Page 70 of Delicious Surrender
The shock of the news—and the realization that Josie didn’t trust her enough to share it—felt like a punch in the gut. Her nerves were frayed to the breaking point.
After a quick search, she booked a flight to Inverness. She reserved a car and a hotel, deciding against making the drive to Portree in the dark. Those roads were hard enough to navigate in broad daylight.
Brynne packed up her things, delivered the articles to Margaret’s desk, and went to find a cab. On the way home, she tried to reach her father but had to leave him a message. For a moment, she thought of her mother. Was she alive, and if so,where was she? Frankly, she didn’t care. It had been twenty-four years since Jaclyn Larimore had walked out the door, leaving her husband and daughter to fend for themselves. Aunt Josie lost her own father to a heart attack when she was young and her mother remarried Jaclyn’s father when she was nine years old. The half-sisters were ten years apart, and never became close. After Brynne’s mother abandoned them, Josie became the only maternal influence in her life. Losing her carved a gaping hole in her heart.
She must not sink into her own self-pity. She had to pack and be at the airport in two hours. There would be time to think once she was on the plane.
Brynne called Gage from her apartment and had to leave a message.Why the hell is no one answering their phone?
“Hi, it’s me. Brynne. I…I’ve had a death in the family.” She swallowed. “My auntie Josie. She was like a mother to me; she was there for me when nobody else was. Anyway, I have to help with the funeral arrangements. I just found out that I’m her executor. I’m sorry I won’t be at work for several days. Um, I expect to be back by the weekend. I hope that’s okay.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, call me when you get this. Bye.”
Next, she tried to reach Garrick but got his voicemail, too. Maybe it was just as well. She didn’t want to say it out loud anymore. She secretly prayed it wasn’t true, and that she’d wake from this nightmare soon.
She pulled out her small suitcase and paced around her bedroom in a fog, wondering what to pack. Her black dress and shoes went in first. On autopilot she gathered enough warm clothing for a week and called a taxi to take her to Victoria Station.
Her train to Luton was delayed, so she had to run for the boarding gate. Once she got to her seat on the plane, she saw three missed calls and several text messages.
Gage:Brynne, I’m sorry to hear about your aunt’s passing. Take the time you need. G.
Jared:Babe, I am so sorry. I know she meant the world to you. I’m here for you. Tried you a few times. Let me know you are there safely. Sending hugs! xo
Brynne was exhausted and fell asleep before they reached cruising altitude. The budget flight to Inverness had no Wi-Fi so her replies wouldn’t go through until they landed. She didn’t know what to say to Gage, exceptthank you.
The car rental only had a manual mini compact left. Thank goodness her father taught her how to drive a stick when she was seventeen. It took three wrong turns before she found the little hotel. With a deep sigh, she dropped everything and lay on the bed. She rang Jared and filled him in before going to sleep.
The day dawned gray and drizzly. She ate a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, black pudding, and toast before getting on the road. There was nothing like a good Scottish breakfast. She and Josie would often go to town on Sundays for breakfast at the Imperial Portree Hotel and then go on a nice long walk around town. Brynne remembered how she would flirt shamelessly with Declan, who owned the place. She wondered why they had never gotten together.
Two and a half hours later, as Brynne crossed the bridge toSkye, a feeling of peace engulfed her. She always felt safe, cared for, and loved here. It wasn’t only her aunt who made her feel that way. It was the close-knit community, too. They looked out for one another, unlike the people in London, who rarely looked up from their phones and never said hello even if you passed them every day.I’ve been gone from this place too long. I forgot how this island makes me feel.
In Skye, she felt she was coming home. The craggy Cuillin mountain range, the rugged terrain, the mercurial ocean, which could go from calm to gale force waves in an instant. As a child, she would stare at the clouds and try to guess when the heavens would open. To this day, they were impossible to predict. As she navigated the winding roads toward Portree, a small smile came to her face as she recalled countless sweet memories of Auntie Josie reading to her while they sat in front of the fire pit wrapped in wool blankets. She shared many legends of the faeries inhabiting the Misty Isle. How apropos that Garrick had named her Tink after the famous storybook fairy—not knowing her connection to them.
Would this island hold the same magic without Josie? Brynne couldn’t think about it. It was all too depressing.
Less than an hour later, she arrived in downtown Portree and parked in front of the law offices of Alistair Mackenzie.
The old wooden door creaked loudly when she entered and the bell jangled, alerting everyone to her arrival. The décor of the waiting room was dated, and she could smell burnt coffee mixed with a slightly musty odor. Nature was calling, so she ventured down the main hall to find someone.
She found the bathroom before anyone appeared and was glad to get freshened up. Alistair was waiting for her when shecame out.
“Brynne. It’s lovely to see you, dear. I’m just sorry it’s under these circumstances.”
“Me too, Mr. Mackenzie. I’m afraid I am still in shock.”
He was a kindly man, tall with carefully trimmed gray hair, horn-rimmed glasses, and a pencil mustache that reminded her of Clark Gable. “Alistair, please call me Alistair. Would you like a cup of coffee or tea?”
Brynne assumed the coffee had been on the burner since breakfast. “No, thank you. I had one on the road.”
He led the way to his office, which resembled her editor’s. Piles of paper were everywhere, and file boxes lined the floor behind his desk.
“I’m sure you’re tired after your trip, so let me get right to it. Your aunt knew she was going to die and several months ago she put her affairs in order.”
“When did she find out about the cancer?”
“About six months ago. She sensed it had come back because of pain in her hip and back. That’s when she came to see me.”
“I see.” Brynne’s shoulders slumped. “I should have noticed. And I should have visited, but she always convinced me everything was fine.”
Alistair looked her sternly in the eye. “Josie didn’t want you to know. When she put her mind to something, nothing and no one could stop her. You know that.”