Chapter 53: Fifty-three.

Colt had to admit, she was feeling great. Her muscles had been rubbed, pummeled and plumped till she was nothing but a pile of mush lying on the masseuse table. The old adage was true, right now at least anyway; sometimes mothers definitely do know best, and Isla's enjoyment of spa treatments was absolutely a point in the pro column for that statement.

Her next stop this morning was to get a pedicure; or as close as she was prepared to get, to someone going near her toes that is; while her Mom and Iona had theirs. Though, at at this point she wasn't quite sure how she was going to get off the table she was lying on, not without spilling onto the floor in Colt shaped puddle.

For the full body massages, she, her Mom and cousin had were all in private rooms, but the pedicures would be experienced together. It was an experience she was partially looking forward to, the chance to relax and catch up, just the girls. The only downside was Maeve had returned to Ireland, unable to take two springs off from her gardening work, but she had promised to visit again soon, mysteriously eluding to a near future where Colt would call and ask for a favour. Colt didn't question her, she had learned not to do such foolish things.

Colt lay on her stomach enjoying how loose everything felt, while she prepared herself to move, and reminisced about her morning; when the time finally came that she was allowed downstairs, Calum had been gone for an hour, and Colt had been showered and waiting, bored out of her mind for that entire time. Then when she did venture down, it was to discover her Mom had turned the whole of the downstairs into the perfect venue for a five year old child's birthday party. It was surreal, her cosy but bright home, looked like a soft play centre. There wasn't a spot left anywhere at all, that her birthday hadn't been announced, in ridiculously bright neon and rainbow colours. It had taken Isla so long, that they only had enough time left to grab that long awaited cup of tea, before they had to rush out the door to get to the spa. Colt felt there wasn't nearly enough time to pester her Mom over missing her grandchildren so much, she had completely projected onto Colt's birthday. At least that was what she was hoping the issue was, praying her Mom wasn't upset about Ross' looming anniversary.

Sighing at the effort it took, Colt finally heaved herself up, swinging her legs over the edge of the table, before taking a minute to sip on the water she had been given. When she was feeling slightly more sturdy she stood up, and wrapped her gown around herself, slipping on the little fluffy slippers provided by the spa, before she made her way to the room for the pedicures that were booked, as she had been directed.

She arrived into the warm room first, appreciating the cool blue tones on the walls and the the uplifting lemon grass scented incense burning alongside the lavender oils; it gave a calming yet refreshing aura to the area, one that Colt thoroughly enjoyed. Taking a seat in the raised chair, she slipped off her slippers and sunk her feet into the warm water of the foot spa below with a contented sigh. It was the only part of the pedicure process she enjoyed, or was willing to partake in. Her Mom was a full works at the spa kind of girl, but for Colt, the thought of anyone going near her toenails with an emery board made her shudder in complete horror; even her toes had currently curled up, in an attempt to escape the torture that Colt was imagining.

Within ten minutes both Isla and Iona had joined Colt; it was Isla who had invited Iona almost immediately upon meeting her, having decided a trio would be more fun after all. Also, she wanted to spend some extra time with her niece too, because as it turned out, this seemed to be the perfect opportunity, that Isla was not prepared to miss, at persuading Iona to call off her sham of a wedding. Which was exactly the subject Isla dived into as soon as the women were left alone with refreshments to soak their feet.

"Tell me about Samuel, Sweetie?" Isla asked, jumping straight in, with a sweet grin that didn't meet her calculating eyes.

Colt scoffed at her Mom's attempt at subtly, before blatantly hiding behind her fresh orange juice, as Isla scowled at her.

"Really, Auntie Isla?" Iona asked with a raised eyebrow, challenging her Aunt's apparent interest.

Isla still smiled sweetly, "Really." She nodded. "If you are so hell bent on going ahead with this situation, then please, at least tell me about the lad you are marrying. The lad you are turning your back on your soul mate for. Who is he? What is he like? Where did you meet? Does he make your heart race, like Alasdair does?"

"Oh, don't say it like that, Sam has been my best friend since I was six years old. There is absolutely no competition, and anyway, Alasdair is a stubborn arse most of the time." Iona hit back with a smirk.

But, Isla just laughed, "Of course he is. He's your soulmate, emphasis on the your, Sweetheart."

Colt couldn't help but giggle at the two women she was sat with, especially as Iona's mouth dropped at Isla's poorly veiled insult, even if it were completely true.

"Colt, please," Iona begged her cousin, at a loss on how to respond to her Aunt's meddling, "Help."

