A Christmas Wish on Arran (Scottish Romances #4)

Chapter Thirty-Six

A couple of days later Callum pulled into the driveway of Edie’s house. Two large pieces of driftwood framed the door of the whitewashed building, and above it hung a little sign: Welcome to Coorie Cottage. A stylish Christmas wreath was hung on the door. As he knocked and stepped back to wait, he wondered if she would mind if he had a wee peek at the shepherd’s hut she had at the bottom of her garden. Fergus had told her all about Coorie Cabin, and he was intrigued to have a proper look. He knew she’d had it brought over a couple of years ago and now rented it out to visitors.

‘Hello Callum,’ said Edie, swinging the door open. ‘Lovely to see you. Come on in.’ She closed the door behind him, ushering him through to the bright living room at the back of the house. ‘Just watch these boxes. They are a bit of a hazard, which is why I need your help.’

He was welcomed by Molly the dog, who immediately ran over to him, wagging her tail and sniffing his hands. Rubbing her ears, he was rewarded with a lick.

‘Honestly Molly, what are you like?’ asked Edie. ‘She’s always liked the men. She’s exactly the same with Fergus.’

Callum laughed. ‘Well, I don’t mind. In fact I’m flattered.’ He looked around and immediately felt at home. The cottage was warm, with cushions and throws and a log burner ablaze in the centre of the room. There was a small Christmas tree in the window that twinkled with fairy lights.

‘Now, first thing’s first. Can I get you a cup of tea?’ asked Edie.

Callum always made a point of declining tea, otherwise he would never get any work done. But something about the way Edie was smiling at him made him want to make an exception. ‘That would be lovely please. Though only if you’re making it.’

‘The kettle’s just boiled. I am gasping for a cuppa.’

‘Great, thank you, and I take it with just a splash of milk.’

‘Back in a moment. You take a seat and I’ll be with you shortly.’

Callum sat down. His eyes flicked around the brightly coloured framed prints and canvases on the walls. Then his eyes rested on the orange flames of the log fire. Molly settled at his feet. When he felt his phone buzz in his pocket, he realised that he was very tempted to ignore it. But he knew he should answer it in case it was the school or another customer. It was a number he didn’t recognise and, when he answered it, he realised it was Beth.

‘Hi Callum, I thought I would give you a quick call to check it’s still okay to see Daisy later tonight? About her English?’

‘Erm, yes, that’s fine.’ Daisy had failed to mention anything to him about it. ‘Did you make an arrangement with her?’

‘She said she was happy to take the bus over to Brodick after school and come to the office. Is that okay with you? Sorry, I thought you knew.’

‘Yes, that’s fine. What time will she be finished? I’ll be there to collect her.’

‘We should be done by six o’clock.’

‘Okay.’ He looked up at Edie as she walked towards him and placed a mug on the small table next to him. ‘Thanks. I’ll see you then.’ He ended the call and hoped he hadn’t sounded too curt, but she’d caught him off guard. He had been meaning to call her to arrange to meet up. But he was nervous. He didn’t want to mess things up.

‘Everything okay?’ Edie looked at him quizzically.

‘All good thanks. Now tell me about these shelves.’ He reached for his tea and took a sip. ‘I have a few ideas, but you tell me if there’s something specific that you’d like.’

‘Well, you’ll have seen the boxes in the hallway. I’m surprised I’ve not broken my leg yet as I keep walking into them. I’ve been wondering about making the best use of space in the hallway, but also in the wee room at the front of the house.’ She stood up. ‘Come on, bring your tea and I can show you.’

As they walked back into the hallway, Callum felt the unfamiliar excitement of a challenge. This was going to be interesting — there were lots of nooks and crannies in this type of old cottage — but he was confident he could give Edie what she wanted. Although he had originally trained as a joiner with his dad, and the majority of his work focused on DIY jobs, the thing he absolutely loved doing most was woodwork and traditional craftsmanship, whether it was making bespoke bookcases like Edie had asked for or a special piece of furniture. Unfortunately there wasn’t such a high demand for work like that, so it was a treat when he was commissioned for a job like this.

Edie showed him into the room at the front. He frowned as he looked around, thinking about the best ways of maximising the space. ‘I can absolutely do this for you Edie. There are plenty of spaces I can work with to fit in shelves and get your books all organised.’

