His train of thought ended as Catriona let her horse fall alongside his. “You are awfully quiet this morning, Mac. What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing,” he replied. He spent enough time worrying about his keep; he did not need to let his responsibilities encumber his interactions with Catriona.
She looked at him in an assessing manner before saying, “I don’t believe that. You looked too contemplative to be thinking about nothing.”
He decided to tease her, “I was thinking about ye.”
Catriona laughed at his remark. “I hope not—you looked almost angry.”
“Aye, ye are most definitely the reason for my current mood,” insisted Alasdair, almost too seriously.
“Well then, enlighten me. What did I do to cause you such grief?” she asked.
“Why, ye wouldnae let me escort ye to yer room last night!” he said with a waggle of his eyebrows.
“Ugh, typical man—pouting when things don’t go his way.”
“I am nae pouting!” said Alasdair in mock offense.
“Sulking then.”
“Nay, I am definitely nae sulking.”
“Okay, I give up then, what are you doing?” asked Catriona.
“Why, I am pining.”
“Pining for what?”
“For a kiss,” replied Alasdair.
“Well as much as I would love to accommodate you,” said Catriona, “We have arrived and I must go see to my patient.” She then blew him a kiss before running into the hut. Alasdair chuckled as he watched her departure. He had never met a woman so unabashedly demonstrative.
“That is good to see,” said Ailsa to her brother when they were the only two left outside the hut.
“What is?” he asked.
“Yer smile,” she answered. “I havenae seen it often enough lately.”
***
Catriona found herself in better spirits after visiting with Lainie’s mother. While she knew it had only been a day, it already looked like the woman was on the mend. Probably just the placebo effect, but whatever, I’ll take it! If all continued to go well, maybe the book would let her go home soon.
On the return trip to the keep, Cat once again found herself beside Alasdair. But, rather than teasing each other, they fell into a companionable silence. Once again content to just take in her surroundings, Catriona let her eyes take in every detail of the scenery. She had admired it before, but had thought it was a dream. It was amazing to see a world so untainted by technology. She swore that everything seemed just a little bit greener.
“At what are ye looking?” asked Alasdair.
“The scenery. Your land is very beautiful.”
“Aye, it is. But, there is one place that is more beautiful than most others. Would ye like to see it?” he asked.
“I’d love to.”
“Tis nae verra far from the castle, I will bring ye there as soon as we return Lainie and Ailsa to the keep.”
A half hour later, Cat found herself overlooking the most picturesque pond she had ever seen. It almost looked as if it were protected by magic. The trees surrounded it in such a way that you would never know it was there unless someone showed you. A small outcropping, the height of two people, rose over the near side of the water, lending the area great majesty. While on the far side, flowers gave it an ethereal beauty. “Alasdair, this is beyond beautiful. Thank you for showing me.”
“Nay, yer thanks is nae needed, for yer presence only makes it more beautiful.” Catriona blushed deeply at his compliment. Never in her life had someone said something so romantic. Granted, she knew this was not actual romance, but she was moved all the same.
Maybe this is the ‘later’ to which he had been referring. “I think I remember saying something earlier about accommodating your desire for a kiss,” suggested Cat.
Chapter 8
Waiting for her opportunity to sneak by the guard, Cat let her mind wander. She could not believe how quickly the last few days had passed. Each morning, Cat had left with Lainie and Ailsa to check on her patient, always accompanied by either Branan or Alasdair. Then, she had joined the women as they attended to the daily mending. Catriona no longer felt out of place among them—not now that she had her crocheting. Initially, she had tried to teach them the skill, but they had quickly lost interest. They thought their current skills were sufficient. Realistically, this was for the best since she did not need to change history. After all, it would be the Irish that would become the most famous for the craft.
After the mending had been completed each day, Cat had helped Ailsa with random tasks around the keep. Sometimes she had helped gathering herbs. She was actually decent at this after her time spent with Elspeth. Other times, she had helped with tasks such as planning meals and taking inventories. While Cat did not fully comprehend all the nuances, her math skills had still allowed her to be useful.
These activities had filled their days until it was time for supper and then bed. Each night, before climbing under the covers, Cat had pulled out the book and asked to be sent home. Her wishes had obviously not yet been successful.
The only non-routine parts of her days had been her encounters with Alasdair. He had randomly appeared at some point each day and snuck her off to engage in a little funny business. Catriona had to admit it was a lot of fun. She felt like a teenager—sneaking off to find a private place to make out. But sadly, he had not yet come through with his promise of ‘later,’ these encounters had only been for a few minutes each day. She was even beginning to wonder if she had read too much into his comment.
The monotony of the past few days was what had actually brought her here. Now, if only the stupid guard would stop paying so much attention to the gate! No sooner had this thought gone through Cat’s head than another guard called out to the man in her way. Knowing this was probably her best opportunity—Cat tucked her purse close to her body and made a break for it.
Cat was annoyed she had had to resort to sneaking out of the castle. She had tried leaving by herself, but had been denied. She had been given some bullshit line about women being incapable of defending themselves blah blah blah. Somewhat surprised she had escaped unnoticed after the earlier lecture by the guard, Cat hurried to her destination. Once there, she began to strip out of her dress.
