Dawn found me wide awake and staring at the walls of my room. Despite staying up late after my walk with Elise, trying to tire myself out, I still couldn’t sleep in.
At least my dreams had been all kinds of spectacular. I’d been high up in the mountains, a suited-and-booted crew waiting on my orders, and a woman in peril, needing rescuing. I missed going on call-outs more than I’d admit. They often happened overnight, so the sense that I’d been active and useful, just from my dream, lifted me.
I showered, taking care to clean around my pitted shoulder. The most recent operation scar had closed over, the stiches removed, but it was tender to the touch.
No doubt ugly and twisted.
A fragment from the blast had nicked my chin, too.
I kept my gaze averted from the destroyed flesh. No need for that kind of headfuck.
Once dressed, I jogged down my staircase. Ellie barked at my descending footsteps, and I found her with my parents in the bright kitchen of our crofthouse. Sunlight spilled into the room through the open doors to the patio Da had laid.
He’d built the whole house, or reconstructed it from a long-derelict crofter’s home. An achievement I’d always been in awe of. He’d redeveloped it again once I’d grown, creating a space three adults could live in without conflict.
I kissed Ma on the cheek, gave my father a quick hug, and took my seat. Ellie crept under my chair, her cold nose touching my ankle. I reached down and scratched her ears.
“You’re happy this morning,” Ma observed. She closed her laptop and gave me her full attention.
“I’m always happy.”
They worried about me, now as much as when I’d been shot. In the nicest possible way, I didn’t want their concern. I hadn’t been the only victim of the maniac who’d invaded our estate.
I was healing and didn’t want a fuss.
Da handed me a mug of hot, black coffee. “What are your plans for the day?”
“Skydiving, water skiing, followed by paragliding.” I counted the points off my fingers.
My father shook his head, not entirely used to me playing the fool. That was fair—at home, I rarely did. Even as a child, I’d been level-headed and on the serious side.
I relented and gave him a better answer. “I’ll go see Maddock, considering he’s back. See if he fancies a run.”
My father gave a nod of approval. “I have a job in Edinburgh today, and your mother’s coming with me. We’ll be late back.”
Da’s photography career took him all over the world, and typically Ma would go with him. I did, too, when I was younger.
I had my own life now but still kept close to my folks. They needed me.
We got on with breakfast then I left, Ellie at my side.
My jogging claim had only been a partial truth. I intended to go and visit our guest at the bothy again. See if she wanted to take a second outing.
For some reason, I didn’t want to share that.
I had the urge to protect Elise from the world, even if my parents were the very best people in it.
At my Uncle Ally’s house, Maddock had gone out and wasn’t answering his phone, so I turned the car around and drove to the bothy, giving up the pretence that this wasn’t my main concern.
No curtain twitched at my arrival. I rapped on the door.
Nothing.
Ellie barked. I banged again. “It’s Cameron.”
Still no reply. I didn’t know this woman at all, but I would bet any money she hadn’t gone out by herself. Which only meant that she was avoiding me, along with everyone else.
Well fuck.
I got back into my car and strapped Ellie in. The morning sun warmed me through the windscreen. We could go anywhere and do anything. Yet I’d always been goal focused. If there was something that needed doing, it was all I could think about.
Helping Elise had populated my thoughts. At least I had her number now. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, but at the same point, a call hit it. Leo’s name appeared on my screen.
“How’s the new father?” I greeted him.
“Perfect. Idiotic. I need to ask a favour.”
“Go for it.”
“Can you bring the baby’s car seat to the hospital? Viola’s parents are on their way already, and I forgot to ask them. I forgot myself when Viola was labouring. It’s in the nursery at the castle. We can’t come home without it.”
Thank fuck. I had something to do. I agreed and hit the road to Castle Braithar.
I let myself in by a side door, having had my own set of keys for years. Viola’s da, Uncle Gordain, owned the place, and employed me as a land manager, though technically I was still on sick leave.
Just like with the mountain rescue, I’d been cut off from the main things that occupied my time.
Occasionally, I looked after Castle Braithar if Gordain and Ella, my uncle and aunt, were away. I had my own room here, when I needed it. Now Viola and Leo lived here, too, I was rarely alone if I stayed over.
It was the reason I hadn’t moved to my own place. If I needed space, I had options.
In the pretty and bright nursery, I found the car seat, then took it back to my Land Rover and set my sights on Inverness.
Viola had planned to have the baby at a local birthing centre, not the hospital, but from what Leo had hinted at yesterday, she’d needed that extra medical care.
They must have been so worried.
In the hospital’s car park, I dialled Leo. A few minutes later, he appeared at the car. I hopped out and rounded on the Englishman.
