Skye was fast becoming my favourite place in the world. The fact that I made a life-changing decision in the two weeks I was there told me it was fate. The job at the elderly people’s centre had been meant for me. Alex and Esme had known it before I knew it myself. But they were so right. To be honest, the role really did appeal to me right from the start. And the meeting with Christian, the centre manager, had gone so well that I had butterflies fluttering around in my stomach whilst I waited for news to come in.

There I was in a stunning part of the world. Not too far away from my friends. With the possibility of a career change that would take me away from a job that was draining me emotionally and instead place me into something that could be wholly fulfilling. If I ignored the emptiness inside of me created when Cain left. Some of the time, I could.

Like I said… fate.

The eagerly awaited call came on the Friday of the second week on Skye. Esme and I were on the top of the world. Well, that’s what it felt like, standing at the summit of one of the smaller mountains in the Quiraing when my cell rang. I stared at in disbelief for a while, wondering how the hell I had a signal all the way out there.

Esme nudged me and nodded at the thing. “It could be important, you nutter.”

I hit the answer button and stuttered my greeting across the airwaves. “H-hello?”

“Kelly? It’s Chris Sampson. Is this a good time? You sound a little windswept.”

“Oh, hi, Chris. Yes I’m at the top of the Quiraing.” I laughed at my explanation.

“Oh, I love it up there. Great views. Listen. You might get more opportunities to spend time up there from next month. We’d like to offer you the job. And we’d like you to start as soon as possible. Obviously we know you’ll need time to think it through.”

My heart skipped in my chest, and I began to hop from one foot to the other, waving my free hand and mouthing the words “I got it!” to my best friend, who stood a very short distance away.

She covered her mouth with her hands and also began to dance around silently. It’s was a good thing we were the only people up there, or we may have been carted off to a secure unit.

“That’s wonderful. I don’t need time to think. I’d like to accept.” My smile was wide and it felt good to be happy. Esme began to wipe errant tears from her cheeks.

“Well, I have to say that’s wonderful news, Kelly. We can’t wait to have you on board. Keep in touch and let us know when you have a start date in mind.”

“I will, and thank you again for the opportunity, Christian.”

“No, it’s we here at the centre who are thankful. Speak soon, Kelly.”

I hit the end call button and proceeded to continue jumping around with Esme. Her blonde curls bounced around from under her woolly hat. We squealed and danced a jig on the top of the Quiraing like a pair of total fruit loops, but we didn’t care.

Once back at the cottage Esme surprised me with a bottle of champagne. “Where the hell were you hiding that, you crafty bugger?” I laughed as the cork shot across the small kitchen, narrowly missing the light fitting.

“It’s been in the wood shed. I knew you’d get the job. I just didn’t expect it to be this week! I was going to surprise you with this tomorrow night for our last night here, but what the hell. Now we have a real reason to celebrate.”

I held out the two wine glasses I had gotten out of the cupboard, and Esme filled them as far as the bubbles would allow. She made a toast and we both took a slurp of our delicious fizzy beverages. The log stove had been lit, and the amber glow in the living room matched the warm tingle I had inside.

It was going to be a fresh start. A completely blank slate.

And I couldn’t wait.

If only Cain were going to be making the journey with me…

Back at home I began the task of working my notice at the hospital and searching for a place to rent near Portree on Skye until I sold my Inverness property. I also had to inform Dermott of my change of direction. I had arranged for him to come over with a Chinese takeaway, and I had bought a couple of bottles of wine in—mainly for my benefit, as my nerves were jangling.

We had arranged our meetup for the Friday that followed my Saturday arrival back in Inverness and I was sitting on the couch chewing on my thumb nail awaiting his arrival. The wine was already open and a half-drunk glass sat before me on the coffee table.

There was a knock at the door and I checked the clock. He was bloody early. Typical. At least I can get this done and out of the way, I suppose. With a happy grin plastered on my face, I pulled the door open.

Dermott looked very handsome. His dirty-blonde hair was messy as if he had not long since been showered. His green eyes sparkled and his megawatt smile elicited an even bigger smile from me.

“Hey, you.” I stepped aside so he could walk in.

“Hey, gorgeous. Get some plates out. I’m starving.” He walked through to the kitchen like he owned the place and plonked the brown paper bag of food on the countertop.

The aroma of Szechuan chicken made my mouth water, and my stomach gave an appreciative gurgle. “So how are you? Apart from hungry that is?” I asked as I grabbed plates from the cupboard and then cutlery from the drawer.

He sighed. “Oh, you know… busy… horny… same old, same old.”

I placed the utensils down, rolled my eyes, and turned to face him. “On that note, I have news.” No time like the present. Rip off that Band-Aid, Kelly.

“Oh, yeah?” He stepped toward me and slipped his arms around my waist. “You horny too, eh?” He waggled his eyebrows.

Slapping his hands away and stepping back to create some much-needed distance, I fixed him with a steely stare. “No. You know very well that’s not happening between us anymore.”

He stuck out his bottom lip. “Spoilsport.”

“Seriously, Dermott, I have something pretty major to tell you.”

He folded his arms and leaned against the countertop. “Go on, then. What is it?”

“I’m… I’m moving.”

He raised his eyebrows and grinned. “Oooh, that’s exciting. This place is a bit small. You should look at those new apartments near me. Bigger. More contemporary. I could really see—”

“To Skye.”

His brow furrowed and he opened his mouth but no sound came out.

I took a deep, calming breath. “I’ve been offered a job working at a residential centre for the elderly near Portree. It should be really great. I’m very excited about it.”

He sniggered. “Are you joking? Is this a joke? You working with old folk?”

Strange reaction. I shook my head slowly. “No, Dermott. It’s happening… for real.”

I watched his Adam’s apple as it bobbed and his jaw as it clenched. He snorted a ridiculous fake laugh. “I see. You know, if the sex was that bad, you could’ve just said so. And we did agree we weren’t doing it again, so you didn’t have to move that far away.”

I watched as his cheeks turned a shade of pink that I had never witnessed on him before. I wondered why he was behaving that way. “Are you okay, Dermott?”

He nodded emphatically. “Oh, yeah… yeah, fine. So, long-distance fuck buddies, then, eh?” He forced another laugh and my concern grew.

Shit. He was taking it harder than I ever imagined. “Dermott, you just said we’re not doing that anymore, remember?”

An uneasy silence fell over the room and neither of us made eye contact. The food was no doubt going cold and my hunger had turned into a knot of anxiety.

After what felt like hours, Dermott stepped toward me. “Don’t go, Kelly. Please.”

I pulled my brow in and met his panicked gaze. What the hell? “I’m sorry, but my mind is already made up. I’ve accepted the position. It’s all sorted.”

He stepped closer still and gripped my arms. “I love you, Kelly. I’m… I’m in love with you. Always have been. Please don’t leave.”

What!

Doing my best impersonation of a Venus fly trap awaiting its prey, I stood there, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, unable to find the words to respond to his shocking revelation.

“Say something, Kel. Please?”

“B-but Dermott… I don’t feel that way about you, you know this. We talked about this a while ago when you stayed over and we agreed that we would just be friends. We tried a relationship at university—”

“We can make it work. The sex is amazing and… and I can protect you. No one will fucking hurt you again. Ever. Not bloody idiots who don’t love you back and bugger off to God knows where. Not crazy bitches with staplers. No one, Kelly. I love you. Stay with me. Please?”