by B. J. Scott
As they left the path and entered the meadow, Katherine stopped and yanked her hand free. “I love this place.” Her eyes were wide as she turned full circle, taking in their surroundings. “I’ve visited it so often in my dreams, it feels like home.”
“In your dreams?” he asked.
She lowered her gaze, her cheeks suddenly flushed. “I know it sounds silly, but from the time I was a little girl, I’ve had dreams of a place like this, or one that looks exactly like it and a—” She paused and held up her hand, grinning. “Now this part is really going to sound odd. I dreamed of a place exactly like this and a knight who looked a lot like you.”
He wanted to jump for joy at her words, but he maintained his composure. “I dinna think it silly. When I was a lad, I too dreamed of meeting a lass who looked very much like you. Perhaps the fates have seen fit to bring us together.”
“Perhaps.” She nibbled on her bottom lip.
“Do you believe in fate, Katherine? That people can be destined to meet and belong together?” he asked.
“I didn’t used to believe in such thing, not until recently,” She said softly. “Sometimes it takes something or someone very special to make you believe in the impossible.” She wrapped her arms around her middle and stared at the stream.
“And you found that person?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer. If she was thinking of him, he’d be thrilled. If her heart belonged to someone in her own time, he’d be devastated.
“I thought that I had.” She released a shuddered breath. “We loved coming here together. It was our secret place to meet.”
“Does he have name?” he asked.
She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Our lives crossed briefly and what little time we had together was wonderful, unlike anything I’d ever known or could imagine. But it ended and there is nothing I can do to change it.” A tear rolled down her cheek and she scrubbed it away with her fist.
It gutted him to see her cry. He wanted to pull her into his arms and comfort her, but he was afraid if he was too forward too fast, he’d frighten her and ruin his chances of finding his forever happiness with her. “You obviously cared about him very much. If you had the chance would you go back to him?”
“In a heartbeat, but it’s not that simple.”
“Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.”
She chuckled. “I’m afraid there are a few things, that no matter how hard you try, it remains unattainable.”
“Do you have an example?”
“Going to the moon,” she said and laughed, and ambled over to the large oak tree at the edge of the meadow and sat on the grass.
He cupped a hand over his eyes and gazed up at the sun. “It will be soon time for the noonday meal.” He went to the stream and tugged on a line, pulling four fat trout from the water. “I caught these before I ran into you on the trail. They’ll make a fine lunch.”
“I’d hate for you to go to any trouble,” she replied quickly.
“No trouble at all. I’ll start a fire. I need to fetch some wood and will be right back,” he said, and brushed his knuckles across her cheek. He was pleased when she smiled and didn’t shy away. For him, it felt so natural to touch her and he hoped she felt the same.
After gathering some wood and bits of dry tinder, he quickly returned to her side and set what he collected afire. “I’ll have these cooked up in no time. Are you hungry?” he asked, and opened a canvas sack from which he produced some cheese and bannock, then untied a wineskin from his belt and handed it to her. “Or perhaps some of this. It will warm you from the inside out,” he chuckled.
She sipped from the wineskin, then took a piece of cheese and popped it in her mouth. “This is very good.”
He squatted beside her, afraid if he sat next to her, he’d pull her to his chest and ravage her mouth until she surrendered and agreed to make love with him. While he may no longer be in his time period, he remembered vividly what it had been like to bed her in the past. He knew if he were to unleash his passion, he would never be able to rein it back in. He promised himself he’d take it slow, court her properly, and earn her trust. But with her so close and smelling like heather and sunshine, it wasn’t going to be an easy task.
He stood and moved toward the stream, putting a bit of distance between them. “Have you ever noticed how when the sun hits it just right, the water sparkles like precious gems as it crashes over the rocks?” He then glanced skyward. “Or how the trees sway in tune with the breeze, almost as if they are dancing together?”
Smiling, she stood, then joined him. “You have quite a poetic way of seeing things. The heart of a bard, I believe Catriona called it in her journal.”
“Catriona?”
“Um … she’s a friend,” Katherine replied, and quickly glanced away.
He hooked his finger under her chin and lifted it until their eyes met. “Did you know Catriona means Katherine in Gaelic?”
She offered a hesitant nod and visibly swallowed hard, her gaze never leaving him. “Yes. I am aware of that,” she said on a strangled breath.
“A lovely name for a lovely lass,” he murmured softly, then dipped his head and brushed his lips across hers.
To his surprise, she slipped her hand in his and kissed his cheek. But rather than acting on impulse and desire he squeezed her hand and took a step back. “The world is full of many wonders and miracles, if you take the time to look and listen.” He gave her hand a gentle tug. “Come, there’s much for me to show you.”
They spent the entire afternoon together, laughing and exploring. She told him about her childhood, learning to ride a horse, her lessons in Gaelic, the time she spent at her grandmother’s farm and something called summer vacations at the lake. He had never heard of this vacation before, but anything the involved sleeping under the stars and cooking over an open fire sounded great.