“Congratulations.” I slapped his back.
Leo, internationally renowned rock star, half fell on me, exhaustion plain. Bags lined his eyes. He held me at arm’s length, then hugged me again. “That’s from Viola.”
“Give her and the bairn a cuddle from me. I can’t wait to see them both.”
Leo grabbed his phone, showing off a reel of baby pictures. The tiny lad, even scrunched up, was a perfect mix of his parents.
“He looks like ye but with dark hair,” I said.
“Do you think? I just see Vi in his face. He has the loudest roar, though, so that’s all me.” Happiness and pride shone from my friend’s devoted expression.
“He’s perfect. When do ye think you’ll come home?”
“Should be tonight, if Viola’s feeling up to it and the doctors let her go. We’ll start seeing people tomorrow.”
“No pressure, man. Take a few days. The world will wait.”
Leo’s tired eyes lit. “It will, but I can’t. I want to show him off. He’s amazing.”
My heart panged. Several of my cousins now had children. I was one of the youngest, with only Max and Maddock younger still. But Viola had only a few months on me. She now had a family, and for the first time, I had the unnerving sense I was missing something.
I retrieved the car seat for Leo, waving off his thanks.
“I wanted to ask about Elise. Is there anything ye can suggest I do to make her more comfortable?”
Leo smacked his forehead with his palm. “Fuck. I forgot all about her.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve taken care of her. I’m just not sure if I should be doing more.”
Leo grimaced. “How does she seem?”
“To be honest, kind of freaked out.”
“Shit. I’m not sure what’s up. I saw her in LA a couple of weeks ago at a movie studio. She was crying, though trying to hide it. She split from her ex, so it could be that. Not that she admitted it to me.”
“Did ye know the ex?” I’d heard she was dating another actor. Their relationship had been high profile enough to reach me, though I’d long given up reading gossip sites.
“No, but he’s meant to be a jackass. I barely had a chance to speak to her, but her stressed expression stayed with me. After I flew home, I called and offered her a place to stay. I feel like an arsehole for ignoring her.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “You know when you have a bad feeling about someone? It wasn’t like she’d had a hard day. When we worked together, even exhausted, she was ultra-resilient. I just wanted to be a good friend to her like she once was to me and Vi. I’ve let her down.”
I had no idea how Leo and Viola had met Elise. “Dinna be daft. I’ll bring her with me when I visit the bairn. Talk to her then. Do ye have a name for your son yet, by the way?”
“Fuck!” Leo gave a startled laugh. “I have a son. Sorry, that hasn’t sunk in. We haven’t named him. We’ll work on that today.”
He carried the car seat inside, and I drove from the hospital, freeing up the parking spot. But instead of going home, I pulled over at a café. Inside, I grabbed a sandwich, sat at a table, then did something I’d been resisting for days.
I Googled Elise.
Headlines filled my screen. Of her recent breakup with her ex, the douchebag actor.
Of her father dying last year.
Shite, that was huge.
As a lad, under the influence of the biggest crush, checking in on her had been a semi-regular pastime. As a child, I watched her kids’ films, and when I’d been coming-of-age, she was in young adult movies seeking her first kiss.
In one of her biggest hits, she’d played a princess. Hence the nickname that had flown from my lips before I could control it. My female cousins had dressed up as her while I’d had a wee white-and-gold suit, being the brave knight ready to take on the evil king.
I’d felt protective of her back then, and perhaps that contributed to the degree of care I wanted to apply to the stranger staying on our estate.
The lass who’d lost both her da and her boyfriend in the past year.
Renewed with the urge to help her, I got back on the road and headed for home.
At dusk, I set out on foot. Ellie needed a long walk, and so did I.
Inevitably, we found our way to the bothy. I stood back from the door and signalled to my collie that I had a command for her. Instantly, she went rigid, her focus fixed on me.
“Speak,” I ordered.
She let out a series of excited barks.
As she did, I sent a text to Elise.
Cameron: Ellie and I are taking a walk. She really wants you to come.
She liked my pet better than me. This was the way to get her out.
The door cracked open. Elise peered through the gap, her gaze first touching on me then my dog.
“Ellie, c’mere,” she said.
My traitorous animal sprang to the lass and slipped past her into the room.
Elise closed the door.
A startled laugh left me. I marched forward and banged on the wood. “Hey, dognapper.”
An amused laugh filtered through. “She’s visiting with me. Come back later. Bring food.”
I swore, backing up a few steps. I had an ace card I could pull. At my shout, my highly trained search and rescue dog would do anything and everything to get out of the cottage and to my side. But something told me Elise needed her more than I did right now.
