Breath of Yesterday (The Curse Series) (12 page)

I chewed on my last morsel of bread and decided that it was the best plan anyone in my situation could possibly come up with. And even though my feet hurt, my butt was sore from the long ride, and the skin around my wrists was chafed—I actually felt pretty good.

A good while later—it was dark already—we reached shepherd McRae’s small cottage. In a pen next to it, I could make out the rest of the horses. They stood together, nibbling on the tall grass. Ross made straight for the fence.

Our arrival had not gone unnoticed. The cottage door opened, and Sean stepped outside in a narrow glimmer of light.

“What took you so long?” He sounded annoyed.

“We had problems with the horse. But we got here.”

Ross turned away and loosened the saddle before starting to rub down his horse with straw. He didn’t say another word.

I stood between the two of them, unsure of what to do. It was pretty obvious that Ross no longer considered me one of his responsibilities, yet Sean didn’t seem to know what to do about me, either. My eyes wandered between them while I waited for further instructions. Sean raised his head as if he’d had an idea; then he told me to stay where I was as he disappeared inside the little cottage.

When the door opened again, Payton stepped out. Obviously exhausted, he ran his hands over his face and came toward me. His gait was sluggish, and it seemed as though he barely had enough strength to lift his feet off the ground. I watched him expectantly, hoping this time to detect a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. With one swift move of his knife, he cut the rope off my wrists.

“Follow me,” he said, continuing on without even checking that I was really following him. I looked back toward Ross, but he was busy. I couldn’t hear any sound coming from the cottage, either.

I tried my best to hurry on after Payton, gathering my skirts and running after him into the darkness. I slowed down once I caught up and was only a few steps behind him. I didn’t know what to expect. If he thought of me as a prisoner, how then could I talk to him? After my experience with the twin brothers, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to pass for
normal
.

A thorny blackberry vine caught on my leg and tore open my shin.

“Ouch! Goddammit!” I cussed, continuing to run while lifting my hemline to inspect the bloody scratch. But Payton had stopped, and I accidentally stepped on his heels. I probably would have landed in the bushes behind me if he hadn’t grabbed me. Suddenly, I found myself dangerously close to his chest. I tilted my head back so I could look him in the eyes. His lips were so close, and I could feel the blood rushing into my cheeks. A barely perceptible smile twitched around his mouth.

“Be careful, lassie,” he cautioned. “There are men out there who wouldn’t pass up a situation like this.”

And just so I understood what he meant by that, he held on to me just a moment longer. Oh, gosh, how embarrassing! Surely he didn’t think that I wanted to come on to him! Truth be told, of course, I wanted nothing more than for him to take me in his arms and kiss me. But he seemed immune to such yearnings of the flesh. He gently pushed me away and motioned toward a body of water visible between the tree line in front of us.

“You may go and wash yourself. I’ll wait here by this rock and keep watch.”

The most beautiful sight opened up in front of me. The lake lay still like a polished mirror. It almost looked like a crater framed by the dark, looming mountains. A silvery streak of moonlight danced on its sparkling surface, and it looked as though every single star had come down from the sky just to bathe in it.

Still, I gave Payton a quizzical look.

“Wash myself? You led me here so I could wash myself?”

He gave a deep, throaty laugh. “You
stink!
All right, to be honest we both stink. But because I want to protect your modesty, I will abstain from jumping into the lake with you. Instead, I will wait until you are done. I brought you here because I wanted a bath, and I thought you might appreciate one, too.”

I was glad that the dark of the night concealed my shivering body from him, and I folded my arms across my chest. I was embarrassed about my BO, and I really wished Payton hadn’t noticed. I wanted nothing more than to get rid of this awful dress and take a nice, hot bath; to massage silky shampoo into my hair; and then to put on my favorite yoga pants. But the night was cold, the water was probably freezing, and my favorite shampoo was nowhere in sight. Which was why I hesitated.

Payton sat down and leaned against the rock, pulling his knees up to his chest. “Take your time. I’m in no rush to return to the cottage.”

