“I didn’t think you were coming back! Oh my god, I was so worried! Where’s James? You couldn’t find him?”
“Nae, he was too far ahead.”
Fraoch clapped me on m’back. “Ye hae decided tae come help clean up yer mess, Og Maggy?”
“Aye,” I joked, “ye hae been incapable of doin’ it yerselves.” We hugged. I added, “I hae a daughter, newly born. If ye had nae saved m’life I wouldna hae met her.”
“Och, tis good news, Og Maggy, I am happy for ye.”
“And ye are married!”
“I am, tae Hayley, she is Hayley MacLeod.” He joked, “If I had nae saved yer life I wouldna hae met her.”
I laughed. “I am verra glad for ye, Kaitlyn sends her best wishes tae ye both, there is much tae discuss, but twill hae tae wait for later.”
Sean remained on his horse tae announce, “The army has come from Talsworth and is in direct violation of a treaty the Earl signed only months ago.” His horse side-stepped and the crowd pressed closer tae the wall.
I asked, “Sean, dost ye ken if there is another man involved? I am wonderin’ if it could be a man by the name of Roderick?”
Sean said, “Young Magnus, welcome home, ye hae come tae help us fight?”
“Aye, if ye take up arms, I am wantin’ tae join ye.”
“Good! We will need ye in the comin’ days.” He continued, “I haena heard the name, Roderick, spoken, but I am of a mind tae say that Philip Delapointe is too verra witless tae create this much mischief. There must be another man involved.”
He continued speaking to the crowd, “We followed the defeated army for many miles tae the south, but canna find James Cook, friend of Young Magnus and Black Mac.” He said, “These trials are nae over. Some of the men we chased have turned back, they are of mind tae fill our countryside, the roads are unsafe. We must—”
One man yelled from the crowd, “Sean, are they yer mother’s men?”
“Nae they are not the men of—”
“Ye said that they are from Talsworth, tis her castle!”
Sean and I met eyes.
I said, loud enough for them all tae hear, “Lady Mairead is nae involved in this, she has been in m’kingdom, as m’steward, she winna raise arms against us.”
Sean added, “This castle is still the safest place for us all. I hae sent word tae Edinburgh that we need more men.”
I added, “I will bring men from m’kingdom, they will help tae defend the castle.”
Just then a storm rose in the distant sky, a wind blew, a faraway howl. To the northwest the sky roiled black with towering clouds.
My heart sank. “Och, tis Kaitlyn.” What brought her here?
Beaty clapped her hands tae her face. “Does she hae the bairn? Och nae, does she hae the bairn?”
I grasped the reins of one of the horses. “May I use it, brother?”
Quentin said, “What makes you think it’s her?”
“Tis her, I know it.”
I said to another man, “May I take this horse as well?”
Fraoch said, “I will come. Hayley, dost ye want tae go tae Kaitlyn?”
We were all headed tae the gates. “Hell yes, if that’s Katie we have to get her fast. Quentin, can I take an ATV?”
Quentin said, “Yes, take an ATV, I’ll stay here. Magnus, take a radio!” He hurled a radio end over end. I caught it, climbed on a horse, and led the other. Fraoch climbed on his own horse, Hayley uncovered one of the ATVs and started it.
I was headed out of the gates. Over m’shoulder I called, “I am goin’, watch the gates for m’return!”
The gates creaked open bit by bit with straining ropes and large wooden gears. I rode tae the bridge with my other horse runnin’ behind, and then Fraoch on his horse and Hayley on the ATV comin’ after.
The storm was dissipatin’. I kent that if there was trouble nearby, it could get there first.
I tried tae understand why Kaitlyn would come — though I kent it had tae be her. The storm was over the churchyard that was our safe place. She kent it. She had been warnin’ us tae use it. And we were the only travelers tae ken of it. Did she hae the bairn with her? Was she fleein’ a danger? I pushed my horse faster, galloping down the path, passin’ through the woods prayin’ tae get there in time.
I passed intae the village of Fartairchill, down the lane, tae the churchyard and saw figures layin’ in the dirt near the auld yew tree. I jumped from m’horse afore it was fully still, and raced over the low wall tae where they lay — Kaitlyn, Isla and Archie in her arms.
