My Dark Highlander

by Badger, Nancy Lee

  Gavin rushed to the door, and listened. After he slipped into the hall, the lock turned behind him.

  Jumping from bed, she grabbed a pair of blue jeans. Pulling a red tank top over her head, she slipped bare feet into a pair of tennis shoes, and raced to her door. No matter how hard she pulled, it wouldn’t open. Had Gavin done that?

  At the window, she peeked from behind the curtain. Night had fallen, and the automatic lights had popped on, showing her an unfamiliar car. When she lifted the window sash, the sounds of a struggle, coming from her covered porch, split the silence of the early evening. Due to the porch’s overhang, she couldn’t see who was fighting. The horses made a ruckus, sensing danger was near, as they whinnied and kicked at their stall walls.

  Locked in my room, how can I help?

  “Here goes nothing.” Pushing the window all the way up, she slipped onto the thin edge of the roof. She slid over the side, and hung on to the gutter. Stretching, her foot connected with the roof of the intruder’s car, and she let go.

  Sliding down onto the hood, she slipped to the ground. Crouching, she glanced toward the porch where Gavin wrestled with a familiar-looking man.

  The pizza guy?

  Surreal thoughts filled her head. She prayed he had come to her apartment unarmed. When he pulled a gun and aimed it at Gavin’s head, those thoughts died a swift death.

  “No!”

  Her cry interrupted the attacker’s plans long enough for Gavin to grab the wrist below the weapon, and raise the barrel above their heads. A shot blasted a hole in the overhang, raining sparks and shards of wood on them. The attacker pushed a startled Gavin aside, and raced in her direction, the gun still in his hand. Lifting it, he pointed it at her. She slid below the car’s fender and crawled in front of the bumper. With the car between her and the gunman, she had only seconds to decide.

  Do I stay or do I run?

  When his footsteps closed in to her right, she bolted across the gravel driveway and headed for the relative safety of the barn, and its thick wooden doors.

  She swerved from side to side as she ran. The gun’s blast, followed by the whistle of a bullet passing by her left ear, fueled her feet to run even faster. Once inside, she pulled the doors shut, shoving the long handle of a pitchfork through the doors’ handles. Balfour’s whinnies, loud and filled with terror, made her release him from his stall. She opened Falcon’s stall door and pulled the older horse inside, behind her.

  “Easy, Falcon. Gavin will save us.” She patted his rump, and pulled the animals as far back from the barn doors as possible. Several bullets pierced the door, and one slammed into Balfour’s feed bucket with a loud clang. Where was Gavin? What he had said earlier was sobering. Someone wanted her harmed because of him. Why? It wasn’t like they were together. They’d spent one night alone, but it was innocent. Gavin took many women to bed, if she believed the stories. His reputation was the reason she knew she’d never be more than a one night stand. Yet he had not taken advantage of her, and their situation.

  “Lass? ‘Tis I. Open the doors.” Falcon whinnied and trotted from the safety of the stall. If he believed the voice was Gavin’s, then she would, too.

  Shoving the black warhorse aside, she released the long-handled tool, and pulled the doors open. Gavin stood in the shadows, his face partially lit by the far-away porch light that had managed to survive a gun blast. He was unhurt and naked, except for a huge sword.

  “Are we alone?” Jenny asked, then swallowed.

  He raised his sword, and smiled. “Aye, he has run off. Pray he does no’ return with reinforcements.” When footsteps crunched the gravel behind Gavin, he whirled around and raised his weapon.

  ***

  “What the devil is all the noise?” Falcon reared, as Rae stepped through the doorway. Gavin turned his attention to his distressed steed. Jenny ran to the wall, touched something, and lights blazed above them, forcing the darkness away. When Rae walked toward her, Gavin’s fierce expression met his, as he blocked his path.

  “Can a man no’ get some rest?” When he lowered his gaze, and realized Gavin no longer wore his plaid, his eyes swept to Jenny then back to Gavin. “Why are ye naked, and why are ye raising yer sword against me?”

  Jenny walked around Gavin and stopped in front of him. “Rae, we had a prowler.”

  “A prowler? What--”

  “Do ye recall the man who delivered the boxed food?” Gavin asked him.

