Page 14

A fter the group spent a few hours looking around the entire property as much as they could, they reconvened on the grassy area in front of the cottage.

Crystal grew nervous as their investigation at the home drew to a close.

She knew Jamie was going to tell her that she couldn't stay another night in the village alone and that he needed to escort her to the castle.

But that's not what she wanted. This mystery intrigued her and being alone in the castle around strangers that she didn't know wasn't something she was looking forward to.

She had grown used to Melanie and Elena and felt comfortable with them, but most of all she wanted to spend more time with Jamie, even if she wouldn't admit that to anyone.

"I want to continue to help with the investigation," Crystal said as she joined the group.

"Lass, I know you think you are like Elena, but you haven't her training, nor Melanie's," Jamie started.

"I might not have held a license to investigate like they do, but I could have. I helped the police solve a few cases that they hadn't been able to solve while I was researching for one of my novels."

"And how exactly did you do that, lass?" Jamie scoffed. "If the Watchmen of your time weren't capable, how were you able to?"

Crystal glared at him. "I have a brain. I was able to work out a few details that they missed and put them together like a puzzle. I am very detail oriented, I'm telling you I can help."

Jamie turned to Shaw and said something in a language that Crystal had never heard.

"What is that?" she asked, looking at Melanie.

"They're speaking Gaelic because they know you can't." Melanie frowned and added, "They're saying something about the goblins though."

Jamie and Rory continued speaking, ignoring them.

Finally, Elena touched Jamie's arm and said, "I think she could be of some help. All of us have tried to come up with an answer. Perhaps fresh eyes on the whole situation will notice something that we haven't."

"Exactly. I demand that you let me help with this investigation," Crystal said turned to Jamie, meeting his gaze.

Jamie grinned. "Oh you demand?"

The Watchmen nearby chuckled in response as he looked toward them.

This only made Crystal more frustrated. She wasn't going to back down because this investigation gave her something practical and useful to focus on while she came to terms with exactly what was happening to her. She wasn't giving up without a fight.

"I know what you're thinking, Jamie Grant. You think that because I've just arrived that I can't help you. You see me and must think me a weak woman, but I'm not as fragile as I might look."

"Aye, I can see that is true. My answer is still no," he said.

"That's it? No without any explanation?" she said, feeling exasperated. She crossed her arms and stared at him with defiance.

"I have already given you an explanation once, lass, but you are too stubborn and thick-headed to have let it sunk in. I am in charge here. And I cannot let anything happen to you. This is dangerous out here right now and you aren't trained for it."

"If that's the case, won't it make more sense that you keep me close?" she said.

Jamie put his hands on his hips and hung his head in thought. Crystal thought that maybe she had convinced him. He scanned the area and then looked to his men, followed by Melanie and Elena. Finally he walked toward Crystal and put his hand around her arm, a movement that set her skin afire.

He pulled her away from the group and spoke to her softly. "It is not that I think you can't handle yourself, lass."

"No? Then what?" She looked up at him, jutting her stubborn chin in the air.

For a moment he didn't answer and Crystal thought that he was going to kiss her.

It was quiet and intense between them. Her eyes moved away from his gray ones and down his strong cheek to his plump lips.

She waited, even though she knew that everyone was watching but in the moment she lost sense of that.

Jamie swallowed hard and finally spoke. "It is that I am worried about what will happen to you if you see the horrors that we could uncover, lass.

The goblins are brutal. What will that do to you to see such a thing?

You have already been through a traumatic event.

You had to die in your time for the fae to bring you here, you're lost in time, don't know where you truly are, and you're among strangers.

Add that to what we might see in this investigation, well that won't be good for you, lass. "

Crystal was surprised by his kindness and tenderness in this moment.

He wasn't trying to stop her from helping because he thought a woman couldn't help, but because he worried about her mental state.

Something that was before his time if she thought about it.

Still what he didn't understand was that she'd endured seeing absolute horror when working on her novels and investigating those cold cases.

She knew that her mental state relied on her occupying her thoughts with this investigation.

The horror didn't bother her as much as it once had when she'd first started delving into crime.

Right now though, her mind needed to be distracted from when and where she was as she was still trying to come to terms with it, with the fact that somehow she had died in her own time.

"Thank you, it is kind of you to be concerned about my mind.

