When Love Knocks Twice (A Contemporary Love Story) (8 page)

It
was only when they turned to take one last look up at the Cuillin
peaks that they realised the weather was closing in quickly. Great
dark clouds were rolling off the summits, which were quickly shrouded
in rain. Tom and Gail quickly started down the hill, stepping lightly
from boulder to boulder and later striding down the path. The
temperature was dropping rapidly as the sun disappeared and the wind
picked up, in advance of the squall approaching off the mountains.

They
could start to feel the odd drop of rain on the back of their necks
as they reached the car park.

And
as they returned to the car park they became aware of how thirsty
they had become, having not taken any water with them.

“ The
stall has some bottled spring water,” suggested Tom, and so
they walked briskly over to buy some, noticing that it was advertised
as coming from the very spring they walked up.

“ Are
you sure there are no dead sheep upstream?” checked Gail, half
joking, half serious.

The
stall holder, overhearing her question replied.

“ It's
all right, you don't need to worry yourself. I can guarantee that
there are no dead sheep in the spring, for I removed the last one
myself four days ago.”

The
twinkle in his eye overcame Gail's embarrassment, and they could all
laugh.

They
hurried over to the car and scrambled inside as the heavens opened
and the torrential rain blotted out the landscape in front of them.

“ Timing
is everything,” declared Tom, as they clinked bottles.
“Cheers.”

The
rain cleared as they made their way home in the car, carefully
negotiating flooding on the roads. By the time they reached the
cottage the sun was back out with a vengeance as the temperature
climbed again. They ate at an Italian restaurant and then walked
along the shoreline, listening to the seagulls cry, and watching a
sea eagle soar along the coast.

As
they went to bed the temperature was still high, and the humidity had
increased due to the rain. They didn't bother with bed-clothes at all
but lay naked on the bed. Tom was amazed at the velvety softness of
Gail's skin and couldn't resist running his fingers over her body,
something she didn't object to, as it was giving her the same rush
that she last remembered as a newly married, back in her twenties.
She responded by running her hands over his lean torso and then
pulling him towards her as their lips met in an increasing hunger for
intimacy.

“ You
felt guilty about this morning,” whispered Tom.

Gail
made eye contact. “I have no idea why. It all seems natural.”

“ Are
you still open to compliments?”

“ Mmm,”
she murmured.

And
so he paid her the greatest compliment she could remember for a long
time, which left both of them sweaty and spent, and badly in need of
a shower, which fortunately was big enough to take two.

Thursday

They
woke in the morning to a classic Scottish summer's day, that is
weather that can't make up its mind, alternating between sunshine and
showers.

They
breakfasted on scrambled eggs on toast, with grilled bacon garnish,
followed by more toast and marmalade, while reading yesterday's
paper. Occasionally Gail would turn a page before Tom had finished
reading, leading to a battle for domination. When there was a danger
of the paper being shredded they called a cease fire and debated what
to do with the day.

Tom
was up for a walk. Gail was in two minds.

“ Look,”
said Tom,pointing. “It's clearing. There's blue sky.”

“ And
beyond it more cloud,” pointed out eagle-eyed Gail.

“ Wimp,”
accused Tom.

Finally
Gail conceded, and they went. A short walk, claimed Tom, up onto the
ridge, along the top for a mile and then back via a path on the
foreshore.

They
started in sunshine, climbing up the steep ascent at the end of the
ridge, stopping frequently to catch breath and admire the view. By
the time they reached the top, the end of the sunshine was in sight.

“ You
see that grey stuff?” suggested Gail.

“ Yes.”

“ That's
cloud.”

“ Agreed.”

“ You
see that grey stuff between the cloud and the ground?”

“ I
can't see the ground.”

“ That's
because it is hidden behind the grey scything rain that's falling,”
concluded Gail. “We are going to get very wet.”

“ It's
not approaching that quickly,” insisted Tom.

Gail
gave him a look of general disbelief and they hurried on.

