A Christmas Wish on Arran (Scottish Romances #4)

Chapter Twelve

Beth walked into the small kitchen in the corner of the office and filled the kettle, feeling a mixture of positive emotions. Her happiness felt heightened, as though the screen had been pulled back on her grey world and she was rediscovering colour for the first time. It was like being in the opening scenes of The Wizard of Oz when everything began in black and white and then became vibrant. As she waited for the water to boil, she thought back to the day she spotted the advert for the new job. Since then it seemed as though things were now slotting in to place, bit by bit, and the overriding feeling she had was one of joy. She was truly grateful that she was here doing a job she loved.

The plumber had deemed the flat almost fit for purpose, and tomorrow it would be ready to move into. She had been scouring previous editions of the paper to get a feel of what mattered most to locals, and Jim had introduced her to some of his key contacts on the island.

This morning she had noted possible ideas for future editions, jotted down some thoughts around audio and video content to contribute to the online edition, as well as checked the diary for significant dates and events — it was due to be really busy thanks to the time of year — while Jim chatted to her in between calls and queries.

Jim was very much the hands-on type, which Beth respected. Even though he had a senior position he wasn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves and just get on with what needed to be done, whether that was writing up stories, interviewing locals, taking photos or making the coffee and running out to get milk when they ran out. He was a breath of fresh air compared to the many bullying editors she’d worked with who had monstrous egos. All the design and advertising for the paper was handled at the company’s Glasgow headquarters, which also oversaw the running and production of six other local newspapers across Scotland. That meant she and Jim could focus on the content.

‘There you go.’ She placed a mug of coffee on Jim’s desk.

‘Thank you.’ He lifted it up and curled his hands around the warm cup. ‘Just what I needed.’

She sat back down at her own desk and looked at him curiously. ‘This must have been an awful lot of work for you when you were here on your own.’ The previous reporter had left more than six months ago to work abroad, and Jim had since told her they’d struggled to fill the post.

Jim shrugged. ‘Yes and no. I’m quite used to multitasking so just got on with it. That said, I am glad that you’re here now. As is Freya. I think she was getting quite cheesed off with all the late nights, of me calling home to say I was “just doing one more thing” and then would get back hours later.’

‘I’m sure.’ Beth gave a wry smile. ‘It can be hard being partnered with a journalist. I know how work can become a consuming passion.’

Jim chuckled. ‘Aye, I think Freya would agree with you. She’s been very patient over the years. But there have been a lot of comments about the paper being my other woman.’

‘Did you ever want to go and work for one of the big papers?’

‘Not at all. The biggest paper I worked for, before coming here, was the Press and Journal in Aberdeen, and that was full on, especially with the kids being little. I lost count of how many times I missed their bedtimes because I was working late or got called in at the weekends when a big story broke. That’s why I jumped at the chance for this job when I was offered it. I wanted something more settled, and I didn’t want my marriage to fall apart.’ He grimaced. ‘I’d seen it happen too many times to colleagues who had no boundaries between their lives and work.’ He looked around the office and shrugged. ‘I know this is a small operation, but to be honest my heart was always in local news, and I think regional newspapers are more important than ever. Especially nowadays. They can help to strengthen connections in communities. Local news really does matter.’

Beth thought about how driven and ambitious she had been as a young journalist. Her focus had been all about getting to London as soon as possible. She knew that staying in Scotland wasn’t enough for her back then, and that was why she was so quick to turn down the job of trainee reporter here and head south to a junior position with a news agency.

‘What about you? What have you enjoyed most about your career?’ Jim leaned back on his chair.

Beth tucked a leg underneath her on the seat and frowned as she thought about it. ‘Meeting lots of incredible people and helping them tell their stories . . . Travelling to places I might otherwise never have been . . . that has been amazing . . .’

‘Where was the best place you went to?’

‘I loved New York for obvious reasons. But I think the most memorable place I went to was Bosnia. To interview people impacted by the war. It’s always good to try and shine a light on places and people who are left affected by a war, yet the rest of the world seems to have moved on and forgotten them.’

They were both quiet for a moment, lost in thought.

Jim broke the silence. ‘What else?’

‘The parties and the social life . . . though saying that out loud all sounds quite trite, doesn’t it?’ For a while Beth had lived the high life and mixed with people as ambitious as her, until she realised something was missing, in more ways than one. Then, when her carefully constructed life started to crumble, she found herself unconsciously avoiding the people she had once called friends until she slipped off their radar. There had been no contact from them, when she could really have done with friends, when she’d been at rock bottom. It had been a harsh life lesson, making her think about the impermanence of life and of people, and how colleagues, contacts, friends came into your life and then just as easily drifted out of it. She often wondered whether the sacrifices she had made over the years had been worth it.

‘Anyway,’ she forced a smile, ‘that all seems like a million years ago now.’

Jim glanced out the window and waved at Laura, the postwoman, who had just walked past. ‘Remind me to introduce you to Laura. She knows everyone and quite often everything . . . I often think she’s an honorary team member. If I have a question she generally will have an answer.’ He finished his coffee and placed the mug on his desk. ‘Well I for one am glad to have you here with all your experience and enthusiasm. We maybe don’t offer the glamourous life of London, but what we lack in fancy nights out and travel we make up for in friendliness.’

Beth shuddered at the thought of returning to her old life — she realised what she’d been missing in London. She missed having friends who were authentic and there for her. She had so much to be grateful for right now, and she wanted to make sure she focused on that rather than looking back. She had tried so hard to make things work in London, and then tried again, always trying to focus on being as positive as she could, until those last few months in particular. But it clearly wasn’t meant to be.

She was grateful that things hadn’t worked out because then she would never have come back to Arran. Her excitement at being here was also mixed with nerves — she wanted to make sure she lived up to Jim’s expectations. Apart from anything else, The Arran News was one of the best-performing weekly newspapers in the country and had a really loyal readership. She felt privileged to be part of it, as though she was now able to do something positive for the place she once loved.

‘Not at all. It feels good to be doing something different and worthwhile, Jim, and I’m grateful you’ve given me this chance.’