by Sarah Hoss
After looking at the wolf again, she turned back to Alexander. “Are you sure you aren’t hurt?” Her eyes scanned him from head to toe again, her body still trembled. So many things could’ve gone wrong. She’d never been faced with something that dangerous and she’d never been so scared before. Time travel was nothing compared to a wolf attack.
“Aye, I’m sure.” Now it was his turn to look her over, but before he could do that, she threw herself in his arms, buried her face into the curve of his neck, and let the last of her tears fall.
“I am so sorry,” was all she could say. His hands were soothing as they stroked her back and she could feel the pulse at his neck begin to slow. When her heart steadied to a more normal pace, she leaned back to look at him.
“I promise from now on to listen to everything you say. I won’t go wandering again.”
Alexander laughed at this, taking her by surprise.
“I ought to turn ye over my knee.” He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “Good Lord, woman, I doona know if I should beat ye or kiss ye.”
“Well, seeing how I don’t really want a beating ...”
There was nothing else to be said. Alexander leaned in and laid a kiss on her that would have stopped the earth if it had been possible. It was urgent, needy, and reassuring. His lips crushed hers, but it wasn’t hurtful. She rose up on her knees to gain better access. The entire length of their bodies touched, their blood pounded in rhythm. His tongue lightly danced across her lips and she opened to let him in, wanting to taste even more of him.
Then the kiss became soft, less demanding. Not only was there an attraction kindling this flame, but the need to reassure themselves that the other one wasn’t hurt after a terrifying episode. The rhythm of their tongues became more erotic, and heat flooded her body, settling in the juncture of her thighs. When she leaned into him, the proof of his desire pressed against her stomach.
A small moan escaped her lips and she wound her hands into his hair. The need to get closer to him drove her. Alexander’s hand came up and surrounded her breast, his thumb stroking through the material, over her nipple. The sensitive tip sprang to life. She leaned her head back so he could kiss her neck the way he’d just ravished her lips. Untangling her hand from his hair, she let it slide down his chest, going over his belt, to land on his knee. When she started to go up under his kilt so she could wrap her hand around his length, he grabbed her hand and stopped her. Pulling back, he stared, and tried to catch his breath.
“What?” She, too, was breathing hard and that simple question came out in a gasp.
“This is not the place for us to be losing ourselves.” She stared at him. Was he serious? How many times was he going to tease her with kisses, then turn around and say sorry? She looked away. She was still uneasy from the wolf attack, and she could feel fresh tears wanting to spill. She stood quickly.
“I guess we should be getting back.” She walked away.
Alexander contemplated the events of the day all the way back to the house. As he came around the corner of the cottage, he came to an abrupt halt. She was stunning. Marlana sat on the bench he’d made for her. Gloaming seemed to be her favorite time of day. He found her there now, legs turned to the side, tucked underneath her, as she stared toward the horizon. Sun sprinkled through the trees to lie upon her like a blanket. The light made the auburn highlights in her hair shine. She sat so still, probably lost in thought. If he hadn’t known she was real, he would have thought he had carved her out of the very wood she sat upon. Thoughts started flitting through his mind. They couldn’t keep going the way they were. Neither of them benefited from it.
He found it unsettling to think that he really did want to get to know her better. Not because of her strange circumstance, but because of her. More and more, images of Marlana entered his head, while thoughts of Mairi became less. Sometimes this angered him and he blamed Marlana. He knew it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t know the effect she had on him because he never discussed anything with her. Was it fair for him to keep himself so closed toward her? Part of him said yes, because then he wouldn’t get hurt again. If he seemed distant to her, then they couldn’t get close and that was for the best. Or was it? That was the lie he kept telling himself. If he created a distance between them, she may go away or find someone else and did he really want that? Having her here was growing on him and he found himself enjoying her company. It was nice to have someone in the house again, especially someone as intriguing and beautiful as her.
Alexander sighed and walked toward her. When she turned to him, he knew his heart was lost to her forever. “I saw ye sitting here. Ye looked deep in your thoughts.” He sat down next to her and scanned the horizon. He should say something about the incident in the woods. He hadn’t wanted to take her there, in the woods with a dead wolf lying nearby. She deserved better. He should have told her, but she had gotten up so quickly and walked away.
“Marlana, I—”
“Yes, I’m enjoying the view. My God, Scotland is beautiful.”
She glanced back toward the horizon and the setting sun, and missed his nod of agreement. He wasn’t looking at the scenery, though, when he answered. He couldn’t remove his gaze from her.
He put his arm around her, laying it across the back of the bench and gave a little push on her arm. He waited to see what she would do, then she sighed, nestling into him, laying her head on his shoulder. They sat there for a while, talking about nothing in general, just sharing the moment. When the wind picked up and sent a chill over them, Alexander decided it was time to go in. His stomach agreed rather loudly.
“I guess it’s time for supper. I didn’t mean to sit here and starve you to death.”
