I worked outside for the rest of the afternoon with Finn and Jude. They didn’t want to suffer the wrath of Ellie again. I was happy for them just to keep busy and get on with their work. I thought about heading in, getting a shower, and taking my brothers to the local pub for a change of scenery. But shortly after having that idea, I found myself wondering if ‘the Rottweiler’, as Finn had described her, that had apparently taken up residence in the neighbouring cottage for the foreseeable future would also want to have a meal out. Only one way to find out.

When she didn’t hear me know, I opened the door and went in, she was still hard at work on her laptop in front of the fire. She was even singing along with a track she was listening to. I thought that she might notice me approach out of the corner of her eye. But I was wrong.

“Ellie,” I said and touched her arm.

She let out a screech and jumped, her laptop almost falling to the floor had I not reached out to catch it.

“Sorry.” I chuckled.

“Jesus Christ Charlie, you almost gave me a bloody heart attack!” Her hand on her chest as though it would calm her breathing and heart rate.

I smiled apologetically. “I was just wondering if you would like to go out to the local pub and get some dinner? I thought you might like the change of scenery since you’ve been here all day working away.”

She looked me up and down, evaluating me. I thought that her answer was going to be no after everything today, but I was wrong. “I could definitely eat, and yes, a local pub sounds quite nice. Are Finn and Jude going too?”

I grinned and nodded my head. “Unfortunately, yes, I have to feed them, or they won’t do any work.” I laughed. “But you have to be ready in twenty minutes or the deals off.”

She jumped off the sofa and headed for the bathroom. “You have a deal.”

Thirty minutes later we were walking in through the door of the pub just two miles further up the coast of the Loch. “The Clansman’s Bar.” She read from the sign above the door.

I held the door open for her. “You’ll love it, you might even have to put it in a book somewhere.”

She laughed and headed inside along with my two brothers. The bar was attached to the local hotel, and it was all wooden beamed ceilings and old stone walls. It was quaint and something that I knew she would love.

“Oh wow, this place is awesome!” She grinned and made her way to a table. There was a fire roaring in the hearth, and the welcome was always warm.

“Alright lads.” One of the regulars called over as we settled ourselves.

“Evening Donal,” I replied with a bob of my head.

Ellie looked at me with a puzzled look. “Do you know everyone here?”

I smiled. “Some.”

“Are you here regularly?”

“Daphne has a few properties in the area. I like to get up here any time I can when it’s off-season.” I admitted. I was there so often I was starting to look at it as a home away from home if I was really honest. There was just something about the atmosphere, the locals, and the scenery around the area and the Loch itself that really appealed to me.

I grabbed us four menus from the bar and went back up when we had picked what we were going to have. I wasn’t going to drink this evening. I was driving, and I didn’t really fancy the two-mile walk back to the farm at this time of year. Ellie ordered a glass of wine and Finn, and Jude joined her with a beer each. We all sat and chatted a little while we waited for our food.

“I am sorry about how I’ve been today.” She admitted looking at Finn and Jude. “I know I was a bit of a cock, but this book just has me pulling my hair out.”

Jude nodded. “I get it. I honestly don’t know how you do it.”

She looked at him like he had said something alien. “Really?” She chuckled. “You always said I was a space cadet with a very vivid imagination who always talked a load of shit.”

Christ.

I snorted. She wasn’t wrong. Jude had said exactly those words to her, and on more than one occasion. He didn’t have an answer to that one at all. He merely shrugged and admitted defeat. “That’s true, but not many can come back from a comment like that and make a career out of it.”

Finn and I laughed.

She laughed too, shook her head at Jude, and took a long sip from her glass. I sat there, staring at her, transfixed by her mouth on the glass and her tongue on her lips. I couldn’t look away, and she caught me, clearing her throat nervously. Both of us saved from further awkwardness when the food arrived at the table.

“Ack hello Charlie, love. Jude, you back again? Finn, you bringing the ladies with you?” The waitress, a lovely older woman, called June smiled at us.

“Ah June, I thought you might miss me if I stayed away too long.” Jude laughed and gave her a wink.

“Jesus, would you look at that.” She said to Ellie. “Flirting with me, and I’m old enough to be his mother.”

Finn and I laughed and made small talk with her too.

Ellie laughed with June and glanced over at Jude, her cheeks flushed with a little pinkness.

“Here you go love, watch now, that plate’s warm,” June warned, setting the plate of food down in front of our guest. Ellie smiled kindly and thanked her. “If you want dessert, you just let me know.”

I laughed. “I hope you have my favourite, June?”

She rolled her eyes as she walked off. “Like we would get away with not having any for you.”

I snorted and stabbed some fries with my fork, shovelling them into my mouth.

“What’s your favourite?” Ellie asked.

I chewed a little before replying. “Sticky toffee pudding with home-made vanilla ice-cream.” I smiled. Ellie smirked a little. I hoped she was remembering the same thing that I was. Ellie had been to our house and she, Rebecca and Daphne had all cooked a course each for a meal that they made for the whole family.

