Page 20 of Taken By the Highland Villain
Valerie scowled and rolled off him, any pleasant consideration gone, then clambered to her feet to stare down at him. “Why are ye huffin’, My Laird? I am nae that heavy! Nae more than any other lass my age!”
Jude grunted again, then sat up and gave her a pointed look. “Mayhap. But ye have elbows that could pierce stone.”
He rubbed his gut for a moment, then rolled into a crouch and pushed himself to his feet.
Valerie bit her lip, her indignation vanishing like smoke on the wind as she saw him stagger on his injured limb. “Are ye hurt?”
“Winded, mayhap. Nae more than that.”
Jude limped forward to catch the reins of the horse, soothing it with a few gentle words and a brush of his hand along the mane. Then, he handed her the reins and stalked forward to look at the log that had caused all the trouble.
It was large and looked heavy, the type one might split into quarters, or even eighths, for firewood. It looked to Valerie like the type of thing that might take two or three, perhaps even four, able-bodied men to lift.
It came flyin’ out of the woods and into the path. But how? And why? It couldnae have happened by accident, could it?
Jude studied the log, then bent and lifted it into his arms with a grunt, the cords of muscle in his neck and shoulders flexing with the movement and rippling visibly under his shirt as he straightened.
His muscular biceps bulged, the muscles of his forearms and the tendons in his hand showing in stark relief as he shifted the weight into a more comfortable position and turned to haul it to the side.
Valerie stared, hard put not to gape like a fool, as he carried the log with ease to the side of the road and tossed it lightly into the verge. She fancied the thud could be felt through the ground, even where she was standing, and her mouth went dry at how effortless Jude had made the whole thing seem.
He is strong. I kenned he was well-built, but I thought mayhap he was one of those men who lost their strength after sufferin’ a crippling injury. It is clear now that I was mistaken.
I wonder what it would feel like to have such strength holdin’ me, or even…
Valerie flushed and shook her head until her braid whipped about her shoulders, determined to dismiss such thoughts. She couldn’t be thinking such things… and she shouldn’t. Such thoughts were dangerous and led down a path she’d determined long ago not to tread.
My maither told me on her deathbed never to let any man claim my independence or steal my strength. Laird MacFinn may nae intend any such thing, and he may be a better man than Laird MacOlley, but the wisdom of my maither’s command remains.
I refuse to surrender to Jude’s strength, stubbornness, and courtesy any more than I’d surrender to Laird MacOlley’s poisonous tongue.
She took a deep breath and led the horses forward so they could both mount once more. “Thank ye for savin’ me.”
Jude grunted as he heaved himself back into the saddle. “It was necessary. I just hope ye dinnae need savin’ from anythin’ else today. It is hard work, keepin’ ye out of trouble.”
Something tickled the back of Valerie’s throat, bubbling inside her until she could no longer contain it. Her laughter rang through the clearing, surprising her with the sheer force and relief of it. “Och, I… I didnae ken… ye have a sense of humor, My Laird.”
Jude huffed. “And who said I was jestin’?”
Even as he said it, she caught the small, exasperated smile that briefly flashed across his rugged features. It was almost obscured by his beard, but it was there nevertheless.
For some reason, the wry expression made the whole situation seem even more amusing.
Valerie bent over her saddle, giggling as she nudged the horse into a swift walk, following Jude’s.
She had no idea what had happened, or why, but she did know one thing—she hadn’t laughed so hard in a very long time. Years, perhaps.
I dinnae understand who this man really is. He seems so gruff and stern, and yet, in a mere day, he’s brought laughter and peace into my life that I thought I’d never experience again.
I took this job to find a measure of peace and safety. There’s little of either here, but even so… I cannae help but look forward to the next few days. What mood might I catch him in tomorrow? What else will come of this?
CHAPTER 10
“I need allthe information ye can find on Nathan Cullen and Valerie Blackwood.” Jude moved to face Craig, noting the somber look on his face.
“Of course, My Laird. Though if ye dinnae mind my askin’, has the lass given ye a reason to distrust her?” Craig furrowed his brow. “I didnae think there was discord between ye.”
“There isnae. But we encountered Nathan in the village yesterday, and I dinnae think it was an accident, even though Valerie tried to convince me it was. There’s somethin’ goin’ on between those two, and I want to ken what sort of trouble we might be in the middle of.”