So I folded my arms to wait her out.
After a minute, an alert sounded on my phone. A picture landed—Elise with her arms around my dog, the fire burning brightly beside them. I replied, trying not to smile.
Cameron: If you’re hungry, I have an empty kitchen waiting at home and a meal in mind. You can sit outside on the patio while I cook.
The door creaked, and the lass peeked out.
“I never said thank you for the noodles. Did you make that?”
“Aye.”
With her hood up and her face half in shadow, Elise chewed her lip. “Where do you live?”
“A fifteen-minute walk. Twenty if you’re slow.”
“And there’s still been no strangers around?”
“None that I’ve heard about.”
Ellie wriggled past her and danced between us, spinning in circles.
“Do you live alone?”
“Nope. It’s my parents’ place, but they aren’t here right now.”
She considered my answers. At least it wasn’t an outright no.
I pushed my advantage. “I’m going to be making dinner anyway, and ye must be going mad stuck inside. Walk with me, and if ye change your mind, turn around and I’ll walk ye back. There’s packets of instant soup in the box I brought ye. It won’t be a patch on my pan-fried chicken curry…”
“I like being stuck in,” she muttered, but even so, she reached and pulled the door behind her, locking it tight.
I stifled my thrill and kept an even tighter lid on my grin.
At a slow amble, we set out. Elise threw occasional glances at our surroundings, obviously still nervous about being seen. Ellie leapt in and out of the bushes, sniffing at animal scents and enjoying herself. Home was downhill from the bothy, and the slope led to a darkened, tree-strewn lane. Around halfway along, a light bobbed in the distance. Someone approaching. At the same second, Ellie gave a bark of warning.
Elise drew to a halt, rigid.
“Just a jogger.” I squinted at the figure, recognising them in the gloom. “Actually, it’s kin.”
Casey, married to my cousin, Blayne, as well as to their third partner, Brodie, approached fast. Running uphill, she puffed hard but smiled when she reached us.
“Cam, I spotted your dog first.” She gave Ellie an enthusiastic fur ruffle. “Callie loves her so much, we’ve been talking about getting our own.”
She peered between me and the woman at my side, curiosity in her look.
I made the introduction. “Elise. This is Casey.”
Casey waved cheerfully, but the lass I was taking to dinner did the strangest thing.
She opened her mouth, and an English accent came from her lips. “So pleased to meet you.”
I blinked at her but recovered myself and turned back to the runner. “Did you hear about Viola and Leo? They should be home by now, new bairn with them.”
Casey squeaked in excitement. “Yes! I’m so happy for them. From what I heard, Vi’s labour was a bitch. She shared some of the details in our girl chat group and freaked Cait right out. That’s my other friend who’s newly pregnant,” she added for Elise’s benefit, then she gestured uphill. “I’ve got to go. I want to be home for when Blayne finishes work, and I’m against the clock for this run. Nice to meet you, Elise. Hopefully see you again when I’m not dripping with sweat.” Then she was gone.
Amusement and bewilderment merged in equal measures, and I stared at Elise. “What was that?”
Despite the dark, I made out a blush streaking over her cheeks. “I don’t know. I used to do fake accents a lot when I was younger, so people didn’t make the connection between my name and my reputation. Casey’s an American. It just came out.”
“Ye sounded like a public schoolgirl.”
“What does that mean?”
“Upper-class. Interesting choice. It probably made ye stand out more than anything. Should’ve gone with a Scottish accent. It would sound bonnie coming from your lips.”
Elise elbowed me. The first physical contact we’d had.
A shock of something hot sped through my system. I liked her being happier, even if it meant a tap to my ribs.
We strolled on through the warm evening, and Elise drew a heavy breath. “Do you know what? There is another reason for it, the accent thing. If I’m recognised, people ask questions like they know me. And sometimes those questions can hurt.”
I instantly thought of her father and of her breakup, and my heart squeezed. “I’m sorry that happens.”
“It’s just a fact of being in the public eye. After learning all about me from headlines, that familiarity becomes misplaced. People don’t mean it, but if all they know is salacious, twisted gossip, then that’s what pops into their mind.”
Guilt trickled through me. Hadn’t I done the same? “Sounds shite. There’s no way anyone could know ye like that.”
