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So I left. For her.

What did he mean by that? Did he mean my mother? He had to, right? And what does she even have to do with this? I can’t possibly fathom what connection she might have to everything I’ve learned—about me, about Lachlan, about our history—but I know that the only way to find those answers is to read the journal, whenever my hands stop shaking, that is.

It looks like I won’t be getting any sleep tonight.

28

Lachlan

Leaving Keyanna to go and help Finlay was a hardship; while I’m learning to be less wary of the older man, he’s no match for his bonnie granddaughter when it comes to preferred company.

“Can you hold this piece there?”

I give my attention to the old man in question, reaching for the wooden piece he’s gesturing to, grabbing it and holding on to it so he can hammer it in place. “Got it.”

“These wee heifers,” Finlay chuckles. “Nothing can stop them when they set their mind to something, aye? Even a fine fence like this one.”

“There’s nothing ‘wee’ about your heifers, Finlay.”

He flashes me a grin. “Just babies, all of them.”

“If you say so,” I snort.

I listen to the rhythmic thudding of his hammer as he nails the wood into place, not letting go of the piece I’m holding until he pulls back, wiping the sweat from his brow. “There are at least four more places down like this,” he tells me. “It’ll take all day at this rate.”

“I’ve got time,” I say.

Finlay chuckles again, giving me a wry look. “Time to spare away from my granddaughter, you mean?”

My eyes go wide, my lips parting in surprise at his blatant callout.

“Don’t look so shocked, lad,” he says. “You think my Rhonnie keeps secrets from me?”

“S’pose she wouldn’t,” I mumble.

Finlay takes his hammer again, tapping at one of the posts as he eyes me. “Now tell me,” he starts. “Are ye jerkin’ me granddaughter around?”

“I…No. Of course not,” I splutter, shocked by the sudden hardness in Finlay’s gaze.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen the man frown when he wasn’t crying.

I shake my head. “I—”Love her? Am obsessed with her? Want a future with her if I don’t lose myself to the beast?“I care about her,” I settle on. “A lot.”

“That’s real good,” Finlay answers with a nod. “Because I know you’re bigger than me, lad,” he says, “but I know where the sinkholes are.”

“We don’t have sinkholes,” I balk.

Finlay’s lips curl up in a grin that is unsettling. “Aye, you keep believing that.”

“I don’t want to hurt her,” I assure him, eyeing his hammer with an uneasiness that isn’t like me. “That’s thelastthing I want.”

Finlay eyes me for a long moment, his grim expression finally morphing into his usual friendly one as he guffaws a laugh. “Right then,” he says cheerily. “That’s settled.” He waves his hammer at me. “Can’t have someone running around breaking my granddaughter’s heart when I just got her, aye?”

“Aye,” I agree. “And I wouldn’t.”

“Good.” Finlay winks at me, tapping his hammer against the wood post as he eyes farther down the fence line. “Reckon we can getthis done before supper, then?” He glances over at me once more. “I’ll expect you to be coming to supper soon, by the way. You ken?”

My chest clenches at the knowledge that those promises are ones I can’t make, that it’s currently out of my hands, but I want to believe in a not-too-distant future where itwillbe something I can agree to.