A Highland Christmas - Book 5 The Shadows Series (ebook)

Glasgow, Scotland December 23, 1988

After almost three years of working full-time with rape victims, Brianna deserved a holiday. But instead of going with her friend, Susan, to the south of Spain, where the weather would be mild and possibly even warm, she was going to the Scottish Highlands to spend Christmas with her Irish family she barely knew. Argh! No, that wasn’t quite true—she did know and love some of them, but the others? She barely remembered her younger siblings, Aislin, Alana, Brendan and Shawn, after being separated from them when she was just ten following their Mam’s untimely death.
Drat Danny for organising this. The one year she’d planned a real holiday. She blew out a breath as a familiar car horn sounded from the road. Drawing back the thin, sheer curtain, she glanced out the window of the two-bedroom semi-detached terraced home in downtown Glasgow she shared with Susan. Although less than eager, she was packed and ready to go, so she flicked the television off, slipped her coat on and stepped outside, closing the door behind her. As the damp air hit her face, she shivered and dreamed of warmer climates.
Lifting her hand, she waved at her brother-in-law, Ryan, as he climbed out of his large SUV and jogged up the stairs towards her. He gave her a quick kiss before grabbing her bag and placing it in the boot. She slid into the back seat behind her older sister, Grace, rubbing her hands together.
Grace turned around and extended her slender hand, giving Brianna’s a squeeze. “Hey, Bibi, how are you doing?”
Brianna shivered, her lips tight. “Wishing I was in Spain.” She sounded petty, and she had to get over it, but at least she could be honest with Grace.
“Don’t we all?” Grace laughed lightly as she patted Brianna’s hand. “Never mind, it’ll be good to see everyone after all this time.”
Brianna humphed as she strapped herself in. “I don’t know about that. I’d been looking forward to having a real holiday for once.”
“Next year, maybe.” Grace gave an understanding smile before facing the front and cranking the heat up, while Ryan jumped in and pulled away from the kerb.
Brianna stared out the window as dreary terraced houses flashed past. She was being immature. Grace was probably right... spending Christmas together with all her siblings for the first time in more than twenty years should be cause for celebration. She just didn’t feel it. She didn’t want to rake over the past—goodness knows she’d done enough of that and now she’d moved on. In fact, she’d even been thinking of leaving the Rape Centre she and Grace ran together, although the courage to share that thought with Grace was presently lacking. Besides, what would she do if she left?
With no other option, she settled into the soft leather seat for the two and a half-hour drive to Fort William and the Christian community her older brother, Danny, and his wife, Lizzy, managed, and dreamed she was in a plane heading for Spain, not a car heading for the Highlands in thick, damp fog.
* * *
“You need to leave now, Daniel, or you’ll be late.” Lizzy folded her arms and studied her husband with amusement as he stood in front of the mirror combing his dark, wavy hair.
“I know, love, I’m almost ready.” Daniel caught her eye in the hallway mirror and winked as he slipped the comb into the back pocket of his faded blue jeans and turned to face her. “Sure you can’t come?”
As he lifted an eyebrow while rubbing her forearms and gazing into her eyes, Lizzy almost changed her mind. But no… she had to stay home and finish the preparations. “You know I can’t come. Mother and Father will be here soon. Besides, the children are looking forward to going to the airport with you.”
Daniel stepped closer and drew her into an embrace, nuzzling her neck. “Okay, but I’ll miss you.”
Lizzy chuckled and shook her head. “Don’t be silly—you’ll only be gone a few hours.” She pulled back and looked into his crystal blue eyes, her voice growing serious. “Just take care on those roads, especially in this fog.”
“I fully intend to.” Daniel lowered his face and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Sorry I won’t be here to help with everything.”
“No, you’re not! Since when did you like cooking?”
Daniel laughed. “You’re right.”
“Thank you. Now, off with you!” Lizzy pushed him away and stepped into the living room where the children were running around chasing each other. The noise was deafening. “Dillon, James, Clare, calm down. Daddy’s ready. Come and give me a hug.”
They all ran towards her at once, wrapping their arms around her, almost toppling her over. She laughed and met Daniel’s amused gaze. “I think I’m glad I’m staying here. It’s going to be a noisy trip!”
“It’s all good, love. I can make as much noise as they can.”
“I know. That’s what I mean.” She let out another laugh, but a tinge of sadness flowed through her. It would have been fun to take a drive with Daniel and the children, but there was a ton of cooking to do, and besides, her parents were coming, and no doubt they’d be early. She bent down and pulled the children into a group hug. “Have a nice time together, darlings, and I’ll have some surprises waiting for you when you get home.”
Five-year-old Clare pulled on her arm. “Surprises, Mummy? Like what?”
“It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you. Now, give me another hug and off you go.”
She helped the children into their coats and into the bus belonging to the Elim Community, the Christian community she and Daniel had managed for the past five years. She waved as Daniel headed the bus towards the main building to collect his older brother, Caleb, who lived in the community with his wife, Caitlin, and their two daughters. Caleb was going with Daniel and the children to the airport in Inverness to meet the four siblings arriving from Ireland. She stopped waving within seconds as the tail-lights disappeared into the thick pea-soup fog they’d woken up to. As she stared into the thick mist, Lizzy shivered and prayed for their safety. Not even the grand manor house was visible… she’d never seen it so thick.
With Daniel and the children gone, she quick tidied the toys and games lying scattered over the lounge room floor. Once the house was in order, she scurried down the flagstone path that led to the impressive stone mansion now used as a community home for young people struggling with life's problems. She and Daniel and the children lived in the smaller cottage that had once been the estate manager’s home.