By
the time they reached the end of the ridge the sun had gone and the
cloud was around them. Ten minutes later they were descending across
the face of the ridge when the rain started, and then the squall
moved in, horizontal rain that soaked through any layer of clothing.
Within another ten minutes their shoes were squelching, hair
plastered to their heads, trousers stuck to their legs.

Gail
tried to catch Tom's eye in an 'I told you so' sort of way but Tom's
eyes were resolutely forward, in the guise of British Indomitable
Explorer. The rain eased to a torrential downpour as they reached the
lower levels, encountering boggy ground where pools of water were
already forming around them. They dodged from tussock to tussock,
trying to avoid the soft ground, until Tom missed his footing and
went into a mud filled hole up to his knee. As he floundered around
trying to regain his balance and pull himself out, Gail observed his
dilemma with increasing mirth, finally bursting out laughing.

Justice
was served however, as laughing out loud, Gail overbalanced and fell
onto her knees in a shallow pool of green slimy water. Tom, pulling
his leg out of the hole, grinned widely as he offered her a hand up.
Without any further words spoken, they trudged uncomfortably the
final mile against the wind, with the rain in their faces, as they
finally picked up the pace with the car coming into sight.

They
dived into the insanely welcome shelter of the car, soaked to the
skin, no piece of clothing escaping the water. Tom started the engine
quickly to try and get some heat going as the windows steamed up.

They
stopped and looked at each other, a pair of completely drowned rats.

“ Timing
is everything,” Gail reminded him, and as they locked gaze they
both burst out laughing simultaneously at the ludicrous nature of
their situation.

That
evening the rain continued unceasingly and they hurried through the
rain back from the restaurant. Despite it still being too warm to
light the log fire, they did it anyway, huddling around it for
psychological warmth. With the overcast sky, darkness came early, and
they had to turn on some lamps. Tom flipped through some of the CDs
that had been left in the cottage, either by the owners, or by
forgetful holidaymakers. He put on a CD that turned out to be slow,
soft, dance music. He held out a hand to Gail.

“ Dance
with me,” he invited.

“ What,
with both my left feet?” joked Gail.

“ Just
dance,” insisted Tom.

So
she got onto her feet and wound her hands behind his neck. He put
arms around her waist and they slowly shuffled around the limited
floor space. Gail let her head fall onto Tom's shoulder, snuggling
into the curve of his throat. After a while Tom broke the silence.

“ Do
you remember the last school dance?”

“ School
dances were horrible. What about the last dance?”

“ You
asked me to dance the last waltz with you.”

Gail
lifted her head, eyebrows deep in thought. “Yes!” she
exclaimed. “I remember that. No-one had asked me to dance. I
didn't want to be a wallflower, but then I saw you were on your own.
I thought I could trust you not to take the mickey.”

“ And
did I behave?”

“ I
don't recall you trampling all over my feet if that's what you mean.
I'm amazed that you remember.”

“ I
felt on top of the world when you asked me,” admitted Tom.

“ Good.
I'm glad. I remember thinking that I chose well,” concluded
Gail, and let her head fall back onto his shoulder.

They
lost track of time, and the CD was a long one, so they had plenty of
time to enjoy.

Friday

The
dawn arrived inconclusively, a grey blanket stretching to the
horizon. The made toast and ate it in bed, being very careful with
the crumbs. They spent the morning entwined in the bed, reading
magazines and drinking coffee, no mean feat in itself.

They
spent the afternoon curled up on the settee, heads buried in books
for the first time that week, whilst the drizzle outside reduced the
countryside to a dismal uniform grey. Occasionally Tom would look up
and watch the dark head beside him for a few moments, a smile playing
on his lips. At one point Gail looked up, noticing his gaze, which
she might have construed as fondness.

“ What?”
she inquired.

“ Nothing,”
replied Tom carelessly.

“ Couldn't
have been nothing. You were watching me. What were you thinking?”

“ I
was thinking that it's a shame that our last afternoon is a wet one,”
lied Tom.