He was equally fascinated when she told him about a place she referred to as University. A large building where scholars teach and anyone, even women, can study. And a job was a place where both men and women went to earn coins. And while he didn’t understand a lot of what she said, it really didn’t matter. She was sharing details of her life with him and they were together. Ayden could not remember being happier. He was in his favorite place, with the woman he loved at this side. He’d found his Catriona, but was falling in love with Katherine. And all was right with the world, so right, he forgot himself, drew her into a tight embrace, lowered his mouth to hers, and kissed her.
She stiffened at first and planted her hands on his chest as if she might try to push him away, but to his relief, instead of slapping him she clutched his shirt and returned his kiss with equal enthusiasm.
After a few moments entwined in each other’s arms, hands roaming in a heated frenzy, tongues exploring, she broke the kiss and eased out of his embrace.
“We need to slow down, Ayden.”
She called him Ayden and not Adam, which to him was an excellent sign and filled his heart with joy.
“I’m sorry if I led you on.” She lowered her gaze and twisted her hands in her lap. “And I don’t mean to send you mixed signals as to what I want or expect. I won’t even try to deny the insane attraction I feel right now. And after what we shared in the past, I find it hard to keep from ravaging you,” she said, grinning, a blush coloring her cheeks.
“You know?” he said, grinning.
“I was pretty sure when we met and you told me your name was Adam. But the first time you touched me and I felt that spark, I was sure. I cannot be near you and not feel alive and on fire. But that doesn’t mean I am ready to jump in the sack. We need to take our time. It hurt too much to lose you Ayden. And my heart cannot take another beating.”
He brushed his knuckles across her cheek. “I understand. Both your need to go slow and the strong urges you feel when we are together, because I feel them too, and they are getting stronger all the time.”
“What I don’t understand
is why you felt you needed to pretend to be someone else. Did you think I didn’t love you enough or wouldn’t love you in this time?”
“It’s a long story and I promise to explain, but na now. I want to enjoy the rest of the afternoon and together. There is still so much for us to learn about each other.”
“When we were in the past, it all seemed different somehow. There, it was like I was a different person, a stranger to myself, if that makes any sense. Things were less complicated than they are here.” She released a heavy sigh and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “There it was like being reborn, a new life in a new place. Here, I have a past, but it’s a recent past, Ayden, and not a very successful one when it comes to my relationships with men. Because of that, I am wary of getting involved with anyone. There are things about me, about my life you don’t know.”
He hooked his finger beneath her chin and gently lift it until their gazes met. He could see the change in her expression and the way she carried herself. He detected it in the tone of her voice and the way she suddenly found it hard to look him in the eye. He could actually feel the tension building as she spoke. He only wished he knew what troubled her so and a way to ease her mind — aside from taking her in his arms and making love to her.
“There is no need to explain, mo ghraidh, but if you want to talk, I’ll listen.”
“I came to Scotland to visit the home of my ancestors, but also to get away from someone. I was engaged, to a very wealthy man who turned out to be a violent brute. He actually reminded me a lot of Ewan MacConnery, in an ironic sort of way.”
“He hurt you?” Anger ripped through his gut and he fisted his hands at his side. The thought of anyone threatening or hurting her was something he could not bear to think about.
“Yes he hurt me, but only one time. That’s because the first time he beat me, I vowed would be the last,” she said. “Things are different here than in your time. Men do not have the right to hit their wives, their children, or anyone as far as that goes. Women are not property, they have a say, a vote, and many live happy, fruitful lives and never marry.”
“I see nothing wrong with that. And while it may be considered acceptable in my time, I would never strike a woman or bairn,” he swept the pad of his thumb across her lips. “I would never hit you for any reason.”
She grabbed his hand and kissed his palm. “I know you wouldn’t. But having been through it once makes it harder to believe, to trust. I didn’t think Ethan would strike me either. Until one night when he had too much to drink and lost his temper with me and his best friend. He accused us of having an affair and it wasn’t true. But he was too drunk to care.”
“I’ll kill the blackguard if ever he touches you again,” he vowed. He only wished for one minute alone with the bastard and he would never strike another woman again.
“Ethan Cochrane turned out to be a very jealous man. We had a horrible argument and he hit me several times before coming at me with a fireplace poker. I was sure he was going to kill me, but his partner, the man he shares his business with, happened by and intervened. George got between us and quickly turned the tables—Ethan now exchanging blows with a man who was equal in size.” Tears ran down her checks, but when he move to console her, she held up her hand and shook her head.
“How long ago did this happen?”
She sniffled and scrubbed her fist across her damp cheeks. “Three days in present time. Two months in yours,” she said. “After the fight, George suggested I put some distance between me and Ethan, giving him some much-needed time to cool off. I’d recently inherited Glen Heather from my great aunt so it was the perfect place to hide out.
