Page 6 of Wendy Meets the Highlander Hamish (Scottish Highlander I Never Knew #5)

O ver the next several days, Wendy learned her way around the fort.

She often ran into Hamish, and they would spend whatever free time he had — which was more than she’d thought he’d have available considering he was the blacksmith and was supposed to be working on the kelpie problem — talking about the Fae in a manner that often led them to debates that sometimes ended with Wendy feeling frustrated and out of sorts with him.

She hated that part because she actually really liked him, but she couldn’t tell if he liked her in the same way as she liked him, or if he was just amusing himself with the “new girl”.

One bright and brisk morning, about a week after she’d arrived, Hamish extended an invitation for Wendy to accompany him to the castle stables. “I thought we could continue talking while I take care of the horses’ hooves. Tis a task I’ve put off for too long,” he said.

“What are you doing to their hooves?” Wendy asked, curious.

“I’ve got to clean their hooves out and reshoe a few of them. Tis laborious work and would go much faster if I had your pleasant company.” He smiled.

Wendy liked his smile and the way his entire face brightened when he did it. “Alright, anything I can do to help?” she asked.

“Hold the horse’s head, or pet them as I clean and shoe them. T’will keep them calm.”

Wendy did as he asked and they spent the next several hours talking about everything under the sun to the sounds of the horses’ whinnies, the hammering of hooves, and the creaking of leather as he worked.

About halfway through the day, Wendy decided to bring up the kelpies, especially the magnificent beast she’d seen on the shore. “Hamish, tell me more about the kelpies at Loch Finlaggan. Did you recognize the one who was on the shore when I woke up?”

Hamish narrowed his eyes as he looked up at her from his bent position, the horse’s back hoof between his legs to hold It steady. “Lass, I’ve warned you those creatures are unpredictable, and you should nae be chasin’ after ‘em. They’ll drown you without a second thought.”

Wendy raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, undeterred. "I’m not reckless, Hamish. I just want to study them, not let them take me underwater. Being here is like an adventure to me and I want to go learn things, see things."

Hamish chuckled, the tension between them easing. "Aye, lass, it might be an adventure you'd not soon forget."

She grinned, emboldened by his response.

"Exactly! Can’t you see that I might be able to help you with this problem that’s plaguing the people here?

I know a lot about the Fae, I’ve been studying them my whole life practically and yeah maybe they are just myth and legend in my time, but they aren’t here.

I need to actually see them, learn about them firsthand, so I can help. Please, Hamish.”

Hamish shook his head, the corners of his lips curling upwards into a smile that reached his eyes. "You're a stubborn one, you are, lass. The kelpie are sly, and I won't have you in any danger."

"I swear I won't do anything foolish. I think if I can just study these kelpie and figure out what’s making them go crazy, I’ll be able to help you solve this. I know there has to be some things about them that haven’t been written about before and I want to discover what they are.”

"You never give up, do you, lass?"

Wendy grinned. “Not when it’s important, or when it’s something I’m passionate about.”

“Very well, lass, we shall see. I make nae promises, but I will talk with Cam and see what he says about it.”

Wendy felt as though she was making headway with him. “Thank you, Hamish.” She clapped her hands with glee and the horse she was standing next to nudged her shoulder until she went back to stroking its broad neck.

“Seems you’ve made a friend there, lass,” Hamish said with a nod toward the horse. “This is Rune.”

“He’s a beauty,” Wendy replied as she continued to stroke the very dark brown coat. She loved the thick black mane and tail and wondered if she could brush it. “Does he like to be groomed?” she asked.

“He’d probably love that, lass,” Hamish said with a nod. “Would you like to ride him?”

Wendy’s eyes widened. “Could I? Right now? I mean, aren’t you still working? And you’ve said I can’t go out alone, so how am I supposed to ride him? I can ride by the way. I’ve been on horses before, so I know how.”

Hamish chuckled. “I’m nearly finished, one more to go, but we could go for a short ride if’n you like?”

