“Well, ye never have to wonder what Adelle is thinking, ’tis certain. Ye shall be joining us for the meal on Christmas Eve, aye? It would disappoint her if ye dinna, and I can tell by the sparkle in yer eye when ye speak of her that ye doona wish to do that.”
The last thing he wanted to do was upset Adelle in anyway. He was slowly beginning to want to do nothing more than please her. “Aye, lad, I’ll be there. Ye are right, I doona wish to disappoint her at all.”
* * *
The men arrived back at the castle midday on Christmas Eve. The prizes of the hunt were such that I was immediately forced to join Mary in the kitchen so that we could get to work preparing the meat. Bri and Blaire somehow evaded the kitchen. I suspected they were both spending private moments with their husbands, who they’d not seen for a whole three days.
It seemed a bit ridiculous to me that such a short period of separation seemed to cause them both such distress, but the truth was I was a little envious of the relationships they had found. I’d never had that with Bri’s father. We both celebrated at the absence of the other. Even after our divorce, I’d never dated anyone long enough to allow my feelings to get all that strong.
By the time all of the food was prepared, everyone but Mary and I sat waiting anxiously in the dining hall, ready to devour the feast that was about to be placed before them. I’d just stepped into the room when I tripped on the bottom of my dress, causing me to slip forward.
I was certain I would land on the floor, spilling the precious bread basket I held in my hands, but Hew’s quick hands suddenly set me right. He’d jumped up to pull a piece of garland out of his curious puppy’s mouth and had passed by just in time to keep me from my fall.
“Are ye all right, lass? Mary would kill ye if ye dropped the food.”
“Yes, she most certainly would. Thank you.” I looked up at him, instantly lost in the greenness of his eyes. He didn’t let go of my forearms, and it took Arran’s voice from the table to pull us away from our locked gazes.
“Look up. Ye have both found yerself beneath the mistletoe. Ye must kiss her, Hew. ’Tis bad luck if ye doona.”
Our eyes met once more. I was certain he wouldn’t kiss me. It had been much for him to kiss my cheek in private. This would be too much to ask of him.
He didn’t glance away. Instead, leaning in close until his lips were just a hair’s width from mine, he whispered, “It seems that I must. I willna have bad luck following ye, lass.”
His lips pressed warm, soft, and shy. I melted into him, nearly winding my fingers up into his hair as the butterflies in my stomach coursed through every inch of my body. Mary’s voice to the other side of us caused him to pull away from me.
“Well, now ye have gone and ruined it. Now that Kip has seen what that is for, I shall never be able to trap him beneath it.”
Hew laughed but leaned into my ear after Mary passed by us, whispering so that no one but me could hear him. “I intend to finish that kiss later, lass.”
I smiled and whispered back, not caring about the eyes focused on us. “I surely hope so.”
Chapter 13
Christmas morning was all that I’d hoped it would be. Presents, a beautiful tree, a warm fire, and lots of love and laughter filled the castle. Together, we lit the candle to place in the window to light the way for strangers, a New Year’s tradition Mary shared with us. I’d heard of the custom through my archaeological studies, but it became a treat to be an active participant in the ritual.
When Bri opened the baby blanket, she’d cried big fish tears that soon had all of the women, even Mary, blubbering like babies. The baby was to come any day now so I’d also wrapped up the vial Morna had sent with me. Bri’s reaction was just what I had expected.
“Oh, thank God! I’ve been so terrified for weeks at the pain. I’d about made up my mind that I was not going to let the child come out. If the medicine came from Morna, it’s certain to help, don’t you think?”
I suspected she was getting her hopes up a little high. While I was sure it would help to dull her pain a little, the pain of childbirth was such that there was little chance of it being a pain-free experience. I didn’t imagine that’s what she wanted to hear, so I simply smiled and nodded. “Yes, I’m sure it will help.”
