The catch up, p.1
The Catch Up, page 1
Table of Contents
Book by Raven McAllan
Title Page
Legal Page
Book Description
Dedication
Trademark Acknowledgements
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
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About the Author
Totally Bound Publishing books by Raven McAllan
Single Books
Hong Kong Heat
Taken Identity
Fairground Attraction
The Duke’s Temptation
The Viscount Meets his Match
Diomhair
Secrets Shared
Secrets Uncovered
Secrets Remembered
Secrets Dispatched
Secrets Learned
Secrets Dispelled
Daring Ladies
The Earl and The Courtesan
Castle on the Loch
Love by the Stroke of Midnight
Happy Ever After at Romansa Castle
The Fix Up
Anthologies
Bully for You: Chasing Charlie
Collections
A Little Bit Cupid: For One Night Only
With Cassie O’Brien
The Scots and the Sassenachs
The Earl of Callander’s Secret Bride
The Baron’s Saving Grace
The Duke’s Lost Love
Happy Ever After at Romansa Castle
THE CATCH UP
RAVEN MCALLAN
The Catch Up
ISBN # 978-1-83943-672-7
©Copyright Raven McAllan 2023
Cover Art by Kelly Martin ©Copyright March 2023
Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz
Totally Bound Publishing
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.
Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.
Published in 2023 by Totally Bound Publishing, United Kingdom.
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Totally Bound Publishing is an imprint of Totally Entwined Group Limited.
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Book two in the
Happy Ever After at
Romansa Castle series
Jan and Thomas. From Hong Kong to the highlands of Scotland. Will love follow them and give them a second chance?
Several years ago Jan and Thom were a couple, deeply in love. Until they both got a chance of work, one at either end of the earth. Neither would give way, so that was the end of their love affair.
Now they catch up with each other again in Hong Kong, where they discover their feelings could still be there.
But with a meddling associate determined not to let them be together, and a trip for both of them to Scotland, where they might well be at odds, what chance have they at rekindling their love?
Only time will tell if the magic of Scotland and Romansa Castle will work on them…
Dedication
To Ann,
my lovely editor.
Thank you for everything
Trademark Acknowledgements
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Star Ferries: Star Ferry Limited Co.
Disney World: WED Enterprises
Jimmy Choos: Jimmy Choo Ltd
F1: Federation Internationale de l’Automobile
Doc Martens: Dr. Martens
Maggie May: Rod Stewart, Martin Quittenton
Coke: Coca-Cola Company
Poirot: Agatha Christie
Scouts: The Scout Association
Octopussy: MGM/UA Entertainment Co.
Tennent’s: Tennent Caledonian Breweries UK Ltd
Google: Google, Inc.
Chapter One
Jan Fraser glanced idly out of the window of her twentieth-floor office and watched the scenery. Several Star Ferries moved across the busy Hong Kong harbour from the Central Piers to TST in Kowloon. From her vantage point they seemed like ants scurrying about their business. Not far from the shore a rubbish sampan snagged some weeds and a bag of goodness knows what from the murky water and a police boat went by on its way to some business or another.
She adored it. Every last, bustling, noisy inch of downtown as well as the tranquil hills and trails of the islands and New Territories.
Home. It was a satisfying thought, and one she gave thanks for on a regular basis.
It was no secret she loved her life as it was. Work, a great social circle, perfect—albeit tiny—house in Sai King, a lovely fishing village in the New Territories, and the knowledge of a holiday due to her. She relished the thought—and the joy—of getting out her suitcase and deciding which holiday clothes to pack. The downtime was well overdue.
All of which made her more determined to discover—why her? Why did life decide now was the time to throw some curveballs in her direction? Why had two things put spokes in her wheels?
The first, admittedly, was only an annoying gnat of a spoke. An ex who out of the blue was about to descend on her—or so he thought. Which would have been a not-so-pleasant surprise if his sister hadn’t warned her. Not a long text. Just, ‘Thomas in HK soon 4 filming. Arr Thurs. Sez will call u. Has yr wrk addy, not from me!’ The last three words had been highlighted and written out in full. As Ari was a supporter of ‘text speak’, it showed how she’d wanted to emphasise the fact.
His forthcoming presence was irritating, but not the end of the world. Surely she was far enough over him—as in, the other side of the world over him—to be cool, calm, collected and civilised if he did turn up? Say ‘hello, no thanks, I don’t want a meal, or a drink, to go up the peak on the tram or take a trip to Disney World’. Don’t add I’d rather swim with sharks or eat worms than spend my free time with you. Life is too short. Be polite and distant and hope I don’t see him around the place. Be courteous and show him he means nothing to me anymore. Even if the events that led up to them splitting still gave her the shakes.