‘Oh good,’ she said. ‘I’d hoped you could help. I know the sizing of these old houses can be a bit tricky, they have all sorts of anomalies. You have free rein to do what you think will work.’

Callum smiled. ‘That’s what makes me happy. I love a challenge. Did you have any thoughts on the type of wood you might like?’

She waved her hands, her orange-beaded bracelets clinking together. ‘Not really. If you can just make them look pretty,’ she chuckled, ‘and maybe tone in with the flooring?’

‘Of course. I’ll take some measurements now and source the wood. I’ll be back to show you some options and give you a price.’ He pulled a tape measure from his pocket and a small notepad and pen.

‘Righto,’ said Edie. ‘I’ll leave you in peace. Just give me a shout if you need anything.’

As he busied himself measuring the space and working out dimensions, he thought about the years after his dad had died. How his focus had been to keep the family business running, which he had managed to do when friends of his dad had also stepped in to help. It was only several years later, when he felt able to take some time away from the island to travel, at his mum’s insistence, that he had discovered his love of woodwork after enrolling in some workshops in Malaysia. When he’d returned home, he’d started experimenting — first with the kitchen table at home, then with coffee tables and cheese boards, which were beautiful, with their attention to design and intricate detail. He had even started selling some of them at the local craft markets. But then Isla had died and he’d become responsible for Daisy, and life had changed for him again. He had to clear away any potential dangers, including knives and saws, from the cottage. It was a health-and-safety disaster zone for a young child. He always meant to pick things up again and start crafting in the joinery workshop, but so far it hadn’t happened. That was very much a functional space for the day-to-day jobs. He had tried to teach Daisy a few basic skills over the years, and her DIY skills were fairly impressive for a teenager. But she’d lost interest in learning any more. Which reminded him that he still hadn’t been able to get to the bottom of what was going on with her. She’d perked up a bit over the past few days, but she still wasn’t her usual happy self and he didn’t quite know what to do. He hoped it was just her hormones and age and that it would pass. Maybe seeing Beth would help her. He knew it was good for her to have positive female role models in her life. Hopefully Beth would live up to the task. Although he knew he could call his mum and ask her advice he didn’t want to worry her. She’d had enough of that to last her a few lifetimes. Sometimes he wished she still lived on the island, but he understood her reasons for leaving. Although she’d tried her best following the death of his dad, she found that being surrounded by the memories was all too painful. Eventually Callum and Isla encouraged her to move, to be closer to her sister who lived in the small town of Crieff. The fresh start seemed to have been good for her. She’d managed to build a life for herself, which had stood her in good stead for what happened next.

‘Callum, there’s another cup of tea for you.’ Edie had arrived with a fresh mug and a chocolate biscuit. ‘I’ve just remembered that I need to collect something from the post office before it shuts. I’m going to have to love you and leave you. There’s a key there, if you lock up and put it through the letterbox.’

‘Thanks Edie.’ He was grateful for her kindness. ‘I can’t remember the last time someone made me a cup of tea, never mind two.’ He laughed.

‘Well, yes, I can imagine you’re the one doing all the running around after your niece.’

‘Indeed,’ he said. ‘Look, I shouldn’t be too much longer to be honest. Once the measurements are all done, I’ll drop off the quote and a sample of pale oak, which I think will look good. We can take it from there?’

‘Wonderful,’ said Edie. ‘Thanks again for coming by. I appreciate it. And there’s no rush. I know this is always a busy time of year for tradesmen.’

‘No problem at all.’ He stopped to take a gulp of tea. ‘I’m glad you asked. Things have been a bit quiet lately, so you’ve asked me at a very good time. If I can make a start on this for you before Christmas then I will.’

Callum finished up the measurements and enjoyed the rest of his tea, then took his mug through to Edie’s kitchen where he carefully rinsed it out in the sink and left it on the rack to dry. His eyes were drawn to a photo in the window ledge of Edie and a man smiling. He wondered if it was her husband. Molly had followed him through to the kitchen and sat, watching and waiting.

‘I’ll go now Molly. But Edie will be back soon.’

She looked at him, then slinked over to the sofa, jumped up and curled into a tight ball.

‘I’m not sure if you’re allowed to do that.’

She looked at him with sad eyes.

‘But it’s okay, I won’t tell.’ He walked over to her, patted her head and she thumped her tail. He sighed. A dog’s life wasn’t bad at all.