The Skye Collection, page 69
‘Well, make sure you at least get a piece of tray bake,’ she told him.
‘Oh, don’t you worry. I always make sure I get some of your amazing baking. Anyway, have a nice evening. And… erm… good luck.’
Caitlin smiled. ‘Thanks. You too.’ She grinned.
He laughed lightly. ‘Aye, I might need it more than you.’ And with that he closed the door.
Caitlin couldn’t help the smile that stayed on her face as she climbed back into the car.
Despite Grace’s obvious excitement about the singles event, it didn’t start until seven. She’d had every intention of calling in to see Jules for another pep talk, seeing as she had talked herself into knots over the idea of going. Instead, she headed home and was greeted by Cleo, skipping around at her feet, her whole body wagging in excitement.
She crouched to fuss the dog. ‘What should I do, Cleo? Should I risk it and go? Or should I stay here with you and watch Outlander instead?’
Cleo gave a yip that sounded distinctly like ‘Go!’
Caitlin stood again and flopped onto a kitchen chair. ‘You’re trying to get rid of me too, are you?’
Cleo tilted her head and continued to wag.
‘A fat lot of use you are, eh? Come on then, come and help me decide what to wear. I’ll go for an hour, but that’s all. I wish I’d never bloomin’ mentioned it to be honest. It was definitely the wine. I’m sure of it.’
3
Caitlin stood at the doorway of the Crown Hotel, a white-painted, old coaching inn in the pretty village of Broadford that faced the blue waters of Broadford Bay. She had been there for a few minutes, trying to pluck up the courage to enter.
A few women arrived as a group, all heavily made up, and as they pushed through the door ahead of her, she fought the cough that almost erupted when a fog of myriad different perfumes assaulted her nasal passages. She momentarily wished she had convinced her friends to come along for moral support. Although if she had, who would have paid any attention to her, when one of her best friends, Ruby Locke, was a former Hollywood movie star?
At almost ten past seven, Caitlin smoothed down her pale blue, layered, Lagenlook top, that she had paired with summery, white linen trousers and sandals and took a deep breath. With her fingers wrapped around the handle, she was just about to push through the door, when it was yanked open from the inside. Unable to let go in time, she lurched forwards and landed, on all fours, in the middle of the well-trodden welcome mat. A collective gasp travelled the bar, and she closed her eyes, willing the floor to open up and suck her in. Alas, it didn’t happen, and she slowly raised her chin to find many piteous gazes fixed on her.
‘Oh my god! I’m so sorry! Here let me help you up!’ A hand reached out and grabbed her wrist, tugging her to a standing position. ‘Oh, Caitlin! It’s you. Are you all right? God, I’m so bloody sorry.’
Caitlin knew her face could have replaced the lighthouse at Neist Point, seeing as it was no doubt glowing with the embarrassment she felt. She glared up into the guilt-filled, brown eyes of the outdoor-wear shop owner – a friend of hers, from Glentorrin. ‘Bloody hell, Archie Sutherland! You should be more careful!’ she snapped.
He swallowed hard and frowned. ‘Aye, I’m really sorry. I was just heading to my car to get a pen.’ Caitlin realised he too was here for the singles event. He was quite a shy man really, kind of sweet though, around the same age as her, tall and broad-shouldered, a head full of shaggy, dark brown curls with a wee smattering of grey, and a constant five o’clock shadow. He was the type of rugged man that other women fawned over. He’d had a few girlfriends over the years, so seeing him here was indeed a surprise.
‘Well, don’t let me stop you.’ Caitlin immediately felt guilty for her terse response. It had been an accident after all. ‘Look, I’m sorry. My pride’s bruised that’s all.’
‘Aye and your lovely outfit is all dirty now,’ he said, pointing to her knees with a wince. ‘I really am sorry.’
She glanced down at the mucky patches of grey on her otherwise pristine trousers and gave a deep sigh. ‘I think I’ll just go home,’ she said as she made to turn around.
‘No! Don’t do that. Let me get you a drink, eh? It’s the least I can do.’ Archie’s gaze was filled with apology, and she crumbled.
