by Katy Baker
Beth was his. His! A stupid grin spread across his face but he didn’t try to stop it. Reaching down, careful not to wake her, he gently swept a loose strand of chestnut hair from across her face. Her eyes were closed, her breathing even. Heaven above, but she was beautiful. The first light of the day caught her face, accentuating her cheekbones and the freckles that covered her nose. Her lips were plump and full and ripe for kissing.
Cam resisted the urge. Even now, as he watched her sleep, he felt his ardor rise. How many times had he claimed her last night? How many times had they made love in the soft grass? He had no idea. His memories were a jumble of searing heat, desperate passion, and a sense of completeness that Cam had never dreamed possible.
What is this? he thought to himself. I’ve never felt anything like it. What’s happening to me? To us?
The deep, desperate ache to be near her, the euphoria that filled him when she smiled, the heady sense of being able to achieve anything when she was with him was a feeling totally alien to Cam. He wasn’t inexperienced. In his life Cam had known many women. But none of them had stirred in Cam the feelings that were coursing through his blood right now. None of those women had ever made him feel so...alive.
It canna be, a voice whispered in the back of his head. She is from the future and she will return there when she gets the chance. Dinna get close to a woman ye are going to lose.
The thought of a future without her sent a spear of panic right through him, but he pushed the thought away, refused to listen to the voice. Today was today. Let tomorrow worry about itself.
Unable to resist any longer, he bent his head and kissed her softly on the lips. Her eyes fluttered open and her face broke into a smile.
“Well, that’s a ‘good morning’ I could get used to.”
He shrugged. “Well, I had to find some way to stop ye from snoring.”
She pushed herself onto her elbows, her hair spilling down her chest. “I was not snoring!”
“Nay? My mistake. It must have been a wild boar rooting around in the undergrowth.”
“Lout!” she swung at him playfully and he caught her wrist.
Then suddenly he was kissing her again and she was responding, the plaid falling down until there was nothing between their bodies but heat. Oh, Lord help him, he couldn’t get enough of this woman.
It took every ounce of his battle-trained self-control to break the kiss. “We’d better be heading back,” he said gruffly. “We’ve a long road ahead of us today.”
She nodded reluctantly and they rose from their makeshift bed and quickly dressed. Taking Beth’s hand, he led her back through the trees to Elspeth and Rabbie’s croft.
As he’d expected, they found their friends up and working, even though the sun had yet to fully rise over the horizon. Elspeth stood on the veranda, beating a rug that was hanging from a line whilst Rabbie was chopping wood. Young Travis had a ball of twine balanced in his lap and appeared to be weaving a net for his da.
They looked up as Cam and Beth stepped out of the trees. A grin flashed across Rabbie’s face, quickly stifled, and Elspeth shared a fleeting, knowing look with her husband. Seeing this exchange, Beth blushed scarlet, but Cam had to stop himself from grinning. He didn’t care who knew what had happened between himself and Beth last night. Lord, he wanted to shout it at the top of his voice!
“Uncle Cam!” Travis exclaimed. “Ye weren’t in the barn when I went to look for ye. Have ye and Beth been for a walk?”
Beth’s blush deepened, if that was possible, and Cam quickly came to her rescue. He bounded over to where Travis was sitting and ruffled the lad’s hair.
“Aye, lad. And what have ye got there? My, that is a mighty fine net. I’m sure yer Da will catch all sorts of game in it.”
“He might if Uncle Cam helps him finish chopping this firewood,” Rabbie called. “My back is fair aching!”
Whilst Elspeth and Beth made their way into the house Cam walked over to where Rabbie leaned on his ax by the wood pile. His friend raised an eyebrow.
“Ye look different but I canna quite put my finger on it. Ah, I’ve got it! Ye are smiling! Lord above, it’s a terrifying sight!”
Cam snorted a laugh, picked up the ax and began splitting logs. “Aye, well. I find I have much to smile about this morning.”
“I would imagine ye do if yer empty bed is aught to go by.” Rabbie regarded his friend with an earnest expression. “I’m nay surprised. It was obvious from the first moment ye arrived how ye felt about the lass.”
