“It’s okay as long as you promise to resuscitate me when I die of frustration.”
“It’s a deal,” she whispered as she stretched up to kiss him.
Lake’s arms folded around her, crushing her to his chest, and Kirsty melted inside. She ran her tongue over his lips, listening to his grunt of need, and smiled against his mouth. She was in serious danger of forgetting all about her problems and giving herself to this man. Even the thought of it almost sent her over the edge. Digging her nails into those shoulders, she kissed him passionately.
And then there was a scream.
The scream worked like a bucket of ice water on Lake’s head. He dropped Kirsty and was at the window in two seconds flat. He pushed back the curtain as Kirsty came up beside him.
“Oh no,” she groaned.
Lake shook his head in disbelief at the sight of Kirsty’s mother running out of his shop with what looked like his laptop under her arm. She was screaming like a banshee. Lake assumed that, with the black face paint and hat, she thought she was in disguise. Hot on her heels came two other women, one dragging the new cardboard cut-out of him in a tux that he’d just bought. The lights in the shop went on.
He opened the window and leaned out. The cold air reminded him that he was pretty much naked but there was no time to put clothes on. This had to be seen to be believed.
“That’s Betty,” Kirsty gasped before covering her mouth.
And sure enough, Betty was propelling herself through the shop with what looked like a cricket bat in her hands.
“Run for it!” screamed one of the women outside the shop.
Then he noticed that there were still people in there. A kid ran out clutching Lake’s iPad. He spotted a woman in the window, again dressed in black. She held her hands up as though trying to reason with Betty. There were shouts, but he couldn’t make out what was being said. Then Betty charged. The woman inside the shop screamed an ear-splitting scream and turned and ran.
Straight through his shop window.
Everything stopped still as the woman landed in a heap on the ground. Even Betty stopped. Then the woman sprang to her feet.
“Are you okay?” Kirsty’s mother shouted.
“Run like hell!” shouted the woman who’d just destroyed his shop window.
She appeared to be fine. Which was more than could be said about his shop. Betty, meanwhile, was picking her way through the debris, wielding a bat that was almost as big as her.
Four women, one boy and a cardboard cut-out headed down the high street towards the loch. Lake watched them disappear into the darkness in disbelief. Then Betty spotted them.
“What the hairy hell are you doing up there?” she shouted up at them from the middle of the street.
Kirsty squealed and disappeared into the room.
“You’re naked,” Betty shouted indignantly.
People were beginning to gather in the street, called out of the pub by the commotion.
“I’m out here defending our business from thieves and hooligans, and you’re up there having your way with Kirsty.”
Kirsty shot past him to the window.
“He is not having his way with me,” she told the growing crowd.
“Yeah, that’s the most important part right now,” Lake said.
“It is to me, Lake Benson.”
“Absolutely. We wouldn’t want people to get the wrong idea, would we?” he said drolly.
“No, I wouldn’t,” she said so primly it cheesed him off.
Lake turned back to Betty.