The Secrets of the Glen (Scottish Highlands #2)

Chapter 5

‘Look over there.’ Robyn pointed to where a group of boys were gathered. She glanced at David. His frown was unmistakable.

He’d collected her from Rose’s, after she’d spent the day there, and had said he had a surprise. Then he’d driven to the loch again. He’d obviously assumed they’d be alone there this time.

She had noticed quite a few cars parked in the forestry car park near the loch. They were at the same place where they’d ice-skated the previous night. Before they’d spotted the boys, David had said he wanted her to see the beautiful frozen loch in daylight. Apparently, the temperature and weather conditions tended to change rapidly, which meant the loch might only be frozen over for a few days.

She’d noticed that the ice-skates were still in his van. The previous night, he’d told her that the thickness of the ice was carefully monitored before anyone was allowed to skate on it, which was the reason that the numbers on the ice had needed to be controlled and that various emergency services had been present. Robyn had noticed that not everyone at the gathering had been skating at the same time. It seemed that groups were taking it in turns, and avoiding the centre of the loch, where she guessed the ice was at its thinnest. And she imagined it was safest for everyone to remain close to the shore in case anyone got into trouble.

‘What are they doing?’ Robyn asked as she watched the boys from the shore. She turned to look at David, surprised, after what he’d said, that anyone was on the ice that day. ‘Is that ice hockey?’

‘Uh-huh.’ David sounded uninterested.

There were a group of spectators – parents, Robyn guessed. Nobody in their right mind would let their kids skate on a frozen loch without supervision.

‘Can we go and watch?’ Robyn asked.

‘I really don’t want to—’

Robyn had already slipped on the skates that David had brought with them. Building on the confidence she had gained the previous evening, she skated along the edge of the loch, keeping close to the shore as she headed over to the far corner of the loch where the boys were playing. David had no choice but to follow.

She let her concentration wander for a second, taking in the scenery around her in the daylight, and slipped.

‘Hey, careful.’ David grabbed her arm just in time.

‘No brakes.’ Robyn laughed nervously, realising that thankfully David had been following close behind. ‘I forgot how to stop.’

David stood behind her, holding both her elbows. She slid backwards ever so slightly and leaned into his warm body. She folded her arms to keep out the chill wind. His arms crept around her until they were folded over hers. They’d stopped on the ice a little way from the group of parents to watch the boys.

‘So, what are the rules?’ Robyn asked.

‘You see that boy over there?’ He lifted a gloved hand from hers and pointed at a small boy in a large, padded outfit. He was wearing a helmet with a grille pulled over his face. ‘That guy is in the net to save the puck.’

‘The poke?’

‘No, puck – p.u.c.k.’

‘Okay.’ Robyn listened and asked questions, enjoying the closeness between them. She wanted to stay in that moment – that beautiful, peaceful, carefree moment, in these stunning surroundings, and not think about the future; not think about what would happen if – when – her memories returned. She still hoped they never would.

‘Are they, like, a team or something?’

‘No. I imagine they’d like to get into the Scottish Ice Hockey junior leagues, but I’ve seen them play before, and I’ve got to be honest …’ He lowered his voice, and whispered in her ear. ‘They haven’t got a hope.’

‘They’re that bad?’

‘I’m afraid so.’

They both watched one of the players race down the loch with the puck, aim, then swing, missing the net completely and falling flat on his face.

‘That’s why,’ David said flatly.

‘They seem quite dedicated.’

‘Yeah, it’s a pretty big thing around these parts.’

‘Really?’ Robyn was thinking. ‘Since when?’

‘Oh, I don’t know. Always, I guess.’

The puck was on the move again.

‘I bet it wasn’t such a big thing until one of their own hit the big time?’ Robyn said, turning to look at him. ‘Maybe they’re all trying to be the next David Gillespie.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ David scoffed.

They both looked back at the game. The players were now in a heap on the ice, including the goalie. And the puck was not in the net.

‘Oh, this is embarrassing.’ David spoke a little too loudly.