Placing her glass on the small table beside her chair, Colt leaned forward and looked her cousin square in the eye, "Iona, I love you, and even if I had a hope in hell of answering your plea against my Mom, I wouldn't; because I agree with her. You are only going to get hurt on this path."

"Oh, for the love of Pete! Not you too!" Iona huffed, flapping her arms in the air, exasperated at the two of them.

"So, are you going to tell me about Samuel then?" Isla interrupted her niece, mid tantrum, "Or am I expected to guess?"

"Please, just drop this." Iona tried pleading again, feeling uncomfortable and rubbing her temples.

Isla sighed, and reached over to rub Iona's arm, "Alright, I won't pester you any further. I will just wait till lunch, I made sure your father asked him to join us all. It should be interesting, I heard Calum discussing it with Alasdair yesterday as well, maybe he asked him along to feel less out numbered by Campbells. I hope so, it will be so much easier to compare the two if theyare together."

"What?!" Iona spat, a feeling of pure dread crawling up from her gut to her throat, and closing it off from further comment. Alasdair and Samuel couldn't be in the same room together. It would be an utter and complete disaster.

"You heard me. But, we are dropping this conversation, remember?" Isla smirked, before turning to Colt with a look on her face that showed just exactly how pleased she was with herself. "Now, tell me, have you heard from Rebecca lately? How is she doing?"

Colt smiled, knowing better than to go against her Mom, and answered honestly; completely facilitating Isla's ambush of her younger cousin, without remorse.

"I have actually. I spoke with her yesterday. Things are well, she and Ashley got engaged," Colt shared her friend's happy news with a broad smile.

"Ooooh, that is great news! How did her parents take it? When did she finally let them know about Ashley?" Isla asked, completely excited, and engrossed in Colt's news.

"Well, they were shocked at first. I don't think it helped that they found out by accident. Her Mom paid her an impromptu early morning visit, and found them in bed together!" Colt explained with a grimace.

Isla's hand shot to her mouth in shock, "No! Poor Becs!"

"Yes, though, thankfully they were only sleeping. But, it was pretty obvious they were a couple, since they were both naked and spooning." Colt explained, "Anyway, Becs came clean and jumped straight on the defensive, about to tell her Mom in no uncertain terms, she would choose Ashley everytime, when Ashley got an emergency call, and had to rush to the hospital. Which of course revealed she was a doctor; all of sudden, Becs', Mom, was squealing in delight, about how she had always hoped her daughter would end up with a doctor." Colt laughed out, with Isla joining in, "Apparently her Dad and Mom had a bet on, Mini had backed a doctor, where her Dad was determined she would marry someone in trade, just to spite her Mom."

When the laughter had settled, between the mother and daughter duo at least, Iona was still sat stock still, and becoming paler and paler, as her mind whirled over the potential consequences of their later lunch. Isla spoke up again, changing the subject somewhat.

"And, how is the resort doing?" She enquired, sipping her own prosecco, and wishing it was a malt.

Colt paused, frowning slightly. "On the whole, it is doing well..." she trailed off, thinking about what she knew.

"But?" Isla asked.

Colt sighed, "But, Becs told me there have been some strange letters arriving."

Isla tilted her head, "Letters? What kind of letters?"

"There was about five of them. The police couldn't trace them either, they'd all been hand delivered." Colt explained further.

"Why are the police involved, Colt?" Isla asked, "If they are just letters."

"I think, Becs was just being cautious. The letters were basically mouthing off about the ethos of the resort. Stating that harmony can only be obtained through segregation. Humans and shifters should stick to their own kind etc." Colt explained, "Nothing we haven't faced before, in the grand scheme of things. But, her concern was more about the fact they were hand delivered, that this person was on the property."

"I see." Isla stated, frowning slightly.

"Dont worry, Mom, Becs did the right thing, and I'm going to ask Dad to get the firm to look into it later, would have asked this morning... But, I never got the chance now, did I?" Colt laughed out.

"Alright, I suppose that's a plan then." Isla stated, satisfied for now, before turning to a very pale Iona, "Are you alright there, Sweetie?"

Iona glanced up at her Aunt, before shaking her head wildly, having missed most of the ongoing conversation, "I think I'm going to be sick," she blurted out, before running out of the room, to look for a toilet, while Colt and Isla laughed in her wake.

"Mom, that was mean, you know Alasdair won't be there." Colt admonished.

Isla smiled, "I do. But, I wanted to see what her reaction would be."

"And?" Colt enquired.

"And, I would say there is hope for the MacDonald boy yet."