Highland Fling (15 page)

‘No. I’m not.’

‘I knew it!’ she hissed, her back still turned to him.

‘What are you so angry about? You just slept with me to get revenge on Kim and your husband. Hardly makes you an angel.’

Ross burst in looking flustered. ‘Jack! There’s a flight from Inverness in an hour and a half. If we leave now we can make it. I’ve booked seats and the cab’s on its way. Jack. C’mon mate.’

Lizzie swung round to face Jack. ‘I did not! I ... oh what does it matter? I’ll refund some of the money you –’

‘Don’t bother! You earned every penny believe me.’ Jack spat out the words, his eyes travelling the length of Lizzie’s body and his lips curled up at one side as if he had a nasty taste in his mouth. ‘It’s been a real experience.’ He turned to leave.

‘Jack!’

‘What?’ his voice was cold and his sapphire eyes were molten steel.

What could she say? He was going back to his fiancée. Lizzie turned away. She felt crushed. ‘Nothing. Goodbye Jack.’

Jack turned and stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him.

Lizzie grabbed the table for support. It felt like Jack had stabbed her through the heart then twisted the knife for good measure. The last time she had felt like this was when she found her husband and
that woman
in bed together. 

Pete knocked then peered round the door. ‘We’re off ... oh ... you okay? You look like shit.’

Lizzie forced a smile. ‘Thanks,’ she said, ‘but I’m fine.’

‘Okay. Look. We’re really sorry about this but we can’t let 'im go back on 'is own. It’s 'is stag do after all.’ Pete grinned sheepishly.

‘I understand and don’t worry. It’s not a problem. I hope Ki ... she’s okay.’ She couldn’t bring herself to say
that woman’s
name again. ‘I told Jack I’ll refund some of the money.’

‘Nah! You’re okay. 'e’s got plenty. We all 'ave. That’s one of the good things about working in the City.’

Lizzie nodded. ‘But I’d like to.’

‘Nah! Really. Don’t. Tell you what. If you like. When Kim’s better and all this is sorted, maybe we can call you and come up for a few days or something.’

Lizzie gulped. The thought of seeing Jack again was both a pleasure and a torture, although, she didn’t think he’d come anyway after the way he’d just left. She nodded. ‘Anytime. I am quite booked up in the summer but let me know and we’ll sort something out.’

‘You’re on,’ Pete said as Phil poked his head round the door.

‘Cab’s here. Bye Lizzie and thanks for everything.’

‘I didn’t do much,’ she said.

Phil shrugged. ‘You’d be surprised. I think once the dust settles we’ll see you did a whole lot more than any of us expected. See you soon.’

Lizzie frowned. What the hell did that mean? Jeff and Steve popped their heads in.

‘See you,’ Jeff said.

‘Thanks, and say goodbye to Jane,’ Steve said.

Lizzie went to the window and watched as they got in the cab. Jack seemed to be lingering and Lizzie began to hope. Would he come back and take her in his arms again, just for a moment? Would he say he hadn’t meant the things he’d said and he would end his engagement? Would he give her that incredible grin? Would he ...? God she really was stupid. It had been a one night stand. When would she just accept it?

Large white flakes fell from the sky and Lizzie watched as Jack raised his head and looked up at the snow-laden clouds. She found herself hoping that he wouldn’t be able to leave, that the flight would be cancelled, trains would stop running, but what good would it do. It would just be delaying the inevitable. Still, she hoped he would look back, just once, even if he didn’t smile. She held her breath.

 Jack put his hand on the top of the cab door but still he seemed to hesitate. Slowly, he began to turn his body back towards the farm, then stopped, his head still facing the cab. He made a decision and in one swift movement, he bent his head and got in the cab without looking back.

Seconds later, it pulled away taking Jack, and all Lizzie’s fragile hopes, with it. Restraining an irrational urge to run after him, she watched until it disappeared into the distance, shrouded by a veil of snow, then, she slid to the floor and sobbed.

Chapter Nine

Iain Hamilton sat on the edge of the bed and watched Jane sleeping. He still found it hard to believe that such a gorgeous, vivacious young woman could possibly be in love with him but last night, she told him she was; had been for some time and even as she said it, he couldn’t take it in. Part of him was sure he’d wake and find last night had all been a dream.