“Exactly.” She paused, then sucked in a breath. “A couple of months ago, I was filming in Mexico, and this woman, someone on set, sought me out. For a couple of days, she was hanging around me, being super nice and friendly. Funny, too. I liked her.” She shook her head, a curl of her dark hair tumbling out from under her hood. “This was about a week after the first hints of my breakup with my ex-boyfriend had leaked into the press. We’d actually split months before, but whatever. Anyway, at the end of the shoot, I went for drinks with the cast and team, and invited this woman along. She and I got a little drunk, and it was fun. But when I went to leave, she got me alone then turned on me. Her friendly persona dropped, and she became this shrieking harpy, berating me for my treatment of my ex. She said I was a bitch and he was such a kind and sweet man. He deserved better. Oh, did that make my blood boil. She’d never met him. She had no idea what sort of person she was talking about. But she’d committed all that time to buttering me up so she could say her piece. I just stood there and took it because the kicker? She did it all with her phone in her hand, filming me.”
“Fuck.”
“Right? It happens all the time. If I bite back, whatever I say gets mangled and turned into yet another headline.”
“Ye always look like the bad guy.”
“I do. And I have no idea why I shared that with you.”
I nudged her arm with mine, ignoring the spark from the touch. “Glad ye did. You’re among friends here. No one would dream of behaving like that. Ye have my personal guarantee.”
We continued on to my home. Our conversation stalled, Elise dwelling on thoughts she didn’t want to discuss. But one thing had become clear. Her ex was an arsehole. I’d never met the man, but I’d bet any money he hadn’t been a great boyfriend to Elise.
The woman from her story hurt her in more ways than one.
I’d left the lights on in the crofthouse’s kitchen, and I led Elise around the rear of the house to the private patio and unlocked the sliding door.
I pointed between the patio table and the kitchen. “Ye sit there, and I’ll cook here. How’s that?”
She perched tentatively on the bench, her hood still up and her expression still guarded. “This is strange of me, right?”
“Whatever it takes for ye to be comfortable.”
I got dinner underway, pulling a pack of chicken from the fridge, plus vegetables, spices, and the other ingredients I needed for a decent meal.
Elise watched my every move.
After a while she broke the silence. “I’m kind of surprised that you live with your folks, but this is a beautiful house.”
“My father built it for my mother. I’ve always loved it here, though I’ve also been saving for my own place. One day, I’ll leave, but eh, no rush.”
Her gaze coasted from me to my home.
“I have a bedroom and lounge upstairs at the other end of the house,” I added. “Da made it into a self-contained unit for me when I was a teenager.”
“All the better for sneaking your girlfriend in,” Elise said.
I held her gaze. “In the past, aye. No girlfriend now.”
Elise looked away, no response to my words.
Not that she owed me anything. I had no clue why I’d felt the need to overshare.
In fifteen minutes, I had a pan bubbling with golden chicken in a rich sauce, and brown rice boiling alongside. A click came at the other end of the house, and I twisted to see Ma enter the kitchen.
“You’re home early.”
My mother swung her gaze from the stove to the open patio door. Like a heatseeking missile, her maternal senses landed straight on Elise. “Oh! Am I interrupting?”
Elise rose from the bench seat, pushed back her hood, and stepped inside.
“Elise, this is my mother, Taylor. Ma, this is Elise, a friend of Leo’s. She’s staying on the estate, arrived a few nights ago.”
Ma’s eyes gleamed, and she shook Elise’s hand. “Ah, now I understand why Cameron has been coming home in the early hours. Let me just grab a sandwich and I’ll get out from under your feet.”
I gave her a long-suffering look. My mother would be over the moon if I settled down. “This isn’t a date, Ma. You’re not interrupting anything. Besides, I cooked enough for ye and Da.”
Elise’s gaze stuck to my mother. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, please don’t leave on my behalf.” Her normal accent appeared this time.
I lifted my spatula. “Honestly, don’t let this go to waste. Where is Da anyway?”
My mother relented and placed her bag on the back of a chair, then sank down to the seat, tiredness plain. “The job took forever. I drove home, and he’s getting the train. He’ll be late.”
“I’ll fetch him from the station if ye want to go to bed,” I offered.
“Are you American?” Elise said, out of the blue. Pink flushed her cheeks. “Sorry, I can hear it in your voice. I hadn’t in Cameron’s. And we met another American woman on the way here. Casey?”
Ma dipped her head, her blonde hair held up in a fancy twist. “My father’s American. Which makes Cameron one quarter. But I’ve lived in Scotland for a long time. You have a good ear.”
A smile crept onto Elise’s face. “Part of my job is accents. I’m always listening out for them. Yours is such an interesting combination of Scottish and American.”
My mother squinted at her. “You seem so familiar. Have we met before?” She snapped her fingers. “Oh! I’ve got it. You act.”
Shite. I grimaced at Ma.
