The Bookshop by the Loch: The brand new Scottish escapist romance for 2024 (Scottish Escapes, Book 6) by Shackman Julie

Author:Shackman, Julie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2024-01-30T00:00:00+00:00

Bank holiday Monday delivered a mist across the water.

I arrived in the bookshop and wandered around with my head on a constant loop of thoughts.

Celeste’s situation drummed in my mind, as I switched on the till and credit card machine. Thoughts of my father materialised. I compared his diagnosis and his appeals to talk to Mum and me with hers. Both were facing their own mortality.

Celeste was adamant she was going to squeeze every last bit of enjoyment and fun out of the time she had left and my father, who had already achieved what he wanted in his career, was searching for forgiveness.

I stared out of the shop window, not seeing the tentative swishes of sunshine burning through the mist across the loch and the first fresh-faced locals venturing out along the main street. Soon, the day trippers would begin arriving with their bikes, canoes and frustrated, over-excited small children.

A stab of guilt over my dad surprised me. Here I was, planning to read Celeste’s work and yet, I was still struggling to decide how I felt about my dad and what I should do.

I eyed my mobile staring at me from the top of my bag as it sat on the counter. Why the hell was I feeling guilty? I wasn’t the one who abandoned their family.

I neatened up some historical romances. My mobile continued to glower at me.

Outside, a young woman with streaks of pink in her hair drew up to admire my display. We exchanged fleeting smiles through the sun-dappled glass.

She moved on. Still, my mobile sat there, intimidating me. “Oh, for pity’s sake,” I growled, relieved Tobias hadn’t arrived yet and discovered me cursing into the air.

I moved over to the counter, dragged my phone out of my bag and rooted around inside my purse for Dad’s new business card.

After a rummage, I found it.

I hesitated, waggling the card in my right hand, as though I didn’t know what to do with it.

What was I going to say to him?

Growing more and more frustrated with myself, I jabbed in his mobile number and began to pace around the bookcases that towered round me. I listened to my jewelled pumps clipping on the wooden floor as I moved.

This was no biggie, I reassured myself. I would just ask him how he was doing.

I waited, hooking a few strands of loose hair back behind my ears.

My mobile connected to my father’s and the dial tone rung out for what seemed like an eternity before his voicemail message kicked in. It was as smooth and confident as always, the Scottish-American lilt evident in his accent.

He let out a husky laugh at the end of the recording and then the beep echoed in my ear, signalling for me to leave a message.

I opened and closed my mouth a few times and shut my eyes in frustration. “Er. Hi. It’s Lexie. Thought I’d ring to see how you’re doing. Anyway, see you later.”

I hung up and dropped my phone back into my bag, as if it were about to take a bite out of my fingers.

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