He wasn’t sure when exactly he’d realised he was in love with her; shortly after she’d moved up from London, he suspected. But he’d kept his feelings hidden. He was, after all, thirteen years older, a working farmer with a grown up son – who would one day take over the farm, he hoped – and a fairly run down farmhouse that, he was convinced a young ex city girl like Jane, would want nothing to do with.

When Lizzie moved up, they had grown closer. Lizzie and Jane invited him to lunch or dinner at regular intervals and the three of them had become good friends. Still, Iain held back. He didn’t want to ruin their friendship by making a stupid pass at her.

Then Fraser had come home and somehow, that had made Iain feel very old. Fraser and Jane got on like a house on fire and, Iain realised, they had much more in common than he and Jane; so he kept his emotions firmly in check.

There had been brief relationships since his wife had died but he had put his love life on hold for so long, that he didn’t really know how to restart it in any case, and if Jane hadn’t come on to him, he would still be doe-eyed watching her from afar.

At the Valentine’s Day dance, it had been Jane who had made the first move – and the second and third, if he was honest. Even when they were kissing, Iain couldn’t believe he could be this lucky and kept his hands firmly on her back, his arms tightly wrapped around her. Only when Jane took his hand and placed it on her breast did he realise that something else might happen between them. And something certainly had. Then she’d left without saying a word.

When he went back into the barn that night and she was gone, he thought she must have regretted it or that it was just meaningless sex to her, and he had just happened to be in the right place at the right time. After all, why would a woman as gorgeous and clever as Jane Munroe be interested in a forty-five year old farmer?

Every day he dialled her number then hung up without pressing the call button, and he’d driven to her croft or to Lizzie’s at least twice a day but had always turned back, unable to think of an excuse to go in.

Before he made love with Jane, he wouldn’t have needed a reason, he was always welcome. Now, he felt awkward and self conscious and he couldn’t bring himself to face her, so he stayed away.

When he heard that six men from London would be staying at Lizzie’s though, he knew he had to act. These were the sort of men Jane would be attracted to and he knew one, if not all of them would be attracted to her. How could any man not be? So he’d discussed it with Fraser, and Fraser had suggested the ceilidh.

Jane wriggled under the covers and Iain bent forward and kissed her gently on her lips. She opened her eyes and smiled.

‘Good morning,’ she purred, then saw he was dressed. ‘How long have you been up? What time is it anyway?’

He kissed her again, this time lingering before answering. ‘Good morning to you sweetheart. I’ve been up for an hour or so but I didnae wanna wake you. You look so gorgeous lying there that I let you sleep. It’s about ten and, I hate to tell you this, but it’s been snowing again for the last two hours.’

Jane sat up revealing her breasts and Iain sucked in his breath. It would take him a very long time to get used to that sight without it having a direct effect on him. He shifted slightly on the bed.

‘I’ve made some coffee,’ he managed to say. ‘What would you like for breakfast?’

Jane rose up to her knees exposing her full nakedness and she leant her body against him. ‘You!’ she said, sliding her hand down to his lap then raising her eyebrows, ‘and it seems we both have the same thing in mind.’

‘Good Lord! You’re insatiable woman,’ he said, his eyes filling with longing for her.

‘Are you complaining?’

‘Definitely not,’ he said, gently pushing her back on to the bed and kissing her, no longer needing any encouragement to put his hands on her breasts.

It was almost eleven thirty when Iain dropped Jane at Lizzie’s and Jane rushed into the kitchen, shaking the snow from her hair, half expecting to find Lizzie slaving over the stove. She stopped in her tracks when she saw her sitting at the kitchen table, staring into space.

‘What’s going on?’ Jane asked making her way to the Aga as usual. ‘Why’s it so quiet? Where are the guys?’

‘Gone,’ Lizzie said.

Jane switched on the kettle. ‘Gone? What d’you mean, gone? Gone out for the day?’

‘Precisely that. Gone. No longer here. Ran back to London. Well, flew actually but who cares?’

Jane picked up on Lizzie’s tone and knew something bad had happened. ‘Why did they go? Why didn’t you call me?’

Lizzie sighed deeply and rubbed at her eyes and Jane could see she’d been crying. She rushed to her side and threw her arms around her.

‘What’s happened? Are you okay? Tell me Lizzie!’

Lizzie gulped. ‘Oh God!’ she said, ‘where do I start? I told you this bloody booking was a mistake and would end in disaster! Why do I always let myself get talked into things I know will come back and bite me? If I had just said no to Max when he asked me to take the booking, none of this would have happened.’

