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As she counted her breathing and felt the tightness in her throat subside, she remembered what the doctor had told her after the accident—have a plan, a way to cope for when the attacks hit She opened her eyes and the rooet rid of the pins and needles that relass of water She needed a coping mechanism What? She sipped the water as her heartbeat slowed What she really wanted to do was lock Lake in a box and forget all about hilass halfway to her lass down on the counter,the contents spill
She grabbed the board e and opened the cupboard under the sink The cupboard no one ever went into On the inside of the door she wrote a list of all the things she needed to get out of her head—Lake,the business Done With a smile of satisfaction, she stood, kicked the door shut and felt slightly better She’d just keep it all in the cupboard and not in her head As she walked away, she felt only n that she’d totally lost the plot
CHAPTER FOUR
Rainne slipped out of the back of Betty’s Knicker Emporium She’d had a belly full of both Lake and his sidekick War It lance over her shoulder to make sure that no one was there to call her back, she headed in the direction of the loch The water glireen swayed lazily Just looking at it hter than she had in weeks She filled her lungs with crisp autumn air You could almost smell winter it was so close
Rainne skirted to the right of the loch, cliht of the town Apart fro on the road nearby, all she could hear was the lapping water Bliss She wandered along the thin strip of beach, tripping over rocks and tree branches Behind the thick bushes at the edge of toas a spot that was usually neglected There wasn’t much demand in Invertary, after suood place and plopped down on a water-worn tree stuan to fall Better at the loch than in the shop She knew Lake thought tears were a sign of weakness But then, that’s what she eak
“This place is far too pretty to sob in” A voice startled her
Rainne jumped to her feet She didn’t knohat to do with herself She wiped her face with the sleeve of her velvet jacket
“And you’re far to pretty to be the one sobbing,” Alastair said as he came into view from behind the clump of bushes
“Are you following me?” Rainne said
“Yes,” he said sole rod and tackle box “Practice Trying out soo on sale”
“Does it have to be here?” She waved around her “I was hoping for some alone time”
He put his box down beside her
“That’s fine, you can have your alone time with me”
“That isn’t how alone time works”
“I’ll be quiet In fact, you’re the oneto scare the fish away Sit down and enjoy the view”