I stared down at his broad shoulders. “Why not?”

“Because I can’t bear to see my father like that. He’s sleeping now, but I worry that he might not make it through the night.”

He rested his elbows on his knees and buried his head in his hands.

“Wouldn’t you rather be with him in case he really…?” I couldn’t bring myself to finish the sentence, because Payton seemed gloomy enough as it was.

“No. I’ve been feeling so terribly helpless all day. The cottage is tiny, and it’s my brother Blair’s place to take Father’s side. He’s the oldest, and he will be our new laird should it come to the worst.”

“I wish I could help you,” I whispered.

“Oh, you will. As soon as the sun rises, we’ll have to remove the arrow from his chest and dress the wound properly. You will help us. You womenfolk seem to be better at that sort of thing,” he explained. “But first I would really prefer—only for Father’s sake, of course—that you wash yourself.”

There it was again. Maybe the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, but he did give me an amused wink. Strangely, I didn’t find it at all odd that someone would want to remove an arrow from someone’s chest without any medical training whatsoever. Not even when that someone was supposed to be
me
. What if he died during my botched attempt? Wouldn’t the new laird have me beheaded right then and there?

“How about it, lassie, don’t you want to go bathe?” Payton followed up in an almost-tender tone.

“Sam. My name is Sam…not Lassie.”

I swallowed hard, wiping a tear from my eye. I wanted to shake him and yell, “Don’t you recognize me, Payton? Doesn’t your heart recognize me?”

But of course I didn’t.

“
Lassie
means ‘girl.’ I called you that because I didn’t know your name. I’m Payton. Payton McLean. So, Sam, what are you waiting for? Are you afraid of me? I swear on my honor that I am not going to hurt you. I will not even look.”

I shook my head. No, he wouldn’t hurt me, because whoever
this
Payton was, I could trust him.

So I turned around and walked down to the lakeshore. It was only a few yards, and I could feel his eyes following me. I glanced back at him over my shoulder, hesitating, and when our eyes met, he turned around so that I could undress in private.

I slid under a bush and loosened the belt with the dagger in it. I then tried to cover it up with some pebbles. I wanted to place the housedress on top of it, hoping that Payton wouldn’t notice. Until I could convince him of my story, I really wanted to hold on to that knife. My hands shook as I pulled the horrible fabric over my head. I wondered what he’d think if he ever saw my Black Eyed Peas tank top, underwire bra, and black panties with the lace trim. A man of this era would never expect to see undergarments like mine on a peasant woman.

When I’d donned the dress for the first time, it didn’t even occur to me that I would be forced to live among Highlanders for a while. Going forward, I needed to be more careful. The world wasn’t ready for hip-hop, and I was deeply sorry when I took off my top, scrunched up the Peas, and fled with it into the water.

I held my breath, and my heart skipped a beat as the ice-cold water sloshed around my hips. I must have made a startled sound, because Payton turned around. I cursed, quickly submerging myself up to my chin so that he couldn’t see my anachronistic underwear.

The freezing water stung me like a thousand needles, and my breathing turned into irregular gasps as my lungs tried to work against my cramping muscles.

“Everything all right?” he asked through the darkness.

“Go away!” I managed with chattering teeth.

“What? Are you well? You’re not drowning, are you?”

Because he was already knee-deep in the lake, I raised my hands and screeched: “No! Go away! Everything’s perfect!”

In the moonlight I could see his doubts very clearly, but he obeyed, took a couple steps back, and sat down on the lakeshore.

“I’ll stay here, just in case. But don’t worry, I’ve got my eyes closed,” he called out.

I wasn’t as cold anymore, probably because I was treading water and flailing my arms. Or perhaps the oxygen supply to my brain was affected and made me immune. Either way, I couldn’t stay in the water a second longer without contracting pneumonia, so I took a deep breath and submerged myself fully. I had felt a big rock under my feet, and I now tried to lift it by one of the corners.

