All for the Heiress (15 page)

He smiled wider at the glimpse of her old self she’d shown earlier. They’d laughed and reminisced over dinner— he still couldn’t believe she’d gone back and cut that monster’s leg off. He wished he’d seen her do it, it had probably been dead sexy, and unable to help himself, slid his finger along her hairline.

“Sorry,” he whispered, thinking about her hurt face when he’d adamantly refused her thanks for supposedly saving her life.

If he thought about the fear he’d felt when that boar rushed at her, he’d never sleep again. He shoved it aside, and concentrated on her in front of him, alive and unhurt. An acid feeling churned in his stomach that she could think he was anything near heroic. The whole thing had been a blur from the moment the boar knocked her down.

The only reason she was here in this forsaken time was because he’d practically begged her to come with him. His stupid plan to use her as bait for Oliver made him feel sick now. Hadn’t he just wanted company, wanted to hang out with her the way they used to? Selfish, unforgivable. If she’d died because of him, he didn’t think he could go on, and he certainly couldn’t go back. Everything went fuzzy and he’d acted on instinct. It was pure luck he’d been victorious.

Her eyelids fluttered open and he smirked at being caught staring at her like a stalker. Instead of showing suspicion, her eyes closed again, a slight smile on her face.

“Are we okay?” she asked.

“Aye, all’s well.”

He wrapped his arm around her and fell asleep, fears disappearing the moment his hand rested against her shoulder.

At the first sign of morning, they set off in the direction of the road at a much slower pace, only wanting to leave the forest behind. Shane refused to admit his leg hurt, but she caught the crease of pain on his brow when he didn’t see her looking at him. It seemed like a minor miracle when the trees began to thin, and when they came to a wide path, Mellie dropped to the ground, dramatically taking handfuls of dirt and holding them up.

“Look at this sign of civilization,” she said.

“Filthy.” Shane shook his head and took her wrists, making her drop the dirt chunks. “It’s not as if a shower is waiting for ye, and we were only in the forest two days.”

Both his statements were depressingly true. Still, she was glad to be out from the oppressive cover of trees. “It felt like two years.”

“Aye, agreed. It’s awful here. I hate it.”

He looked at her as she knelt on the path, and her stomach dropped at his change of heart. She didn’t know if she could sustain their madness without his infernal positivity.

“You’re just tired and hurt, and probably a bit traumatized,” she said. “Think about Catie. You’ll feel better when you see her, and we’re so close now.”

She thought about telling him about Catie’s vast riches, a fortune that would be his if he married her, knowing that would cheer him up and get his head back in the game. Loads of money could make even this time seem nicer. For some reason, she kept quiet, not wanting him to know, but not sure why.

He pulled her back to standing and they headed north again. “I miss my phone,” he said after a while. “Do ye?”

“So much,” she admitted. She felt naked without it. Not knowing small facts like the exact time, where they were, or just how cold it was, made her feel disjointed and not quite whole. Realizing how reliant she was on such things made her feel small. “Still, we’ve managed without them so far.”

She tried to take her own advice and thought about Oliver, imagining what his London house looked like based on films she’d seen of this time period. She stared at Shane’s back as he strode ahead of her, occasionally favoring his hurt leg, but keeping to a near frantic pace. As if he knew she watched him, he turned around and smiled, his good mood already restored.

She admired how he could just express his thoughts and be done with them, while she tended to soak in her feelings until she became a prune. He paused, and when she came up beside him, he slung his arm around her.

A bubble of happiness grew inside her and she looked down to hide her smile. She had a moment of discomfort, the need to push him off her or say something to put space between them that way, but it was whisked away on the wind. Instead of walking stiffly, she burrowed closer for warmth, getting under his coat, which was still damp and reeked of blood. She didn’t care at all. It had to be the near death experience that made her so oddly carefree. Just being alive was all she needed right then, and it was a marvelous feeling, one she intended to cling to the way she now clung to Shane.