“Yes, I’d love that,” she replied.

Wendy felt her heart swell with gratitude and affection for the man next to her.

She really truly liked him a lot, but she wasn’t sure how he felt about her.

She’d tried to let him know her interest in him, had even been bold about it that first day, but now…

she wasn’t sure. He’d made no moves on her, and she was starting to think maybe she’d been too forward before?

Maybe she needed to be more demure. Or maybe he just wasn’t interested in her.

Wouldn’t that be sad? To come all this way, fall for a guy like him and then him have no interest in her.

Wendy had never been very good at flirting.

Whenever she tried in the past it seemed to backfire or go over the guy’s head, so she rarely did it.

Then there was the times when she’d just been nice to some guy and he’d taken it as her flirting and she’d not been interested at all, which had left her having to let the guy down. That never ended well.

That evening, as they sat in the dining hall for supper, Wendy's gaze wandered to Hamish's profile, his rugged features softened by the firelight. She couldn't help but be charmed by his affable demeanor and the way his eyes sparkled when they shared a laugh. Wendy could feel the unspoken connection between them, but why couldn’t he? she wondered. He seemed to keep her at a distance, and she didn’t understand why.

Was it only one sided? Was she wrong about the electricity between them?

Did he not feel the flames beneath his skin when they touched? The thought was pretty depressing.

They’d had a good time riding, even if they hadn’t gone very far. Wendy loved being on Rune’s back, flying over the moors. It had been an exhilarating feeling and one she hoped to repeat sometime soon. “Thanks for going riding with me today,” she said as they were finishing their meal.

“T’was my pleasure, lass. Rune took to you like no one else. I think if’n you’d like, you could consider him now yours. I like to think the horses chose their riders, and he’s definitely chosen you.”

“Mine? You’re giving Rune to me?” she asked, her eyes widened. Was he actually gifting her a horse? What did that mean?

“Aye, if’n you want him as your horse to ride. We’ve plenty in the stables, and more born quite often. If you’d like to ride others or didn’t like the way he rode?—”

“No, I did like the way he rode, he’s a real sweetheart and I felt like I was flying while I was on his back. He’s great, but when you say he’s mine, do you mean mine as in I own him or mine to just ride when I want to go riding?”

“You’re family now, lass. All the horses belong to the family.

Rune is or could be yours as Thunder is mine.

You’ll be charged with his grooming and care for the most part, after rides, an’ making sure he’s nae injured.

Food and shelter are taken care of by the stablemaster an’ the lads who work the stables, so you’ll nae have to clean the stall. ”

“So sort of mine, but he’s owned by the family, okay got it.” Wendy nodded. “Yes, I’d like Rune to be mine. Oh, wait, I’m not taking him from someone else, am I?”

Hamish shook his head. “Nae, Rune is one o’ the horses we use when ours have been ridden hard, but we still need to go on patrol.

With you laying claim to him, he’ll nae be used for patrol any longer, but will be in your charge.

You’ll probably have to ride him daily, if’n you cannae ride, let the stable lads know and they will see to his exercise. ”

Wendy smiled. “I will. Thanks, Hamish.” She yawned and her eyes started to droop.

“You should get some sleep, lass. I’ve some things to take care of in my shop, so I shall see you on the morrow.”

“Good night, Hamish,” Wendy replied with a sigh as she watched him leave.

She decided to do as he suggested and head to her room.

It was strange, being here, she often went to bed early.

She wondered if it was because there was no electricity or digital anything to watch, or a radio to listen to.

Back home she’d have been up for a few hours yet, watching a show, playing on her computer, listening to a podcast. But here, once it got dark, there just wasn’t a whole lot to do.

She’d certainly been doing a lot more sleeping than she’d normal have done back home and she kind of liked it. It was peaceful. Relaxing. Like this was how a person was actually supposed to live. Rise with the sun and sleep with the moon. The thought made her smile as she got ready for bed.