‘Okay, thanks. Just a J2O though. I’m driving,’ she told him.
‘Okay, go grab a table and I’ll bring it over. Do you need ice for your knees?’
She gave a light laugh. ‘No, thank you, I’m good.’ Although a cold compress for my ego wouldn’t hurt.
‘Aye, right. Back in a sec.’ Archie turned and narrowly avoided a collision with a huge, rugby player type who could’ve launched him like a hammer, and Caitlin held her breath, hoping that a fight didn’t break out. When it didn’t, she heaved a relieved sigh and watched Archie hold up his hands in another apology, then make a quick detour to chat to a woman at a table across the room. The blonde was waving a pen around and he took it and scribbled something – probably his phone number – on a scrap of paper before he headed to the bar. He’s a fast worker, she mused.
Caitlin glanced down and groaned. She rubbed at the dirt on her knees, but it was an exercise in futility. There was nothing else for it, she would simply need to remain seated for the rest of the night – and when she thought about the rest of the night, she intended that it would end, for her at least, at around seven-forty-five. This was a huge mistake.
Archie returned and placed a glass of orange-coloured juice before her. ‘Passion fruit and mango, is that okay?’
She nodded and took a sip. ‘Perfect, thanks.’
He frowned at her. ‘You do know it’s singles night tonight, don’t you?’
She refrained from making a snide comment, even though one was biting at the tip of her tongue. ‘Yes, of course.’ She laughed and shook her head. Why else would she have walked into a pub she didn’t really know, all alone? In spite of her outward show of confidence, she wasn’t the type to do that. Popping into the Coxswain in Glentorrin was an entirely different thing of course. She virtually knew everyone who frequented the place.
Archie nodded. ‘Oh, right, right. That’s good then. I just wasn’t sure this night would be… you know… specific enough for you.’
Confused as to his meaning, she pursed her lips for a moment and frowned. ‘Specific?’
Archie nodded. ‘Aye, with you having… how do I put it? Singular tastes.’
Caitlin laughed. ‘Singular tastes? Is that what they’re calling overly picky these days?’
Archie glanced around and then leaned in to whisper, ‘No, I mean with you being into… you know… women.’
Caitlin raised her eyebrows and gasped. ‘Sorry?’
Archie whispered again, conspiratorially this time. ‘With you being a lesbian.’ He almost mouthed the word, rather than saying it out loud.
Caitlin scowled. ‘You think I’m gay?’ she said rather too loudly, causing many eyes to turn in her direction for the second time that evening.
A look of confusion washed over Archie’s face and his cheeks flushed. ‘Wait… Are you not gay then?’
Caitlin rolled her eyes. ‘No! I’m not!’ she hissed. ‘Why did you think I was gay? Not that there’s anything wrong with being gay. Not in the slightest. But again, what made you think that about me?’
Archie cleared his throat and shrugged. ‘I suppose I just… I assumed.’
Caitlin shook her head. ‘Why on earth would assume that I’m gay? I have a daughter.’
He rolled his eyes. ‘Gay people do have kids, you know; these are the twenty twenties not the eighteen twenties.’ He seemed quite perturbed. ‘And… it’s just that… I’ve known you for years, but you’ve never had a man in your life that I’ve seen. You’re not married, or divorced, that I know of. And so… I just guessed…’
Caitlin folded her arms across her chest. ‘Well, you guessed wrong.’
‘Aye. I know that now. I’m sorry.’
She glanced around, but everyone was back to their own conversations. ‘Don’t apologise. I’m not offended. Just a wee bit shocked, that’s all.’
He shrugged. ‘I’ve got lots of gay friends, you know. I don’t judge,’ Archie informed her.
She gritted her teeth. ‘Again, Archie, I’m not a lesbian. I’m a heterosexual woman. I like men. With men’s bodies and beards and… men.’
He held up his hands. ‘Aye, I know now, I was just saying.’
‘Well, don’t!’
Archie gave a sad smile. ‘Look, I’ll go. I get the feeling I might be cramping your style. I didn’t exactly help get your evening off to the best start, did I?’
Feeling a little deflated, Caitlin told him, ‘It’s fine. I think I’m going to go home anyway. I… I shouldn’t have come.’