One of the players got up and skated over to them. ‘I heard that. Why don’t you come and show us how to do it better, then?’

‘What’s the matter Charlie?’ An older boy called from the other side of the group. He skated over to join the younger child.

‘He said we’re embarrassing.’

Robyn looked at David. The situation was awkward. She cast a glance at the group of parents over to their left, who didn’t seem to have heard what David had said, or to have noticed the two boys standing in front of them. The other boys were still getting up from the ice, proving a distraction.

The older boy said, ‘You put me off my shot.’

David laughed. ‘Oh, come on. I don’t think so. It was just a lousy shot.’

‘David!’ Robyn looked at him wide-eyed, then turned to the two kids. ‘I’m enjoying watching your game. I think you’ve got a lot of potential.’ Robyn smiled at the boys, thinking that all they needed was some encouragement, not someone criticising them. She turned to David. ‘Can’t you give them some advice?’

‘You’re holding the stick all wrong.’

Robyn frowned at him. He was criticising them again. ‘Don’t just say that. Show them how to hold it properly.’

‘May I?’ David pointed at the stick.

They two players exchanged glances and shrugged. One handed over his stick.

‘You want to hold it like this.’ David’s arms were dead straight as he tapped the ice with the stick.

‘And when you want to hit the puck …’ He paused as one of them slid the puck over to David with his foot. ‘You want to move in slow, like this …’ David started to skate with the puck.

‘Hey, Cameron!’ A boy called out from the group of players standing on the ice. ‘What are you doing over there? Are we getting that puck or what?’

David turned his body to face the group of boys standing in a crowd, waving their hockey sticks in frustration.

‘Do you want your puck back, lads?’ David called out.

Robyn glanced at the parents. If they hadn’t noticed her and David before, they certainly had now.

David had a wicked grin on his face as he tapped the puck, deftly moving the hockey stick, keeping the puck just in front of him as he skated. The two boys followed him. Robyn heard David say, ‘So, you want to skate in, stick low, then, when you’re in position …’ With a great thwack , he sent the puck hurtling along the ice straight for the group of children.

‘David!’ Robyn shouted in surprise.

He glanced back at her. ‘Just watch the puck.’

‘Watch out!’ Robyn called out.

The group scattered, skating in different directions to avoid the puck as it moved across the ice at full velocity towards the net.

‘Bullseye!’ David said when it hit the net dead centre.

‘Wow!’ Robyn heard Cameron exclaim. ‘How did you do that?’

‘Oh … beginner’s luck, I guess,’ David called over his shoulder as he skated back to rejoin Robyn at the edge of the loch. He winked at her.

‘Hey, that’s David Gillespie!’ Robyn heard one of the parents comment.

‘Is he going to coach our kids?’

David heard them too. ‘Right, it’s time to leave. I shouldn’t have brought you here.’

‘You weren’t to know there was an amateur game going on.’

David took her hand. ‘I think they are not going to be that pleased, having a puck hurled in their direction,’ she said, looking past him. ‘Look – they’re headed this way.’

A moment later, the team had gathered by the side of the loch.

An older boy exclaimed, ‘Hey, what did you do that for?’

‘Guess some people were not impressed,’ commented David handing the hockey stick back to the younger player.

‘But didn’t you see that?’ The younger boy said. He was still looking in awe in the direction of the net. ‘I can’t get it in the net when I’m standing right next to it! None of us can.’

‘Yes, I know,’ David replied.

‘What makes you such an authority?’ The older boy spoke from the group. Taller than the others, Robyn assumed he was the eldest, and perhaps the team captain, if there was such a thing in ice hockey.

‘Come on, David.’ Robyn turned to go. ‘Let’s just let them play.’ She was feeling cold, standing still on the ice. It was different to the previous night, when she’d warmed up with a hot chocolate, and she’d spent time ice skating, so she hadn’t noticed the cold.

‘David?’ Cameron looked at him more closely. ‘Are you David Gillespie?’ he peered at David. He was getting excited. ‘I saw you on TV once. My dad was such a fan.’