  “The pizza?” His stomach growled, and he wanted to laugh, but Gavin’s dark scowl halted all humor. “Aye, I remember him. Why?”

  “He attacked us. His weapon--”

  “A gun,” Jenny said.

  “His gun nearly blew apart my head, and then he went after Jenny.” Gavin pointed at the open barn doors riddled with holes.

  The evidence of the weapon’s power was sobering. “Why would anyone wish to kill our Jenny?”

  Gavin lowered his sword, and stepped closer, and whispered, “She is mine.”

  Jenny smacked Gavin’s shoulder. “Give it a rest. I don’t belong to you, or any man. Randy found that out, the hard way. If your enemies think we are an item, then you should go away. Let them see we don’t want each other.”

  Gavin’s head drooped, and he turned and led Balfour back inside his stall.

  She and Rae listened as he talked to old Balfour, shut the doors, and ignored her statement. Why did Gavin act as if Jenny was his woman? He was naked, but she was fully dressed. Had she not warmed to his presence? If her words rang true, and Gavin was the reason for the attack, he had an idea.

  “Spend time with me, lass. Let them think yer heart belongs to another. Whoever sent them will soon learn of this. ‘Tis strange they feel ye mean something to him. Gavin holds no woman on a pedestal. ‘Tis no’ in his nature.”

  “I’ll think about it, but this might have been an anomaly. Maybe he simply planned to rob my apartment, though breaking through the front door was stupid.”

  “Attacking ye with a weapon that can pierce the wood of a solid door, makes me think he was more than someone after your possessions,” Rae whispered.

  Jenny nodded. She folded her arm around his, and they headed back inside her residence. Broken shards of wood littered the porch, and her door hung from damaged metal hinges. The visible signs of a battle made him growl.

  Rae turned toward her, and kissed her temple. “Stay in Jake’s former residence with me. I will keep ye safe.”

  “Nay!”

  Gavin had appeared behind them. With his sword raised and his eyes glaring, he was a thing to fear. “It looks as if her safety will take both of us, until the threat is over. Ye cannot watch her day and night. No’ for long.”

  “I need to sleep. I have to go to work in the morning,” Jenny said.

  “I will accompany her to her workplace, while Gavin sleeps the day away, here.”

  “What? Ye canno’ be serious,” Gavin said, raising a fist.

  Releasing Jenny’s grip on his arm, Rae pushed Gavin inside her damaged apartment. “Ye are a great warrior, a laird, and a leader. This residence, surrounded by woods, is isolated. She needs you awake and alert during the night. I shall accompany her to work, because I am a farmer. I know animals, and I can help while watching over her. She works in town, in a public area, a less likely place for an attack. Agreed?”

  Gavin nodded, his reluctance evident, as he prowled the apartment for any other intruders.

  “Besides, ye need to replace her front door.” Rae glanced over his shoulder at the woman that had nearly come between them. Rae knew better. Jenny was a good friend, but did not care for him, the way she cared for Gavin. Rae saw her love for the laird in her sparkling brown eyes. Gavin was in love with her as well, but neither would take a moment in time to admit it.

  Idiots.

  “You really want to come with me?” Jenny asked.

  Did the lass realize the double meaning in her words? He could not recall the last time he bedded a woman. Life had turned
uncomfortable, after he acquired his abilities. When it had gained a presence in his life, and weighed on his shoulders like a curse, he shunned others. In time, he learned to use his curse by helping animals.

  “I am verra’ good with beasties. I would enjoy meeting yers.”

  “Okay, then. Goodnight.” She glanced over at her damaged front door, then turned and disappeared into Jake’s apartment.

  Rae watched as she walked down the hall, and closed a door to a bedchamber. He and Jenny managed to pass the rest of the night in quiet comfort, she in Jake’s bed, while he slept in a large chair in the front room. He could hear Gavin grumble, as he patrolled outside. He assumed the warrior had clothed himself. He had not explained why he was naked, and had damp hair, as if he had washed it moments before the attack.

  ‘Twas amusing that Jenny’s hair was wet, as well.

  When sunlight filtered through a window, and Rae had awakened, he slipped into his white leather footwear. Jenny was already in the kitchen. Stretching, he rubbed the middle of his chest, then smoothed the light blue checked shirt he had found in Jake’s bedchamber. As he walked toward Jenny, he adjusted the too-tight crotch of the blue leggings.

