In Due Time: Book 4.5 - A Novella (Morna's Legacy Series)

by Bethany Claire

  “Maybe you’re right. Still, I just don’t know if three days is enough time.”

  Cooper could see Kathleen, Aunt Jane, and E-o heading in their direction and knew he only had a few more moments to give his dad a pep talk. He moved and pulled on his dad’s hand so he would crouch down in front of him. Once their faces were at equal level, Cooper reached up and placed his hands on either side of his dad’s face.

  “Okay, they’re coming, so you listen up. Three days is the perfect amount of time. Just think about all those fairy tales that you and Bebop read to me—all the magic happens in three days. Now, don’t you disappoint me, Dad. I’ll stay here and watch after Mom, but I expect you to come back here with a wife.”

  CHAPTER 18

  Day 1 – On The Road

  I owed Eoghanan a great deal for accompanying us—there was absolutely no doubt about that. Not only did he provide the navigational skills that I lacked, but he’d also been placed in charge of riding with Jane. God bless the man.

  Even without a hangover, I imagined Jane would have been uncomfortable on a horse. But now, with her head hurting so badly her eyes looked like they might bleed, Eoghanan was forced to listen to her moaning at the horse’s every step.

  “Jane, can ye no see that yer wailing is only making it worse? Just lean back and breathe through yer nose as ye look at the sky.”

  Jane sniffled but did lean back against her brother-in-law’s shoulder as instructed.

  “Fine, but I swear to you guys, if we get there and all of this is revealed to be some sort of elaborate made-for-TV prank. If that castle isn’t one hundred percent restored and perfect, I am going to kick every single one of your asses.”

  Kathleen laughed as she spoke, and the vibration against my chest shot straight down to my groin. I shifted back on the horse so she wouldn’t be able to tell what she did to me.

  “Jane, you did this all to yourself, sweetheart. What did you think was going to happen as you chugged down cup after cup?”

  “Shut up, Kathleen.”

  I nudged Kathleen playfully in the ribs, whispering in her ear so that Jane wouldn’t hear.

  “She’s a mean drunk, isn’t she?”

  She laughed and leaned into me, the scent of her hair causing my stomach to tighten. She didn’t ever mean to, but she had no idea the effect her every movement, every word, had on me.

  “I wouldn’t know. I know last night isn’t any indication, but she’s really not much of a drinker. Even in college, it just wasn’t her thing.”

  I nodded, reaching up with my left hand to brush a strand of hair from her face.

  “Cooper and I have a theory.”

  “Oh,” she laughed that deep, sexy laugh that made me want to pull her off of this horse and roll around in the grass with her for hours. “What’s that?”

  “We think you must be an amazing singer.”

  Her head whipped around so that she could look at me straight on. “Why would you think that? I cannot even begin to tell you how terrible I am.”

  I shrugged, disbelieving her statement. There was no way a voice like that could not sing. “You have such a pleasant talking voice. We just figured that would translate over.”

  “Really? I always hated my voice. I used to pray, I mean, actually pray that one day someone would invent something that could change the pitch of your voice.”

  I rubbed her thigh with my thumb, noticing the small catch of her breath as I did so.

  “That would be such a shame. Really, everything you say is sexy as hell.”

  She remained turned and her cheeks flushed pink at my words.

  “Well, thank you, I guess. When I was growing up, I sure never would have thought someone would think that. I think I sound like a man.”

  “Not at all.” I leaned forward to brush her nose with my own. “Now sing something so I can see if you’re telling the truth. I don’t believe you at all.”

  She chuckled, spinning to face the front. “Ha. Only if you do it first.”

  “Sure, why not?” With that, I belted out a few lines of a song my dad had sung to me as a child about an old boat that sunk over the Great Lakes during a storm. I kept going until Eoghanan stopped me.

  “For God’s sake, Jeffrey, ye are making the birds weep. I beg ye to stop, man.”

  I laughed and nudged Kathleen so she would know it was her turn. “See? There’s no way you can be worse than that.”

  “Oh, yes there is.”

  To my astounding surprise, she hadn’t lied. She was way worse than me and, for some reason, the sound of her screechy, off-pitch voice belting out I Wanna Dance With Somebody made her all the more endearing.

  * * *

  Kathleen leaned half of her body against the trunk of the tree, pushing her butt outward to stretch her shockingly sore muscles. It astounded her how exhausting riding was. Her body hurt so badly she couldn’t sleep.

  She seemed to be the only one with that problem. They’d ridden until sundown and then set up camp a short distance from a stream. Each of them stretched around the fire—Eoghanan and Jeffrey each in their own makeshift sleeping bag and Jane and Kathleen in the same one to keep warm. Despite the cool breeze, the clingy cuddler that Jane always became after falling asleep had made Kathleen seek cooler air within the woods.

  It was a beautiful night and every star appeared extraordinarily bright amongst the uncluttered sky. Gazing up at it, she kneaded her fingers into the muscles of her rear end, doing her best to work out the soreness from the strange angle.

  A familiar voice from behind caused her to jump before relaxing into Jeffrey’s arms as he wrapped them around her.

