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“You might be surprised,” Scarlett says. “Although I guess he must be older than Yoda’s great-granduncle by now, if he was alive during the war, so maybe not.”
“Definitelynot, according to McTavish.”
“So, go on then,” Scarlett says, changing the subject. “Tell me what’s so great about Jack. Just what was it that drew you to this devastatingly attractive multi-millionaire landowner, Emerald?”
“Oi!” I say indignantly, tossing a cushion at her. “It wasn’tthat. Well, itwasthe devastatingly attractive bit, admittedly. But not the money. I honestly don’t care about the money. I just… we just kind ofclicked, you know?”
Scarlett nods, encouraging me to go on.
“Not at first, obviously,” I say. “I mean, he thought I wasyou, at first—”
I pause to give her an opportunity to tell me off for this, but she just smiles. “And I thought he was a bit of a asshole, to be honest. So we didn’t exactly get off to a good start. But then, once we finally got together, it was… well, it wasamazing. He justgetsme; which was unbelievable to me at first, because I’m not sure anyone else ever has.”
“Not even Ben?”
“Definitelynot Ben.” I shudder at the thought. “Ben didn’t understand me at all. When I was with him, I always felt like this awkward, clumsy fool, that he was just putting up with. I was constantly apologizing for just being me. But with Jack, I never have to apologize for anything. He never tries to make me feel bad. He always just seems to understand where I’m coming from. Well, hedid, anyway. He doesn’t anymore.”
I stop, glancing down at my phone, which remains stubbornly silent.
“We used to message each other all the time,” I tell Scarlett ruefully. “Stay up talking for hours. When I was still at Mum and Dad’s place he’d Facetime any night we weren’t together, and we’d end up talking for so long I’d have been as well just going round there, anyway. That’s why it’s so hard, not hearing from him. I think this is the longest we’ve gone without talking since we got together, and I hate it. I miss him.”
“Then that’s what you tell him,” says Scarlett firmly. “When you finally get to speak to him, I mean. You forget all the other stuff, and you tell him you miss him. Because that’s the most important thing, isn’t it?”
Before I can answer her, her phone starts ringing, and she jumps up to grab it.
“Sorry,” she says, looking at the display. “It’s just Dylan. Do you mind if I take this?”
I shake my head, and Scarlett picks up the call and wanders over to the window to talk to Dylan, while I tune out on the sofa, thinking about what she said about telling Jack I miss him.
Would he care, though? Does he miss me, too?
“Oh my God,” says Scarlett loudly, breaking into my thoughts. “Don’t do anything, will you? We’re on our way over.”
“What’s going on?” I ask, blinking up at her as she ends the call and comes striding over to me. “On our way over where?”
“Come on,” she says, picking her car keys up from the shelf by the door. “We’re going to the farm. Dylan’s just arrested McTavish.”
Chapter 20
Scarlett’s car screams into the farmyard and we jump out to find Dylan Fraser, in his police uniform, remonstrating with a mutinous-looking McTavish, who’s standing with…
Is that anaxin his hand, or am I imagining things?
“McTavish, stop,” I yell, running full-tilt towards him. “Don’t hurt Dylan!”
“What?”
McTavish turns towards me, his eyes wild and his hair standing up in tufts.
“I’m no’ tryin’ to hurt anyone,” he says indignantly. “I’m tryin’ to get into this bloody barn.”
He gestures to the building behind him — the one with the red painted door — which, sure enough, bears all the signs of an attempted forced entry. I allow myself to relax slightly.
I should have known McTavish wouldn’t suddenly turn into an ax murderer.
“Aye, and I’m no’ lettin’ him,” says McTavish Senior — McTavish’s dad — who I suddenly notice standing on the other side of Dylan. “That’s why I phoned the polis. Now, are ye going to arrest him, or are ye just going to stand there like a great galoot?”
“I’d rather not have to arrest anyone,” says Dylan evenly. “I’m sure if we all just calm down and talk things over, we’ll be able to figure this out. That’s why I called Scarlett, to see if you were still with her,” he adds, looking at me. “I thought you might be able to help with this, er,situation, Emerald.”
