Page 10 of Wendy Meets the Highlander Hamish (Scottish Highlander I Never Knew #5)

T he next morning, Wendy awoke late in the morning with a renewed determination.

The golden sunlight streaming through the windows of her chamber, cast a warm glow that seemed to promise a day filled with possibility.

The prospect of a fresh start spurred her into action, and she resolved to take particular care with her appearance as she readied herself for the day and then headed down to the dining hall for breakfast.

She was hoping to see Hamish there, but so far, he’d not put in an appearance.

She decided that after she ate, she’d head out to the courtyard and see if he were in his blacksmith shop.

By the time she’d finished her food, the dining hall was just about empty.

She took her dirty plate, bowl and utensils to the kitchens and dropped them off for the staff before heading outside.

Emerging into the courtyard, she inhaled the crisp Highland air. She started toward the blacksmith shop as the sun beamed down upon her, and she savored the vibrant life of the world around her.

However, before she could call out to Hamish, she noticed he and Cam were in a heated discussion.

Wendy hesitated, unsure whether to approach or withdraw.

Her sense of curiosity warred with the respect she held for their privacy.

Just as she was about to turn away and head off to the stable, Cam left the shop.

He gave her a nod as he passed her and said, “Good morning, lass, hope you have a pleasant day,” and continued on toward the castle doors.

Wendy tracked him with her gaze before looking back at the blacksmith shop to see what Hamish was doing.

He looked frustrated and not very happy as he shifted things around.

She decided to go on and talk to him, and maybe see what that conversation had been about because it didn’t look like it had put Hamish in a good mood.

Walking into the shop, which was more like an open-aired hut, with a huge forge in the center, and piles of metal off to the side, she said, "May I join you, Hamish?"

The burly Highlander turned to her and a warm smile spread across his face; his gray eyes lit with joy. "Aye, lass. You are always welcome."

"Everything all right? With Cam… I mean? It looked like an intense conversation, and I didn’t know if I should even come in, but then he left, so… is everything okay?"

“Aye, tis fine. Jest he wants me ta make an iron bridle for the kelpie. The one who attacked me. He thinks it may be the one that tis causing all the trouble.”

“An iron bridle?” Wendy frowned. “Won’t that hurt the kelpie? I mean I know iron is very harmful to the Fae. Wouldn’t that be cruel?”

“Aye lass. It tis, but we’ve no other choice.” Hamish began to hammer out the iron he’d had heating in the forge.

"Is there really no other way to deter the creature? I know I’ve read that if bound in iron for too long, it will kill the Fae, won’t that just bring retaliation from its mates?"

Hamish, with a sense of weariness in his eyes, replied with a hint of regret, "I wish there was another way, lass. I donnae want ta hurt it, but it tis wreaking havoc upon the village of Finlaggan. Already three people have gone missing, and several others have been attacked. As to retaliation, that tis always a possibility.”

The heavy atmosphere in the forge obviously weighed heavily on Hamish's broad shoulders.

Cam's orders had put a noticeable strain on him, and Wendy observed the distress in his expression as he furrowed his brow and let out a sigh.

She couldn't help but wonder what other turmoil brewed within him as he worked upon the bridle.

She watched him work the metal, creating the bridle that would go on the kelpie’s head. She frowned as she tried to figure out a different way to deal with the kelpie. She didn’t want to see it killed or even hurt badly, which would happen with that thing.

As he finished the piece for the bridle he was working on, Hamish broke the silence that hung between them. "Lass, I need a bit o’ fresh air. Perhaps a walk to clear my mind. Would you care to join me?"

Wendy didn't hesitate; she sensed his need for her company. "I would love to," she responded warmly.

Hamish smiled and said, “Give me one moment to tell Ewan what still needs to be done.”

Wendy nodded. She’d met Ewan several times now and she knew he was always eager to work on the blacksmithing projects Hamish set him to do.

It seemed he really loved working with metals, just like Hamish.

His other two brothers, Artair and Crisdean, had no interest and much preferred the duties of being guards.

“Hi, Ewan,” she said, when he came around the corner with Hamish.

“Wendy, tis good to see you, are you going walking with Hamish then?”

“That’s the plan.” She nodded.

“Enjoy yourself, Hamish you should take Wendy down to Loch Ballygrant for a picnic,” Ewan suggested.

“Tis a fine idea, Ewan, I think I shall.” Hamish smiled. “Do you mind a detour to the kitchens?”

“Not at all.” Wendy felt a thrill of excitement at the thought.

Together, they left the forge and headed into the castle. They found Mira in the kitchens, and she was more than happy to set them up with a small picnic in a woven basket. She even provided a tartan cloth for them to sit upon once they reached the shores of the loch.

As they left the courtyard, Wendy walked beside Hamish. She decided to be slightly bold, and let her hand brush against his, and when he didn’t pull away, she slipped her hand into his and smiled at him. Her heart soared as he smiled back and tightened his hold on her hand.