‘Don’t be stupid, Cam. He’s just the guy who works at the general store in town.’

David looked at Robyn, ‘That’s right. I’m just the delivery guy,’ he said sadly.

‘No, he isn’t. I’m telling you, he’s David Gillespie. He’s just working at his dad’s store while his knee mends, stupid.’

‘No, kid.’ David said.

‘You’re not him?’

Robyn butted in. ‘Of course he is.’

‘What I meant was,’ David continued, ‘the knee injury means that I won’t be able to return to professional ice hockey – ever.’

‘No more professional hockey?’ The kid sounded dismayed.

‘No more hockey, kids.’

‘That’s sad,’ said the younger boy.

They all looked at one another. Cameron said, ‘Will you show us some more moves?’

David started to shake his head.

‘Of course he will,’ Robyn piped up, giving David a gentle push towards the group. ‘Didn’t I tell you?’ Robyn said. ‘All they need is a coach. I think it’s a brilliant idea,’ she said encouragingly.

David started to shake his head. ‘I really don’t think ...’ but his voice was drowned out by the boys shouting ‘Coach! Coach! Coach!’ in unison, over and over.

Some of the parents had joined them, including Joe and Annie.

‘Hey there,’ Robyn said in surprise. She hadn’t realised they were there watching the game too.

Joe said, ‘What’s going on? Are you coaching the team? I thought you said you wouldn’t.’

So, David has been asked to coach in the past , Robyn thought.

The smallest boy caught his sleeve and said, ‘We really aren’t very good, are we?’ He paused. ‘Please be our coach.’

‘How can you refuse?’ Robyn said, smiling at the sweet little boy.

‘Oh, jeez,’ David said. He headed out onto the ice to the sound of cheering from the boys and the parents. ‘But just this once.’ He put up a gloved finger.

The boys pulled David forward. ‘Come on.’

Robyn and the parents watched as David showed the other boys how to move the puck along the ice before scoring a goal. He positioned the goalie back in goal and talked to him for some time before leaving him standing in front of the net.

As David skated back along the ice, he waved his arms to warn the other boys out of his way. He pointed at one of the boys, held out his hand for a hockey stick, and with one deft movement, still skating, he slipped the puck in front and continued on his way to the far end of the loch. Then he stopped.

The kids watched.

Robyn watched.

All the parents, and the rest of the hockey team watched as a hushed silence fell.

With the stick in hand and puck on the ice, he started to skate. He took long strides, the hockey stick in his hand brushing the puck left, then right, left, then right. Then, suddenly, halfway to the goal, he came to an abrupt but perfect halt, slightly turning to his left.

‘Watch the puck!’ he shouted at the goalie as he hit it – thwack !

The goalie missed it.

The puck tore at the netting.

David raised his hockey stick high in the air to cheers from the boys and a cheer from Robyn, and a bravo from the parents. The cheers had brought other spectators, who had been walking around the loch. ‘Who’s that with the ice hockey team?’ Robyn heard one of the walkers ask.

Robyn turned around to speak to one of the spectators standing on the shore. ‘It’s David Gillespie, from the store in ...’

‘Oh, really? We didn’t expect to see him here.’

‘Let alone playing hockey.’

Robyn felt very pleased with herself because it was all her doing.

David was now doing a second circuit of the loch. This time, the boys were no longer standing and cheering but skating after him, trying to catch up, playing the game.

Robyn bounced up and down in her skates, the blades never leaving the ice, and clapped her hands. The boys were gaining, their sticks out in front of them, aiming for the puck.

Robyn clapped her hands excitedly. She’d never seen an ice hockey game before. She raised her eyebrows. I’ve never seen ice hockey before , she thought. Oh god – does this mean my memory is coming back? Next, she’d remember why she had been driving down that road all alone on Christmas Day, and what had happened before the accident.

Not now. Please not now. I don’t want to remember yet. I just want things to stay as they are, here with David. She didn’t want the past intruding on her future.

