Secrets at the Loch (Loch Lannick #5) - Hannah Ellis Page 0,47
“As far as mountains go I suppose it’s relatively easy. But it’s not actually easy. Do you have hiking gear?”
She rocked on the balls of her feet. “I heard you don’t need any.”
He glanced at her shoes by the door. “You at least need hiking boots.”
“I know that,” she said indignantly. Except she hadn’t known that at all. She’d assumed her trainers would be fine. “I’m buying hiking boots in the morning.”
“You’re going to hike up a mountain in brand-new hiking boots?”
“Yes! Didn’t you say you need to go?”
He had a hand on the door but turned back. “Don’t go up if the weather’s bad. And you have to set off early. It’ll be cold so make sure you’ve got plenty of layers. And don’t try and reach the summit. It’s too late in the season. There’ll be snow at the top and the conditions can change really quickly. It’s not safe.”
“Nick! I’m not an idiot.”
The way he looked at her made it seem as though he might argue that fact. “Will you message me when you set off? Then if I don’t hear from you I can send out a search party.”
“Oh my God!” she screeched, giving him a gentle shove out of the door. “Goodnight, Nick!”
“I’m serious,” he snapped. “Don’t go roaming up mountains without telling someone when to expect you back. Why on earth do you want to go up the mountain anyway?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged, then shivered as a blast of cold air whipped in through the front door. “I just feel like it.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No! I don’t need a babysitter, thanks!”
His forehead creased. “Promise you’ll message me when you set off and when you get back?”
“Yes, okay. Whatever.”
He smiled at her before turning to walk down the path. She found it infuriating how he treated her like she needed taking care of. And she found him completely adorable for the exact same reason.
Lexie felt much more content when she crawled into bed that night. It had been so lovely to spend the evening with Nick and to know that he didn’t hate her. Thinking back to the morning she’d kicked him out of her kitchen still filled her with regret. And not just because she’d hurt him, but because she wished things could have been different.
She wished she was brave enough to risk getting her heart broken. Nick was the first person in a very long time who tempted her to give a relationship a try. But then she remembered how her last relationship had ended and how she’d vowed never to let anyone close enough to hurt her again.
After a good night’s sleep, she woke on Wednesday feeling relaxed but also determined. After telling Nick she was going to hike up Ben Nevis, she was now even more keen to take on the challenge. It was invigorating to have something to focus on. The only problem was the weather. Thick fog hung over the loch and a fine mist of rain drizzled down. When she got up, she spent half an hour gazing out of the window, hoping it might lift. If anything, it seemed to get worse.
She was halfway up the stairs when Daphne opened the door to her flat.
“Are you leaving?” she asked.
Lexie smiled. “I was hoping I could stay another night? Or maybe two?”
“I’ve a booking on Saturday, so you can stay until then. I’ll do you one night for free. Five for the price of four. How does that sound?”
“I think I’ll leave on Friday.”
“Whatever you want. You’re not having much luck with the weather, are you?”
“I think I jinxed the weather when I decided I wanted to go up Ben Nevis.”
“You definitely can’t go today. If the weather forecast is right, tomorrow should be clear.”
“I hope so.”
“Make sure you’ve got food and water.”
“I will,” Lexie said as she backed away. Nick had forgotten that piece of advice. She gave a little wave and retreated down the stairs, intent on going shopping for hiking boots and supplies.
Nick messaged her as she strolled into the town, checking she wasn’t about to scale the mountain and get lost in a cloud. She assured him she was staying close to sea level, then shot another quick message asking if he wanted to have dinner with her. She offered to cook. When he didn’t respond immediately, the pang of disappointment hit deep in her stomach. It didn’t seem as though he was overly keen. Maybe he was trying