As they strolled along, the crisp Scottish air swirled around them, invigorating, and calming at once.

They followed the path down the picturesque hillside, carpeted with heather and wildflowers, as it led past the small village at the bottom of the hill and off to the tranquil shores of Loch Ballygrant.

When they reached the loch, Wendy noticed that the water glistened like a mirror, reflecting the deep blues of the sky above, and it was fringed with lush, emerald-green reeds that rustled in the gentle breeze.

As they stood by the water's edge, Wendy cast a longing gaze across the loch. "It's so beautiful here." She sighed; her eyes still locked on the breathtaking scenery.

Hamish nodded in agreement, his eyes never leaving her. "Aye, it tis a bonnie spot," he said with a smile. "But not nearly as beautiful as you, lass."

Wendy felt a blush creep up her neck to her cheeks. "Flattery will get you everywhere," she teased, and they both shared a hearty laugh.

“Come let us see what goodies Mira prepared for us,” he suggested and led her to a flat area next to the lake that was perfect for their picnic.

He spread out the cloth and put the basket in the middle, then helped Wendy to take a seat before joining her. He pulled a plate of meat and cheese from the basket, chunks of bread, and then another cloth wrapped package that he set off to the side, as well as a bottle with a cork stopper in it.

“We’ll have to share the bottle, Mira didnae include cups I’m afraid.”

“That’s fine, I don’t mind.” Wendy smiled as he handed her some of the bread and she ate.

They spent the next while talking and sharing more stories of their childhood, and Wendy told him about going to school and how she’d become interested in the Fae in the first place.

“You mam made a what for you?” Hamish’s brow furrowed.

“A leprechaun trap. So we have this day we celebrate, called St. Patrick’s Day, it’s actually an Irish holiday, as he’s the patron saint of Ireland, but there are a lot of Irish in America, or there will be anyway and so we celebrate.”

“Aye, but what does the saint have to do with leprechauns, lass?”

Wendy laughed. “Nothing really, just that they became the symbol of Ireland and being Irish, which so many American’s are proud of being, even if it’s just for one day.

I think we may even celebrate it more than the actual Irish do.

” She grinned. “Anyway, back to the trap. So I had done a report on Ireland for my second grade class and my mom had been looking for stuff online—” she stopped and realized he’d have no idea what that meant, “—put a pin in that and I’ll come back and try to explain that after,” she continued.

“Very well, lass,” Hamish chuckled.

“So she was researching, and she came across this neat crafting idea to do with kids for the holiday and so we did it. We took a box, painted it green, and made a trap about this big,” she held her hands to show him the size of a shoe box, “and then we put in some bait, which was these gold wrapped chocolate candies that looked like coins, because leprechauns love gold, right? And we set it out so we could trap the leprechaun. I hadn’t believed it would work, but the next morning my mom, her eyes bright and twinkling, she was so giddy, I remember, brought me to see that we’d almost caught him, but he’d gotten away and left behind his tiny little green coat and a note that I had to use a magnifying glass to read. ”

Hamish looked startled. “So you actually almost caught one?”

Laughing, Wendy shook her head. “No, but I believed we did for a good while. Turned out my mom had stayed up half the night making the coat and penning the note. She always believed in the Fae and wanted to bring that to life for me.”

“She sounds like a good mam. You must miss her.”

Her face grew solemn as she nodded. “I do. Every day. She died when I was fourteen.”

“I’m sorry, lass. What of your da?”

“I was close with my dad too, even more after Mom was gone. It was just the two of us and then he died my first year of college and it was just me. Neither of my parents had much family, just their parents and they died when I was a baby.”

“Well, you’ve got a big family now, lass. We’ll be your family.” Hamish smiled, taking her hand.

“I’d like that, Hamish.” Wendy smiled and wished he’d kiss her again. She couldn't help but notice the desire that flickered in Hamish's eyes, a magnetic force that drew them closer, but he didn’t act on it.

Instead they sat and watched the sun set around them, making the water’s surface shine with reds, pinks, and oranges as they ate the shortbread treat that Mira had put in the cloth bundle as a surprise.

Once it was fully dusk, Hamish helped her to her feet, and they cleaned up their picnic, then headed back up the hill to the castle.

Hamish walked her to her room, lingered for a few moments, as though he was considering kissing her, but again he didn’t, before saying good night.

Wendy went inside and got ready for bed.

As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was asleep, and dreams swept over Wendy's slumbering mind. In the depths of her subconscious, the kelpie she’d been chasing after morphed into an alluring vision of Hamish.

He stopped running from her and turned on her, a fire in his eyes as he gazed at her.

Wendy approached him and without a second thought, threw herself into his arms where he wrapped himself around her and kissed her so passionately it made her toes curl.