Page 5 of Cottage in the Mist (Time After Time #3)

Someone was banging a pot or a pan and the sound was driving her crazy. Lily forced her eyes open, trying to remember where she was. For a moment fear crested, and then she remembered. The car. The river. The rain.

She pushed her hair out of her eyes, surprised to find something sticky.

She pulled her fingers away, and recognized blood.

Her blood. Clearly she’d hit her head. Feeling gingerly along her scalp line, she found a gash.

Surrounding it was a growing knot, but despite the amount of blood, she didn’t think it was life threatening.

She rolled her shoulders and checked her arms and legs.

Nothing broken. Except the car. Though the motor had died, the windshield wipers were still going strong.

And the “pot” she’d heard was a tree branch banging against the roof of the car in the wind from the storm.

The trunk of said tree was planted, literally, directly in front of her, the front end of the car crumpled against it.

She tried the key, but the motor coughed and died. Without the headlights, the night had closed completely around her, the mist swirling past the side windows like a living creature.

She tried the ignition again, but there was nothing, the car’s engine apparently too damaged to start.

Which left her feeling grateful on the one hand—it had been a close call with the river—and terrified on the other.

She was out in the middle of nowhere, without any means of communication, and the river was blocking all access to Duncreag.

Great.

She blew out a breath and considered her options.

She wasn’t exactly dressed for a rainstorm. Her peasant blouse and long cotton skirt were holiday frivolity. A mistake for early spring in the Highlands. Jeans and boots would have suited her better.

Her suitcase was in the trunk. And while she didn’t exactly have hiking gear, she did have warmer clothing.

But she’d get soaked trying to get them.

The sane option would be to stay in the car until morning.

They’d been expecting her. So someone was bound to come looking.

Except of course that they couldn’t cross the river.

The wind shook the tree, and the branch beat harder against the roof.

Lily fought to contain a shiver of fear. There was nothing out there but a little wind and an aggravated tree. But even with that thought, the idea of staying in the car had lost its appeal.

She bit her lip, trying to figure out what her best of course of action might be, as she leaned forward to peer out of the windshield.

She could see the hood of the car and the battered tree, and then just beyond that what looked to be a second, smaller tree.

The mist looked ghostly as it twined among the leaves.

Fine mess she’d landed herself in.

She tried the ignition again just for the hell of it. But, as before, it refused to even turn over. The cold had become penetrating and her head was pounding. Instinct pushed her to curl up and sleep. Just forget about all of this until morning.

But the knot on her head reminded her that there could be a concussion and sleep wasn’t the answer. At least not while she was on her own. Tears threatened, but as she angrily brushed them away, something beyond the two trees caught her attention.

She stared for a moment, waiting to see if it was a trick of the mist. But no, she blinked once, then again and it was still there. A small light, beckoning through the storm.

There were people here.

People who could help.

She tried to open the door, but it was jammed somehow, so after loosening her seatbelt, she slid across the front seat and opened the passenger door.

The rain whipped into the car, soaking her to the skin.

Grimacing, she pushed open the door and got out, holding on to the car to keep her balance in the wind.

With a quick fortifying breath, she struck out for the light, stumbling in the mud and brush as she made her way.

The rain battered her skin, the wind whipping her hair across her eyes.

The air was icy cold, the storm only making it worse.

Her clothes were soaked through in an instant.

And each step took more and more effort, the light stubbornly staying just out of reach.

Thunder crashed, and a bolt of lightning illuminated the sky for an instant. With a sigh of relief she recognized the outline of a stone cottage. Its windows flickered from the firelight within, a thin trail of smoke winding up from the chimney.

Just a few steps more. Water ran in rivulets down her neck and back, her long hair a sodden mess. Her skirt trailed behind her, dragging in the mud, and she again cursed the foolishness of her stylish summer outfit.

This was the Highlands.

Lightning flashed. She stumbled up the front steps and with the last of her energy pounded on the door. But no one answered. She knocked again, as the storm continued to buffet her. Finally, in desperation, she tried the handle, and the door opened into the warmth within.

For a moment, she hesitated on the threshold. But the thunder rolled again, the rain beating upon her shoulders. This was no time for niceties. She was soaked to the skin and her head was throbbing.

She stepped inside, the wind slamming the door behind her.

She called out. But there was no answer.

Shaking from the cold and wet, she moved across the room toward the fireplace and the warmth of the fire burning cheerfully there.

She held out her hands, her fingers trembling, struggling to stay upright, to stay focused on the fire.

But her body had begun to shudder and her teeth were chattering. She was so damn cold.

“And where in God’s name did you come from?”

She heard the voice and turned toward the sound. The man in the doorway was tall, rugged and devastatingly handsome. And oddly, he was familiar somehow. The dark hair. The icy blue eyes. She knew him, didn’t she?

“I asked you a question, lass.” His gaze raked down her body, taking in the wet clothes and sodden shoes.

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. “The river,” she managed, her voice less than a whisper. “There was an accident.” She took a step toward him, but stumbled. Warm hands closed around her upper arms. Her eyes slid shut as she reveled in the blessed heat from his touch.

“Ach, you’re freezing.” His voice caressed her ear as his hands slid up and down her arms. “Are there more of you out there then? Should I go to them?”

She was so cold her teeth were chattering, but she struggled to find her voice.

“No.” She shook her head so hard her bones rattled, her mind tumbling, past and present all mixed together as one.

“There’s no one. Not anymore. They’re all gone.

” She paused, looking up into the crystalline blue of his eyes, her fingers gripping his shirt.

“Promise… promise you won’t leave me, too. ”

“I promise,” he said, his gaze clear and steady, his hands warm against her skin as he stroked her arms. “I’m no’ going to leave you. I just need to get you warm.”

She nodded, the gesture almost lost as a series of shudders wracked through her body. The room started to whirl.

“Come on then, lass, stay with me,” he urged, his eyes filled with concern, his grip tightening on her arms. “Tell me your name.”

She opened her mouth to answer his question, but words wouldn’t come. And to be honest, she couldn’t remember what he’d asked her anyway, and then everything started to go dark. Like slipping into the velvety softness of a blanket.

Her name , she remembered as she struggled to hold onto consciousness. That’s what he’d asked her.

“Lily,” she whispered as the darkness swallowed her whole.