Rising, Alexander laughed. “With yer cooking, it could still happen.”
“Hey,” she said and pretended to be insulted, lightly punching him in the arm. He grabbed her wrist. When she laughed and started to go after him with the other hand, he grabbed that one, too, and smiled.
“What are ye going to do now?” he asked. He was feeling a little smug, thinking he had all the power.
She got up onto her knees on the bench and turned toward him. “This is war.” Marlana tugged and pushed, trying to free her hands, but to no avail. He was simply too strong. No matter how she twisted herself, he was following right along. Then he put both of her hands in one of his and tickled her with his free hand.
“Hey, that’s not fair.” Marlana lunged at him, but he was expecting it and grabbed her, bringing her down so she was cradled in his arms, lying across him and the bench.
They sat there, looking at each other for a moment. She was beautiful and he loved her. Having her here felt good and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her. Leaning in, he almost achieved his goal when she abruptly stood. “I’ll get dinner started,” she said as she pointed over her shoulder toward the house with her thumb. He watched her walk away with a sad heart, knowing he had hurt her. This wasn’t easy and he seemed to be messing up everything he said and did. He didn’t mean to give mixed signals. He felt like a small boy with his first crush. Leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, he sighed. He hoped dinner wouldn’t be awkward and he knew he couldn’t sit outside all night. Standing, he kicked a rock and headed inside.
CHAPTER 16
The next day, Alexander informed Marlana that he was going into Newtonmore to try and sell a couple of his animals. He walked out the door, having already risen early and eaten, to be on his way. “I’ve asked Hamish to come and take ye to Margaret’s house.” He wasn’t willing to leave her alone again. She stepped in front of him and laid her hand on his arm. His gaze rested on her hand, then slipped to her face. Alexander’s skin warmed at her touch and so did his heart.
She searched his face. “Please, take me with you. I promise not to be any trouble.” He stood, staring at her
, contemplating her request.
“Alex, please. I don’t need Hamish to babysit me. Take me with you. Let me see a bit of Scotland other than your front yard. I want to be with you, not here by myself or with Margaret.”
Sighing, Alexander agreed. “I’ll ride over to Hamish and let him know ye are coming along. Finish getting ready, aye?”
Excitement welled up inside her and she planted a quick kiss on his cheek, hands resting on his arms. “Thank you. You won’t regret this.”
“Aye, that remains to be seen,” he whispered.
She jogged to the bedroom, grabbed a change of clothes and a hairbrush, and stuffed them into a bag. Walking back to the main room with a skip to her step, she laid the bag on the table, went to the cupboards, and started to pack food for the trip. Alexander walked in. “That was a fast trip. Is Hamish well?”
“Aye, he sends his best.”
She reached for a loaf of bread and paused. “How long will we be gone?”
“It’s early, so we’ll make it there at a good time as long as we doona have any trouble. I wish to get us home tonight, but we may have to stay out all night.”
She stopped what she was doing for a second and searched his face. There was something in his voice.
She put her hands on the table when Alexander stepped toward her, wanting to impress his seriousness. “I need ye to stay by me and pay attention. Ye never know what we might encounter. Highwaymen are what bother me the most. In town, ye could get lost or ye might get hit by a pick-pocket.”
Nodding her understanding, she smiled, hoping to ease his worried eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was get robbed, attacked, or lost. What she wanted was to prove to him that she was trust worthy. She wanted Alexander to realize having her around was not a burden. Maybe if he saw these things in her, then he could see other things as well. “Alex, people know you there, don’t they?”
“Aye.”
“People will see you with me; they are going to gossip or ask questions, won’t they?”
“They might.”
They stood still, staring at each other. Why was having her around such a bad thing? She understood the villagers would think of her as his mistress if they found out she was living in the cottage and not married to him. In this day and age, her reputation would be ruined. His wife had been gone long enough for it to be considered okay on his part. So, what was it? It had to be something about her.
“So what, Alex? What is it?”
“I’m worried about ye and I think about all the things that could go wrong. As for your reputation, I can pass ye off as a family member.”
“And that’s all?”
He reached out and touched her cheek, gently. “That’s all.”
Satisfied with his answer, she nodded and resumed packing food for the trip. She believed what he said and it made her feel a little lighter. She was anxious to go with him and made several trips to the bedroom and cupboards to make sure she had packed all necessary items. She was glad he agreed to let her go and smiled all the way to the barn.
An hour later, they were on the road. About three hours of riding passed when they finally arrived in town and she could do nothing, but stare. Was it a town? Newtonmore meant big new town, but the only thing here was the Banchor farm. Looking around in amazement, images of the town in the future popped into her head and she could see where things would be, could picture a road and flower pots on the street lined up in front of the stores. Looking to the left, she could picture in her mind, the museum sitting at the juncture of the road. She smiled. A town needed to start somewhere, and she was seeing the beginnings of Newtonmore.