Cam stopped and leaned on the ax. “It was?”
“Aye, to anyone that knows ye,” Rabbie replied. “I’m happy for ye, my friend. She’s a fine woman.”
“Aye,” Cam agreed. “She is that.”
Rabbie cocked his head. “What about when ye reach Edinburgh? Surely ye willnae let her leave?”
A stab of something hard and cold went right through Cam. The future he’d avoided thinking about suddenly loomed in his mind. Let her go? How could he? But equally, how could he ask her to stay? What did he have to offer a woman like her? It suddenly felt as though a fist had wrapped itself around his heart and was squeezing tight.
“I must let her leave for her own sake. What else can I do?” he said. “I’m a mercenary. A hired killer. That isnae any kind of life for her.”
“Ye were a mercenary,” Rabbie corrected. “That doesnae mean ye have to remain one forever. There are always other paths to take, other roads to tread.”
Cam’s eyes narrowed at his friend’s words. They sounded eerily like those Irene MacAskill had spoken to him that night on the trail. Could Rabbie be right? Could there be another path for him? A future that included Beth?
Rabbie patted him on the shoulder. “Think on it, my friend. Sometimes ye must take risks if ye want to be happy. Look at me –I thought Elspeth’s da would just about kill me when I asked for her hand but I was willing to risk his wrath for her. Mayhap ye must do the same.”
Cam took a deep breath, glancing at the door through which Beth had gone. His heart thudded with a mixture of hope and fear. Dare he ask her to stay? Dare he take the risk?
WHEN SHE AND CAM HAD approached the holding only to find Elspeth and Rabbie waiting, both clearly cognizant of what she and Cam had been doing, Beth thought she would just about die of embarrassment.
As she followed Elspeth inside, she was grateful that her new friend didn’t ask questions. Instead, she folded Beth into a warm embrace.
“Ah, I’m going to miss ye,” she said. “It’s been wonderful getting to know ye. I wish ye could have stayed longer.”
Beth returned the embrace, finding herself suddenly reluctant to leave. She would miss her new friend dearly.
“Me too,” she muttered. “Thanks for everything, Elspeth.”
“Ye are most welcome, my dear.” She gave Beth a sly smile. “And I canna tell ye how pleased I am for ye and Cam. Ye make a fine pair and I dinna reckon I’ve ever seen such a sparkle in our Cam’s eye.”
Beth nodded, embarrassed all over again. Together she and Elspeth packed the saddlebags, and Travis came inside to help. The little boy seemed morose that she and Cam were leaving and had a sullen face as he folded clothing and slipped it inside the saddlebags.
Beth knelt down in front of him. “Now then, little man,” she said, “we’ll have none of that sad face. I want to go on my way remembering that beaming smile of yours.”
He nodded although he didn’t smile. “Will ye come back and see us soon?”
Beth cast an anxious look at Elspeth who smoothly stepped in. “Come now, my boy, ye know Beth has a long journey to her homeland but I hope she’ll remember us often.”
“Of course I will,” Beth said around a sudden lump in her throat. “As I hope you’ll remember me?”
Travis gave a sniffle and said that he would and Beth wrapped her arms around him, holding the little boy close.
Then suddenly it was time to leave the croft behind. Beth hugged them all one last
time and then mounted Firefly in front of Cam who nudged the horse into a walk. As they reached the edge of the clearing Beth swiveled in her seat, gazed back at the three figures receding into the distance, and waved.
Then they passed into the trees and the lonely croft was lost from sight. Beth let out a sigh.
“What is it, lass?” Cam asked.
“I only knew them for a short time,” Beth replied. “But I’ll miss them.”
They rode for several hours. This time, Beth leaned back against Cam, reveling in the sensation of his chest against her back. For his part, Cam gripped the reins in one hand, his other arm around Beth’s waist protectively. Every so often he would lean forward and plant a light kiss on her neck, sending tingles along her spine.