‘Lizzie! What’s wrong?’

Lizzie shook her head. ‘It’s not your problem Jane. I’ll deal with it.’ She forced a smile. ‘Would you like coffee? I’ll make some then you can tell me all about last night and –’

‘I’ll make it and last night can wait. Tell me what’s happened right now!’

Lizzie sighed again. ‘Well, needless to say, like the idiot I am I ended up in bed with him.’

She didn’t need to say his name, Jane knew she meant Jack.

‘And ... that was bad because ...?’

‘Actually it was bloody magnificent. That’s the problem. Everything was going so well – or at least – I thought it was; then his phone rings this morning and all hell breaks loose.’

The kettle boiled and Jane made herself a cup of tea. She filled the coffee machine and switched it on for Lizzie. Lizzie always drank coffee in the morning. ‘What do you mean, all hell breaks loose?’

Lizzie shoved her hair back from her face and rubbed her eyes. ‘It seems his fiancée has been in an accident – no don’t worry; she’s alive, just a few broken bones, but he says he’s got to go home and naturally, they all go with him.’

‘Oh my God! Poor Jack. That’s only to be expected I suppose,’ Jane said cautiously. She pulled out a chair and sat next to Lizzie.

‘Oh I know. It’s just ... well ... I know it’s my fault and everything but I really didn’t think it was just a one night stand and when he said it was I just ... flipped.’

Jane took Lizzie’s hand in hers. ‘Bloody Hell! It’s my fault. I persuaded you it wouldn’t hurt. I’m soooooo sorry. Did ... did he actually come right out and say it? The shit!’

‘What? No. Actually it was me who said it, but he was going to, I could tell, he was trying to build up to it, you know, let me down easy and I couldn’t deal with that so I said it had been great but I knew it was only for one night. I may have said something else. I’m not sure really. I was so stupidly upset, I’m not totally sure who said what, or when, to tell you the truth. But I am sure of one thing. He lied about breaking off the engagement, either that or when he got the phone call this morning and found out she was hurt, he realised he didn’t want to. I don’t know, but he did come right out and say that! I asked him and he said he wasn’t going to call it off!’

‘The bastard! And I thought he was a saint.’

‘Oh and you haven’t heard the best bit. Guess who his fiancée is?’

Jane screwed up her eyes and shook her head.

‘Only Kim fucking Mentor!’

Jane’s mouth fell open. ‘You’re kidding?’

‘Nope. Phil told me just before they all left. Apparently, it was Phil who introduced Jack and K ...
that woman
two years ago, well they were in the pub and she joined them or something. Must have been just after Max ended it with her. How bloody ironic.’

‘Bloody Hell! Can you believe that? You couldn’t make this stuff up.’

‘I know. It’s as if that bloody woman is my nemesis or something. This sounds awful I know but part of me wishes she had more than a few broken bones.’

Jane nodded. ‘Couldn’t agree with you more.’

Jane got up and poured Lizzie a coffee. She sat back down and they sipped their drinks in silence both deep in thought.

‘So ... how was it left then? Between you and Jack I mean?’

Lizzie bit her bottom lip and rubbed one eye. ‘Badly. I’m not really sure what happened. I ... I thought that telling him I knew it was a one nighter would sort of, I don’t know, ease things, you know? Instead, it seemed to get worse from there. He came into the kitchen just before he left and I thought he was trying to make peace or something then I told him about her and Max – no Jane, don’t say it – I didn’t do it to be bitchy, it was before he was going out with her so it wouldn’t matter to him but, well, everything happened so fast and we were both angry and said things and ... and he seemed to be saying that I had used him to get back at her and Max! And, that I was the bad guy in this whole bloody thing, not him. Oh Jane I’m so confused.’

‘You’re confused! Why didn’t you tell him it wasn’t like that? You didn’t know who she was when you slept with him did you?’

‘No! I would have stayed well clear if I had, believe me, even though I couldn’t stop thinking about him.’

‘So why didn’t you say that?’

‘I did! Well. Maybe I didn’t. It all seemed to get so out of control, you know, me saying one thing and him hearing something entirely different. How does that happen? How can two people hear the same words and get totally different meanings from them? One minute I was in his arms blissfully happy, the next, the whole world’s come crashing down on me. God! If you’d seen the look he gave me when he walked out. I wanted to curl up and die.’