Chapter Forty-Three
Amelia
A few hours later, after a relatively easy stroll past the remains of an old marble quarry, we approached the outskirts of Broadford. The road dead-ended at the main street running through town.
It had been a quiet walk, for the most part, with both of us lost in our thoughts. But as we reached the main road, Rory laid his hand on my shoulder and turned me to face him. “We’re almost done. It’s just a bit farther to the officially unofficial endpoint of the trail.”
“Okay. Let’s do this.”
“Is this a private group, or can anyone join in?” said a familiar male voice from behind me.
I turned to see laughing blue eyes under a shock of blond hair. “Tommy!” I exclaimed, a huge grin stretching my cheeks.
He pulled me into a crushing embrace. “What are you doing here?” I asked when I could breathe again.
“We were waiting for the rest of the group—meaning you two—to finally get here, so we could finish together.”
We?
“Well done, Amelia,” said Scarlet, stepping out from behind a pole with a huge smile on her face. She gave me a hug while Rory and Tommy man-hugged a few feet away. I guess Rory had texted them to let them know when we’d arrive.
A chorus of female shrieks had me whipping around to see Molly and Megan. On their heels were Pat and Linda, with two men who had to be their husbands. They’d stayed to wait for me?
Tears ran unchecked down my face as I was enfolded in one hug after another.
“I can’t believe you’re all still here. You finished three days ago!”
“We wanted to finish with you,” said Molly.
“Besides, it wasn’t exactly a hardship to spend a few extra days on Skye,” added Linda. “The others had to catch flights back to the States, otherwise they’d have been here, too.”
“Shall we?” asked Tommy.
Rory took my hand once more, and together with the whole gang, we turned right onto the main street and then left into a car park. The sea was right in front of us, shining in the sun.
Rory turned to me. “Welcome to the end of the Skye Trail!”
I burst into tears, my poles falling to the ground as I covered my face with shaking hands and sobbed.
I’d reached the end.
I’d hiked up mountains, slogged through bogs, picked my way along cliffs and crossed rushing rivers. I’d seen eagles and whales, sunrises and sunsets, starry skies and the Northern Lights. I’d been in the sea.
I’d walked tens of miles in bright sunshine and under storm-swept skies, through driving rain and terrifying fog. I’d done it all with the unwavering, unselfish help of an incredible man, who’d been a stranger barely more than a week ago, but was now the man I loved.
It had taken ten days instead of seven, had caused me excruciating pain and emotional anguish. It had been the most amazing ten days of my life. And now it was over.
I wasn’t ready for it to be over.
Rory pulled me into a crushing hug, pack and all. “Congratulations, sweetheart,” he whispered in my ear.
When he pulled back, Scarlet pulled out a piece of paper and pen from her bag and handed it to him. He scrawled something on it, and then held it out to me, his eyes crinkling as he smiled.
It was a certificate of achievement from Scotland By Foot for completing the Skye Trail, signed by Rory Sutherland.
One by one, they all hugged me as if I’d just scored the winning goal in a playoff hockey game. Tommy gleefully showed me a photo he’d snapped of me bawling. “I got video, too,” he added. “I’ll email it to you.” I punched him in the arm, but I was actually thrilled that he’d thought to capture the moment so I could share it with Carrie.
Then, while Rory conferred with Scarlet and Tommy, the ladies surrounded me.
“Don’t think we didn’t see Rory holding your hand, missy,” said Pat.
“Yeah, we’re going to need details,” added Megan. “You and that braw lad, alone on the trail together. We’re going to want to know everything.”
I was too thrilled that they were all here to be embarrassed by their teasing. “I’m not going to tell you everything,” I said. “A girl’s got to have some secrets. But first, can you excuse me a second?”
I extricated myself from the group and pulled out my phone. Helen picked up on the first ring. “Amelia, it’s earlier than your usual time. Is everything okay?”
“I’m fine. I finished the trek, and I wanted to tell Carrie. Is there—there’s no change, is there?”
“No change, but congratulations, honey, that’s wonderful! Let me bring the phone to her.”
A moment later, she told me Carrie was on. “Hey, Ree. I…I did it. I finished the Skye Trail. It was so much harder than I expected, and it was more beautiful than I could ever have imagined.” I started to cry again, unable to help myself. “And it sucks so much that you’re not here. I just…I just wish you were here. I’ll be home in a few days, and I’m going to tell you everything, okay? I love you, and I’ll see you soon.”
The thought of leaving Rory made me cry even harder, and when I finally conveyed to Helen that I was done talking and ended the call, I was sobbing once more.
My phone was gently extracted from my hand, and I was folded into Rory’s arms. He just held me, not saying anything, not trying to stop me from crying, just letting me get out all the emotion that had been building over the course of our journey.
When I’d finally cried myself out, I slowly raised my head from his chest, not wanting to face my friends. But when I opened my eyes, it was just Rory and me. “Where is everyone?” I asked hoarsely.