It was a beautiful morning. The sky above the mountains was a pale blue, just like Cam’s eyes, and the air was still and clear. She and Cam could have been the only people in the whole world.
Even so, Cam didn’t relax his vigilance. His sword was strapped across his back, a bow attached to the saddle, and his eyes were moving continually, scanning the trail ahead for any hint of danger. Sometimes he would pull Firefly to a halt abruptly and stand in his stirrups, head cocked as if listening. But they encountered nothing and nobody and Beth began to hope that maybe Rabbie’s warnings were unfounded.
They made their way gradually higher into the mountain passes and the deciduous trees of the lower slopes were replaced by evergreens that towered high into the sky and left a thick coating of needles on the ground that deadened the sound of the horse’s hooves. Cam called a halt well before sundown and they made camp by a meandering river that wound its lazy way between the trees.
They dismounted and fell into the routine of making camp. Whilst Cam saw to Firefly Beth erected the tent, laid out the bedrolls—both inside the tent this time—and started a fire.
Cam crouched and began rooting around in the saddlebags, inspecting their provisions. After a moment he glanced from the saddlebag to the river and back again.
“Ye know, it would be a shame to waste this opportunity. I know Elspeth has packed us plenty of food but that needs to last all the way to Edinburgh. I think I will avail myself of the chance to catch something fresh.”
Beth raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you were a trapper.”
Cam took several poles from the saddlebag that were about as long as his forearm. He slotted them together to form one longer rod and held it up triumphantly. “I’m not. But I am a fisherman.”
He climbed to his feet and made his way over to the river bank. Beth watched him, smiling at his boyish enthusiasm. Jeez, there were so many sides to that man: the brooding, dangerous warrior, the expert woodsman, the relaxed talented musician, the carefree fisherman. Beth wanted to explore them all, all the many layers that made up this frightening, dangerous, extraordinary man.
She started a fire and finished making camp then stood with her hands on hips, surveying her handiwork. It would do. Satisfied, she made her way over to the riverbank where Cam was perched on a rock, the line arching out over the water. Here the river was wide and sluggish and shallow enough that Beth could see the pebbly bottom. Fish—salmon at a guess—could be seen meandering along but as yet not one of them seemed interested in Cam’s bait.
She sat on the rock next to him. “My dad took me fishing once. I could never get the hang of it and they kept wriggling off the line.”
“It’s easy,” he told her. “Let me show ye.”
He handed her the rod. It was constructed of willow withies, making it extremely flexible. A line made from some sort of sinew was attached to the pole.
“Hold it here,” Cam instructed, taking her hands and moving them into the desired position. He seated himself behind her then scooted forward so that she nestled between his outstretched legs. Like this he could reach around and guide her hands.
His fingers rested on hers, warm and rough. He was incredibly close, his breath hot and heavy on the back of her neck and the nearness of him sent her thoughts scattering like leaves blown in the breeze.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“Hold it like this,” Cam repeated. “Not too much pressure. There will be a tug when ye have a bite and then ye will have to be quick to reel him in.”
He spoke like an instructor to a student but he didn’t remove his hands from hers or make any effort to move away. Nor did Beth want him to. She found herself leaning back against him, breathing in the scent of him: that unique mix of leather, sweat and pine needles that was so quintessentially him. His thumb moved, gently stroking the length of her finger.
“Are you deliberately trying to put me off?” she demanded. “We won’t catch anything at this rate.”
“My apologies,” he said and she could hear the smile in his voice.
Just then she felt a tug on the line. With a cry of excitement she surged to her feet. “I’ve got something!”
The tug grew stronger and Beth found herself overbalancing. She tried to right herself but her foot slipped. Dropping the line, her arms pin-wheeling, she tried to regain her balance, but there was nothing to grab onto and with a yelp she went crashing into the river.
It was cold! Icy fingers clawed at her skin and she gasped in shock. She came up spluttering and puffing, getting her feet under her. The water only reached her waist. She shook her head to clear her eyes only to see Cam holding his stomach as he doubled over in laughter.
