sandwiches for them to eat dinner outside. When her mum arrived home, Elspeth called out to her and asked if she could look after Arran while they went out.

  “I’m going out for dinner with your dad,” Christine said, walking over to them.

  “You went out for lunch,” Elspeth replied automatically.

  Christine tutted. “Is there a rule about that?”

  “No. Do you know where Logan is?”

  “Meeting up with Gary in Portree. I think Isla’s at home. Ask her.”

  “She’s the reason I need to go out for a drink. I’m not asking her to babysit.”

  “What’s she done?” Christine asked.

  “Told me she doesn’t want me to bake the wedding cake.”

  “Oh, why not? You had such great ideas. Did you tell her you’ve already been planning it?”

  Elspeth shook her head. “She doesn’t want me to do it so that’s the end of it. Best to forget the idea.”

  “That’s a shame.” Christine began to walk away again. “I need to hurry up, your dad will be complaining he’s starving.”

  “I guess we’re not going out after all,” Elspeth said to Rory.

  “You can always go up to the pub if you want. See if Lexie’s around and have a drink with her.”

  “Do you mind?”

  “No, it’s fine.”

  “Thanks. I’ll wander up there now. Either Lexie or Leana are bound to be working.” Pausing, she eyed the dishes in front of them.

  “I can clean up here and lock the cafe,” Rory said.

  Thanking him again, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then did the same to Arran. At the top of the drive she messaged Lexie to see if she was working. Almost immediately a reply came through to say she was at home but Elspeth was welcome to come over for a drink.

  After passing the pub, Elspeth had to remind herself that Lexie lived with Nick now. Them moving in together had come as a bit of a surprise, but they seemed settled from what Elspeth could tell.

  “Something smells amazing,” she said when Nick opened the door. She stepped into the kitchen. “What are you cooking?”

  “Vegetable curry. There’s plenty if you want to eat with us?”

  “I already ate, thanks. I wouldn’t say no to wine, if that’s an option.”

  Nick took a glass from the cupboard and pulled a bottle of white from the fridge. “Your mum was here earlier,” he said as he poured. “Dropping off jars.”

  “I heard you got roped into that. Hopefully Isla likes that surprise.”

  “I think it’ll look amazing.” He tilted his head as he passed her the glass. “Everything okay with you?”

  “Fine. Where’s Lexie?”

  “You’ll find the lady of the house on the couch,” he told her with a cheeky smile.

  Elspeth left him cooking and wandered through to the living room. “You look like you’re having a tough time of it,” she remarked when she found Lexie sprawled on the couch with a glass of wine beside her and a plate of poppadoms on the coffee table.

  “My whole day has been like this,” Lexie said. “Well, I only just started on the wine, but I’ve not moved far from the couch today. I have the entire weekend off and I was determined to have a day of doing nothing.”

  “Seems like you’ve been successful,” Elspeth said, dropping into the armchair by the patio doors. The view down the garden and across the loch was completely open and absolutely stunning.

  “Nick keeps bringing me food.” Lexie propped herself up and snapped a poppadom in half before dipping it in mango chutney. It dripped down her chin when she crunched on it. “Help yourself,” she said, wiping at her chin and pushing the plate in Elspeth’s direction.

  “You’ve got him well trained,” Elspeth said as she bit a popp
adom.

  “Seems like it, doesn’t it?” Nick said, walking in with the bottle of wine and topping up Lexie’s glass.

  She beamed up at him. “Thank you.”

  He went straight back to the kitchen, leaving them alone again.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Lexie asked when Elspeth drifted into a daydream.

  As she opened her mouth to complain about the wedding cake, Elspeth realised that wasn’t the only thing on her mind. “You and Nick seem very loved up,” she remarked, wondering why seeing her friends so happy sparked a pang of jealousy. She had Rory and he was pretty perfect, so she should be content.

  Lexie shrugged, the grin saying it all. “How is it having Rory living with you?”

  “It’s good,” she replied, then swallowed hard as her mouth felt suddenly dry. “Arran loves it and everything feels easier now.”

  “Is there a ‘but’ in there?” Lexie asked.

  She wished it wasn’t so obvious. Especially as she wasn’t even sure how to explain what she was feeling. “At the risk of sounding ungrateful and selfish, I sometimes feel about forty rather than twenty-one. My life is all figured out already.”

  “Is that a bad thing?”

  “No. It shouldn’t be. I have everything I want. But I can’t help but think I missed out on some fun.”

  Lexie smiled cheekily. “As someone who’s had a lot of nights out with you, I’d say you had your fair share of fun.”

  “Okay, not that I missed out on fun. But experiences maybe. Like I’ve never been with anyone else except for Rory. I’ve never slept with another guy.”

  Lexie looked thoughtful, then her features fell serious. “That’s a good thing. If I could erase all the guys before Nick, I would. In fact, I wish I could.”

  “Really?”

  She seemed to mull it over. “Maybe not. I suppose if it weren’t for all the other guys, I might not be so certain that Nick’s the one.”

  “Exactly!”