Page 13 of Utterly Dauntless (Return to Culloden Moor #3)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

M cHenish opened the gate for Aries, but before they reached the front step, Grey emerged from Peg's house. He pulled the door closed behind him and paused only briefly when he caught sight of them, then broke eye contact.

"Headed to the shops," he said. "Be back in a while."

"Grey, wait." Aries stepped forward, but something in his stance kept her from reaching for him. "I never got to thank you. For coming after me today."

He shrugged a shoulder and gave her a fleeting smile. "I doubt he would have harmed ye in the end. He only wanted to be heard."

The words hit her like a punch to the gut. He wasn't just speaking for Carson Campbell. Had he, too, only wanted to be heard?

Before she could think of a response, he strode past her and headed for a car. When he unlocked the vehicle, the beep and flash of lights felt like a message too. But she might be blowing things out of proportion. After all, she wasn't thinking straight at the moment.

"Well, then." Peg's voice drew her attention back to the house. Her grandmother stood holding the door open, one hand on her hip. "Are ye comin’ in? Or shall I invite the midges?"

Grey shouldn’t be driving. He could hardly see straight. He'd only started explaining the events of the day to Peg when Alan McHenish's car pulled up with Aries sitting beside him, plain as day.

"Aries can tell ye all about it," he'd said quickly, while his tongue was still working. "I'll fetch the shoppin. Steaks, maybe?" He kissed the old woman's hand, then looked in her eyes. The kind smile said she understood his desperation, and she let him run off without another word.

Even now, with miles between him and Aries once more, his heart against his ribs was a beater against a base drum. Boom, boom, boom . And he feared it might not let up until the woman was gone again.

And no mistake, there was no way to stop her.

Or was there?

Something shifted in his mind—a shadow of an idea that still needed luring out into the light. And to keep it from running off, he dared not stare directly at it. To tease it out, he ignored it and began making a mental list of the things he needed to buy, starting with a worthy set of teacups…

Peg listened to Aries' account of what had happened since she'd last crossed her ancient threshold. It was a lucky thing Carson Campbell didn't live a little closer, and she herself wasn't a wee bit younger, or Peg would have given the man what for! But it was a comfort knowing that Banner Wallace was staying close and making the devil regret his misdeeds.

The way her granddaughter kept eyein' the door started Peg to thinking, considering possibilities she'd never entertained before. And she couldn't help but stick in a sturdy spurtle and start stirring the pot...

"Grey's lookin' well," she said, offhand.

Aries nodded and sipped her tea.

"Much better than I expected."

Aries hummed absently.

"Lucky for us he was still interested enough to have his friends track down that car."

"Very lucky."

"Not everyone is blessed with friends like his."

"Wonderful men. All of them. I need a lie down. Didn't sleep much." Aries got to her feet and headed for the hallway.

"Of course, of course! Take all the time ye need. If we don't see you until mornin’, we won't think anything of it. And maybe ye can sleep a little more on the plane."

Aries turned back. "Plane?"

"Aye. Were ye not payin’ attention? Wyn said they'd hire a plane to take ye all to Glasgow tomorrow. That there's no need to spend any more time on the A82 than they already have."

"They came after me, then?"

"Not sure who it was. Tristan Bain, I think it was, found yer cup and doll in the car before the rental company collected it. He'll bring them by next time he's up this way. I'll send them on to ye."

"So Tristan followed me."

"Aye. But it was Wickham's friend who ran the operation, I think. Anything for friends of The 79, aye?"

"Looks that way."

Peg took up her knitting and got it settled in her lap. "We're lucky ye were a part of them...for a wee while."

Aries nodded, yawned, then wandered away, obviously distracted.

It seemed it didn't take more than a few turns of the spurtle to get things flowing in the right direction. Why hadn't she thought to do this sooner?