Outraged indignation welled up inside her. Damn the man! What was so funny about getting a dunking in a freezing mountain river? She resisted the urge to swear at him. Instead she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.
“Finished?”
He straightened, getting a hold of his mirth with some effort. “I’m sorry, lass,” he said in a voice that didn’t sound sorry at all. “But that was priceless.”
She scowled at him. “Are you just going to stand there or are you going to help me out?” She held out a hand.
Cam edged down the slippery bank and curled his hand around her wrist. Marshalling her strength, Beth gave an almighty heave. Cam let out a strangled yelp and then crashed into the water right by her side, coming up coughing and spluttering and with a look on his face every bit as outraged as hers.
“Now that was priceless,” Beth said.
Cam’s outraged expression transformed into a wide, mischievous grin. Catching her around the waist, he pulled her against him and kissed her. Beth melted into him, her arms going around his neck, the cold water swirling around her hips suddenly forgotten as heat flooded through her body. She ran her fingers through his wet hair and his arms tightened around her, crushing her against his chest.
He bent and lifted her into his arms easily, as if she weighed no more than a doll. He carried her from the water and back to their campsite, all thoughts of fishing forgotten. Cam laid Beth by the fire and suddenly they were pulling at each other’s clothes, stripping off the wet garments and tossing them away.
Beth barely noticed the cold air that brushed her skin—all she needed to keep warm was Cam’s body against hers. She pulled him down atop her, kissing him fiercely, her fingers sweeping down his back to his buttocks and then up again. Then all thoughts were forgotten as they made love slowly while the firelight dried their skin.
Chapter 12
The next morning Beth woke up alone. The space Cam had occupied in the tent was empty, all trace of his warmth gone. She went still, listening, and from outside came the sound of him moving around the camp and softly humming.
She smiled to herself then stretched, trying to ease the heavy, satisfied lassitude that filled her limbs. Throwing back the blanket, she crawled to the tent door and looked out. Cam was brushing down Firefly. He had his back to her but Beth didn’t doubt he knew she was watching him—he missed nothing—but he didn’t pause in his work. Firefly stood placidly as Cam brushed out his tail and then examined each of his hooves before leading him in a slow circle, inspecting his gait with a cr
itical eye.
“Everything okay?” Beth asked, exiting the tent.
Cam glanced at her and smiled. “Aye. Well enough. He needs new shoes but they’ll last long enough for us to reach Edinburgh. We’ll cross the mountains today. Tomorrow we’ll come down on the Edinburgh road.”
Beth’s smile faltered. Tomorrow? So soon? A cold shiver slid down her back and it had nothing to do with the cool morning air. Today was her last day alone with Cam. Oh god, how was she supposed to deal with that?
He frowned. “Are ye well, lass? Ye look pale.”
“I’m fine,” she said, forcing a smile.
He paused for a moment and looked as though he wanted to say something. Beth waited. Ask me to stay, she thought. Ask me to stay and I will. I don’t want to leave you. Not now. Not ever.
For one, two, three heartbeats he stared at her, a deep longing in his eyes. Then he turned back to the horse.
Beth sighed. Her last day alone with Cam. Tomorrow they would be on the Edinburgh road. What had been a beautiful morning now seemed gray and desolate. How could anything in the twenty-first century compare to the last few days?
With a heavy heart she went through her morning ablutions, packed up the camp, and then sat down with Cam and had fried sausage for breakfast. She ate mechanically, hardly tasting the food, her mind elsewhere.
Misreading her mood Cam said, “Dinna worry, lass. We’ll make it through the mountains all right and ye’ll reach Edinburgh safe and well.”
She forced a smile. “I know.”
They mounted up and left. As always Beth sat in front of Cam but she took the reins this time and guided Firefly along the trail as Cam directed. Through their days of journeying she’d become much more comfortable with the formidable warhorse and for his part the stallion seemed to have decided he could trust her. He no longer flattened his ears or bared his teeth when she came near. Cam, freed of the burden of guiding the horse, rode with his hands resting lightly on Beth’s hips. It was very distracting.