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“Thanks for the recap, Shona, but I wasn’t dying,” Kirsty said

Shona leaned over to pat her hand

“That’s not the point, love You were seriously injured and he was theto marry You don’t run out on the people you love”

Kirsty sed the old feelings that tried to gag her Her lance in her direction

“Okay, ladies, we’ve strayed from the point,” her mum said

“Do we really have to send hiht to try to get his business off the ground too”

The group turned to her in unison Jaws opened but no words caeneral consensus that Jean needed to buy herself another couple of IQ points with the money her husband had left her in his will

“He’s a stranger Our loyalty lies with family,” they told her

“We need the business in this town,” Jean continued, unaware that they were ganging up on her “And that class last night was great I haven’t had that much fun since Dave died You were there, Kirsty—I didn’t see you co”

Kirsty kept hershe wanted was to ad had turned out to be fun Whether or not she enjoyed herself wasn’t the point The point was, Lake was getting under her skin and it was time for him to leave Invertary

“It’s lovely that you had a nice tiht Both of you,” Shona said pointedly, “but the fact of the erie shop in Invertary We’re a serie shop, let alone two”

“Don’t forget he’s English,” Heather said

Everyone nodded English trumped community economics any day of the week When it cahter of Invertary and an English interloper, everyone knew exactly where their loyalty lay—business or not

“What do you want us to do?” her mum said

“I’d like to know if you have anything else planned” Kirsty pulled her chair in close to the table “He’s fighting dirty so I want to fight dirty back, but I don’t kno All I had planned was so for ideas What you got?”