Jesus, it was so cold! My eyes seemed to turn into ice cubes, and my scalp burned from the freezing water. With stiff fingers I finally managed to push the tank top under the rock before letting go so that it snapped into place. I came up for air, gasping for breath. With my last ounce of strength, I dragged myself back to the shore, waded through the water on shivering legs, and squatted behind my bush. That was when I heard Payton giggle.

“What’s so funny?” I asked, irritated. I peered at him through the branches while pulling my awful dress back on.

I saw him keel over and hold his stomach with laughter.

“Sam, you look…light as a kitten, all small and delicate. But when I close my eyes, you sound like a big old wheezing cow trying to climb out of a boggy swamp.”

I could barely make out the last few words through his chuckles. But I could certainly guess what he was trying to say. Furiously, I grabbed a handful of pebbles and hurled them in his direction. And when I heard him yelp and jump to his feet, I couldn’t help but chortle myself. The crunch of his steps drew closer, stopping when he reached my shrub.

“If you don’t mind, I will go and quickly wash myself before we walk back.”

He didn’t wait for my approval but instead stepped up to the water and loosened first the brooch on his shoulder and then the belt around his hips. The length of material that covered him sank to the ground. His pearly white butt beamed at me in the moonlight, and I swallowed hard as he also ditched his shirt.

There he was, in all his glory and without any false sense of modesty, walking into the water as if completely immune to the cold. Elegantly, he dove in.

Fortunately it was dark, because even though I had wanted to use this moment to hide the dagger in my dress, I just sat there admiring this man. The moonlight turned the water drops on his skin into tiny diamonds, and I discovered muscles on this body that I knew he didn’t have in the present day.

His body looked stronger, more athletic. Presumably it had been hardened by these living conditions. I finally managed to turn my attention back to my task, and I tried to focus on the belt on my upper thigh. Repeatedly, I glanced over the lake surface to watch Payton, whose magnificence I just couldn’t let go of.

I heard him wading back to shore while I was still working on my dagger. I had just pulled down my skirt when he suddenly appeared in front of me again. The plaid was draped around his hips in perfect pleats, but his shirt was still unbuttoned. I really was tempted to reach out and wipe the remaining water droplets off his chest.

He looked me up and down, and a wide grin spread over his face.

“Well, well, who’d have thought that a little water could make such a difference.”

And with that, he turned and walked away. I scowled and stared after him as he disappeared into the woods on the same narrow path we had come from.

C
HAPTER
15

Cemetery by Auld a´chruinn, Present-Day October

T
he earth under Sean’s feet turned to mud as he made his way toward the cemetery. All he’d been able to do for days was to keep Payton company here in this rain. His brother flat-out refused to leave his position by the Five Sisters stone. Because even though they had now found the memorial stone that they blamed for Sam’s disappearance, they couldn’t figure out a way of following her.

Whether the legend had killed Sam or it had just ripped her from this place and time, they did not know. He had tried to convince Payton to take it easy on himself, preserve his energy, and sit and wait for updates in the nearby village—but Payton wouldn’t hear of it. No, his pigheaded brother insisted on using the last bit of his strength, exposing himself to the elements, and holding out to his dying breath. Sean knew that this was also Payton’s form of self-flagellation. He wanted to punish himself for bringing this situation on Sam in the first place.

Sean didn’t know how often in the last few days he had thought how easy it would be if Vanora’s curse were still in effect, having robbed them of all their feelings. But her curse had been broken since last summer. Their feelings were back, along with all their pain and remorse. He couldn’t stand to see his brother suffering.

Sean stepped through the cemetery gate. His eyes went first to the mighty obelisk that had distracted them from noticing Sam’s disappearance until it was too late. Then he turned his attention to the cemetery wall—and stopped. Eyebrows raised, he approached Payton in bewilderment.

“Are you all right? Or have you completely lost your mind?” he asked.

Payton looked like the epitome of misery: wet, dirty, and with his skin drawn and pale. Still, he was laughing so hard that tears streamed down his face.

“Payton?” Sean insisted as his brother ignored him, holding his stomach with laughter.

