‘How are you feeling?’ Penny pulled up a plastic chair and sat down to next to me. She’d shed her outer layers and looked younger and fresh-faced in a thin fleece over her waterproof trousers. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and she looked like a surf chick who had got lost.
‘I’m fine,’ I said feeling a bit sheepish. ‘I fainted.’
Penny looked at me, her green eyes holding a hint of mischief.
‘You don’t have a photographic memory do you?’
I shook my head, then winced because it hurt.
‘So what, are you psychic or something?’ she said, grinning.
‘Something like that,’ I said. I wasn’t going to give her all the details, no matter how nice she was being.
Penny smiled again.
‘It’s pretty cool,’ she said. ‘Well done. We’d never have got them out in time without you.’
‘What’s the deal with the mountain?’ I asked her, swinging my legs round to the side of the bed – I wanted to get up. ‘Is it safe?’
Penny gestured to the people who were gathering their belongings and starting to drift
‘We’ve shored it up with some heavy-duty netting,’ Penny said. ‘We’re confident it’s safe for now.’
I shuddered.
‘So everyone’s going home,’ I said. ‘Everything’s back to normal?’
‘Except for the road, of course,’ Penny said. ‘That amount of snow means it’ll be blocked for days. A week, maybe.’
I stared at her as the enormity of what she was saying began to sink in. The road – the main road – the only road in and out of Claddach – was blocked. We weren’t able to leave – that meant Tansy was here for at least a few more days than she’d planned to be. And, worse than that, no one could get to us. My wedding dress, Harry’s bridesmaid dress, our catering supplies, Chloe, Frankie, my lovely dad, the registrar – oh god, the registrar – were all outside Claddach with no way of getting in. It looked very much like the wedding wasn’t going to happen.
I cried all the way home in Jamie’s dad’s car. Tansy sat in the front with my future father-in-law, telling him about the work she did in Boston. He seemed impressed and asked her all sorts of questions as he negotiated the Range Rover up the hill through the snow. The plough had been out but it was still hard going.
I stared out of the window, hot tears falling down my frozen cheeks, and listened to Tansy charming the pants off my future father-in-law.
It seemed crazy that just twenty-four hours ago, Jamie and I had left Edinburgh full of excitement about heading up to Claddach. It had been snowing there too. A light covering resting on the pavements as we walked to the station. The castle glowed against the leaden sky, looming over us as our train pulled out of Waverley.
‘Goodbye Edinburgh,’ I’d called when we crossed the rail bridge. ‘Next time I see you, I’ll be Mrs Brodie!’
Thinking about that now, I let out a sob. Jamie looked over and squeezed my hand.
‘It’ll be okay,’ he said. ‘We’ll sort it out.’
I gave him a quick smile, but there was no warmth in it. The weather, the avalanche, the road, the ex-fiancée, the newly discovered son – it was all too much for me.
We got home before Mum and Harry. I was shivering violently and Jamie hugged me close as we peeled off our outer clothes.
‘I’m going to make everyone a cup of tea,’ he said quietly. ‘Then I guess I’ll go and tell Dad that he’s got a grandson.’
For the first time, I realised Parker wasn’t there. Shows what kind of rubbish step-mum I’ll be, I thought in misery.
‘Where is he?’ I asked, wiping away my tears. I didn’t want Tansy to see I’d been crying.
‘With Eva,’ Jamie said. I followed him into the kitchen while Tansy and Dr Brodie went into the lounge, still chatting about Tansy’s hospital in Boston.
‘I bet Eva’s loving that,’ I said. Eva and Allan’s only son had been killed in an accident when he was a teenager. After he’d died, they’d left their native Yorkshire and come to live in Claddach. Eva – who was a witch too – joined Mum and Suky in the café, while Allan’s art career boomed. But their hearts always ached for the son they’d lost and their home became a sanctuary for a series of foster children, runaways and troubled teenagers. Eva would enjoy caring for little Parker, with his love of science and his funny way of talking.
Jamie poured water into the kettle.
‘She was thrilled when I asked her,’ he said. ‘Parker was drawing pictures of his house back in Boston when we left him.’
I caught a hint of pride in his voice.
‘He’s great isn’t he?’ I said, my voice wavering a bit.
Jamie smiled.
‘He’s something else,’ he said. ‘He’s so clever and funny, and it’s so sweet how he looks out for Tansy.’
The kettle boiled and he poured the hot water into the teapot.
‘This whole thing has knocked me sideways,’ he said. ‘I’m not sure what to make of it all.’
He wrapped his arms round me and I rested my head against his chest.
‘All I know,’ he carried on, ‘is that I love you and I want to marry you. Parker being in my life doesn’t change anything for me.’
He pulled back and looked at me.
‘Does it change anything for you?’
‘Nothing,’ I said, feeling happier than I had for hours. An image of the huge pile of ice and snow blocking the road flashed into my head and I shoved it away. It would be fine, I thought, as long as Jamie and I stuck together.
I picked up a mug of tea and gave Jamie a kiss.
‘Right then,’ I said. ‘Let’s go and introduce Parker to his grandpa.’
I followed Jamie into the living room where Tansy was still entertaining David.
‘…and of course it was arthritis,’ she said, as David laughed uproariously.
‘Tansy,’ Jamie said. ‘Would you mind giving us a minute?’
Tansy realised at once what Jamie was about to do.
‘Of course,’ she said. ‘I’ll just go over to Eva’s. Give me a yell when you’re ready.’
She slipped out of the door. Jamie sat down next to his dad and I sat on the other sofa.
‘Dad,’ Jamie said.
‘What’s going on, Jamie?’ his dad said. ‘Has something happened?’
‘It has,’ Jamie said. ‘Don’t worry – it’s a good thing. It just might be a bit of a surprise, that’s all.’
‘That’s an understatement,’ I said under my breath.
‘So,