When Love Knocks Twice (A Contemporary Love Story) by G I Tulloch Page A

do we do?”
    “ Well
I intend to enjoy the rest of the week, enjoy one day at a time, and
let the future take care of itself.”
    “ You
make it sound so easy.”
“I wish it were,”
confessed Tom. “I wish it were.”

    That
evening they couldn't decide where to go and eat. Tom decided to make
a unilateral decision.
    “ I
know where we're going.”
    “ Where?”
demanded Gail.
    “ That's
for me to know and you to find out. Get in the car.”
    Gail
continued to try and wheedle their destination out of him to no
avail, and it was some time before she realised they were bound for
Portree.
    “ There's
a restaurant you know about?” questioned Gail.
    “ Sort
of,” agreed Tom enigmatically.
    They
parked down by the harbour.
    “ Was
I supposed to get dressed up?” queried Gail.
    “ No,
I don't think so.”
    He
led her along the harbour, and finally stopped outside a fish and
chip shop.
    “ The
best fish and chips in Scotland,” he pronounced. “Wrapped
in newspaper.”
    “ You're
joking,” accused Gail.
    As
the sun was setting over the far hills they sat on a bench, eating
their fish and chips, watching the boats come and go, with the
seagulls following their every move. Nothing was said until the
newspaper was empty.
    “ Ah.
You were so right,” agreed Gail, licking her fingers.
“Definitely the best fish and chips in Scotland, eaten in the
open air out of the newspaper. That beats many a restaurant.”
She took Tom's arm. “How clever you are.” And proceeded
to thrust her empty, but greasy and smelly wrapper into his lap.
    “ What’s
with the clever?” protested Tom. “Nothing short of
genius,” he declared, tossing the papers into a waste paper
basket some ten feet away, one of the papers hitting its target,
whilst the other one fell short.
    “ Okay,
perhaps not quite genius.”

    Gail
lay awake, watching the moonlight framed by the open window, too hot
to sleep despite the single sheet that was the only thing covering
them. The only sounds disturbing the silence were the occasional
sheep bleating out on the shore-side pasture. She carefully slid out
of the bed without disturbing Tom and moved over to the window,
trying to catch whatever breeze might be coming through the open
window. She stood looking out over the hillside down to the seashore,
the sea reflecting the moon back to her.
    There
was barely a movement of air through the window, not enough to
disturb her nightgown. She despaired of ever feeling cool. A radical
thought occurred to her and, reaching down, she peeled her nightgown
over her head, standing naked before the window. Now she could feel
cool air gently rippling its fingers down her skin, a delicious
feeling. How she longed once again for someone to run their hands
over her, to relish the thought of someone else enjoying her body. No
one had done that since Gordon had died. She had never found a
relationship to replace her marriage. She wondered if she ever would.
    A
stirring behind her made her turn. She could see Tom outlined on the
bed, naked to the waist, his relaxed body moulded to the contours of
the bed. What was she doing here, she thought? What do I want of this
man? Someone to trust, trust for what? Company or what? If she was
honest with herself she wanted to go and lie with him, mould her body
to his, feel strong arms holding her. Embarrassed, confused and still
tired, she moved away from the window and as quietly as possible lay
down on the bed, atop the sheet, still straining for the effects of
cool air.

    Tom,
roused from sleep by Gail getting out of bed, found himself in
unknown territory. He had just watched as Gail had moved over to the
window and stripped off her nightgown, revealing her naked body
silhouetted against the moonlight beyond the window. It aroused
feelings in him that he wasn't sure he could control. This woman that
had catapulted back into his life, who had put herself into his care
and trust, what did she want of him?
    He
was becoming