I dropped to m’knees and pulled her intae m’arms. “Mo reul-iuil! Och, the bairn is with ye, Archie — what has happened?”
Zach moaned and sat up beside us. Emma was beginning to stir. Kaitlyn woke enough to cry out, “They were coming! Oh god,” she looked down, “is she okay? Oh god, please let her be okay.” She seemed tae go unconscious again.
Archie was cryin’. I tried tae soothe him, “Och, wee’un, ye are well, yer Da has ye.” Tae Kaitlyn I said, “Wake up, mo ghradh, ye must wake up, ye hae Isla tae soothe.”
She roused, with tears rolling down her face, she urged the bairn to nurse.
Hayley and Fraoch loaded bags ontae the ATV.
I asked, “Who was comin’, Chef Zach?”
He said, “Archie saw Bella at the park. And our house was surrounded, the security guard was missing. But the worst part, Magnus, you didn’t come home. We were waiting for you and you didn’t come.”
Zach helped Emma tae stand.
I asked Kaitlyn, “I dinna come home?”
“No.”
“Och, tis worrisome.” I asked, “Is the bairn a’right?”
She watched Isla for a moment, nursing, and then sobbed and nodded. “She’s okay, she’s okay.” Her arms went around my neck and she clung there desperately.
Zach said, “And I googled Balloch castle, Magnus, it gets destroyed during the siege.”
“The siege is over, it haena happened.”
Kaitlyn said, “It will though, it will, in the year 1705, Balloch is destroyed in the siege.”
I smoothed hair from her face and tried to soothe her mind. “Tis nae true, mo reul-iuil, we hae changed the outcome. I am here. Ye are here now, the timeline is different.”
She searched m’face. “You think so?”
“Aye, we turned the siege away. Ye escaped from the danger in Florida. And now the timeline is—”
Kaitlyn said, “Lady Mairead visited me.”
“Och,” I exhaled. “Tis nae trouble until she arrives tae revel in it. What did she say?”
“She warned us that things were bad in your kingdom too.”
“I will hae a great deal tae do on the morrow then, but ye hae survived it, that is all that is important.”
Zach came over. “Hey Archie, let me take you, little man.” He pried him from my arms. “Are you going to ride on this cool ATV with me and Ben and Emma?”
Archie was sniffling but allowed himself to be carried away to the ATV.
Chef Zach climbed on the ATV, “Where are we going to go? Where is safe?”
“I am takin’ ye tae Balloch.”
“But it’s destroyed. It’s on Google. It totally happened.”
“I believe we hae changed the timeline.”
Emma asked, “That’s how it works?”
“Aye, yer arrival has changed the course of it.”
Fraoch said, “I agree with Og Maggy, the siege is over and the castle is still standin’. Its walls will hold.”
I added, “We hae weathered a storm in much thinner walls.”
Chef Zach said, “Okay, good, because a fucking castle — I mean a freaking castle sounds like just what we need. It’s got stone walls?”
“Aye, with guards stationed along the parapet.”
“Let’s get there then.”
Hayley climbed on m’extra horse and I hefted Kaitlyn and Isla intae m’arms and carried them tae my horse and raised them ontae the saddle.<
br />
I climbed on behind her. “We hae the wee’uns?”
Chef Zach said, “Present, accounted for.”
M’radio squawked. Quentin’s voice, “Boss! Do you have her?”
I punched the button. “Aye, I hae all of them.”
“Who else?”
“I also hae Chef Zach, Emma and the wee’uns. We are returnin’.”
I turned m’horse tae the castle.
A second later Quentin’s voice came from the radio again, “Boss, did they bring Mookie?”
I glanced around. “Dost we hae the pig?”
Emma said, “Yes!”
I said, “We have Mookie. We are comin’ tae ye now.”
Fraoch pulled his horse intae the lead. I followed, riding my horse, with m’arms around Kaitlyn and Isla. Zach was behind me, drivin’ the ATV. Hayley was ridin’ the last horse.
The trip was longer than I wanted because Fraoch picked safe paths and terrain that we could easily traverse. Kaitlyn was quiet, she was holdin’ Isla safe, so I had tae work tae keep her balanced on the horse. At one point her shoulders were shakin’.
