she said proudly. “I’m not completely clueless.”
“It’s actually a yellow-legged gull.”
She chuckled. “It’s definitely a seagull.”
“No.” Nick gazed up at the bird. “It’s commonly referred to as a seagull, but technically it’s not.”
“Are you serious?” She frowned. “I can’t even identify a seagull?”
“There’s no such thing.” He remained straight-faced while Lexie stared at him, waiting for him to break into a grin and tell her he was joking. “What?” he asked when he finally met her gaze.
“You’re not joking, are you?”
“No. There are many types of gulls, but you’ll never find a seagull listed in any bird books.”
“Wow. Well, I learned something new today.” Her lips twitched to a smile. “You know, every time I see a seagull from now on I’m going to think of you.”
“That will be never then!” A smirk hit his lips. “But every time you see a yellow-legged gull you’re going to think of me.”
They continued along the path in companionable silence. “Do you fancy a drink?” he asked when they neared the pub.
“I don’t think I want to drink ever again.”
“Coke?” he asked with a smile.
She shook her head. “I need to go to bed. I’m working tomorrow and I need to try and make it on time.” Slowing at the back of the bunkhouse, she gave Nick a sidelong glance. “Are you going to the pub?”
“I was thinking about it, but I should probably get on with some jobs at the house.”
Lexie paused as they reached the back of her place. “I think you missed your house,” she said with a small smile. “You live back there.” She pointed.
“Yeah, I know, I just …”
As the skin of his neck turned bright red, Lexie felt another pang of guilt for teasing him.
“Thanks for walking me home,” she said in a bid to alleviate his discomfort. “Good luck with the house.”
“Thanks.” He turned and walked away. Nick’s house was at the end of a row of five cottages. The back gardens were all sheltered by identical stone walls, though his was overrun by unruly bushes. She hadn’t registered she’d stopped to watch him go until he reached his house and turned back.
She gave a quick wave and hurried inside, assuming he was far enough away that he hadn’t been able to see her blush.
Chapter Four
Work the following day flew by. After Lexie’s hungover day, feeling normal again was a treat, and cleaning the cabins felt almost effortless. In the afternoon she helped Damian at the abseiling wall. The group was comprised of two families with kids of various ages. They were enthusiastic and the time went quickly. By the time she got home, she only had time for a quick shower before heading over for a shift at the pub. It was a quiet evening and pleasant enough working with her dad, who always seemed to be on a mission to feed her. She’d only just walked in the door when he was instructing the chef to cook her a meal. The food was a definite perk of the job.
She was working in the pub the following evening too and was surprised when Leana and Elspeth wandered in early in the evening. It was odd for them to come into the pub on a Monday night.
“What’s the occasion?” Lexie asked, eyeing their unusually smart attire.
“Did I tell you Meghan’s grandma died?” Leana asked as they perched on stools at the bar.
Lexie shook her head. “No, but I heard. She was in Portree with Nick at the weekend.”
“The funeral was today,” Elspeth said. “We went for the service this afternoon, then the wake was at the Isles Inn.”
“It doesn’t sound like a very cheerful afternoon.”
“It wasn’t,” Elspeth said, propping herself up with an elbow on the bar. “Meghan’s devastated. And her parents are the most unfeeling people I’ve ever met. I feel so sorry for her.” She checked her watch. “She said she might catch us up later. Nick appeared after he finished work and suggested taking her for dinner.”
“He turned up just at the right time,” Leana said. “Meghan was a bit tipsy and emotional. We’d been trying to convince her to leave but she wouldn’t listen to us.”
“She and Nick seem pretty close these days,” Lexie mused.
“They get on well,” Elspeth said.
As the three of them fell silent, Elspeth and Leana gave Lexie identical looks, as though studying her features.
“Do you want wine?” she asked, unsettled by their scrutiny. They both nodded and she was glad of the distraction.
Half an hour later, Elspeth had