The night after Alasdair had shown her this pond, Cat had begun to formulate a plan. When she joined the women as they worked on their mending each day, she had been working on a secret project. After some trial and error, she had successfully managed to crochet a bikini. Cotton would have been ideal, but the linen thread she found worked well enough.
Now fully out of the fifteenth century garb, Cat reached into her purse to pull out one of her most prized possessions from the future—her disposable razor. She had always kept one in her bag for emergencies. She was once again beginning to feel like a wild yeti since she had not been able to shave since the day of graduation. This time period just did not offer the opportunity for many baths, or the desired privacy for her current endeavor. Cat just hoped the single blade was up to the job. I swear, if I get through shaving one leg, and then the single blade craps out, I’m quitting on life!
Testing the water with her toe, Cat was pleasantly surprised. Yes the water was cool, but she was from Massachusetts, it’s not like she had grown up used to warm beaches. Knowing from experience the best way to adjust to the temperature, Cat ran in and dove below the surface as soon as the water was deep enough. Once acclimated, Cat began to rid her legs of their unwanted growth. Each swipe of the blade made her feel a little more connected with the twenty-first century.
Fortunately, the blade held up, but she doubted it would be good for another use. Vowing to get back before she was in need of another shave, Cat tossed the piece of plastic next to her purse. Not knowing when her next bath would be, she swam around until the cold finally became too much. Scotland was not very warm, but she found a sunny spot where she could lie down to dry off. Content for the moment, she f
ell asleep.
***
“Any other signs of Camerons?” asked Alasdair. He wanted to know if the patrols had found anything else concerning.
“Nay,” replied Niall.
“I cannae believe it.” When he saw the man stiffen he said. “I dinnae doubt ye lad. Ye are the best scout we have. I wouldnae have put ye in command of the patrols if I did. I just simply cannae believe we have nae seen another sign of the Camerons. I ken their laird is planning something.”
“I agree. He wouldnae have sent the lad out for nay reason. I will increase the patrols,” replied Niall, somewhat mollified.
“See that ye do. And come to me as soon as ye find something, nay matter how trivial.” With this order, the man left. He looked as if he planned to increase the patrols this very instant.
Alasdair sighed; he wondered if he was overreacting to his recent encounters with the Cameron clan. But, the attack in which Catriona had been injured had just seemed so vicious, even though it was poorly attempted.
Needing to mull over his thoughts, and to decide how best to proceed, Alasdair left for the pond—he always seemed to be able to collect his thoughts and decide on an action when he visited the area.
However, he had not expected to find the area already occupied. Before him lay Catriona, her skin glowing in rays of sunlight that were breaking through the surrounding trees. There is nary a stitch covering the lass! Alasdair had no idea what could have inspired the woman to come here so scantily clad. But as his loins responded to the view before him, he found he did not care why she was here—he only knew he was glad she was.
She must have heard his approach, for Catriona suddenly rose and tried to cover herself, unsuccessfully, with a small piece of cloth. “Oh, good, it’s only you,” she said, lowering the fabric as she spoke.
“If ye were worried about someone coming upon ye, maybe ye should nae lie about naked,” replied Alasdair. “Although I will grant ye, I have nay complaints.”
“I wasn’t covering up for my sake. I was covering for whomever was approaching. I didn’t want to shock anyone.”
“Do ye do this often?” he asked.
“Yes. Well, no—not here.” Growing defensive, she added, “I’ll have you know, this amount of clothing is perfectly acceptable where I’m from.”
“And where are ye from, that nakedness is common?” he asked.
“Oh please, I’m not naked—everything important is covered up.” She further emphasized her point by letting her hands pass before her body. “And, it doesn’t matter where I’m from; it’s too far away for me to go home currently.”
Hearing the melancholy in her voice as she bemoaned the distance of her home Alasdair suggested, “Well, I ken a way to get yer mind off yer troubles.” He waggled his eyebrows to further illustrate his point.
Laughing, Catriona replied, “Oh no you don’t, not that easy—you’ll have to come and get me.” Before he could stop her, she ran into the water until she was submerged to her neck.
“If ye think I am going in there after ye…” Alasdair’s rebuttal was stopped when she untied the garment around her neck and threw it at his feet. “Nay Catriona, the water is too cold, that willnae work.”
“Are you sure?” She threw the second part of her garment at his feet and then dove further away from him. Ach but the witch has a beautifully round arse. Resurfacing, she suggested, “We could keep each other warm.”
Unable to resist any longer, Alasdair began to disrobe. While he was annoyed her teasing had him so readily doing her bidding, he was somewhat mollified when he witnessed her gasp of appreciation at his manhood.
***
Catriona watched, entranced as she saw Alasdair for the first time in all of his glory. When she had first seen him, she was struck by his utter perfection. Well, that perfection grew to even greater proportions as the rest of him was revealed. Both literally and figuratively. He obviously knew his own magnificence. He strode forward, completely comfortable with his own nakedness. Catriona felt a warm sense of anticipation overcome her as he drew closer.
