Read Someone Else's Son for Free Online

She thought of leaving the headlights on to guide her to the door but decided that she’d prefer to walk through the darkness. It was easy, navigating her way through the trees with the moonlight reflecting off the loch. By the look of it, she’d have a first-class view of the scenery from the veranda that spanned the end of the cabin. Her heart skittled with excitement. Five whole days of solitude. She would do absolutely nothing except walk, think, sleep and read.
    She tripped on the step up to the door.
    ‘Shit.’ Her voice ricocheted through the woods and skimmed over the water. It was incongruent in the serene place. Something rustled in the undergrowth behind her – a fox, a badger? Because the booking was at such short notice, the owner had emailed to say that a key would be left under a pot of flowers beside the door. There was no pot.
    ‘Damn,’ she said. Again, her expletive cut through the still night. Carrie squinted through the darkness and thought she saw a pot further round on the veranda. The wood beneath her feet creaked as she felt her way along the cabin’s side.
    Something came crashing down – sticks and poles. Something wound round her, getting caught in her hair and nails.
    Carrie squealed. ‘Bloody stupid—’
    A light came on. The door opened.
    ‘Who’s there?’ The voice was deep and commanding.
    Despite being tangled up, Carrie spun round to see a male figure to accompany the angry words.
    ‘What?’ She tried to fight the things off. ‘Who are you? What are you doing in my cabin?’
    There was laughter – something suddenly warming about it, but laughter from another person that she hadn’t expected. She’d wanted to be alone. Totally alone.
    ‘ My cabin?’ he asked, approaching her.
    Carrie squinted into the light behind him. She pulled a wire or line from her hair. ‘Ow!’ she cried, sucking her finger when something sharp stuck it.
    ‘Well now, just look what I caught.’ The man came close. He was about her age and, even though it shouldn’t have been her primary thought, she couldn’t help noticing his good looks.
    ‘Caught?’ Carrie tasted blood. Did he recognise her?
    ‘You’re all tangled up in my fishing gear. Helping yourself, were you?’
    ‘No! Of course I wasn’t.’ She yanked what she now knew to be fishing line from around her arm. ‘You were supposed to have vacated this cabin today. I’m the new occupier.’
    The man laughed again. ‘I don’t think so. This is my cabin.’
    ‘Then you should know that I booked cabin six for five nights.’ Carrie finally rid herself of the tackle.
    ‘You did, did you?’
    ‘Yes. I was looking for the key when your stupid stuff got in my way.’
    ‘And where was that key meant to be?’ The man leant, rather infuriatingly Carrie thought, on the cabin wall. She noticed his very white teeth as he grinned.
    ‘Under the pot.’
    The man casually peered around. ‘I don’t see any pots.’
    ‘Exactly. I was emailed lousy instructions. Can I see inside? I’m only paying if it’s satisfactory.’ Carrie suddenly had visions of sleeping the night in the Jeep, which, she thought, might not be too bad. Already her plan to escape from people had gone wrong. Was there nowhere in this country to hide?
    ‘Sure,’ he said, turning, expecting her to follow.
    From the light spilling out of the cabin, Carrie could see that the area around the lodge was dense woodland. She loved the way the trees gave way to water. Once she’d got rid of this man, she would slip from the shadows into the depths of the loch for a midnight swim. It would help her forget this false start.
    ‘Welcome,’ he said, holding open the door.
    Carrie stepped inside. It didn’t look quite like the pictures. How could the simple white New England style in the website photos look anything like this eclectic mix of big dark furniture, old woven rugs and sports equipment – everything from wet-suits to sails to walking boots and even a bicycle