“Are ye cryin’, mo reul-iuil?”
“I was so scared. What if I hurt her?”
“We dinna, she is verra strong.” I tightened my hold.
“I was so scared.”
“I ken, but ye are safe now, and we are together, we will figure out what we must do next.”
Fifty-seven -Kaitlyn
Balloch castle was more crowded than I had ever seen. The inhabitants were relieved that the siege was over, but remained cautious, within the walls, just in case it wasn’t over over.
We found our way into the Great Hall. Isla and I were okay. Isla was nursing and content. Archie was okay, he clung to his Da and me in turns, but we knew he was resilient, that this too would pass.
I watched him, held by his Da, and wondered what would have happened if he hadn’t told me about his mother? But he had, we were safe, his Da’s arms around us, protecting us.
Everything I told Magnus had him concerned, but he reminded me it wasn’t the first time he was concerned about Lady Mairead and it wasn’t the first time we would change the history of our world. Which was true.
And set me at ease.
I loved seeing Hayley. And Hayley with Fraoch. The love in his eyes, the smile on her face. What had seemed so ludicrous and weird from afar, up close made perfect sense. They were together and it wasn’t difficult for them, they were comfortable and right for each other. I was so freaking proud of her.
Zach was thrilled to be in the eighteenth century, introductions were made all around. Quentin promised him some proper clothes.
Lizbeth rushed over. “Kaitlyn!”
I was so glad to see her. “I want you to meet your niece, Isla Peace Barbara Campbell. And this is your nephew Archie.”
“Och, Archie! I hae been wanting tae meet ye, ye are the image of yer father. I can see ye a’ready, astride yer horse, riding tae battle.”
Archie hid his face but his eyes shone happily.
She turned to Isla, pulling the edge of the sling back to see her face. “She is a beauty, Kaitlyn, she is the image of her mother.”
Tears rose in my eyes. “Thank you.”
“I dinna believe I would ever meet Young Magnus’s bairn. I am verra glad of it, but now ye and Emma need skirts afore the villagers begin discussing your failings.”
She bustled away to find us clothes, because yes, I was still in sweatpants.
Magnus put his arms around me and pulled me close and spoke into my hair. “Ye are weepin’ again.”
“It’s relief. I was so scared — jumping with the kids. I just — I’m so relieved.”
“When I saw the storm I kent it was ye, I was frightened for ye.” He smoothed my hair and we kissed. And I exhaled from the love of it and nestled under his arm.
Then Quentin rushed into the Great Hall. “Rab Ruadh is coming, he has James!”
We all went to greet them as five men came riding into the courtyard.
James slid off a horse to the ground and began hugging everyone.
“What the hell are all of you doing here?”
Hayley said, “The question is, why weren’t you here? You were supposed to be on the back of the ATV!” They hugged in relief.
He explained to Quentin, “For a while I was a prisoner, but then they were just so freaking panicked they didn’t have any reason to drag me along. And then as they were losing their interest in me, Rab Ruadh came riding down from the hills and that was frightening enough, they deserted my ass.”
We led them all into the Great Hall.
Quentin said, “So if they let you go, where were you all day?”
“Riding with Rab Ruadh and his brothers, herding cattle, this place is amazing.”
Quentin laughed. “While you were off being a cowboy, living your cowboy dreams, we were freaking out that you were gone.”
“I was fine. Just a little kidnapping.”
Hayley batted his arm. “I was so scared! I thought you were dead!”
“I didn’t have a phone, as you know, Hayley, this is the Middle Ages.”
Zach looking around at all the men, “That is so fucking cool.”
James said, “What is?”
“You were hanging out with Rob Roy.”
“What do you mean, Rob Roy, like the drink? Who, Rab Ruadh?”
“Yeah — here, let me show you.” Zach called across all the men, “Excuse me, Rab Ruadh?”
The big man with a ginger beard said, “Aye?”
“Would your name happen to be Rab Ruadh MacGregor?”
“Aye.”
Zach said, “Thank you, nice to meet you.” To James he said, “Rob Roy MacGregor, dumbass, you hung out with him all day. He rescued your ass. You’re going to be on Wikipedia.”