Alexander had told her that three times a year, once in the spring, summer, and fall, people gathered in the town to sell their wares. This was the summer meeting time. People were everywhere, setting up shop.
“I thought this was a town. I mean, I expected to see more buildings.” Her gaze drifted left and right, taking in the sights. “Why do you all meet here? Why not a bigger town that offers more?”
“This is Macpherson land. It lies in the middle from where everyone travels. We’re building the town, for this is our second time meeting here.”
That made sense. The clan would want the town to prosper. Taking it all in, she realized they were on what would be the west end of town and she was looking down what would end up being Main Street. In the future, the town would hold some of the prettiest little shops and a golf course with one of the most beautiful views to play by. There would be St. Bride’s Church, a Highland Folk Museum, Balaville Sport Hotel, and the Macpherson Clan Museum. For a brief moment, she wished she could tell him that the clan’s dream for this town would come true and it would be something to be proud of, but she knew she couldn’t.
“I thought you said you wanted to be home by tonight? If this doesn’t start until tomorrow, then we will have to stay here.”
“Aye, I know it.” He glanced at her. “I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. I guess I miscalculated the date.” Alexander searched the town. “I hope ye doona mind sleeping under the stars.”
“What? No, it‘s fine. I camped a lot with my friends and family.”
They took the animals to a small clearing to graze. After they secured the horses, Alexander went about the chore of making a fire. She began to prepare dinner.
“Umm, Alex.”
“What is it?” He stopped placing sticks to look at her. Firewood was stacked in a perfect little teepee.
How embarrassing can this be? “I need to potty. So, I’m going into the woods.” She turned to leave.
“Just doona go in far and if ye are gone too long, I’ll come in after ye.”
“Okay.” He was teasing, right? She quickly did her business and got out. When she came back to their little camping spot, he had a fire going and was sitting back, relaxing, watching the animals graze. Every single muscle she had hurt from the ride today. She wondered if she would ever get feeling again in her backside.
Using water from a canteen to wash her hands, she prepared their meal. They spoke about the animals and the market. She yawned, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth. As she stared into the fire, she became hypnotized. A movement to her right caught her eye and she watched Alexander stand and fetch their bedrolls. He laid hers down on one side of the fire. She took his hand and he helped her stand.
“I think it is time for ye to go to sleep before ye fall into the fire.” She wasn’t about to argue with him. She fought to keep her eyes open. She started to agree when she emitted another yawn. She put her hand over her mouth to hide it, but Alexander laughed.
“Ye should tell me when ye are tired. Ye aren’t used to sitting in the saddle all day.”
“Sorry.” She lay down on her bedroll and felt him cover her with a blanket. She was out before he was back around to the other side.
Horses whinnied, sheep spoke to one another, and birds greeted the day cheerfully. The world was waking up and Marlana enjoyed the sounds. She heard Alexander moving around and she jumped up from the bedroll. “What time is it?”
“Well past time to rise.”
“Why on earth did you allow me to sleep? You must be starving, and I could’ve helped with the chores.”
“I tried to wake ye and ye wouldna, so I assumed ye were more tired than I thought. I let ye sleep.”
She sighed. “Well, I appreciate it, but I don’t want you to think I can’t handle this.” She reached inside the saddlebags and pulled out bread and jerky, scrunching her nose.
“I think ye can handle yourself fine, but ye still need to rest.” Alexander snatched her bedroll and attached it to Heather.
“Did you eat yet?”
“Aye, I had a few oatcakes.”
She squatted by the fire. “Would you like something hot?”
>
Alexander turned to stare at her. “I enjoy how ye say things.”
Heat warmed her cheeks. She would have to work on her speech.
“If ye don’t mind, I would,” he said and sat down beside her.
With breakfast over, everything was cleaned and put away. Marlana and Alexander led the horses and animals into town. Little shop stalls lined the dirt street that held everything from knitted items to furniture an old man made, animals, cookware, and puppies. One table held spices, while another held clothing. If someone couldn’t find what they wanted here, someone else knew how to get it.
After a few hours of being in town, Alexander sold his animals. They secured the horses to a hitching post and strolled around, searching over items that others had brought. Alexander purchased a chicken, to replace the one he lost over the winter. He also gathered flour, a shovel, and rope. Marlana walked along with him as he made his purchases, taking in everything around her.
She glanced over to where Alexander stood, then stopped at the stall that had caught his attention. It had dresses, shirts, skirts, and shawls displayed on a long bench and she couldn’t help but touch the dresses. There were also bolts of material on another bench and she went to them. Alexander walked up behind her and peered over her shoulder. She turned a smile toward him, then looked back at the dresses. When Alexander asked the lady for enough material to make a new dress, Marlana reached out and touched his arm.
“Alexander—”
“Doona say a word. Ye need something of yer own, I understand that. And I can well afford it.”
She bit her lip. “Thank you,” she said and smiled. She appreciated Alexander letting her wear Mairi’s clothes, but it was unsettling, and having her own dress would be wonderful.