Even that closeness didn’t send her into a spasm of embarrassment. After all they’d been through, it seemed silly to keep him at arm’s length, and the longer they were together, the more she remembered all the good times they’d had over the years, as well as the harrowing last couple of days.

She realized with a jolt that she’d miss him if he ended up staying with Catie in this time, and she had to forcefully recall that she had a purpose here as well. Perhaps they’d be neighbors, or could spend holidays together if she and Oliver moved to London. They had to be close to Ferguson land, and that added to her good mood.

“Oh, my gosh, we’re so close, and I forgot about my face,” she said, stopping in the middle of the road and clapping her hands to her still itchy cheeks. Running her fingers through her hair, she groaned to feel how tangled and dirty it felt. “I must look awful. Tell me the truth, don’t hold back.”

Shane pursed his lips as he looked her over, taking her by the arms and turning her from side to side. He pushed her hair behind her ears, frowned and pulled it forward again, fluffing it at her shoulders. As he inspected her, she looked him over, disgusted that he looked handsomer than ever. The river bath had calmed the raging bites on his face, and what was left of them blended with his freckles. His cold reddened cheeks only made his green eyes look greener and his usual rakish tangle of dark red hair looked as if it had been artfully mussed instead of the rat’s nest it should have.

The bottles of soap and lotion she brought seemed the stupidest waste now. Where had she imagined she’d use them, a gas station loo? She’d been completely clueless.

“Is it that bad?” she asked when he continued to look at her.

He swallowed hard and she braced for the worst. Maybe they’d meet a friendly crofter who would let her wash up before they got to Catie’s house.

“Ye’re a little smudged,” he said, with a gentle smile she’d never seen on his face before. It made her stomach flop over. He licked his thumb and rubbed it on her cheek. “Ah, that’s really no better, sorry.” She frowned and tried to shrug out of his grasp, but he held her arms tightly. “Ye willna believe me, but I think ye look beautiful. I’ve never seen ye look so fine, not even weddings or school dances.”

Something about his face made her believe him, and her stomach flopped again. Or was the flopping feeling higher up? She thought she might dissolve under his earnest gaze, but couldn’t look away, didn’t want to blink and miss a moment of the way he looked at her. It felt like the ground tilted under her feet and she struggled to stay upright as Shane leaned closer.

His lips barely touched hers and her eyes fluttered shut as he slid his hands up her arms, over her shoulders, and rested them lightly at the sides of her face. Heat bubbled up to the surface of her skin where his hands had been. He moved them behind her neck, tilting her head back. The pressure of his lips increased, and he stepped closer so she could feel his clothes brushing against hers. Her hands shook to take hold of his jacket and pull him closer still, her whole body felt shimmery and soft, as if she could float if she just let it happen. His tongue touched her lips and she ached from the pleasure of it.

She jerked out of his hold and he let her go, staggering back a step and blinking in confusion. She wiped the back of her hand hard across her mouth, wanting to cry at erasing the feeling of his kiss.

“Did you hit your head when the boar landed on you?” she asked, taking long strides to put some space between them.

“I said ye wouldna believe me.”

He continued to walk a few steps behind her and she felt uncomfortable in a way she’d never felt around anyone. What in the hell had he done that for? It was cruel. Just because he kissed anyone, anytime, didn’t mean she did. She took these things very seriously. It wasn’t right. How could he do that and face Catie?

Her thoughts rambled in a completely different and mortifying direction. Was he looking at her ass in her wooly dress? And if he was, what did he think? And worst of all, why did she care? She kicked at the stones in what passed as a road, and almost took a header when she tripped in a rut.

Shane grabbed her wrist to keep her from toppling, but before she could wrench away and continue ignoring him, he pulled her behind him and told her to shut up.

As she decided whether to kick him or say something rude, she followed his wide-eyed line of sight to the trees. Two grubby men, each holding a knife in one hand and a heavy club in the other, advanced on them. It didn’t look like they were going to strike up a friendly conversation. She wanted to shout all the swear words she knew, but Shane’s grip on her wrist kept her quiet. And they were so close.