Quentin said, “Really, that’s who that is? Liam Neeson played him in a movie, right?”
“Yep.”
James said, “Dude, we need to go hang out with him some more.”
They all went to mill around fanning over Rob Roy while I went back to sit down at the table.
Emma said, “Zach is so excited, Rob Roy is a favorite of his. He’ll probably want to get kidnapped now so he can get rescued by him too.”
We all laughed.
Hayley said, “I have so much to tell you about, Katie. I’m just too tired and overwhelmed.”
I said, “Me too. Tomorrow — we’ll catch up then.”
Lizbeth watched Beaty with her pig on her lap, rubbing its chin and singing to it. She turned to me wide-eyed. “Tis the way of it?”
I said, “Yes.”
She exhaled, then asked, “Dost ye want me tae take the bairn tae the nursery?”
Magnus said, “Nae, the bairn can sleep in our rooms. We need a room for Chef Zach though, dost ye hae a room Fraoch?”
Fraoch said, “Aye, I was given one after Hayley and I married.”
Magnus said, “Good.”
Lizbeth and Magnus conferred and then Lizbeth said, “Master Zach and Madame Emma, I will show ye tae your room,” and led them away.
I said goodnight to Hayley.
“Tomorrow sweetie,” she said to me, “we are going to talk about so much. I’m glad you’re here.” We clasped hands.
“I’m glad you’re here too.”
Fifty-eight - Hayley
Fraoch asked, “Dost ye want tae go tae our rooms?”
“I do, I’m exhausted.”
“I will need tae take a turn guardin’ the walls, but I need tae sleep first.” He rose and we said goodnight to everyone and left the Great Hall.
His hand clasped mine as he led me up the steps. So many stairs. I got slower and slower until with a laugh he was pulling me up behind him, but I kept dragging. “Dost ye need me tae carry ye?”
“God no, you’ve had a really long exhausting day of battles and heroisms and — yes, actually, me too, I was a hero and I’m tired.” He chuckled, t
urned, and picked me up around the waist, propping me over his shoulder and climbing the last ten steps.
“Och,” he teased, “ye are a load.”
I batted his shoulder. “It’s all these skirts.”
He got us to our door, unlocked it, and loaded me through, and dropped me on our bed. Gently, because our bed sucked. I would definitely need a mattress too. Also Kaitlyn needed one. That would be three mattresses, a gold watch, fire logs, and a… what was it? I knew it was something but I was too tired to remember.
Fraoch sat on the edge of the bed and began taking off his boots. I sat up and struggled with my laces. And kicked my skirts to a pile on the bottom of the bed. It took forever but then we were undressed. He dragged my skirts off the bed to the floor. I was in my shift, he was in his shirt. He climbed into bed beside me.
I put my head on his bicep and we snuggled up together. “I’m so tired.”
“Me as well, m’bhean ghlan.”
I opened his shirt and kissed his chest thinking maybe we should have some fun, we were basically newlyweds after all, but that was so much effort, I sort of collapsed down, sprawled on his chest. “We had a battle, a kidnapping, a surprise arrival, so much…”
His hand bunched up my shift, up and up, past my thighs to my ass. His hand grasped ahold of my butt cheek. He sighed. “I canna find the strength tae continue.”
My eyes were so heavy. “The nice thing is that we’re married now… we have time.”
“Aye, we hae time and we hae tomorrow.” He exhaled. “I will hold ontae yer arse, m’bhean ghlan, tis a promise that in the morn I will take ye properly.”
I smiled, “I like that promise,” as I fell asleep in his arms.
Fifty-nine - Kaitlyn
Magnus carried Archie and holding my hand led me up the stairs.
We got to our room, dusty from not being used. I turned on a lantern for a little pool of light. Magnus lay Archie in the middle of the bed. Archie said, “Bumpy,” about the mattress, which was true. His eyes were glazing over with tiredness.
Magnus said, “Och, I am exhausted, it has been a verra long day.” He yanked off his boots and climbed into the bed.
Our Shared Horizon (Kaitlyn and the Highlander Book 10) Page 26