“They headed to the chippie to get a table,” he said, referring to the fish-and-chips place by the waterfront. “I knew you needed some time alone, so I sent them ahead.”
“Thank you. And thank you for—God, for everything, but specifically for the group meeting us here.”
“That was a surprise for me as well. I had texted Tommy this morning with our ETA, and he told me to give him a heads-up when we were almost finished. I figured he’d be here—that buffoon has nothing better to do anyway—and I thought Scarlet might be here, too. But I didn’t expect the lassies. That was really nice of them.”
“It was the perfect way to finish the trek,” I said. “And, by the way, the lassies, as you called them, all saw you holding my hand. They’re expecting details. Lots of details.”
“Oh, aye?” he drawled. “Well, don’t be stingy with those details. Tell them how I brought you to heights of passion you’d never even dreamed were possible. Titillate them with details of my manly prowess, and feel free to embellish. My ego could use some stroking,” he said with a wicked grin.
“I wouldn’t need to embellish to have them fully titillated and green with envy.” I leaned close to whisper in his ear. “And I’ll save the stroking for later tonight.”
We commandeered two waterfront tables and had a long, loud, boisterous lunch of fish and chips. Rory and I regaled the group with (some of) the anecdotes from our adventure. But I was starting to crash and trying to think of a polite way to excuse myself for a little while. I didn’t want to be rude after they’d all stuck around for days waiting for me to arrive.
Scarlet must have seen the look in my eyes, because she made a show of gathering up her trash. “Amelia, you must be knackered and dying for a hot shower. Your room at the B&B should be ready.”
“Oh God, yes. I could hug you right now,” I said.
“Shall we do a ladies’ dinner and drinks later?” asked Linda. “It’s three now, so maybe at like five?” She named a pub up the street. “That should give you time for a shower and a lie-down.”
“Perfect,” I said. “Scarlet, will you come, too?”
“Thanks, but I have a ton of paperwork to do, and I need to sit down with Rory and Tommy for a while. Besides, I think you guys might like to catch up and chat about the trek without me keeping you from speaking freely,” she added with a smile.
“Not true at all, but I get it,” I said. “You know where we’ll be, so if you change your mind, please come join us.”
“Okay, thanks. Before I forget, when do you fly out?”
“The day after tomorrow,” I said, hoping I sounded casual and not like I was dying inside.
“Are you taking the train down to Glasgow?” she asked.
“I, uh…” I wasn’t sure if Scarlet knew that Rory and I were—whatever we were. And whether that was kosher.
“I’m driving her,” Rory said. “Tommy’s going to bring us to Sligachan first thing tomorrow, and then I’m borrowing Gav’s car.”
“Oh?” said Scarlet, casting a look at Rory. He met her gaze steadily, but there was definitely an undercurrent there. She turned to me, her usual smile in place. “It will be a nice drive. Just ignore Rory’s road rage. It’s a lot of driving on winding roads behind tourists, and our lad here isn’t a fan.”
Apparently, the subject of Rory and me would be brought up privately. “I remember that from when he picked us up at Fort William.” A hundred years ago.
“Well, then. I’ll say goodbye to you and get back to work.” She gave me another hug. “Brilliant job, really. I hope you plan to see a doctor once you’re home, get that knee checked out?”
“I will, and thanks for everything. I hope our paths will cross again,” I said, swallowing back the lump in my throat, the first of several I anticipated over the next two days.
…
After a shower and a nap—and a phone call to my parents—I met the girls at the pub. Rory and Tommy had said they’d join us later on.
We grabbed a round table at the back of the bar, and Megan brought over a bottle of white wine and five glasses. “Honey, I hope that wasn’t their last bottle,” said Pat. “We’re going to make short work of this one.”
“Don’t worry, that was the first thing I asked them. The bartender promised me they have a case of it. We should have enough to get all the details from the Yank.”
“The Yank is sitting right here,” I said, feigning offense.
“Brilliant! Then you can start talking,” said Molly. “And remember, no detail is too small.”
“Especially that one,” Megan said, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.
“I’m not discussing that one,” I said.
She shrugged. “We’ll see. The night is young, and there is much wine to be had.”
“First, we should toast, don’t you think?” asked Linda.
Molly poured the wine, then held up her glass. “To Amelia, who finished the Skye Trail with a bum knee—a nearly impossible feat—and landed the complicated, mysterious, capable, and sexy-as-hell Rory Sutherland in the process, perhaps an even less possible feat. We’re so proud of you.”
We drank, but although I plastered on a smile as big as theirs, all I could think was that I hadn’t landed him. I’d caught and held him briefly, but would be throwing him back the day after tomorrow. (And it was really weird to think of Rory as if he were a salmon.)
“Now will you start talking?” asked Molly.
They all leaned forward at once, looking at me like a litter of puppies waiting for treats. This time, my smile was real.
Over the course of juicy burgers and several bottles of wine, amusingly replenished by the cute bartender, I gave them details. Not all, not even after consuming more wine than I’d ever had at one time, but enough.
After all, it was my womanly duty.