She thought the idea of coaching was better than the ideas she’d come up with the previous day in the café on their shopping trip.

‘David!’ she shouted at him., waving excitedly. ‘You should definitely coach ice hockey!’ It made sense. He might love history, but as he’d said, that wouldn’t suit him as a job; it was more of a hobby. Ice hockey had been his life. It still could be. Not professional ice hockey, of course. But helping players achieve their potential, achieve their dreams.

David turned to look in her direction. He didn’t see the younger boy skating towards him.

‘Look out!’ Robyn warned, but it was too late. The small boy, who she’d spoken to with the older boy, Cameron, didn’t appear to be watching where he was going. He skated into David. Then a couple of the other boys also collided, landing in a heap on the ice.

The boys laughed in excitement and Robyn joined in. Everyone was having a good time, despite the collision.

One by one, the boys got up, but David continued to lie on the ice.

‘David?’ Robyn called out. The boys had gathered on the ice around him.

‘What’s going on?’ Joe asked Robyn. He’d moved from the group of parents to stand beside her.

‘Weren’t you watching the game?’ Robyn asked.

He shook his head. ‘I was chatting to Annie, so I wasn’t paying attention.’ He cast his gaze over to where the team had been playing. ‘I can’t see David.’

Cameron and the small boy had left the group and were skating fast towards them.

‘What’s going on?’ asked Annie, joining Joe and Robyn.

Cameron called out as he skated towards them, ‘It’s Mr Gillespie. He’s hurt.’

Robyn said, ‘David was skating when one of the boys careered into him. He fell on the ice.’

‘He what?’ Joe set off, skating toward David before she could say any more.

Robyn was about to follow when Annie caught her arm. ‘This was your idea, wasn’t it? Getting him back on the ice. I heard what you said about David coaching.’

Robyn pursed her lips. ‘I thought it made sense.’

‘Not everything in life makes sense, Robyn.’

‘You’re talking about the injury that ended his career.’

‘Yes. So, I don’t think coaching is going to do him any good. Besides, this lot are never going to make it to the junior leagues.’

Robyn disagreed. She didn’t like Annie’s negative attitude, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

‘That is a case in point,’ Annie said smugly, pointing at David, who was lying on the ice, clutching his knee.

‘If it wasn’t for you,’ continued Annie, ‘he wouldn’t even be here.’ She tugged Robyn’s arm hard. ‘Stay put! she ordered. ‘We’ve already got one casualty.’

Annie skated off, leaving Robyn with the two boys.

‘It’s all your fault,’ said Cameron.

For a moment, Robyn thought even the boys were blaming her. She looked down at the two boys. Cameron was staring hard at the younger boy. ‘You’re always ruining things. I just knew we shouldn’t have let girls join in, especially you , Charlotte. You’re always so clumsy.’

‘Don’t call me Charlotte,’ Charlie wailed, ‘you know how I hate it.’

‘Good,’ he said, and skated off.

Robyn stared at Charlie as she pulled off the protective helmet in a fit of temper to reveal a straggly blonde bob, with two red butterfly hairclips holding her fringe out of her eyes. Robyn eyed the little girl, whom she had assumed was a boy.

‘What are you staring at?’ said Charlie, her helmet dangling forlornly at her side. ‘They’re not going to let me play with them after this,’ she said, staring at the crowd gathered around David.

Robyn felt sorry for the young girl. She said, ‘It’s not your fault.’ After all, she had encouraged David to show them some ice hockey moves.

‘Look,’ Robyn said, ‘these things happen.’

Charlie turned to look at her.

Robyn continued. ‘Accidents – I mean. Look at the accident David had on the ice that ended his career.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Charlie was looking crosser than ever.

‘Oh, you don’t know anything about David’s accident?’

‘Of course I do!’ Her little face twisted into a grimace. ‘But he never had an accident on the ice, never! Not until today. And it’s all my fault!’

‘I don’t understand … I thought he was playing a game of ice hockey when he had the knee injury.’

Charlie glared at her, then skated off.