  Jeans, she called them.

  He walked up behind her, close enough to smell her delicate fragrance. “Good morning, lass.”

  Her cooking utensil fell from her hand and clattered to the floor. “You startled me. Guess I’m still jittery after last night.”

  “Understandable. Neither Gavin, nor I, shall allow anyone to harm ye. I am eager to work with ye today.”

  “Great! Denise will be thrilled.”

  Rae’s senses went on alert. Her friend, Denise, was indeed a comely lass, but his tastes ran more toward women such as the young food vendor he had met earlier, at the Highland games. What was her name?

  “Wynda,” he whispered.

  “Wipe that smile off your face, and go feed my horse. I’ll have breakfast ready when you get back. Lucky for you, Jake actually had food in his refrigerator.”

  Rae headed outside. Crisp morning air surprised him, as he headed for the barn. Someone, probably Gavin, had swept the wood from the damaged porch. The barn doors stood open, and he peeked inside before entering. Mumbled words proved Gavin was awake, and had kept busy while they had slept.

  “My thanks for caring for old Balfour. Jenny is preparing food to break our fast.”

  Gavin slammed the pitchfork into a bale of hay. The tool reminded Rae of his recent prowess with the modern version of a farm implement. Would he get another chance to try his luck in an athletic event?

  Gavin closed the barn doors, and followed him back inside. The silence worried him, but he dare not interrupt the warrior’s thoughts. He needed sleep, and worried for Jenny’s safety.

  “I shall not let her out of my sight. Ye have my word.”

  Gavin nodded. Rae could not help the way his stomach growled. The air smelled heavenly.

  “Are the horses okay?” she asked, without turning from the cook stove.

  “Aye, lass. They be fine,” Gavin said.

  “Oh!” The pan she held bobbled, and Rae reached for it. Pain seared his palm, yet he managed to set it on the cook top.

  “Dear Lord, are you burned?” Before Jenny could check, Gavin grabbed Rae’s wrist and pulled him away.

  “I shall care for him, lass. Go about yer business.”

  Jenny’s eyes widened. “Pour cold water on it.”

  Gavin nodded, and Rae followed him into the room where he had earlier spied a huge tub. At the smaller basin, Gavin twisted a knob, and cold water splashed over their clasped hands. Gavin let go, then rummaged in a pocket.

  Gavin also wore blue leggings, but his black short-sleeved shirt clung to his muscles. Rae’s own covering was less revealing, and the loose button-down shirt was more appropriate for working with Jenny’s patients and their owners, but he had seen the way Jenny stared at Gavin.

  “Hold out yer palm,” Gavin ordered.

  Rae responded, and Gavin poured liquid from a small potion bottle over the bubbling skin. Smoke, and the odor of burned flesh, stung his nose, then dissipated in a flash of brilliant light. When the smoke cleared, the pain had disappeared. He glanced at his ravaged skin, but the bubbled skin had turned pink. The burn was gone. He met Gavin’s gaze. “It appears we all have secrets.”

  “I borrowed this from Dorcas’ tent. She is a healer, remember.”Although Gavin’s left eyebrow rose, he did not ask for an explanation concerning Rae’s own secrets. “We should return to our charge, aye?”

  An image of Jenny’s sweet smile rose unbidden. “Aye. I am hungry for…”

  Gavin’s expression turned from happy to savage, in the span of one breath.

  “For food,” Rae added. Gavin was in deep, and had no idea he was drowning.

  CHAPTER 16

  Breakfast went well, Jenny thought, and their quiet acceptance of the new schedule brought a smile to her lips. When she had drizzled blueberry pancakes with real New Hampshire maple syrup, Gavin and Rae’s expressions had made her troubles drift away. She served the men a modern meal, and it was fun to watch their expressions when they tasted real maple syrup for the first time.

  Lucky for me Jake had frozen blueberries in his freezer and an unopened bottle of syrup in the cupboard.

  “ ‘Tis flavorful, and earthy,” Rae mumbled, his mouth full of pancakes.

  “In the good old days, farmers hammered several hollow spikes in sugar maple trees and hung buckets beneath the holes.” She explained the process used to turn maple tree sap into the sugary concoction.