‘No! Don’t do that. Not because of me. I’ll feel crappy if you go. Mingle a bit. You never know, your dream man might be in this very room.’ He gestured around dramatically before leaving her alone.
Caitlin glanced over his shoulder at the other attendees who were all deep in conversation and sighed. ‘I sincerely doubt it.’
Perhaps her dream man was currently serving pizza to her daughter instead. She thought back to Lyle’s smile and compliment when she dropped Grace off. He was quite attractive, she’d always thought so, but had pushed that thought to the back of her mind, seeing as he was a married man… although now he was single. He was around forty-five, tall, stocky and had grey hair and a neatly trimmed beard. In fact, there was a look of that TV chef, Paul Hollywood, about him. Not that he had shown any interest in her, but after Archie’s revelation, she wondered if he thought she was gay too. Then again Grace had just announced to all and sundry that she was desperate. Not that she had used those exact words, but she may as well have. How to put a man off in one easy step.
She finished her drink and gazed around the room. Lots of people had already paired off and were chatting merrily, some were even getting quite cosy. Archie had moved on from the first woman he’d been talking to and was now heavily ensconced in conversation with another. She had seen him with several women over the years, no one had ever really stuck around. It wasn’t that he was repulsive, he certainly wasn’t, but he had always seemed quite set in his ways. Although she didn’t exactly know him well – they were more acquaintances than friends really – but his businesses, the outdoor shop, the campsite and his IT work, all seemed to take precedence over his love life, something she was all too familiar with, but evidently, he was trying to change that, just like she was.
‘All right? Can I get you another?’ a rather handsome man asked, nodding towards her glass. He was a fair bit younger than her and had an attractive face and smiling eyes. His T-shirt was tight and showed the outline of his muscular chest and arms. Down, girl!
She sat up a little straighter. ‘Oh, that would be lovely, thank you.’ She smiled warmly and was on the verge of deciding that perhaps the evening was about to improve. ‘Just a J—’
‘Aye, it’s okay, I served your friend with the first round, I remember.’ He winked, collected her empty glass, and walked across the room and behind the bar.
‘Ugh… seriously. Talk about too good to be true,’ she chuntered to herself, feeling a little foolish for thinking he had been flirting with her. Sod it, I’m definitely going home now.
She stood and began to walk towards the door.
‘Hey, you’re not heading home, are you?’ Archie asked, appearing with the stealth of a ninja and making her jump.
She huffed. ‘Yes, Archie. I don’t think this is the type of event for me. You seem to be doing okay though.’
Archie crumpled his brow. ‘I do?’
She laughed and whacked his arm playfully. ‘Come on, Mr Smooth. I’ve seen you handing your number to a couple of women this evening.’
Archie grinned and his cheeks coloured. ‘Oh, that. Nah, it was all work stuff. One was asking about camping in the area for her friends from down south in England, and the other was needing a virus clearing from her computer.’ He shrugged. ‘I think I must project a kind of oracle-cum-handyman aura, rather than a come-hither one.’ He laughed. ‘No nibbles at the worm for me tonight.’
‘Archie! That’s so rude!’ Caitlin was shocked by his turn of phrase, and what man would refer to his todger as a worm? Eeuw!
Archie’s eyes widened and he appeared horrified. ‘Oh no, you misunderstood! I meant… you know, like fishing?’ He mimicked casting an invisible rod. ‘Plenty of fish in the sea and all that? That I’m here fishing, not trying to get a woman to nibble my—’
Caitlin held up a hand to stop him. ‘Right, I get you. My apologies.’
He rubbed his chin and hesitantly said, ‘Look, there’s a singles event across on the mainland next weekend. A kind of speed dating thing. It’s at a hotel in Kyle of Lochalsh. Do you fancy car sharing? Maybe there’s strength in numbers, eh?’
Caitlin wasn’t convinced. ‘Speed dating? That sounds like a comedy sketch waiting to happen.’ She remembered the episode of Vicar of Dibley where Geraldine was subjected to date after date with people from her own congregation, with hilarious consequences.