Hew had joined us but remained standoffish. I assumed he didn’t want to make any of us feel guilty for not having gifts for him. I did, however. It just wasn’t quite ready yet, and I didn’t want him to know until later. I would need to enlist Mary’s help to finish it. I’d done a fantastic job of thoroughly screwing it up.
I walked over to him, gently reaching out to touch his arm. “Merry Christmas.”
He smiled, reaching up to gently squeeze my hand. “Merry Christmas to ye as well, lass. It has been many years since I have been able to witness such a wonderful celebration, but now I believe I shall take me leave and return to the cottage for awhile.”
“Oh, please don’t. We all enjoy having you here. Do you feel uncomfortable?”
“Nay, lass. I am surprised to say that I am verra comfortable with all of ye. ’Tis only that I have something I’d like to give ye but ’tis no quite finished yet. Would ye stop by the cottage in a little while?”
I smiled, but panic rushed through me. “Yes, of course I will.” I wasn’t going to accept a gift from him unless I had something to give him in return. That meant I didn’t have much time to convince Mary to help me fix the disaster I tried to sew together yesterday morning.
He smiled, squeezing my hand once more before he slipped away. As soon as I saw him gone, I crossed the room to yank Mary up from her chair.
“You have got to come help me, quick. I tried to make Hew something, but I’ve messed it all up. Now he’s going to give me something, so I need you to repair my gift to him.”
“Ach, I see how he is. He will give his hussy a gift but no his sister. Did I just hear ye say ye tried to sew something, Adelle?”
Mary looked at me begrudgingly but stood. I knew she would be happy to help. “Yes, I know. Horrible idea.”
“Aye, lass,” Mary laughed heartily. “Ye are a fool, but I’m so happy this Christmas morning, I doona mind telling ye that I love ye dearly. Now, let’s go fix the mess ye’ve made. Me brother deserves a proper gift.”
Chapter 14
I knocked on the door to the cottage with numb fingers and a red nose. It had started snowing once more, and the wind blew bitterly cold. He opened the door quickly, smiling wide.
“Come inside, lass. Ye and the pup both. ’Tis freezing outside.”
A large fire burned from the hearth, making the room warm, almost toasty, inside. He was wearing less clothing than I’d ever seen him in. I had to swallow hard at the sight of seeing what I thought he would look like underneath his big coat the first day I’d met him. He wore long pants, his shirt thin linen exposing part of his chest. Chest hair poked out from the top.
Once I stood inside, he pulled me into a large hug. I breathed in deeply at the masculine scent of him as my face pressed flat against his chest. “I’m sorry it took me so long. I had to get Mary to help me finish your gift. I made quite a mess of it.”
He crossed the room to grab a small box that sat in the windowsill next to the tree. “Ye doona need to give me a gift, lass.”
“Well, same goes for you then. But, it seems that we both did anyway, so let’s exchange them.”
I didn’t wait for him to give me mine before extending the two folded pieces of cloth I held in my hands. He took them, and after unfolding them, stared down at the odd pieces quizzically. “Thank ye, lass, but what exactly is it that I’m holding?”
I bent down and snatched up my puppy who snuggled next to his brother near the fire. Reaching out, I took one of the pieces from him and gently slipped it over the puppy’s head, pushing each leg through the tiny holes.
He laughed loudly. “Did ye truly make a shirt for the pups? Is this a common thing where ye come from?”
I
smiled. I knew he would find it silly, but there was no denying how precious both of them would look in their small, wool onesies. “Yes, I surely did. Not all that common, but a few crazy people like me do sometimes dress their dogs. You can’t deny how cute they look.”
He grinned picking up the other pup as he slipped the small creation over the animal. “Nay, lass, I canna deny it. They shall be the bonniest, most ridiculous-looking pups anywhere. It seems that our gifts will compliment one another.”
“Oh yeah? How?”
He placed the box inside my hands. “Open it and see, lass. I hope that ye like them. It has been some time since I have carved anything.”
