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“Er . . . I think so?”

“Great. I’d say you’re ready—you look amazing. Let’s go.”

She leads me into the function room, Ally and Ru following close behind. At the far end of the room are French windows that look out into the hotel’s garden, and . . . wow! There are a lot of people gathered out there. It almost looks as if Lewis has invited the whole town—or at least, as many folk as he could fit.

As I step outside, I take in faces. Everyone I’ve already seen as part of the treasure hunt is here, from Maw, who gave me the first clue, to my brother, who I saw at the last location. But there are plenty of other people here too: Morag from the bakery, Tom from the Coffee Bothy, Jenny from the Otter’s Holt . . . oh, and there’s Donald, the senior vet at the surgery.

Every single set of eyes is fixed on me, which is . . . somewhat intimidating.

Awkwardly I raise a hand and give a small wave. “Er, hi, everyone! Nice of you to come along to”—I flap vaguely—“whatever this is!”

Chuckles fill the air.

One person stands quite literally head and shoulders above everyone else. At the far end of the garden, the ground slopes up, and at its highest point is Lewis. It’s as though he’s on a natural stage.

I don’t need anyone to tell me that I’m supposed to go to him. That’s what everyone is expecting, and it’s what I want to do. It’s just . . . suddenly this all seems incredibly nerve-wracking. Whatever is going on here, it’s clearly a big moment, and . . . I don’t know that I am ready for it.

I remind myself of the resolution I made atop the wind turbine—to be brave. And so, squaring my shoulders, I squeeze my way through the crowd towards him. People greet me and pat my back as I pass.

When I reach Lewis and get a proper look at him, I see he’s in his sex outfit—by which I mean his kilt, of course. But he’s put on all the other bits and bobs that I’m less used to seeing, like a white shirt, a black jacket, and tall white socks with garter flashes in the same muted greens and blues as the kilt. I’m a huge fan of his usual, minimal, bedroom attire, but I’ve got to admit, he looks pretty bloody smart when he dons the full ensemble.

November sunlight glints off his chestnut hair, bringing out the reddish strands. He stands with one hand on either side of his sporran, strong emotion playing in his dark-brown eyes. One of his hands now reaches out to me, and I take it. He guides me to stand beside him, his gaze roving all over me.

“You look incredible,” he whispers so only I can hear.

“You’re not so bad yourself.” I bite my lower lip then, glancing around me, lower my voice even further. “But quick question: is this a proposal? Because . . . you’re kind of putting me on the spot here. I do love you, but we haven’t been back together that long . . .”

He smirks. “It’s more of a . . . declaration. Of your amazingness. No rings involved, I swear. One day I’ll go down on one knee—just try and stop me—but not today. No, today there are just a few things I want to say that I want everyone to hear. And don’t worry, they’re all good.”

His mouth curving into a dimpled smile, he inclines his head towards the crowd. “Literally everyone is watching us, so . . . would it be okay if I start?” He gives my hand a wee squeeze.

I squeeze his right back. “Well, if you’re just going to tell everyone how amazing I am, then yes, don’t let me get in the way. You may begin.”

With a wink, he turns to address those gathered. “Here she is! The one we’ve been waiting for, and the most beautiful person I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

These words are met by a cheer, and my face warms. Despite my outward embarrassment, inside my heart swells at the compliment. It’s a pretty good start, I’d say.

But then Lewis rubs the back of his neck, and his smile falters slightly. “I’d like to thank you all for coming here. There’s something I want to say, and . . . it isn’t easy. But it’s important, so I’m going to say it.”

A hush falls, and glances are exchanged. People were expecting a celebration, but Lewis’s tone is suddenly serious.

“I think you all know that, as children and teenagers, Iona and I were best friends—utterly inseparable. At some point, though, things became . . . strained between us. I won’t go into details, but it’s important I confess that . . . I messed up. I pushed her away—hurt her—at a time when she was trying to support me.”

There are murmurs of confusion, and a few people shift uncomfortably. I’ve no clue what to think or where this is going, but I wasn’t expecting this.

“Here’s the thing, though,” he continues. “Even when I did that—even when I drove a wedge between us—Iona continued to show me a loyalty I didn’t deserve. Rather than tell everyone what I did, she kept quiet about it so you wouldn’t judge me harshly. Because that’s the kind of person Iona Stewart is: loyal, compassionate, and much more besides. I think this woman deserves some recognition for being so wonderful, so . . . I’d like to tell you all about a wee treasure hunt I just sent her on.”

With these words, Lewis’s lips curl up, and it’s as if the air itself lightens. Everyone visibly relaxes—myself included—and the tension melts away.

Turning, he addresses me specifically now, although his voice remains loud enough for all to hear. “Iona, each of the locations I sent you to says something about your personality. First, you’re caring, which is why you work as a vet—a calling you discovered at Fergus’s farm. Next, you’re funny—no, hilarious. When we’d hang out at the loch as teens, you always kept me entertained. It didn’t matter whether you were talking about goings-on at school or . . . I don’t know, telling jokes about Star Wars and lightsabers.”

He shoots me a quick wink. Oh, cheeky! Fitting in an in-joke about glow-in-the-dark condoms in front of friends and family? Naughty, Lewis! But I like it.

“You also have a bit of a wild side, and you proved that at the Pheasant when you and I sang ‘Comin’ thro’ the Rye’. When we were younger, we always denied there was any sort of romance between us, but . . . well, I reckon the cat is out of the bag now.”

“It was never in the bag!” Jamie calls from somewhere. “It was out purring in plain sight for us all to see!”

A chorus of laughter breaks out at this.