Daphne had made the starter, I don’t even remember what it was anymore, Rebecca had made a fantastic roast chicken dinner, and Ellie had made a sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and a home-made vanilla ice-cream. I’d never really liked deserts until that point. But there was just something about the fact that she prepared it that made it the most delicious thing that I have ever tasted in my life. I couldn’t lie, I had never had one since that came close to being as perfectly tasting as the one that she made that night.

The evening progressed with more general chatter, Ellie swapped her wine for fruit juice since I wasn’t drinking, and we all just talked about where life had taken us for the years since we had last seen each other. We had dessert, it still didn’t taste as good as hers, not that I would admit that.

“Hey, Charlie.” The barman Jamesy called over; when I acknowledged him with a nod he continued, “Have you seen the weather, they’re talking snow, amber warnings all over the place.”

Shit. “Amber? For when?” Jamesy gestured for me to come over to the bar and have a look at the TV tucked in out of the way. “I’ll be back in a second.” I smiled at Ellie and headed over to the bar.

The barman was right, a huge freak storm was heading in from the Atlantic, and it was bringing with it a hell of a lot of snow. They were predicting high winds and six to twelve feet drifts. They were advising people to get in as many supplies as they could and to prepare themselves that the power would go out, and not to travel unless absolutely necessary, and all this was expected to hit mid-afternoon the next day.

I paid our bill, thanked Jamesy for the heads up, and took my seat back opposite Ellie. “What was all that about?” She laughed.

“There’s a freak snowstorm heading this way, from the sounds of it, it’s going to be pretty bad.”

She looked at me like I was talking nonsense. “It can’t be that bad surely?”

Finn nodded at her. “Oh, it can get pretty bad up here.”

I couldn’t believe that she wouldn’t think that an amber storm warning wasn’t a big thing.

“Yes, it really can be that bad. Snowed in, no power, no phone. Don’t forget you’re quite isolated up here, this isn’t the big city Ellie.” Jude reminded her

She held her hands up in defeat. “Okay!”

I sighed. “Come on, time to head back. I’ll need to get us ready for that storm coming in tomorrow.”

She shrugged, and everyone followed me as I got up to leave.

When we got back to the farm, Ellie stood there looking up at the night sky while Jude and Finn headed into the farmhouse and the heat. “Look at that, not a cloud to be seen, and a myriad of history spread out before us twinkling as stars that could be long dead for all we know.” I glanced up, taking in what she had said. I could see why she picked writing. There was a specific way that her mind worked and the way that she phrased things that told a story people didn’t usually think of.

“Come on you, before we freeze out here.” I tilted my head towards the cottage door and started off towards it. She stood her ground, her eyes fixed on the wonder that she held in front of her for a moment longer before joining me inside.

“Nightcap?” I asked, pulling a bottle of scotch from the cupboard.

She raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t mind a wee dram.” She mimicked in her best Scottish accent.

I chuckled, grabbed two glasses and poured us both half a tumbler each. She glanced at her glass with wide eyes when she took it from me. I had been just a little generous with the measure. We headed into the living room, sitting in front of the dying embers of the fire, still warm with a soft glow.

“Thank you for dinner.” She smiled, sipping from the glass in her hand.

I watched her as she did. Her eyes closed as she felt the burn of the scotch in her throat, but she was apparently not new to the taste as she didn’t cough or sputter as the liquid heated her from the inside. “You’re welcome,” I replied, taking a bigger sip from my own glass, feeling it catch me in the throat. More silence expanded out between us. I didn’t remember ever being this awkward around her when we were younger.

Ellie sighed, downed the rest of her drink and set the glass on the coffee table. “I think I’m going to go to bed.” She stood, and apparently, her drink hit her as she wobbled on her feet. I quickly abandoned my drink beside her now empty glass, and stood, grabbing her arms to steady her. She gripped my arms and shook her head. “Oh.” She exclaimed. “I think that went right to my head.” She giggled. Oh, it definitely has. She tightened her grip on my biceps and looked at me, biting her lip.

“You okay?” I asked, holding her gaze.

“Uh huh.” She was staring at me, and I was feeling it everywhere. She swallowed, and my glance wandered to her throat, my mind wandered to what it would feel like to taste the delicate skin right there. She cleared her throat. “I should get to bed.” Her mouth said the words, but her body stayed firmly in my arms as I held her up.

“Okay.” I agreed, again, neither of us actually moving.

“Night then.” She said, and leaned forward, placing a kiss on my cheek. When she pulled away from me, there was a momentary pause, and I watched her eyes trace over my lips. Fuck yes Ellie, go on and take a taste. In the blink of an eye, the moment was gone, and she steadied herself on her feet and let go of me, moving past and heading for the door. “Sweet dreams, Charlie.” She smiled as she headed to her bedroom.

I watched her leave, grabbed my glass, downed the rest of my drink and just stared at the doorway she had been standing in just moments before. Fuck.

I headed back to the farmhouse before I did something that I would regret and head for her room. Besides, the last thing I needed was shit from my brothers over where I had been. No, if anything ever happened with Ellie and me, I would rather they didn’t act like pricks around me about it.