‘Aye, it does, but you never know. Might be some good craic. What do you say? We can be each other’s moral support.’
She thought about it for a moment and then decided she had nothing to lose. And that surely the next event had to start off better than this one? If she actually attended with Archie, she could keep an eye on him and make sure he didn’t leg her up, or slam a door in her face, or something equally as bad as this evening. ‘Oh aye. Why not, eh?’
Archie smiled. ‘Grand. I’ll pop in to the bakery in the week and let you know the details.’
‘Great. Thanks. Right, I’m heading home. See you later. Thanks for the drink.’ She exited the door just as the handsome bartender deposited another J20 on the table with a look of confusion.
4
The following morning, Jules rang to invite Caitlin for tea and cake as the boys, and Chewie, were apparently heading off to the beach to go rock pooling. Caitlin accepted and grabbed a few pieces of shortbread to take with her and wondered if the other ladies would be there too. She clipped on Cleo’s lead and the two of them headed across the village.
The sun was high in the sky over Glentorrin, and a gentle breeze played on the surface of the water in the inlet. Gus, the fisherman, was scrubbing the deck of his boat and raised his hand in a wave as she passed.
Summer Sundays in Glentorrin were usually a lazy affair; people walked their dogs or visited friends. There was the church service every other week now that Father McAllen was incumbent of two churches within the parish, and today was his day to be away. The new team of bell-ringers were making the most of the empty church and practising; the chimes rang out across the village, bringing a smile to Caitlin’s face. At this time of year, there were plenty of tourists taking in the scenery of the village, too, and that fact made Caitlin proud to call the picturesque and friendly place her home.
Caitlin spotted Morag through the propped-open door of the shop. She was behind the counter chatting to Hamish, who had called in for his Sunday newspaper.
When Caitlin arrived at Jules’ house, it was just the three of them: herself, Jules, and Ruby – four if you counted her canine companion, Cleo. Once they were all seated around the table with their plates of sweet treats and mugs of tea, all eyes settled on Caitlin, expectantly. She knew very well what they were after and she took great joy in ignoring their questioning gazes, choosing instead to tickle Cleo behind her ears as the dog waited for crumbs to fall from the table.
‘What?’ she asked her friends, eventually, with a smirk.
‘Oh, come on, woman! You know exactly what!’ Jules insisted with a huff.
‘Yes, spill it, madam! How did it go last night?’ Ruby asked eagerly. ‘Did you meet your Prince Charming?’
Caitlin rolled her eyes. ‘Nope. It was disastrous from start to finish. Hence my reason for staying schtum.’
Both her friends eyed her with pity and disappointment. ‘Really? How come?’
‘Surely it wasn’t that bad?’
‘Oh, believe me, I couldn’t have made it up!’
She informed them about the debacle at the start of the night and how Archie, of all people, had caused it. How she thought some handsome, younger man was flirting with her and offering to buy her a drink, only to discover he was the bartender and simply doing his job; and to top it all off, how it had come to light that Archie thought she was gay.
‘Good grief. I see what you mean,’ Jules laughed. ‘I know it’s too early for wine, but that story made me feel like I should open a bottle. It’s a shame you have to drive to collect Grace this afternoon.’ She pondered a moment. ‘Archie is such a wally.’ She shook her head. ‘I wonder why he was there anyway. He doesn’t seem to be short on female companionship. Although none of the women he dates seem to stick around, so maybe he’s looking for something more meaningful…’
Precisely what Caitlin had thought.
Ruby leaned across and squeezed her arm. ‘Don’t let it put you off though, will you? They won’t all be like that.’
Caitlin shook her head. ‘I don’t know that I want to risk another night like that, to be honest. I mean, how many things can go wrong in one evening?’
Ruby shook her head, second-hand embarrassment causing her cheeks to flush. ‘I can’t believe you fell on the floor in front of everyone. You poor love.’
Caitlin huffed. ‘Yes, to say I felt ridiculous would be an understatement. But Archie did his best to help, bless him.’
‘After he caused the fiasco!’ Jules replied with a laugh. ‘It was the least he could do.’
‘I think Archie’s quite good-looking really,’ Ruby said, completely out of the blue.