“Unfortunately, getting away from the memories is not that easy. I’ve had some pretty messed up dreams about him, including one where I killed him when he attacked me.” She wrapped her arms protectively around herself, a shudder racking her body. “He said he’d track me down if I ever left him, and if he finds me, there is no telling what he might do. If he sees us together. He’ll kill you. So you can see, I am in no shape to get involved with anyone, not until I can learn to trust and get my life back. Things are such a mess, and—”
When he tried to pull her into his embrace, she stiffened and backed away. “I’ll protect you, Katherine. Better yet, come back with me to 1304. It’s where you belong, Catriona.
She shook her head and backed away. “No. I can’t let you get involved. You don’t know what a tenacious bastard Ethan can be. I won’t let you risk your life for me.” She was trembling, her eyes darting in all directions. “I am not sure he hasn’t already found me. I’ve had a feeling someone was watching me, and when I was in the garden, I heard a voice. He’ll come for me, I know he will,” she said, her voice quaking. When a loud noise startled her, she turned and darted down the path toward her cottage.
He caught up with her and took her in his arms. “What he did is inexcusable. To hit a woman is a crime that should be punishable by death. I’m just glad you got away.” He hugged her tightly and stroked her back until she stopped sobbing and he felt her relax in his arms. “I will escort you to your cottage, then I’d suggest you take a nap. You need to rest.”
When the door closed, Ayden’s heart sank. He needed to convince Catriona of his love and that she could trust and rely on him, now and forever. But this was not the right moment, nor would it be as easy as he’d hoped. She needed some time to think, but hopefully not too long. His time here would be over soon. He thought again about the question the druids asked him about loving Katherine, and not just the memory of Catriona. He could now answer without a doubt. Yes.
Chapter Twenty Three
Katherine leaned against the door and closed her eyes. “Lord, what was I thinking?” She exhaled a heavy sigh. And heaven help her, she wanted him the worst way. If Ayden had not been able to exercise the level of restraint he had, they’d be naked and writhing in each other’s arms on the river bank right now.
She wanted to trust Ayden with her heart, but it wasn’t that easy. She knew all too well that he could be there one minute, then gone the next, hurled back to the fourteenth century, leaving her here alone. And while she had no doubt she loved him and it felt like she’d known him forever, they’d actually just met.
And she couldn’t forget about Ethan. While he hadn’t found her yet, she feared it might be only a matter of days, maybe hours before he tracked her down. She couldn’t live life constantly looking over her shoulder, jumping at ever creak and bump she heard. He’d threatened to kill her, he’d even tried. He’d threatened to kill George too, so she believed he’d not hesitate to hurt someone she cared about and she refused to put anyone in danger, not even a man like Ayden who could battle like King Arthur and disappear into another century if the need arose.
She sank to the floor, her back still resting against the door. Her life was a tangled mess. Her heart dictated one thing and her head another. She hugged her knees to her chest and rested her forehead upon them.
There was no denying today had been amazing, even though she still didn’t understand why he felt the need to deceive her. If getting her to return to 1304 was his intent, being honest and upfront about his feelings was the best way. It wasn’t like she wouldn’t know him by his scent, his touch, or the way he kissed. Those were things she’d recognize immediately. Yet despite the lie he told about who he was, she knew he was as honorable and straight forward as they come. He told her he had his reasons for the deception, so she really had no choice but to trust him.
As she struggled to find some semblance of order in her life and searched for the silver lining at the end of what could be a very long tunnel, a noise on the porch caught her attention. It sounded like something scratching or scraping along the wood on the porch.
“Tiger, is that you?” she called out, and climbed to her feet. “I forgot all about you, buddy. You must be hungry. Come on in and I’ll see if I can find any more of that mystery meat in today’s care package.” Wit
hout giving it a second thought, she opened the door, but instead of the cat, she was greeted by a cold, foul smelling gust of wind that swirled around her and stole her breath.
“What’s his name, whore? I see you didn’t waste time spreading your legs for another man,” a deep voice boomed.
Katherine gasped and stumbled backward as the icy claw of sheer terror reached into her chest and gripped her very soul. That voice was ingrained in her mind, her gut twisting with dread. Her eyes wide, she stared into a face contorted with anger and a cold dark glower of contempt that shot daggers of hatred in her direction. “Ethan,” she rasped, unable to catch her breath.
“What the hell are you doing here, Katherine? Did you think if you hid in some Godforsaken place, I’d not find you?” he growled. “You know me better than that. I never lose, and when I want something, I get it.” He stomped toward her, his fists balled at his side.
Squaring her shoulders, she looked him in the eye. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Ethan.” She’d dealt with him enough to know she had to remain strong. No matter how scared she was or what he threatened to do to her, if she showed any weakness at all, he’d pounce like a wild animal and rip her to shreds. She also knew once he crossed the threshold and got into the house, she’d never be able to get him to leave. Yet if she tried to block the door, he’d move her forcefully. Right now, it appeared like a no win situation for her.