Page 11 of A Bridge Through Time (The Bridge Through Time #1)

D arkness was quickly approaching and Ashley was getting worried.

Why hadn't she insisted they head back to Glendaloch? She’d just followed his lead, assuming they'd reach civilization quickly.

Now after hours in the saddle, Cailin, who had struggled to stay upright, was looking very tired and his eyes were getting glassy.

“We need to get you off the horse so you can rest. Is there somewhere nearby we can stop?"

"Aye. There’s a hunting lodge nae far from here. We can stay the night there."

That's a relief , Ashley thought. Hopefully someone there could help them.

Cailin seemed to be getting weaker and it was obvious to the both of them. Suddenly he spoke. "Ashley Moore, tell me of America."

"Well, Cailin MacBayne," she teased, "I'm from America as I've told you. Specifically I'm from California and I live in the city of San Francisco."

"San Francisco … ‘tis Spanish,' he stated. "So America is near Spain?"

"No. Not even close." He must be pulling her leg, but she'd go along with the joke if it kept him upright on that horse.

"It's actually the United States of America and it's on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

My state, California, is all the way over on the other coast, by the Pacific Ocean.

" She continued with the geography lesson and told him about her life in San Francisco, her friends and anything else she could think of to take his mind off his shoulder. “I’m probably talking too much, huh?” They both knew she was trying to keep him from passing out.

“I dinnae ken half of what ye say, but I like the sound of yer voice. ‘Tis pleasing to me ears.”

Ashley could feel herself blushing and hoped Cailin wouldn’t notice.

The path they were on finally widened out and she could see a dark building off to the side. It was partially hidden by the trees and brush, but it was definitely there.

"Cailin, is this the lodge?" Disappointment weighed her down at the thought of no help. This wasn’t the type of lodge she’d imagined. No front desk. No room service. No help. It was merely a place for hunters to take shelter when away from home.

"Aye, ‘tis."

Ashley dismounted and quickly strode across to Cailin's horse, wondering how she was going to get him down. Before she could work out a plan, Cailin threw his leg over the horse and landed on his backside.

"Are you okay?" Ashley ran to help him up.

"Dinnae fash, lass, it would take more than a fall on me arse to do me harm," he grumbled as he got to his feet.

"Like an arrow." She raised an eyebrow and pointed at his shoulder.

He smiled down at her and it took her breath away.

Ashley could stare up at him all night, but he obviously needed to lie down.

She was going to have to take charge and focus on what needed to be done.

She opened the door to the lodge and peered into the darkened interior.

Looking through the backpack she located a flashlight, which she used to illuminate the room.

There was a bed in one corner, a chair, and a small table by a fireplace.

The floor was compressed dirt. Ashley led Cailin to the bed, such as it was.

It was little more than a pallet of straw, covered by a tattered cloth.

"Lie down before you fall again. I'll be right back. I'm going to take care of the horses and find something to start a fire."

He was starting to drift off on her already. She needed to get everything taken care of in a hurry, and she'd need to change those bandages again.

Ashley headed back outside. Her stomach was grumbling and she realized she hadn't eaten anything all day.

She quickly unsaddled the horses and left them to graze.

She hoped they wouldn't wander too far, but she had bigger problems to deal with.

She picked up some kindling from the ground around the outside of the lodge and found some cut logs beside the door.

She brought it all inside and realized she didn't have anything to start a fire.

"Where's my magic backpack?" she muttered. Ashley found it by the door, where she’d left it on the way in. Searching through it, she found some matches. You would think Mrs. Campbell knew exactly what I was going to need when she packed for me.

Ashley got a fire started and went to check on Cailin. He wasn’t looking well. His eyes were closed and she felt bad for disturbing him, but she needed to change his bandages. She gathered her supplies and started to work, grateful when he mercifully slept through it.

Her stomach rumbled again, reminding Ashley to eat.

She checked the backpack and found a few sandwiches and scones, or what had been scones – now they were more like scone crumbs.

The contents of the backpack had gotten a bit smashed during the day’s activities.

She also found some fruit, candy, granola bars, and more bottled water.

Searching further, she found aspirin and a medicine bottle from the apothecary.

Ashley read the label and gasped. Antibiotics!

They belonged to Angus and the prescription had been filled the day before.

Mrs. Campbell must have accidentally dropped them into the backpack, but thank goodness, she had.

They would go a long way towards knocking out any infection, which might be brewing in Cailin's shoulder.

She hurriedly ate one of the sandwiches, and drank some bottled water before giving Cailin some aspirin and an antibiotic. She had to rouse him and prop him up to get him to take the tablets. "Just put them in your mouth and wash them down with the water."

Cailin did as she requested and sank back on the bed, shivering violently. It would take a while for the aspirin to kick in, but Ashley needed to get him warm in the meantime.

She searched through the backpack, looking for something she could use and located an emergency metallic blanket in the front pocket.

It would help, but it would be nice to locate another blanket as well.

She suddenly thought of the saddle packs, and went outside to check them.

Luckily, Cailin's had a length of plaid fabric she could use.

"Welcome to Scotland," she mused to herself as she tucked the material under her arm.

Back inside, the fire was beginning to warm the room nicely.

Ashley threw a few more logs into the hearth and hurried back to Cailin.

Climbing onto the bed beside him, she covered them both with the blanket and the plaid.

She didn't want to think about what might be crawling around in the straw beneath them and hoped the cloth covering would keep any creepy crawlies contained.

She snuggled up next to Cailin to share her body heat.

Thinking back over the day, she was struggling to believe what had happened.

Lying next to Cailin, she rested her hand on his chest. She was tempted to run her fingers over the hard contours of his well-muscled form, but controlled the urge.

After all, he was injured and out of it currently – it hardly seemed the time to start groping him.

He was definitely a gorgeous man though.

The most gorgeous man she had ever seen.

He put the guys she knew back home to shame.

His long black hair hung loose past his shoulders…

massive shoulders, which led to bulging biceps and further down to strong, beautiful hands.

Thank goodness he was asleep, so he couldn't see her examining what was undoubtedly an amazingly hot bod.

Ashley was experiencing a sensation that had evaded her for years, and recognized she was totally turned on by this guy.

Get your mind out of the gutter. Once you get him back to his home, you have to return to Glendaloch.

Besides this was hardly the time or place to be thinking about Cailin as prospective boyfriend material.

Ashley had taken this trip to find her true self.

Well, if she was honest with herself, she had come to find Cailin.

Now that she had, second thoughts were insinuating their way into her brain.

There had been too many disappointments after Dax dumped her.

Ashley needed to find out what it was, that drew her to guys who were only interested in her for one thing.

She laughed at her own naiveté. She always searched for the good in people; trusting them before they deserved her faith, and she’d paid the price for it.

She wouldn't let it happen again, and she shouldn't be thinking of this man as anything more than the guy who’d rescued her from Teddy. She shouldn’t be, but she was.

Ashley sighed and offered up a prayer for Cailin to be better in the morning, and then she fell asleep.

***

Ashley woke during the night and managed to rouse Cailin enough to give him more aspirin.

He seemed more comfortable and no longer shivered.

When she lay down again, Cailin wrapped his good arm around her back and drew her closer to his side.

God, he smelled good…it was a smell she’d become familiar with, after seeing him so often at home.

Pine, leather, wood smoke, and horses . Don’t read too much into this, she warned herself . He doesn’t even know you’re here.