However, Cat still had no intention of making this easy on the man, teasing him was too much fun. When he was just out of arm’s reach, she dove back under the water away from him. “What are ye, a wee water sprite?” laughed Alasdair as he followed after her. This cat and mouse game continued a few more times until he finally caught her ankle as she tried to dive away.
Now captured, Catriona did not resist as Alasdair pulled her closer. With her back to his chest, he pushed her hair to one side, placing kisses along base of her neck to her shoulder. She shivered, but not from the cold. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he pulled her even closer; she could feel his obvious arousal. Knowing it was too late for second doubts, Catriona gave herself to the moment. It seemed like ‘later’ was going to be well worth the wait.
***
Alasdair lay on his plaid with Catriona, basking in the aftermath of their lovemaking. Letting his hand caress Catriona’s body, it stilled as it came across the scar upon her arm. This brought his mind suddenly back to the concerns that had brought him here. “Catriona, I know ye miss yer home, but I want ye to know that as long as ye are here, I will protect ye.”
“So you’re definitely not going to threaten to burn me again?” she asked.
“I didnae…”
“Oh relax, I’m just teasing,” she interrupted.
“Ye are never going to let me forget that, are ye?”
“Nope.”
***
Chapter 9
Cat was really starting to feel settled in her fifteenth century existence. Her days were always filled with activity. Once Lainie’s mother had recovered from her pneumonia, Catriona had become the unofficial healer of the clan. Fortunately, there had not been any serious illnesses or injuries. Between her pharmacy education, her first aid training (learned vicariously through Keith), and the information contained within Elspeth’s book, she had been able to provide some form of care to anyone who had needed it.
She had also found those working in the castle coming to her for advice. She had quickly learned under Ailsa’s tutelage what was needed to keep the castle running smoothly, so when Ailsa was busy, the clansmen had often sought Catriona. At first, Cat had found this complimentary; she was glad people were seeking her expertise. Plus, this allowed her to find various ways to help the clan. But then, she had begun to overhear gossip which had given her concern. Many in the keep had become of aware of her relationship with Alasdair; they thought she was to become the next lady of the keep.
She had wanted to refute the misconception immediately—but how could she? It was not as if she could explain her real purpose in taking such an interest in the clan’s welfare. She had just had to accept this as the unintended consequence of having a relationship with Alasdair while also trying to accomplish her aim.
Besides, it was not as if she could truly complain. Her nights with Alasdair were wonderful—beyond wonderful. She had never had a relationship so satisfying. But, it was not just the physical aspect that met her satisfaction. She had also found his companionship to be truly enjoyable. He was a good and loyal man, and was surprisingly funny. Their relationship provided a sense of intimacy that was a salve to the stress of her current situation.
However, when Cat had realized how complacent she had become, she began to worry she would find it more difficult to get the book to send her home. She still had no idea how the whole ‘need’ concept worked. If she found some form of happiness here, would the book even sense a need to return her to her time?
This worry had brought Catriona into the privacy of her chamber. She wanted to feel more connected to her own century, so she was now going through the items in her purse. She pulled out her cellphone and turned it on. Knowing it would not work, but hoping for the impossible, she checked the signal…nothing. She then turned it back off to save the battery. Putting it back, she pulled out her wallet. She had to laugh at her driver’s lice
nse. As was her luck with all photos—she looked like a train-wreck. She smiled as she remembered her brother’s reaction when he had seen the photo for the first time. It had been so bad she had tried to keep it hidden. Almost six months had passed before he finally saw it, and then another six before he stopped making an imitation of her facial expression every time he saw her. Actually, she was pretty sure she had a photo of him making the face. She dug into the bag to pull out her photo book. It was deeply buried; she had to remove some of the larger items from her bag. She knew it was a bit silly to keep a small photo album when she could store photos on her phone, but she just liked having the physical copies.
The first photo in the book was of her parents, Keith, and herself. She could not remember her parents, but she kept the picture with her always. She liked to be reminded that at one point in her life she had truly been part of a family. Next, was a picture of her brother with his first car; he had been so proud of the old clunker. Behind this were pictures of other various milestones, first apartments, graduations, birthdays, and holidays. Last in the book was the picture she had been looking for. Imitating her license photo, he was smiling way too broadly. The expression had made her look like a crazy-stalker, but Keith’s rendition made him look criminally insane. The image never failed to make her smile.
Looking through pictures reaffirmed Cat’s resolve to get back to her time and her brother. Satisfied, she began to repack her purse. She was even able to laugh as she picked up her box of tampons she always kept with her. I’m really gonna be depressed if I’m here long enough that I run out of these. Fortunately, she had only needed them once so far.
“Wait a second,” she murmured to herself. It was now almost August. Oh god, no! No no no no no…this is bad…this is REALLY bad! She leaned against the door, and slowly slid to the floor, with a blank expression on her face. Me, of all people, how could I have let this happen? Catriona had been lecturing women for years about proper birth control practices, she had always marveled at the amount of women completely taken by surprise by pregnancy. Catriona had been using the shot as her contraceptive, but had completely forgotten she was due for a new one in July.
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