Page 40 of Desiring the Highland Laird (Highland Destiny #1)

T he next days passed in a blur. Evie spent her nights with Callum and her days wandering the keep.

Sometimes, she would end up in the kitchen with Roslyn, looking for something to do.

She was becoming an expert at gathering eggs.

Her herbal tea was even starting to taste more like real herbal tea as she experimented and learned how to make tea from the plants in the garden.

It still wasn’t enough to replace her craving for coffee, but it was better than nothing.

Other times, she went to the stable to pet the mare, the one she named Mist, Callum had gifted her. She and the mare were good friends, it seemed.

Every now and then, she spotted Jamie skulking around the keep, brooding. Roslyn told her he was still upset over the banishment of his brother and still angry with Callum for it. She did her best to avoid him.

One morning, after Roslyn helped her dress and left, Evie found herself alone in the bedchamber.

She stood in front of the fire holding her modern day undergarments, watching the flames flicker and listening to the faint crackle.

She stared down at her old bra and panties with a bit of apprehension sweeping through her.

It was time she let go of the past. She wasn’t going to return to her old life in the future.

If she was going to live in Callum’s medieval world, then she was going to embrace it.

She took a deep breath and tossed the material into the fire.

The flames shot up, consuming the cloth.

“Out with the old,” she whispered.

It was a moment she was going to savor as she watched her old life—her past life in the future—burn and turn to ash.

After the fire in the hearth had waned, she left Callum’s bedchamber and wandered through the keep.

Callum was busy with his laird duties, she knew, and she didn’t want to bother him.

Roslyn was busy with her own duties in the kitchen, preparing for the day.

If she went there, she would be underfoot.

While she wanted to make more of her faux herbal tea, she didn’t want to be a nuisance.

She found herself outside, walking through the courtyard, walking toward the stables.

She didn’t know why she was headed to the stables.

Perhaps a part of her hoped she’d see Callum there.

When she arrived, there were a few stable hands hard at work mucking stalls.

She walked down the middle of the stable, stalls on either side, garnering a few curious glances from the young men working.

She paused when she saw the mare she’d named Gray Mist. It made her smile when the mare poked her head out as if she sensed her there.

Evie paused to pet the mare’s nose. “Hello, girl,” she whispered.

Mist gave a quiet whicker in response.

“Is there something I can help ye with, my lady?”

The man’s voice startled her. She looked up to see Jamie MacLeod leaning against one of the stalls, his arms crossed over his chest and a look of bemusement on his face.

She hadn’t seen him come into the stable, so he must have slipped in quietly while she was busy patting her horse.

She had to admit he was handsome with sharp assessing eyes that were different from Callum’s.

Not blue. Not green either. It was something akin to sea green that seemed to glitter with mirth as he looked at her.

His hair, though, was the same as Callum’s.

Long, plaited on one side. He wore breeches, a long tunic, boots, and a plaid wrapped around his upper body.

“Oh,” she said on a breath. “I was…” Her words trailed off as uncertainty hit her.

“Are ye bored then?” He grinned and she noticed a deep dimple in each cheek, which was endearing if he were anyone but Callum’s younger brother. “My brother has no been keeping ye busy, eh?”

He sounded like he wanted to volunteer for that job—keeping her busy—as he pushed off the stable wall and sauntered toward her. She stiffened, unsure how to take his comments.

“I’m busy enough,” she said, her voice silky smooth as she looked up at him. He was as tall as Callum, but not nearly as strong.

“Are ye?” He paused in front of her, looking her over with an appreciative gleam in his eyes. “My brother told me about yer unusual arrival.”

“Callum told you about me?” she asked.

He chuckled. “No. Malcolm did. He told me ye fell from the sky and the prophecy Da talked about was finally coming true.”

He scoffed a bit as though he didn’t believe in the prophecy. Callum was a hard sell, himself. She couldn’t help but think how odd it was that Malcolm had been the one who talked to Jamie about her. She wondered why. What interest was she to him?

“And I know you’re the younger brother who spurned the MacDonald girl.”

A dark look came over his face as he glowered with the mention of the MacDonald woman. She liked that she needled him. She had the sense that he was up to no good talking to her. As though he were trying to swoop in and steal her out from under Callum.

That would never happen.

She remained where she was, stroking the nose of her horse as she eyed him with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity.

“Aye, well, it had to be done.”