My mother warmed to the subject. “I didn’t make the connection at first. Blame tiredness. My son owns all your films. When he was a teenager—”
Elise shot a look my way.
“Ma!” I made a shut up! gesture with my hand. “Your dinner invite has been revoked. Go to your room.”
Both women laughed.
Elise’s focus drifted back to me. “You’re a fan? You never said.”
My mother eased herself up from the chair, sheer delight in her expression. “Oh dear. Sorry, Cameron. On that slightly awkward note, I’m going to go get changed.” She vanished, leaving us alone.
I blew out a breath and briefly glanced at the ceiling, seeking divine help. “Maybe. As a teenager. Don’t worry, ye have nothing to fear from me.”
Her attention intensified, perhaps with her making a second assessment of me. Though who knew what the first had been. “I don’t mind,” she said eventually. “I mean, you are feeding me.”
Shite, the food.
I spun around and stirred the curry, then took the rice off the boil. It was ready, and luckily unburned. I plated up four dishes, covering Da’s for when he got home.
“In that drawer, you’ll find cutlery.” I pointed to get Elise helping out.
“I can just about handle that,” she said and fished out knives and forks. “By the way, where were you until the early hours the other night? Your mom thinks you were with me.”
My smile tweaked my cheeks. “Never ye mind.”
We sat at the table and waited for Ma to reappear.
Elise pursed her lips, then drew her phone from her pocket. “Can I ask a favour? I’m meant to be posting pictures of myself online, but I haven’t taken many this week. Can I take a picture of myself here with my meal? I’ll make sure there’s nothing identifiable in it.”
“Want me to take it for ye?”
She hesitated then handed over the device.
I held it up and took a few so she could choose between them. Framed against a backdrop of my home, Elise twisted her lips in a tentative smile. It transformed her from scared lass to gorgeous woman.
Watching me, not the lens.
I swallowed then passed the phone back.
“These are great,” she said softly.
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her my father was a photographer and had taught me a thing or two, but I kept my mouth closed.
Ma reappeared, and we ate. Both women complimented the food, and I warmed inside from the regard and the dinner.
“Did you teach Cameron how to cook?” Elise asked my mother.
“I did. When I married William, his father, I was clueless. William and his brothers shared cooking responsibilities when they were growing up, so he had more skills than me, but he wanted to expand his repertoire. We took cooking courses together. Cameron has the benefit of both of our experiences.” Ma smiled at Elise. “What about you? Do you cook much at home?”
“Oh no, I don’t think I’ve ever cooked in the kitchen in my mother’s house. I used to whenever I stayed with my dad.” Her sentence drifted off, and Elise’s gaze distanced.
I lifted my chin at my mother then made a subtle no gesture, shaking my head. Ma nodded, this time catching my drift. I doubted she knew about Elise’s da, but she could read me like a book.
We quietly finished our meals. From under the table, Ellie barked softly, then a door slammed once more in the crofthouse.
My father was home. Ah good, another parent to embarrass me.
“William? We’re in the kitchen. Cameron has a young lady guest.”
Just like my mother had done, Da appeared and instantly made an interesting face at the fact that I had a lass here, then kissed my mother hello. They’d been together for most of the day, but Da still looked at my mother like she was the living end. My parents had always been hopelessly in love.
I made the introduction, and Da explained how he’d got away earlier than expected but not called Ma, knowing she’d be driving. His train raced her car.
As my parents spoke, Elise’s gaze rested on the hefty camera bag Da had set on the floor by the door. He’d opened it to extract something, and a camera body protruded. Her focus jumped to the row of black-framed prints on the wall. Landscapes mostly, but then a shot of my grandfather, previously a US senator, with his arm around Ma.
Her cheeks reddened, and she whispered to me, “Your dad’s a photographer?”
“Aye. Not the kind you’d worry about.”
But the damage was done.
All the relaxation rushed from her, her shoulders turning stiff.
She stood carefully, her gaze down. “It was lovely to meet you all, but I need to get home now. Thank you for dinner, Cameron.”
I jumped up, a weight lodged in my chest. “I’ll clean up when I get back,” I said softly to my parents.
Elise half turned at the patio door. “I’m so sorry. That should be my job.”
Both my parents leapt to disagree and waved us off.
Back into the dark night we went.
This time, despite going uphill, we made the journey much faster. Elise didn’t speak, and I didn’t attempt to try to make her feel better. I had the idea she’d tell me where to go.
The fan revelation. The photographer right across the table. In her frazzled state, I could only guess how that made her feel.
Anxiety poured off her.
At the bothy, she threw herself in the door. “Goodnight, Cameron. Thanks again.”
“Any time, princess.”
Elise shut herself away once more.