Sod him. Why couldn’t he accept I had the chance of a lifetime as well as him? That surely we could survive for six months apart, and if we couldn’t it was as well to find out sooner rather than later? As it had happened, they hadn’t needed to find out. Thomas had used the old chestnut ‘if you loved me you’d come with me’. Jan had refrained from retorting ‘if you loved me you’d accept how important my opportunity is as well’, and instead said ‘thanks but no thanks, I’m taking my chance of success as well’. In her mind his attitude had been selfishness in the extreme. It was her opinion that a relationship meant give and take, not one give and one take. Or at least not the same one doing all the taking and the other having to do all the giving.
Now it seemed he was about to appear in her life again.
Sod it. This time she’d be the selfish one, and if—if—they did meet up, it would be on her terms. She grimaced then smiled reluctantly. She was reading an awful lot into the fact an old…old what?…acquaintance—she refused to call him anything more intimate—was probably going to drop by to say hi. It could be no more than that.
What if it was, though. Argh. Enough. Jan gave herself a mental shake. Why worry about what might never happen?
If all that wasn’t enough to keep her awake at nights, her boss had just dropped another bombshell on her. On a Friday afternoon no less. Just before they’d all departed the building for the weekend. No doubt on purpose. May could go home with a clear conscience, having discharged her duty. However, Jan thought savagely, not her. Bugger May. Now she, Jan, would spend all weekend trying to wriggle out of what was wanted from her.
And it was a bombshell she had an idea she couldn’t really get out of. Not if she wanted to fulfil her job description properly. Mind you, if she were honest, would she really want to if it didn’t mean the postponement of her holiday? Jan thought about that for a second or two and admitted to herself—reluctantly—probably not.
<
“Is it safe to come in?”
Jan shook her head in amusement. “Yes, and you might well wave that. I could go off on you big time. Rotter.”
“That’s rotter, boss.” May grinned. “Sorry, but who better to send? It is in your job description isn’t it, even if not in so many words? I accept it means putting your holiday off for a few weeks, but A, we’ll pay for all the extra expense, B, you were heading over there anyway, and C, you know darned well you’re the one person who will break balls if need be.”
“Sounds gruesome. And, and, note, I’m not due to be heading there until I’ve had a month in Portugal,” Jan pointed out. “You’re asking me to go to Scotland, the west of Scotland, in the main midge months. I’ve sold my midge net hat and run out of repellent. I’ll be eaten alive.”
May shook her head and laughed. “Buy a hat and repellent and put the cost on expenses. If we left it until after midge months, you’d have the hot humid summer here to contend with first.”
“I’d be in Portugal. Hot and not humid.” Not like here.
“Mosquitos.”
“Vinho Verde.”
“Sand flies, burnt nose, sweat rash.”
“Nit-picker.”
“I thought you said nose picker.” May snorted. “I got over that ages ago. Well, three at least.”
“Wow.” Jan opened her eyes wide. “That long ago?”
“Still bite my nails, though.”
“Who doesn’t?” Jan looked at her own red—as in fire engine-coloured—nails. She didn’t—often—and had discovered if she got her nails done she was less likely to put a finger in her mouth and nibble. “Seriously, though, it’s not the time I’d prefer to spend around forest and water, posh hotel or not. After all, I doubt I’d be allowed to wear a midge net and smell of eau de citronella all the time.” That, Jan admitted, was her preferred mode of dress during the height of the midge season. “With my trousers tucked into my socks and my hands up the sleeves of my jumper. I swear, the little blighters take one look at me, rub their wings or whatever together and think ooohhh dinner. And breakfast, lunch and all snacks in between.” She scratched her arms. “Makes me itch just thinking about it.”
May dipped her head. “Okay, point taken. You and midges do not go well together. But, Jan, we really do need you at the hotel.” She was all seriousness now. “The new owner is adamant he wants our help to pitch it to the right people. He doesn’t want to close it to the public—well, not all the public—but there’s a big, as in massive, superstar movie about to be filmed around there, and he needs advice on the best way to handle the situation. Not to antagonise anyone in any way. Especially the people who own some of the bungalows there. They’re the biggest flies in the ointment.”
“Close it for renovation,” Jan said promptly. “Facilities and all. There, sorted. Portugal, here I come.”