  “Do you need some help with that? I’d be happy to work that soreness out for you.”

  She poked him in the ribs before facing him, turning her head up to kiss him gently on the mouth.

  “I’m sure you would but that would be moving just a little too quickly.”

  Jeffrey pulled her in close, speaking softly into her ear. “I didn’t mean that as a come on, Kathleen. Not to say that I don’t want to make love to you. I do, very much so.”

  He leaned against her for emphasis, and Kathleen swallowed the hard knot of anticipation that rose up in her throat.

  “But even if you wished it, even if you were ready, I wouldn’t do it here—not in the middle of the woods with Eoghanan and Jane just a few feet away. You deserve much better than that. I meant it as a genuine question. Riding is brutal on an ass that isn’t used to it. You’d feel much better if you let someone work out the tension.”

  Kathleen stepped away to get a better look at him to try and gauge his sincerity. “No funny business?”

  Winking, he reached for her, slowly leading her to his pallet. “I promise.”

  “Okay…” hesitantly she lowered herself to her knees, gently laying down on her stomach over his blankets. “I could go for a massage.”

  His hands were strong. They felt wonderful against the balled-up segments of muscle. Kathleen sighed as the tension slowly left her.

  “I know what you’re doing, you know.”

  She could hear the smile in his voice as he leaned in closer to whisper.

  “Do you now? What’s that?”

  “You’re being kind and caring and very well-behaved, in the hopes that I’ll fall in love with you.”

  He pinched her bottom, making her jump. “I’m not always so well-behaved, but I try to always be kind and caring.” He hesitated a moment before leaning down so that his every breath sent tingles down her spine as he spoke. “Is any of it working?”

  Her voice was breathless as she answered, “yes, I’m afraid it is.”

  CHAPTER 19

  Day Two – On The Road

  The second and final night of our journey before reaching the castle, Eoghanan treated us all with a stay inside a small village inn, having had enough experience with twenty-first century women to understand their dislike for sleeping under the stars.

  The inn had
exactly three rooms. Eoghanan rented them all, saying he would feel much better about leaving the women in a room by themselves if he knew no other guests would be admitted for the evening. It also meant that Eoghanan and I would each have a room of our own and, though he didn’t say it, I suspected that played some part in his decision to rent the entire place out.

  Not that I’d be getting any sleep regardless. My mind was much too filled with all things Kathleen. So far, everything was wonderful, but I still couldn’t be sure as to her feelings. She’d admitted nothing, given nothing away as to what she was thinking.

  Surely, there was no way she would go back. How could she? Not when I knew she felt the same way I did. I mean, I was ninety-nine percent sure she felt the same; although, the only brief hint I’d received to make me think that way was her admission that my efforts were working.

  Still, there was a difference in learning to like someone, in wanting to spend more time in their company, and being crazy enough about them to remain in a time so different from your own. It was a lot to ask her, and it was a decision she would have to reach entirely on her own.

  I reached my hand down into the sack of my belongings sitting next to the bed I now lay in, fumbling for the small box my father had given me just before I left—my mother’s ring. I wouldn’t pull it out until after she’d told me her decision, until I knew for sure one way or the other where Kathleen’s heart lay.

  * * *

  Why could there never just be two beds? Why did she always get stuck with Jane? Her cuddling was one thing but, on this night, Kathleen was also treated to a symphony of snores coming from her close friend. Even if her mind hadn’t been busy turning over a million different thoughts, she wouldn’t have been able to sleep a wink.

  Sliding off the side of the bed to free herself, Kathleen stood and paced the room. Obviously, she wasn’t leaving. She couldn’t. The castle was special to her, but it wouldn’t keep her warm at night. It wouldn’t give her the family she always wanted. It was only a building. In time, someone else would come along and finish the job she’d started.

  Her mind turned back to Jeffrey; she could feel his presence on the other side of the wall, could picture him spread out over the bed, his eyes closed in a gentle slumber. She wanted to be right beside him, wanted to wake him by pressing her body against his so that he could work out all of the tension from her body like he’d promised. Only this time, she didn’t wish for him to do so in the form of a massage.

  Sure, she’d acted as if she wasn’t ready for such intimacy the night before, but not because she didn’t want him, because she wanted him so badly it scared her.

  Kathleen snorted, thinking back on Jeffrey and his belief that he needed three days to make her fall for him—he’d truly needed none.

  Crazy as it might seem, she knew where this would lead. She could see their future together, and every bit of it seemed inevitable. What sense was there in delaying it? She knew what she wanted.

  Moving to the door, she pulled it open as quietly as she could. Finding the hallway empty, she ran on the tips of her toes the short distance to Jeffrey’s room. Just as she reached for the handle, she heard movement on the stairwell. The sound of approaching steps startled her. In her rush not to be caught in the hallway, she flung the door to Jeffrey’s room open, slamming it loudly behind her as she stepped inside.

  “Kathleen?” The room was dark, but she could hear him sit up in the bed. The alertness in his voice told her he’d not been sleeping either. “What are you doing here?”