Despite the muddy ground, Sean sat down and patiently waited for an explanation. As Payton came up for air, he struggled to keep his attention on Sean. With beaming eyes, he grinned from ear to ear.

“Oh yes, you are definitely crazy!” Sean confirmed.

“
Pog mo thon!
You don’t know anything!” Payton defended himself.

“Because you won’t speak up, goddammit! Tell me, what is it that you find so amusing?”

Payton smiled. “I have found her, Sean.” He tapped his forehead with his finger. “In here. She made it! She’s alive!”

Sean stared at him and raised his arms in disbelief.

“What the hell are you talking about? What did you find?”

“Why—Samantha, of course! I remember her. It’s only a scrap of a memory, but it is as vivid as if it happened yesterday! I’m telling you: Sam has traveled back through time! And she’s found me!”

Sean frowned. That he had serious doubts about Payton’s sanity was clearly written on his face.

“What kind of a memory? I don’t understand.”

“I don’t understand it myself, Sean! I was just sitting here hoping she’s still alive, praying for her return, engulfed by feelings of guilt and remorse. But then this image flashed through my mind!”

Payton had jumped to his feet. He flailed his arms excitedly as he continued.

“So then, all of a sudden, I saw her before me—you know, like a memory. She was wearing a dress like one of those poor peasant women at Castle Burragh. I saw her stumbling, and I caught her. Also, s
h
e had terrible BO!”

Payton burst out laughing again, and tears streamed down his face. “It was the night when Father lay wounded in McRae’s cottage. Don’t you remember? You
must
have seen her, too!”

Sean tried to recall that night. Many of his memories had paled over the course of the centuries. The curse having robbed them of all feelings, memories had also become secondary, unimportant, because there was no joy or happiness in them. Still, it sounded impossible that he would have met Sam way back then.

“No, Payton—I’m sorry. I can vaguely remember that time, but not Sam
…
no…I don’t remember her at all. Are you sure? Maybe your mind is playing tricks on you? Some kind of wishful thinking?”

Furiously, Payton kicked a rock. “Of course I am sure! How could I have forgotten about that? I remember how I had to laugh when she came up panting and wheezing from the lake!”

Payton closed his eyes as he recalled the scene.

“I was so confused when I saw her standing before me all clean and with her hair all wet. And because I couldn’t place my feelings, I just left her there. I just walked away.”

Shaking his head, Payton sat down on the wall. “Thinking back to that moment now, I think I fell for her right then,” he said.

“Well, for the life of me I cannot remember ever having seen Sam before. So you think she is alive and that she’s found us—but what now? Do you remember her telling you that she came from the future? Don’t you think she would have mentioned a minor detail like that?”

Payton put his hands on his head. That was exactly the point. He remembered nothing but that one moment by the lakeshore.

“I don’t know, Jesus!” he barked. “Until about an hour ago I couldn’t remember that evening at all!”

Payton was frustrated that Sean didn’t act too happy about his newfound memories. Sean didn’t seem to understand that, whatever happened next, Samantha had at least made it safely through her journey through time. And she had found them. That was all that mattered right now.

Suddenly Sean came up with a start and slapped his thighs. “That’s it!” he exclaimed. “She is rewriting your memories! You remembered it so suddenly because you are living through that moment right now—I mean you
have
lived through that moment…if you know what I mean! Sam is changing your memories.”

He broke a twig from the brush by the cemetery wall and crouched to draw something on the ground.

“Look here. If this”—he drew a long, straight line—“is time—our life from
then
until
now
—then all we really have are our memories of the things we see and the people we meet during that time. But here”—he drew an arc from the point he had called
now
back to the center point on the straight line—“is when the change starts. Sam comes into our, um, already lived life, and changes it. Because of this, we now also remember this new path through life as seen through that particular point.” He drew a second straight line, parallel to the first one, which ended in another endpoint called
now
. “So, I think you are right. She made it!”

“In that case, I hope we don’t start having memories of her getting her pretty head cut off,” Payton whispered, feeling exhausted. He sent a quick prayer up to heaven.