I lifted the top of the wooden box gently. The box itself was exquisite, crafted by fine hands. I could only imagine how magnificent the contents inside the box would be. I lifted the small piece of cloth covering the items, and I had to choke back tears when I saw what lay inside.
Two wooden ornaments lay nestled within, each dangling from crimson ribbons, carved perfectly into the shape of dogs, puppies to be exact. Their resemblance to the pups snuggling at our feet was striking.
I’d not had a gift so touching in many years. It wasn’t the ornaments themselves, although they were certainly impressive. The attention and thought that had gone into such a gift touched me deeply. He’d listened to me the night we’d decorated the cottage together and taken special note of my love for such objects.
His voice startled me from my gaze. “Do ye no like them, lass? I’m no so good at crafting wood as I once was. I’m a bit out of practice.”
“No.” I reached out to grab him firmly by the hand. “They’re amazing, Hew, truly. I love them. It’s only that I’m a little disappointed.” I grinned flirtatiously at the concern he showed on his face.
“Disappointed, lass?”
“Yes, disappointed, I was hoping that as my gift you were going to finish that kiss you started yesterday.”
He laughed, ripping the box from my hands as he tossed it onto the bed across the room and pulled me tightly against him. “Aye, I’ll finish it, lass, and then I’ll begin another and another.”
This kiss held nothing of the shyness that had shown in his kiss the night before. His lips moved confidently against my own as one hand at the lower half of my back pulled me flush against him, his other hand winding its way into my hair.
I moaned as he pulled my lower lip deep into his mouth. He pulled away to speak breathlessly into my ear, the tickle of it causing me to squirm against him.
“Ach, lass. Doona make such a sound unless ye want me to take ye in that bed right there.” He nudged his head in that direction.
While my body wanted nothing more than for him to do just that, something with Hew felt different. The feeling within me while in his presence was special, life-changing. It seemed that such a hasty act would cheapen my feelings for him. I laughed, his breath tickling my neck and back. “I’m sorry but I can hardly help it when you kiss me so.”
“Do ye wish me to stop, lass?”
“No, not at all. I like your kisses very much.” I kissed him, lightly allowing my tongue to slip inside before pulling away and was rewarded with him crushing me against him once more.
He devoured me, causing my head to grow light as we breathed each other’s breaths as our own. If I didn’t pull away and change the subject quickly, I would allow him to take me, and something in my mind screamed that this man needed to be different.
Slowly, I closed my mouth, giving him a small kiss before pulling away. “I just thought of something.”
His green eyes were hazy, nearly blurred with the lust that I was certain mirrored my own eyes. “Aye? What is that, lass? Do ye think perhaps, ye could tell me later?”
I laughed and tried to step away, but he held me close to him. “No, it’s very important. We have yet to name our puppies. We found them together. I think we should name them together.”
He remained quiet for a moment. I suspected he was giving himself a minute to pull himself out of the thralls of his lustful thoughts. Slowly, he lessened the grip on my back and stepped away just slightly. “Aye, lass, ye are quite right. We should. I know what I wish to name the dark one.”
“Really? What?”
“He’s quite a masculine pup, do ye agree? His fur makes him look like an exotic beast. I think we should name him Tearlach. It means that he is a manly creature.”
I smiled. I didn’t think the puppy looked manly, only adorable, but he was right. As the pup grew, the fluffy hair around his head would make him look like a lion. “It’s perfect.”
“Ye should be the one to name the lighter one. ’Tis ye that found him.”
I thought for a moment, but every name I thought of sounded too American. He needed a Scottish name that would fit his brother’s. “Do you see how his tail always sticks up? It looks like he is waving a flag. Is there another word for that?”
“Aye, lass, I see. What about Bratach? It holds much the same meaning.”
I stood on my tip-toes and kissed his cheek. “I think it’s perfect, and with that I will take my leave. You are too much of a temptation for me to stay a moment longer.”
He laughed his deep, grumbly laugh that shook his whole chest and made my knees go weak.