  Leaning against the doorway, she worked to catch her breath, hoping the commotion hadn’t awakened the whole house.

  “Well, besides embarrassing myself, I…” Kathleen took a step toward him as he climbed out of bed to approach her. All he wore was a pair of linen pants, his bare chest outlined only by the moon’s light that shined a soft glow through the window. “I…wanted to tell you something.”

  Jeffrey’s hands found hers in the darkness and he bent to kiss her, pressing her back against the doorway, the darkness immediately increasing the intimacy of his touch. It seemed to make him bolder than usual, and Kathleen reveled in it, gasping as his teeth moved to graze her earlobe and his hands moved to her breast.

  “Jeffrey,” his name came out shaky. Her lips trembled as Jeffrey pulled them deep into his mouth.

  “What is it?” Jeffrey’s breath was warm and rapid against her chest and his hand moved to Kathleen’s cheek, where he gently thumbed her brow as he spoke. “What did you want to tell me?”

  Kathleen couldn’t remember anything she’d meant to say, her entire body flooded with such indescribable desire, she could think of nothing else.

  “I…I wanted to say that, I’d like to stay here tonight…with you.”

  The noise that came from Jeffrey as he pushed her hard against the wall came from deep within his throat, a noise of hunger and desire that made Kathleen’s entire body quiver with anticipation.

  He said nothing, only turned her around so that he could undo her laces, quickly sending her dress to the floor. Kathleen gasped at the sensation of air rushing over her exposed body, moaning as Jeffrey palmed her naked breasts, pressing her back against his front as he slid one hand down to cup the center between her legs.

  “Are you sure? We don’t have…”

  She loved that despite being in the thralls of his desire, he still worried for her, that he still didn’t want to press her into something she wasn’t ready for. He worried needlessly—she was far more than ready. Reaching her arm around her back, she slipped her hand in between their bodies, dipping her hand into the waistline of Jeffrey’s pants in answer to his question.

  He pulled her hand away, grabbing onto both of her arms as he turned her toward him before removing his bottoms. Taking her hand, he led her to the bed, pressing her back against it as he slowly crawled on top of her.

  He moved slowly, trailing kisses from her toes to her naval, stopping to suckle at her breasts until she moaned and moved against him, her legs spreading themselves naturally, encouraging him to begin his entry.

  He needed no further encouragement. Kathleen smiled against his mouth as he leaned upward to kiss her, sliding himself inside as they moved together.

  The moon beat down through the window, shining a soft, white light upon their lovemaking.

  Kathleen lost herself in the moment. Her confession of love and her decision to stay could wait until morning.

  CHAPTER 20

  Day Three – Cagair Castle

  The castle was even more amazing than she’d imagined it and, to her pleasant surprise, the changes she and Jane had begun to make on its restoration seemed to be headed in the right direction. At least she could be satisfied knowing that had she continued her work on the structure, she’d have been restoring it correctly.

  They’d arrived to find the castle’s main residents away—something that Eoghanan informed them was no real surprise. Apparently, Lennox MacChristy and his sons spent a good deal of time traveling and had only acquired the castle recently. After the death of the castle’s former laird, the people requested that Lennox MacChristy take his place.

  Still, MacChristy’s men had opened the castle to them at Eoghanan’s request, and it was a sheer thrill for Kathleen to be able to explore every inch.

  And, just as Jeffrey had hoped, it had done the trick in bringing some finality to Jane’s question over the authenticity of their travel through time. She could argue the truth no longer.

  Kathleen took Jeffrey’s hand as they walked around the castle’s tallest tower that looked out onto the sea.

  It was her favorite room in the entire castle, with its surrounding windows opening the room up to light that seemed rare in such old structures. It was the one room that even in present day seemed to withstand the decay of time.

  Moving toward one of the windows, Kathleen turned to Jeffrey, ready to tell him all that she’d meant to the night before.

  “It’s been th
ree days, you know?”

  Jeffrey leaned into her, pressing his forehead gently against her own.

  “And?”

  Kathleen kissed him, her heart smiling as she did so. Who would have thought her grandmother’s inheritance would have sent her on such an incredible journey and, in the end, gifted her with something so precious?

  “You didn’t need three days. I’ve loved you since the first.”

  * * *

  McMillan Castle

  Three Days Later

  She cried as I asked her for her hand that day up in the castle tower, and I’m man enough to admit that as I slipped my mother’s ring onto Kathleen’s finger that I shed a tear or two of my own.

  Now, as we rode back up to our new home, I smiled at the sight of the rest of our family awaiting our arrival. I’d not kept my word with Cooper—I wasn’t arriving home with a new wife, but when Cooper learned why, I didn’t think that he’d mind all that much.

  I wanted to marry Kathleen in front of my son, my father, Grace—all of the people that had wished such happiness for me for so long. I nudged our horse to pick up its speed. I couldn’t wait to get home.

  We would be married by nightfall, and then our real journey together would begin.

  Jane, on the other hand, would now have to find someone else besides my future wife to cuddle up to at night.

  *******************

  Morna’s Legacy Series will continue.

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