“ I'm
not going out in that rain, if that's what you're thinking.”

“ Didn't
cross my mind.”

Gail
gave him a curious look, muttered something along the lines of
'madness' or 'senility' and went back to her book.

By
the time they went out for a meal the rain had stopped, blue sky
appearing in the distance. By the time they had finished their meal
the sun was out, low in the sky, bathing the countryside in a warm
orange glow.

“ What
shall we do?” quizzed Gail. “It would seem a shame to
stay in and miss the only sunshine of the day.”

“ We
haven't been around the north of the island,” suggested Tom.

“ Worth
seeing?”

“ Certainly.”

“ Let's
do it then.”

They
set out, taking their time, as with so little traffic on the
single-track road, they could stop at will to admire the scenery.

“ Look!”
exclaimed Gail, pointing out to the east.

Tom
stopped the car and let his gaze follow her finger. The mountains of
the mainland out to the east, across the water, had turned bright
orange in the glow of the setting sun.

“ It's
beautiful,” enthused Gail.

“ You're
not wrong.”

They
watched it for five or ten minutes as the orange cast changed tone
with the angle of the sun, before they moved on past old abandoned
crofts and settlements, briefly imagining how harsh life must have
been.

They
rounded the northern tip of the island to be met with a view of the
Outer Hebrides on the horizon, silhouetted against the back
illumination of the reddening, setting sun.

They
were a magnificent spectacle, like prehistoric monsters lying asleep
in the water. Tom pointed out Lewis and Harris, followed by North and
South Uist, and just on the edge of their sight, Barra.

They
were mesmerised by the sight, so far away and yet somehow close
enough to touch. As they watched, the sun started to dip behind North
Uist and the island shadows deepened.

As
they continued to gaze out of the car windscreen Gail spoke up.

“ So.
Where do we go from here?”

“ We
continue down the coast to Uig and then take the overland road back
to the cottage,” replied Tom, pointing at the map on his lap.

Gail
gave him an old fashioned look. “No Tom. I mean where do we go
from here.”

“ Oh.
You mean, as in us. Tomorrow,” asked Tom.

Gail
nodded. “And beyond.”

Tom
was quiet for a few moments while he tried to get his thoughts in
order.

“ Well?”
persisted Gail.

“ It's
complicated, isn't it?”

“ I
think it's only as complicated as we want to make it,”
countered Gail.

“ I've
had a great week,” Tom confessed. “I've enjoyed every
minute, and I'm sure it wouldn't have been nearly so enjoyable if you
hadn't been here. I thank God that I bumped into you in the church.”
He paused. “How about you?”

“ I
think,” started Gail, “I feel that this week has given me
a new lease of life.”

“ We're
carefully avoiding the question aren't we?” suggested Tom.

“ Are
we?”

“ I
would like to see a lot more of you,” admitted Tom.

Gail
laughed. “I think you've seen all of me this week.”

“ But?”

“ But
nothing. I also would like to see a lot more of you. But as you say,
it's complicated.”

“ By
the fact that we, and our families, live five hundred miles apart you
mean?”

Gail
nodded.

“ It
doesn't need to stop us,” continued Tom.

“ But
it will. It's inevitable.”

“ So.
What are you going to for the rest of your life?” probed Tom.
“Babysitter on-call, and arranging the church flowers once a
month?”

“ No.
But my family is important to me. As yours is to you.”

“ So
it's a question of what contributes to our happiness, isn't it?”
Tom reached out and wiped away a tear from her cheek with his thumb.

“ Hell,”
exclaimed Gail. “You spend most of your life bringing up your
family to be independent, and once they are, you find you're still
tied to them.”

“ The
parenting conundrum,” suggested Tom.

“ Oh
God, I wish I knew what to do for the best,” exclaimed Gail.
“One part of me wants to turn my life upside down, move in with
you, marry you or whatever. Start the next chapter of my life without
the baggage from the past. The other part doesn't want to give up
what I do treasure.”