“Temptation, lass? Nay, ’tis ye that are the temptation. I have been alone for a long time. Ye have awakened feelings within me I fear I am too old to handle.”
“You are not old. You’re the same as me I’d imagine, and I am in no way old, which means neither are you.” I moved to stand by the door.
“If you say so, lass. Will ye accompany me somewhere tomorrow afternoon?”
“Yes, I think I could manage that. Where?”
“’Tis a surprise, lass. I shall meet ye at the back of the castle come midday.”
He opened the door to the cottage, taking my hand so that he could walk me back to the castle, leaving me to wonder just what tomorrow held in store for me.
Chapter 15
Hew rose early the next morning so that he could work on carving the large piece of wood remaining from the ornaments he’d made. He hoped to make it into a sort of sled that he and Adelle could take out on their outing this afternoon.
Just thinking about spending more time with her made his heart beat quickly. He’d lived alone for so long he’d convinced himself that it was the only way to honor the memory of his late wife, to stay trapped in the memories of his short time with her. But with each day since he’d met Adele, he felt more alive. He was slowly learning that nothing could have been further from the truth.
Mae had not been a jealous woman. She knew she held his heart and lived her life with more light and love than any other lass he’d ever met. She would’ve wished more for him. She wouldn’t have been pleased that he’d spent so many years all alone.
It saddened him that for so long he’d not seen the truth in the mistakes he was making.
All he could do now was to try and move forward, living the rest of his life as Mae would’ve wished it. She would be very pleased to know that he’d found happiness once again. He could almost hear her whispering in his ear, pleading with him not to let her slip out of his grasp.
He didn’t intend to let Adelle do any such thing, but he also knew it best that their afternoon spent together be passed out of doors. He was a man who’d gone too long without sharing his bed with another woman, and the next time he and Adelle were alone within four walls, he knew he would not be able to keep himself from claiming her as his own.
For this reason he worked, chipping away at the wood with as much force as he could muster, crafting it into the perfect seat for two. He was a man in need, and he needed to exert whatever physical activity he could to help keep his mind off her.
* * *
Either Hew hadn’t told Mary what he planned for us to do this afternoon, or she was damned determined not to tell us what she knew.
Bri and Blaire had insisted on dressing me, and they’d dec
ided to place me in the finest dress I had. “Are you sure this is appropriate? I feel very overdressed.”
“It’s always better to be overdressed than underdressed. I believe you are the one that taught me that. Besides, we have no way of knowing do we, since Mary refuses to tell us what his plans are?”
Bri continued to pick away at my hair, doing her best to pin it into place.
Mary threw her hands up in exasperation as she screamed angrily at us. “I already told ye, I doona know what his plans are. I havena spoken to him about it. Ye are a couple of thick-headed lassies, the two of ye!”
She turned and left us, stomping her feet on the way. Once she was gone, we both burst out into laughter. “I should not have pestered her so. There. What do you think?”
Bri stepped away so that I could turn and look in the mirror. “Thank you. My hair looks nice, but I feel ridiculous in this dress. I’d rather be in jeans and a nice blouse.”
Bri laughed and bent down to squeeze me while placing her face up against my own. “I’m sure you would, but those days are over, I’m afraid. At least it’s not expected that we shave our legs in this time.”
“Thank God for small mercies.” She was right. It would have been considered quite strange for us to do so in this time and that was fine with me. I always thought it a pain in the rear anyway.
“Are you nervous, Mom? You like him quite a lot, don’t you?”
I stood, wishing I could shorten the dress a good eighteen inches just so I would be able to move more freely. “A little, but every time I’m around him whatever nerves I may have had before dissipate quickly. And yes, I like him very much, which is probably foolish. Once the snow melts, he’ll no longer want to stay here.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure, Mom. I think if he had reason to stay, he would. You may just end up being that reason.”
I hoped she was right. The thought of him leaving filled me with sadness, but I would not worry about that now. Today, I was simply going to enjoy his company.
Morna's Legacy: Box Set #1 Page 46