Before she could actually get between the sheets of her cozy little bed, there was a knock on the door. “Come in!” she called, not thinking about who it might be, or the fact she was in her nightgown.

The door opened and Jen’s head popped in. “Oh, sorry, didn’t realize you were getting into bed, I can come back later?—”

“You’re fine,” Wendy interrupted her. “What’s up?”

Jen walked in and shut the door behind her. “I wanted to check on you. See how you’re settling in here. If you had any questions or anything.”

Wendy smiled. “Actually, I was just thinking about that in a way. Like how peaceful and relaxing it is here. How I feel like my body is actually going into natural rhythms and following what I should have been doing all along. Do you know what I mean? Like back home I’d keep myself up and occupied until late at night, barely get any sleep, get up, and work, and just try to fit in, you know?

But here, it’s like… I don’t know. I feel like I’m meant to be here.

Like I studied all the ancient myths and legends and all about the Fae my whole life and now I get to live here among them, and I feel like I’m home. Does that make sense?”

Jennifer nodded as she sat down in the wooden chair under the window. “It does. I think your background in not just myths and legends, but ancient cultures, is really helping you acclimate faster than any of us did.”

“I’m really grateful that Dub Sith brought me here,” Wendy replied, plopping down on the bed.

“So how are things going with Hamish? I’ve noticed you’ve spent quite a bit of time with him lately.

Rumor is you spent the whole afternoon in the stables helping him shoe the horses and then he took you riding? ”

Wendy felt her cheeks flush. “I really like him, and yeah, I did. He well, he sort of gave me a horse? But I don’t know.”

Jen gave her a curious look. “What don’t you know?”

Wendy recalled some of her frustration at the fact he sometimes treated her like a na?ve little girl.

“Okay, so real talk. I love spending time with him, getting to know him and for the most part, I’m liking everything about him except his tendency to treat me like a kid.

I mean I feel like he’s trying to shelter me and keep me from running head-long into trouble like a little girl would, which I’d never do, but for some reason he can’t see that about me.

And I can’t even tell if he actually likes me in the same way I like him.

It’s so damned frustrating.” Wendy sighed.

“I’ve never been really good at flirting so maybe I’m missing cues or something, but it just seems like he’s treating me like a little sister or some kid who’s tagging along and he’s just putting up with me. ”

“Trust me, I get it. You have to remember what era we’re in. These Highlander men are very protective of women and while they do look at women as very capable of somethings, other things they struggle with letting go of the reins, so to speak.”

“But Cam lets you teach his men martial arts. You’re literally fighting bandits and stuff. I’m just asking to go look at kelpies and study them!” Wendy huffed.

“You’re not wrong exactly, Cam does let me do that, but I had to prove myself to him.

I had to prove my capabilities. These men are the essence of masculinity.

You have to earn their acceptance as far as those things go.

Look they all have hearts of gold, they love and respect women — for the most part — you’ll need to give Hamish time to see that you are fully capable of doing things responsibly.

Until then he’s going to be protective of you.

Not because he doesn’t think you aren’t capable, but because it’s ingrained in him to do so until you’ve proven yourself. ”

“That still doesn’t tell me how he’s feeling about me. I mean does he even like me? Or is he just humoring the new girl?”

“I can’t answer for him on that. I can tell you that men here are not like the guys back home.

They’re more subtle. They’re a helluva lot more respectful.

They take their time and court you. From what I’ve seen, that’s what Hamish is doing.

He’s courting you. He’s getting to know you, he’s respectful of you, and he’s protective of you. ”

Wendy's brow furrowed in thought. "So, what should I do?"

"Be patient. Let things develop naturally. The connection between the two of you is evident to everyone around here. We’ve all seen how he gentles himself around you. And just remember, you're not the only one trying to figure this out. Hamish is too."

“Okay, that’s good advice. I’ll try to be patient, but do you know how damned hard that is?” Wendy asked, making a face.

Jen laughed. “I seriously do.”