Through the fog, Lake Linnhe was barely visible, but the gentle lapping of the waves against the shore confirmed that the large body of water was indeed only a stone’s throw away. As she approached the sturdy mansion covered in creeping ivy, and normally surrounded by a beautiful flower garden, she realised how much she would miss it, if and when they left. Not that anything was planned, but both she and Daniel had a sense that God was about to lead them onto something new.
She ducked around the side of the mansion and pushed open the heavy wooden door, the servants’ entrance in years gone by, but now the entrance used mostly by the students. She made her way down the hallway, following the aroma of freshly baked bread all the way to the kitchen where her sister-in-law, Caitlin, was busy at work. She and Caitlin were spending the morning in the big kitchen, and had planned to bake lots of meals and treats in readiness for everyone’s arrival.
Caitlin looked up as she entered, her round, jolly face lighting up. “Come and warm up, Liz. The teapot’s still hot if you’d like a cuppa.”
“Thanks. I’ll grab one in a moment.” Lizzy headed straight for the wood stove, holding her hands in front of it, and shivering again as warmth spread slowly from the tips of her fingers, up her arms, and into the rest of her body. She rubbed her hands together and glanced out the window where Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in Great Britain, would normally be visible in the distance. “It’s such a dreadful morning.”
“You’re not wrong. A great welcome for everyone.” Chuckling, Caitlin opened a bag of onions, pulling several out.
Lizzy stepped away from the fire and poured herself a mug of tea. She lifted the pot in the air and looked at Caitlin. “Like a top-up?”
“No thanks, I’m on my third already. How long until everyone starts arriving?” Caitlin blew some hair off her face as she diced the onions for the shepherd’s pie they’d decided to serve for dinner.
“Three hours, maybe less if the fog lifts.” Lizzy cupped her hands around the mug and blew on her tea.
“The girls will be down in a minute.” Caitlin looked up, brushing her watering eyes with her sleeve. “I almost forgot to tell you—Andrew also offered to help.”
Lizzy rolled her eyes. “Wow, we’ll need to be on our toes.” Andrew, a chef at one of the top restaurants in Glasgow, and the son of David and Rosemary McKinnon, the owners of the property, had arrived the previous evening to spend Christmas with his parents.
“I think it’ll be fun. I’ve always wanted to cook with a real chef.”
“It’s all right for you. I struggle just to do the basics.” Lizzy took a sip of tea before placing the mug on the kitchen table and donning an apron, tying it securely behind her back.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine, but you can work with the girls if you’d rather.”
“I thought they might have gone to the airport with Daniel and Caleb?”
“No… twelve going on twenty. You know what it’s like.” Caitlin chuckled. “They spend hours in front of the mirror these days.”
“They’re lovely girls. You and Caleb have done a great job with them.”
“Thanks. They’re going to miss it here when we go back to Belfast.” Caleb had been the Activities Co-ordinator at the community for the past several years, but the family was returning to Belfast because Caitlin’s mother had taken ill.
“They must be looking forward to seeing their friends again.”
“They’d rather be here with their new friends.” Caitlin wiped her face again.
“They’ll adjust quickly.” Lizzy took out a mixing bowl and grabbed the ingredients to start making a triple-sized bread and butter pudding. With so many mouths to feed, they’d chosen easy to prepare meals they could make ahead of time.
“I hope so. It’s a hard age to uproot them.” Putting the knife down, Caitlin grabbed a handful of tissues and blew her nose.
“They can always come back for a visit.”
“I’m sure they’d like that.” Caitlin threw the tissues into the bin and washed her hands, then turned to the doorway, her face lighting up when Imogen and Tara, both wearing hot pink sweat shirts, dark blue jeans and black joggers, appeared. She held out her arm. “And here they are.”
Lizzy chuckled. How could she still not tell them apart after almost two years? She gave them a smile. “Hi, girls. Are you excited about Christmas?”
The girls both nodded as they entered together and stood in front of the free-standing island bench where Caitlin had resumed dicing the onions.
“Cat got your tongue, girls? Answer your auntie.”
One of them, maybe Imogen, turned and looked at Lizzy. Her eyes, although dark like her mother’s, were innocent and clear. “Sorry, Auntie Lizzy. Yes, we’re very much looking forward to Christmas.”
Lizzy smiled. “My three certainly are. They can’t wait. Every morning they check the tree for new presents.”
Caitlin tipped the tray of onions into a large pan on the stove. “Come on, girls, you need to get to work. You’re on vegetables.”
“Mum…” Their shoulders slumped.
She stirred the onions as they began to sizzle, filling the kitchen with a wonderful aroma. “Only joking. You can bake some gingerbread men and then help with the trifle.”
The face of the twin who’d answered earlier lit up. “That’s better. Come on, Tara, let’s get started.”
Lizzy smiled to herself. For once she’d guessed right!
Soon after, as Imogen and Tara were busy mixing dough for the gingerbread men and Lizzy buttered bread for the pudding, Andrew knocked on the door and poked his head in. “I believe this is where it’s all happening. May I come in?” The words rolled off his tongue in a soft Scottish brogue.
Caitlin looked up. “Please do! We’ve been expecting you.”
Andrew took the apron she offered and slipped it on. As he rolled up his sleeves, Lizzy couldn’t help but notice the curly ginger hair on his fair arms. With that tawny-gold hair with a hint of ginger, and his warm hazel eyes, Andrew McKinnon would be a great catch for someone, if he were available. Lizzy’s mind ticked over. Brianna? She chuckled as she returned to her pudding. Yes, Brianna. It was time Daniel’s younger sister had some love in her life, and the softly spoken, ruggedly handsome Andrew McKinnon might just be her perfect match.