May laughed and shook her head. “Good try. He says not. There are a lot of people who own cottages and stuff in the grounds. He can’t stop those people turning up. They’ll presume they’re free to use the facilities as normal. You can’t be expected to accept there’s no golf or gym or whatever when it’s in the deeds of your house you have unlimited unrestricted use.”
“Well, not if it’s something dangerous that’s closed, whatever.”
“Nope, but it isn’t, and they’d know that. Plus, to do the regular safety checks required they have to give a minimum of three months’ notice to the punters. This place is seriously select.”
“Hmm.” Jan thought for a moment. It sounded intriguing, but she wasn’t going to mildly give in and say okay. “I’d say he’s got a problem if it’s all true.”
“It is. In the deeds. He’s checked and so have our law people. Not a cat in you-know-where’s chance of wriggling out of it. If anything is broken or whatever the hotel is liable, and it costs them money, not the house owners. The perks of paying top whack for rather gorgeous holiday homes.”
“I can see that could be a problem.” Jan stared out of the window and nodded as she thought furiously. A cruise ship was in the process of docking on the other side of the harbour and tugs and little boats were moving fussily around it. She never lost her sense of marvel at how busy the harbour was and how all the different types of craft managed to go about their business. A sampan dodged a tourist junk and she bet someone shook a fist in the bigger boat’s direction. Jan smiled. How she wished she could hear the conversation going on there. Swearing was recognisable in any language.
May coughed. “Earth to Jan.”
“Where exactly are we talking about?” Jan asked and dragged her mind back to the subject in question. “It might help to know that. After all, it could be on the east coast and nigh-on midgeless.” She didn’t think so for one minute, not the way May had been talking. “So?”
“That sadly is on a need-to-know basis,” May replied in a regretful, ‘sorry but it’s not my doing’ sort of way. “If you agree to head over and spend a month or two checking things out, giving advice and so on, I can, after you’ve signed a confidentiality clause, tell you where you’ll be going. Not before and unless—” She broke off and held her hands up in the air. “I know, I know, it should be you know what you’re letting yourself into before you agree, but this isn’t my decision. I can tell you it’s all above board and the directors are adamant they want you. As a colleague I say that, as a mate I agree I’d be as fed up as you are over it all and inclined to tell me and them—to F off. If a bit more politely.”
Jan stared at May as she tried to remember something Arietta, her friend and warner of Thomas’ imminent arrival in the city, had mentioned. Something about her—Arietta’s—husband Moss possibly filming close to where they had a house in the west of Scotland and a lot of kerfuffle over it. Something to do with the film company not wanting there to be any chance of rubberneckers and the new owner of the nearby hotel adamant it couldn’t shut its doors while the filmmakers faffed about in the extensive grounds. No contracts had been signed, including Moss’, and everyone was getting, in Arietta’s words, “a wee bit antsy”. Could it be that?
“Oh,” Jan said much more nonchalantly than she felt, “Romansa Castle. Gaelic for romance. Moss Kirby’s next movie. I heard there was a wee bit of a hoo-ha about if it was to be filmed there.”
May jumped and stared at Jan for several seconds. “What are you? A super sleuth? Where did you get that info? That’s supposed to be top secret. Both the hoo-ha and the place.”
Shoot, I hope I haven’t got Arietta in trouble. She didn’t say it was for my ears only. Blast, damn and fig rolls. “Really? Since when? And I am right then.” She said that as a statement, not a question.
“Since when what?” May prevaricated. “What do you mean?”
“Since when is it top secret,” Jan replied in a patient way. “That wasn’t mentioned. Just that the hotel felt it couldn’t shut. The film company had discussed it with the previous owners, I believe. If I’ve got it right, they were offered a deal that the majority felt they couldn’t turn down and then as the film company hadn’t got anything signed, he…she…they said there was nothing to honour. Or something,” she finished lamely. Moss had been a part owner and had been so disgusted by the mentality of some of his co-owners he’d sold his share willingly. He’d said he was relieved to let the whole sorry arguments and the stupid mess be sorted out by someone with more time. It might have been a house associated with his family, but any thoughts of hanging on to his bit of it were long gone. He’d still got his new home and a fair bit of land nearby where he and Jan had a gorgeous house and lived whenever possible and was happy with it. Weirdly, Arietta had informed Jan, the land Moss still owned was not the land the film company wanted to use. If it had been, life would perhaps have been simpler all round.
“So how are you in the know?” May persisted.