“Did it?” she asked. “What did you do? Pack her up and dump her back at her father’s keep? And if you did, how do you think the girl felt? Betrayed? Abandoned? Unloved? My bet is she felt all of those things and more.”

At least he had the good sense to flush, his cheeks turning a pale pink as he looked away from her.

“Did any of that cross your mind when you decided to break off your arrangement?” She hadn’t meant to sound so harsh, but she was willing to bet the younger MacLeod brother needed a good talking-to and by someone not related to him.

“I dinnae think—”

“That’s right. You didn’t think, did you?”

“I’m sorry, I—”

“Don’t apologize to me ,” she snapped. “Apologize to her . Though I suppose that ship has sailed by now.”

He blinked as he stared at her with an odd look, perhaps not understanding her metaphor.

“My brother said ye were a sharp-tongued lass. I see now he was right.” Jamie squared his shoulders as he looked her over again. “He also said ye were the reason Da died.”

“Me?” She was shocked as she gaped at him.

“If ye had never arrived with that stone, then Da would still be alive and Malcolm would still be here in the keep.”

“How dare you—” And then she cut herself off as she stared at him and straightened with her sudden understanding.

“I think I see what’s going on here. You’re angry with Callum because he banished Malcolm.

And you thought coming to me with your charms and your good looks you’d win me over and, perhaps, steal me right out from under your older brother.

Well, let me tell you something.” She stepped around the horse, who whickered as though sad she’d stopped petting her nose.

“Callum is a good, kind, decent human being. He did what he had to do. Your brother, however, made poor choices and now he has to live with the consequences.” She wagged her finger in his face. “Like you.”

The clearing of someone’s throat caught them both off guard. Her head snapped up in the direction of the sound and she saw Callum standing in the middle of the stable with his feet apart and his arms crossed, looking as though he was spoiling for a fight.

“I thought ye might need rescuing from my knave of a younger brother, lass, but I see that ye seem to have him well in hand.” A ghost of a smile flickered over his lips before he managed to contain it and keep his expression stern. But she saw the glint of pride shining in his eyes.

Jamie ambled toward his brother. “Ye should do something to rein her in, brother.” Then he cut her a glance. “She’s a bit of a wild one.”

“I’ll do no such thing,” Callum said. And this time he did smile. “I like her wild.”

He snorted. “I’ll bet.”

Fury passed over Callum’s face and his hand clenched.

Jamie turned as if to walk away, but then spun back around, swinging his fist. Callum’s reflexes were quick as he grabbed him by the wrist and shoved him backward toward one of the stalls.

He slammed Jamie against the wood, which shuddered under the force of the impact.

It all happened so suddenly, she didn’t have time to admire the way he was ready to defend her honor.

“Dinnae make me banish ye, too, brother ,” Callum said on a roughened whisper.

Jamie shoved him off. Evie, though, was certain Callum allowed him to do it since he was much bigger and stronger than the younger man.

He said nothing else as he walked out of the stable, leaving them alone.

It was then that Evie realized the stable hands mucking stalls had paused to watch the exchange.

When Jamie was on his way out, they quickly got back to work.

Callum approached her, reaching for her and pulling her to him. That smile was on his lips as he looked down at her.

“Ye do have a sharp tongue, lass.”

“You should know,” she said.

She was grinning when he kissed her.

“Callum!”

The sharp shout rose up from the courtyard. They broke apart. His brows drew together in concern as he looked at her.

“Go,” she said.

Instead of leaving her, though, he took her hand and led her out of the stable. Dougal was rushing across the courtyard, his face flushed and his eyes bright with fear. Next to her, Callum stiffened, his hand tightening on hers.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Riders coming. The leader looks to be Malcolm,” his steward said.

“Malcolm? What the devil is he doing back here?”

“Shall we let him inside, my lord?”

Callum was silent for a long moment. “No. I’ll ride out to meet him.”

“I’m coming with ye, my lord.”

Callum nodded as the man hurried off to make the horses ready. He turned to her, gripping her by the shoulders.

“Do ye still have the keystone safe?” he asked, his voice low.

“Yes. In my pocket.”

“Good. Find Roslyn. Stay with her until I come to fetch ye.”

“But—”

“I want ye safe.”

She understood and nodded. “All right. But Callum.” She leaned toward him, tipping her face up to his. “Please be careful.”

He brushed the back of his hand over her cheek. “Aye, lass. I will.”