Piper stood on a hill, looking down at the nearly magical beauty of Lachlan’s land. The large and inviting stone house was surrounded by trees and bright patches of winter gardens. The mountains protected them on three sides, like comforting sentinels, and she could see dozens of sheep on another hill to the east, smaller buildings scattered here and there, and acres of fields below waiting for spring planting. It was an oasis in the far north of Scotland. If she didn’t miss Daisy so desperately she’d want to stay and really have a second honeymoon here.

“You always made it sound like it was such a dump,” she said, taking Lachlan’s hand. “It’s perfect. Just gorgeous.”

He shrugged modestly. “I hardly took a moment to really look at it when it was mine,” he said.

She studied him as he looked out at everything he’d given up for her, but he didn’t show even the slightest regret. “You don’t miss it at all? Ever?”

“Not at all, never. Sometimes I think of Catie and Quinn, as ye well know, but not this.” He swept his hand to encompass it all. “I’m grateful to see it with ye, though. Through your eyes. It wasna all bad here.”

They turned at the sound of another horse approaching. Oliver rode up, sitting tall in the saddle, but with a wary expression on his face. He wore a muted hunting plaid, and looked like he belonged in the Highlands instead of the city slicker Londoner he was.

“Ah, good, just the lad I wanted to see,” Lachlan called out cheerily, making Oliver flinch.

He slid off the horse and took Lachlan’s proffered hand. Piper saw him wince and wanted to pinch Lachlan for being such a big brother. It was his sister who was jerking Oliver around. The poor boy didn’t deserve these intimidation tactics.

“I have half a mind to go with you to keep you civil,” she said, then smiled at Oliver.

“Not a chance, love.” Lachlan let go of Oliver’s hand and offered him a more sincere smile. “Since those thieves have yet to be caught, it’s much too dangerous. Dinna worry, I shallna eat him. And if Mellie’s out there, we’ll find her and drag her back to ye.”

“I am worried about Mellie,” Piper said. “Why wouldn’t she be here before us? We went pretty slowly, and still got here in a day.”

“Well, she doesna know these roads like I do,” he said, helping her back onto her horse and aiming its head toward the house.

She noticed his troubled frown as he mounted up. “Be careful,” she said. He would have never forgiven her if she mentioned him being out of practice in front of Oliver, but she worried about him as well as Mel. “Those bandits might have friends.”

Oliver patted his sword, and nodded to Lachlan. “I believe we’ll be all right.”

Piper tried to read anything from his words or expressions. He seemed relieved that Lachlan hadn’t hit him straight away, and eager to be off, but she didn’t know if that was just his chivalrous nature, or specifically related to Mellie. Oh, she’d wring his neck as well if he strayed from Catie, no matter how much of a brat she was. Piper knew in her bones that Catie loved him, or she never would have come back to this time. She’d been having too much fun to give it up for anything less than love.

Something snapped in her memory. The good times Catie’d had during that long ago visit had mostly revolved around— no, it couldn’t be. They couldn’t both be here.

She gasped, and grabbed Lachlan’s hand. Hadn’t he had a theory as to why Mellie had come, that got cut short when they were attacked? He looked at her worriedly and she shook her head. Knowing what she knew, it couldn’t possibly be right, she was being crazy to think it. He needed to find her, that was the end of it.

When Oliver turned away, she gave Lachlan a kiss and wished him luck, then begged him not to scare Oliver.

“Don’t give him a reason to turn to Mellie,” she said desperately. “We can’t risk losing her in our time, and you know—”

He put his finger to her lips. “Aye, Piper, I know. Now let me be on my way.”

She watched them depart until they rounded a bend at the bottom of the hill, then turned her horse back to the house. Catie hadn’t come down for the hurried breakfast Lizzie made for them, and she knew she had to offer some words of wisdom, or at least commiseration, while she was here. She would have almost rather faced the bandits again.