And you are right there could be some horrible things that I might see, but I guarantee you I've seen horrible things before and survived.

I appreciate you worrying about me, but I know myself.

The best thing for me is actually to stay busy, to work through this puzzle instead of sitting idle and worry about myself and how I got here.

If you sentence me to go back to Courteney's cottage or worse, to the castle, I'll simply sit there in my own thoughts all day going mad.

That's not what I want. Please, Jamie, I'm begging you. Let me help."

"Aye, idleness is the devil's hands, that is for certain," he said.

"So will you let me come with you?"

He sighed deeply. His gaze moved to Melanie and Elena and then back at Crystal. "Fine, lass, but if it be too much for you then you must say something."

"Yes, I will. Thank you." Crystal propped up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. It was meant to be a simple and quick thank you kiss, but it lingered a little too long. She pulled back and locked eyes with him.

"You're welcome," he said. His voice was thick with lust, and she noticed.

The sound of a wagon jostling down the road caught their attention.

"Brian," Jamie said.

The group moved to the front of the cottage and waited until the wagon came to a stop. Brian sat on the bench with the reins in his hands and Courteney sat by his side holding a bundle of goods.

Brian seemed to be despondent, just as Courteney had described him. He jumped down from the wagon and went to work unhooking the horse, and he did it all without acknowledging their presence. Courteney stepped off of the wagon and Jamie helped her by grabbing her bundle as she did so.

Brian led the horse to the back stable while Courteney stayed with the group.

"Any news?" Courteney asked.

"Nothing new. There are no unusual tracks here, only human. We have not found much, but thank you for letting us take another look," Jamie replied.

"Aye, whatever will help."

Jamie looked toward Brian in the stables. "Is he still the same?"

"Aye, no change. Hardly says a word."

"As to be expected," Jamie said.

They all watched as Brian entered the cottage and shut the door. Within moments they could hear him weeping inside. It broke Crystal's heart to hear him and made her only more determined to help find his wife's killer.

"I'm very sorry. He has been like that every time he enters. I have begged him to come stay in the village at my place so that he is not reminded of the gruesome scene. He refuses. He wants to stay here in case the culprit returns. if I were not here with him he would never eat or drink."

"Aye, tis good of you to be here, Courteney," Shaw said.

"Let's let the man grieve in peace," Jamie said. "Come."

"Thank you, Jamie," Courteney said.

"If anything changes, we will be at the tavern for a few hours for the noon meal. Send word to us there. I have told Wallace that you can leave word and we will return for it," Jamie said.

"Aye, I will," Courteney said.

"Get your horses, lads," Jamie ordered to the group.

Courteney walked over to Crystal with a soft smile on her face. "Miss, have you found my cottage suitable?"

"I have, Courteney. Thank you very much again for letting me stay there. It is very warm, cozy, and comfortable."

"Good. I am glad to hear that. I should be gettin' inside then and startin' on the noon meal. Such sorrow and sadness in this place, tis hard."

Crystal put her hand on her shoulder. "You are a very strong woman."

That seemed to lift her spirits a little as she turned and walked into the cottage. Jamie led his horse over to her.

"Can you climb up on your own?" he asked.

She realized that he wanted her to ride with him.

She wasn't used to climbing onto the saddle of a horse on her own.

Rory had helped her last time. However, she didn't want to appear weak in front of Jamie, so she gathered her skirts, reached for the saddle and stuck her foot in the stirrup.

She swung her leg over and scooted forward as Jamie leapt up into the saddle behind her.

This felt very different than riding with Rory.

Jamie was pressed up close to her backside and it sent a tiny thrill through her as he wrapped his arms around her, holding the reins.

"Ready?" he asked, his voice soft in her ear.

"As ready as I'll ever be I suppose."

He let out a chuckle and then kicked his horse into motion. The others followed his lead.

As they galloped across the countryside Crystal felt more alive than she had in a very long time.

Feeling the hard abs of the Scottish warrior against her back was thrilling.

It almost felt better than being notified that her first book would be published.

His scent engulphed her senses, making her giddy.

He smelled earthy and manly, and it turned her on in the most animal sense possible.

This ride made her think about the erotic dream that she'd had about him, and that only turned her on even more.

By the time they arrived at the tavern her face was flushed pink, but she was able to blame it on the cold wind whipping against her face on the ride, and no one was the wiser.