  Gavin stared up at her. “This comes from…trees?”

  She poured them each a glass of orange juice. “Yes. Farmers traveled tree to tree and emptied the buckets in a large open vat on a horse-drawn cart, or they drove motorized snow machines pulling sleds, since the snow is deep in late February, early March, which are the best times to collect the sap. Today, hollow tubes run from tree to tree, and gravity allows the sap to collect in large vats at lower elevations. They still cook the sap, usually over wood heat in a sugar house. Not much has changed in that method. It takes about forty gallons of tree sap to make one gallon of naturally sweet maple syrup. The process is called sugaring.”

  Their mouths had hung open in awe. They blinked, and their expressions looked as if she shared a fairy tale with them. She had to keep reminding herself that these men, dressed in blue jeans and regular shirts, were from another time.

  Her own eyes drank in how Gavin’s tank top bulged in all the right places. The man was seriously cut, and she’d seen what lay beneath. She’d touched his abs, his chest, his…

  Nope, don’t go there.

  With two gorgeous men in her home, her smile came naturally. With the dishes waiting in the sink, she hummed a Scottish tune. From the corner of her eye, she watched them sniff, and then drink, the juice. Surprise and pleasure brighten their faces, since she doubted either had ever tasted an orange.

  With the dishes stacked, and their stomachs filled, she readied for work. Denise would pop her cork the moment Rae showed up at the clinic, but Jenny had come up with a good story. Denise would know she lied to the other doctor, but doubted she’d call her on it.

  Rae insisted on shouldering half the responsibility of watching over her, and he was familiar with animals. She’d have to work hard to keep her abilities a secret from him. Luckily, Gavin was not a problem, today.

  She hurried to get ready for the day ahead. With the sun warming Jake’s apartment through the open curtains, she gazed out into the yard. Gavin raked the ground near the barn doors. Falcon and Balfour grazed inside the fenced-in paddock. Wiping her hands, she grabbed her shoulder bag and headed outside. Rae stood beside her open driver’s door, one arm casually laid across the car top.

  “Listen to Rae, lass,” Gavin said, as he met her by the car.

  “I promise. Are you leaving the horses out while you sleep?”

  “Aye. They be the best
warning a man can have.” He smiled, and raised a hand as if to stroke her cheek. His fingers paused, close enough that heat washed over her skin, but his arm dropped to his side. Was that regret in his gaze?

  “Ready, Jenny?” Rae asked.

  Settling in her seat, she turned to Gavin. “Well, take care. If there is any sign of trouble, Rae will bring me right back, okay?”

  Gavin nodded, and headed inside her apartment.

  Jenny waited for Rae to settle into the passenger seat. She wished she had her trashed pickup, instead of her little compact. If they met the aggressive pizza delivery person on the road to or from work, a little extra metal, and a larger engine, might come in handy.

  She showed Rae how to attach the safety belt. When she started the engine, Rae gasped and she laughed. He had ridden Balfour home, and had yet to experience travel in a moving vehicle.

  “This is something new, but I guarantee you’ll enjoy it.” She hit a button and lowered the windows. As the car exited the driveway, and turned toward town, the earthy fragrance of fresh mountain air and river water filled her lungs. This was exactly what she missed, during her unexpected trip to ancient Scotland, but she would also miss the ocean breezes along Wick’s coast. They were a pleasant diversion, but she was glad she was home.

  And here I’ll stay.

  Trees swept by in a greenish blur, but her thoughts returned to the grassy meadows beside the sandstone walls of Castle Ruadh. She hadn’t let herself enjoy the vistas, nor had she interacted with the villagers, who lived in and around the castle. All she had wanted was to get home…or for Gavin to fall in love with her.

  “Why the big sigh, lass? Gavin will guard the beasties, and yer home. Even asleep, he keeps one eye open.”

  I ought to try harder to keep my feelings in check.

  Denise was already suspicious of Gavin’s intentions. She’d love to see Jenny hitched to the man. Little did Denise realize that if she married him, they’d return to ancient Scotland, and Denise would never see her, again.

  “I’m not worried. You, on the other hand, had better act like you know your way around cats and dogs.”