Page 39 of Desiring the Highland Laird (Highland Destiny #1)

M orning came far too quickly, but come it did. Evie huddled under the blankets, nestled against Callum’s broad body, her head on his chest, watching the dawn illuminate the window in his bedchamber. How long would this moment of bliss last until the day interrupted? She savored it.

His hand brushed up the length of her back, sending shivers through her, and a lazy smile crossed her lips.

“Och, lass, I best leave ye before I’m abed all day.”

“Would that be so terrible?” She flattened her palm on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart.

He chuckled, a rumble deep in his throat that vibrated through her to her toes. He caught her hand in his, lifted it to his lips, and kissed the tips of her fingers.

“Nay,” he said, “but there is work to be done.”

With some reluctance, he untangled their limbs and left the bed. She remained where she was, watching as he moved around the room gathering his clothes and admiring his strong physique in all his glory. Before he left, he placed more kindling in the hearth and lit the fire.

“I’ll fetch Roslyn and have her help ye dress for the day.”

If Roslyn were to make an appearance, she had best pull on her shift. “Where are you off to?”

“I go to inspect the crops and the livestock and then take a turn around the grounds to make sure all is secure. Then I meet with Dougal to discuss business.” He moved to stand in front of her and dropped a kiss on drop of her head.

“Dinnae fash yer bonnie head about any of that, lass. Rest. I’ll see ye later. ”

He flashed her a grin as he turned to go, leaving her alone in the bedchamber.

She slipped out of the bed and picked up her shift off the floor, pulling it on over her head.

Turning, she saw the neatly folded stack of clothes on the bedside table with the stone still wrapped in the cloth.

She was certain she saw the lines emitting their faint light through the linen.

Evie thought about the tapestry of her sister. “I’m not abandoning you,” she whispered, as if Chloe could hear her. “If Callum and I are right—and I think we are—I’ll see you again soon. I miss you.”

She grinned as the thought trickled through her. It gave her happiness and comfort to know that her sister would eventually arrive back in time with her.

A knock on the door sounded. She knew it was Roslyn.

She was ready to start her day.

“Come in,” she called.

Roslyn pushed open the door. The moment Evie saw her, she knew something was wrong. She turned to the woman who paused in the doorway wringing her hands.

“Is it true then?” she asked. “He banished Malcolm.”

Evie nodded, recalling the way he had swung the claymore through the air as though it weighed nothing, as though it were a feather he flung through the air.

The woman’s shoulders slumped as she softly closed the door behind her. A breath shuddered out of her.

“He did what he had to,” she said, more to herself than to Evie. “Listen to me prattling on about nothing.”

Roslyn bustled over to the bedside table where she had her stack of clothes. Too late, Evie realized her mistake.

“What’s this?” she picked up the stone still wrapped in the handkerchief.

“Oh, that’s mine.” She hurried over to the woman to grab it out of her hands, but it was too late.

Roslyn pushed aside the cloth and peered down at the keystone. The lines were faintly glowing and pulsing. She glanced up at Evie, question on her aged face.

“Where did ye get this?” she asked.

“I…um…” Evie floundered, unsure how to explain. She huffed out a breath. “It’s a long story.”

“Mayhap ye best tell me about it, then.” She closed her fingers around the stone which told Evie she wasn’t going to accept no for an answer.

Evie sagged against the bed and clasped her hands in front of her, defeated. “I’m not sure you’ll believe me.”

Her face softened as she smiled, the wrinkles crinkling at the corners of her eyes. “I’ll be the one to decide that. Now, lass, tell me.”

Evie took a deep breath and told her everything.

From landing in Edinburgh to see her sister, to being handed the keystone, to the museum, to then falling through time to land here.

Roslyn listened intently, her expression never changing or showing her emotions.

When she finished, she waited for the woman to respond.

“Sinclair…” She whispered the name as she gaped at her. “Och, I should have known.”

“What do you mean?”

“The laird, Hamish, God rest him, spoke of the prophecy many times. Some of us thought he was daft, but others believed.” She eyed her, a wisp of a smile on her face before her eyes cast downward to peer at the stone. “And this must be that mystical keystone he mentioned.”

“Part of it,” she agreed. “There are two more pieces.”

“Aye, I see that.” She extended the stone back to Evie.

“Hamish had the first vision, as he called it, when Callum was a wee one. Jamie was a bairn at the time and the Lady MacLeod had just passed. We all thought he’d lost his mind to the grief.

But he continued to tell the story again and again as time went on and the lads grew.

Callum never believed but the other two were always asking for him to tell the story of the night the keystone was split. ”

“The Shattering,” Evie said. “That’s what he called it.”

“Aye, yes, the Shattering. I never did understand it.” Her eyes twinkled with comprehension. “Until now. So…yer from the future, are ye?”

“I am,” Evie said. “But I’m not going back.”

She didn’t know what made her say it aloud, but the words spilled out before she was able to filter them. As soon as she said it, Roslyn’s brows lifted in surprise.

“No?”

“No,” she said, her voice firm.

She was confident in her decision. So confident, in fact, she was certain her sisters would be joining her in time. And their family would be whole again.

Or would it? The question mark was Brianna, the free spirit with a nomadic heart and a love of sunshine and beaches. If she decided not to come, then what would happen to her, Chloe, and the keystone?

“And…how does the laird feel about ye staying?”

It was a fair question and one Evie hadn’t considered. She sagged against the bed as she heaved a heavy sigh.

“I hope he’s all for it.”

“Ah, ye havna discussed it then.”

“No,” she admitted.

But what she didn’t tell the woman was they had professed their love for each other. Would their love stand the test of time and survive a war that was sure to come? Her gaze lifted to meet Roslyn’s.

“What do you think he’ll say about it?”

“Och, lass, ’tis no my place to say.” She reached for the clothes on the bedside table, then added, “But…if I were to guess, I think he’ll say he’s happy to have ye here.” She gave her a wink. “Now, let’s get ye dressed. I have a kitchen to tend to.”