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“I don’t know what you’re looking at me like that for. I’m saying exactly what you wanted me to say.” Vivi bit into a chocolate biscuit with a knowing smile.

“But…” Jenn hesitated, her shoulders loosening a fraction, a breath slipping out before she could stop it. She’d been spiralling since that night at Hells Bells. Shutting people out.

And then Ealasaid—of all people—offered her the café, calling her the perfect fit. The irony wasn’t lost on her, especially since Moira probably hadn’t signed that off at family dinner.

And then there was Ruairidh. God, how to untangle that mess. Even now, she could hear his laugh as she baked in the kitchen—low, warm, the sound curling somewhere deep in her chest. She missed him. Missed their connection.

Vivi shifted into fix-it mode.

“You want this. You’re loving it. You’re buzzing with ideas and desperate to do more. What’s the harm in trying? It’s just a lease, not forever. That’ll stop you feeling trapped.”

She shot Jenn a pointed look.

Jenn nodded. “You’re right. I do want this.” She sipped her tea, heat seeping into her hands, the taste and smell steadying her pulse. “But what about the cottage?”

“Oh my God, your family might as well have painted your name on it. And if they kick you out, I’m sure a cousin has a spare croft for you.” Vivi grinned. “Just gotta shear some sheep as payment!”

They both guffawed.

“But that’s not the real issue, is it?” Vivi’s voice dropped. “It’s our handsome pilot man, isn’t it? Spit it out.”

Jenn groaned, burying her face in a cushion, the fabric smelling faintly of Vivi’s expensive perfume—summer flowers and something golden you couldn’t quite name.

“That’s not the sound I expected from someone having the best sex of their life,” Vivi teased.

“It’s got weird. Ever since Moira at Hells Bells… I’ve clammed up. Not wanting to talk. But what if she’s right?”

“What if she’s right?” Vivi repeated, eyebrows furrowed. “If I recall, she was basically saying you’re going, not staying. But you’re not. You want to stay.”

“But…” Jenn gulped.

This was the core. The derailment of everything else. The thought she’d been avoiding—what if staying killed it? What if he didn’t want her without the countdown of her leaving? The idea sank through her like cold water.

“What if he’s not interested if I stay?”

Vivi stared at her like she’d sprouted a second head. “What? Not interested. Are you serious? The guy is head over heels for you. Everyone can see it.”

Head over heels? Ruairidh? For her? Surely Vivi was joking. Although she wouldn’t joke about something like that…

“I love him, Vivi.”

Jenn exhaled a breath, slumping back on the sofa. She’d finally admitted out loud what she’d been feeling for a long time now.

She loved his quiet steadiness, the way he could calm a room without saying much at all. The dry, blink-and-you-miss-it jokes that made her laugh harder than she wanted to admit. How he always noticed when she was spiralling, and never made a fuss, just grounded her with a kiss, a hug, a word, or a look. And then there were the dafter bits—the ridiculous way he got excited over a new cake recipe, or how he’d sneak trashy paperbacks into his flight bag like they were contraband. But most of all, it was his loyalty. To his family, to his friends, to the people who leaned on him without even realising it. That kind of constancy was rare, and it undid her. She’d never felt anything like it before—the safety, the steadiness, the rightness of him. He made her feel safe. Seen. Like she didn’t need to perform or please or prove anything. With him she felt anchored, yes—but also free. Like herself. Her truest self.

“Aww, Jen-Jen. Come here!” Vivi put their mugs of tea down and enveloped her in one of her amazing hugs. Jenn sank into the embrace, tears spilling, emotion tight in her chest. Vivi’s jumper was soft against her cheek, smelling faintly of cashmere and soap flakes, a world away from the salt and peat of home.

Vivi pulled back. “Look at me, you daft cow.”

Jenn snorted, eyes streaming, face full of bogeys.

Vivi didn’t care. Just wiped Jenn’s eyes and cheeks with the sleeve of her no-doubt-ludicrously expensive cashmere jumper.

“I think he loves you too, Jenn. Honestly. I wouldn’t say something like that and not believe it.”

Jenn’s breath hitched. Her chest pulsed with hope.

“I’m so happy for you. You love him.” Vivi was beaming at her now, eyes glistening too. “Look at you, Jenn. The past few weeks aside. You’ve grown. Flourished. Blossomed. Wanting to run a bloody café on a bloody island in the middle of the bloody ocean!”