HIGHLAND GAMES, WEST VIRGINIA
The Festival - Present Day
To her delight, when they finally arrived at the games, the place was deserted. A sign was posted at the field entrance.
“Due to the inclement weather the games have been postponed indefinitely.”
Hallelujah! She wanted to whoop, holler, and do a happy dance to boot.
Well, she did…that is …until she saw Gavin’s face.
He looked devastated which in turn made her feel pretty bad as well. Granted, she could understand why, sort of. But seriously, couldn’t he at least try to hide it a bit?
“There are other games,” she said finally. Actually, there was a rather sizeable list of Scottish festivals and Highlands games that she had discovered while researching the men. Who knew it was such a big deal.
His face brightened. “Where?”
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. She berated herself silently as her shoulders slumped in defeat. “There are some in central Virginia next weekend.”
“Can we go ta them?”
She sighed. “Sure.”
“Are they far from here?”
“Only about an hour or two.”
“Should we leave now?”
“How about we wait until tomorrow since we have some time to kill.”
“Och, lass, ye need ta speak more plainly if ye want me ta respond. This killing of time doesna make sense ta me.”
“It just means we have time. Meaning…Oh never mind.” She threw her car in reverse and turned around, heading back the way they had just come.
♦
The trees were turning from one color to the next, as the first signs of fall were making an appearance. The air had a chill in it as well—a reminder that fall wasn’t too far away. Under normal circumstances, Paige would have enjoyed the ride back to the hotel more. Stands were set up on the sides of the road, with fresh cider and apples and even kettle corn. When she stopped to fill up her car with gas, she walked over to one of the stands and got them some kettle corn to eat for the rest of the drive, as well as some cider to drink.
Gavin took one look at the bag and shook his head. “Och, why is it so strange looking?”
“It’s just popcorn.” She reached into the clear plastic bag and pulled out a handful, tossing a few pieces into her mouth. “See. It’s good.”
Gavin gave her a doubtful look but still reached into the bag and pulled out a solitary piece of popcorn. Holding it under his nose, he sniffed. “It smells sweet?”
“It is sweet. You’d know if you would just eat some.”
“Fine.” Scrunching up his face and shutting his eyes, he put the popcorn in his mouth and slowly chewed.
“Well?”
He opened his eyes. “It’s acceptable.”
“Acceptable?” she scoffed. “It’s delicious.” She grabbed another handful out of the bag just to prove her point and ate it.
He smiled.
It was a small smile, and if she hadn’t been watching him so closely, she would have missed it. And it didn’t go unnoticed to her that when he thought she wasn’t looking, his hand snaked inside the bag again. Turning his head, he ate a few more pieces.
Paige stifled a laugh. He looked so darn cute.
Not surprisingly, by the time they got to the hotel the popcorn was pretty much gone. Not from her, but from Gavin. She found out very quickly, as she already knew from playing cards with him for candy, that if Gavin liked something, he was a bit stingy.
He took a drink of cider straight from the container, swiped his hand over his mouth, and then lowered it back down. “This taste like apples.” He shook the jug and watched the brown liquid swirl in the bottom.
“It is made from apples.”
He widened his eyes, seemingly shocked by such a thing.
This time she did laugh out loud.
She couldn’t help it.
“Och, what do ye find so amusing, lass?”
“You.” She kept right on laughing.
Gavin frowned.
She laughed even harder.
Suddenly everything seemed laughable. Their current predicament—Gavin wanting to go back to his time without her and especially the fact that he still hadn’t told her that he loved her. Now that was the funniest thing of all.
After she had nearly peed her pants laughing hysterically, she realized the reason wasn’t necessarily about her situation at all, well, she amended, some of it was, but it was mostly because she had bought hard cider and she was drunk.
Stumbling up the steps to their room, she felt the full effects of her drinking foray hit her like a ton of bricks.
“Och, lass, can ye walk?” Gavin asked, pushing her forward when she started to fall backward.
“Pissh-possh,” she slurred, swaying towards their room. “I am walking.” She lifted her foot too high in the air and slammed it back down on the stair like she was marching.
“Lass, are ye drunk?” Gavin grabbed her arm to keep her upright.
Hiccupping, she swayed in the other direction. “Maaaybeee.”
Struggling with the keycard, she finally unlocked the door. Pushing through the opening into the room, she propelled herself to the bed. Falling face first on top of the mattress, she closed her eyes and promptly passed out.
♦
Gavin shut the door to the hotel room and locked it. Setting their bags on the floor he went to check on his lass. She was lying face down on the bed and she was making some strange noises. He pulled off her shoes and covered her up with a blanket from the bottom of the bed.
He watched her for a moment as she slept. Och, he thought, he was surely going ta miss her when he went back ta his time. And even though he didn’t say as much out loud, he cared for her deeply, mayhap he even loved her more so than he did Jillian but he was afraid to admit such a thing ta her or ta himself. It wouldn’t be fair ta the lass, or the memory he had tucked away inside his heart of Jillian.
Rubbing his chest over his aforementioned heart, he turned away from her and walked across the room. Sitting down heavily into one of the high-backed cushioned chairs, he leaned his head back and propped his feet on the stool in front of him. Closing his eyes, he let his memories take hold once more…
MEMORY
Greystone Castle, Loch Morar
“Let go of me! You, you, heathen,” the crystal-eyed redhead screamed.
“Och, Laird…” Callum looked over at Gavin with something akin to horror as he struggled to keep hold of the wild woman in his arms. “She will no settle down.”
“Take her ta my chambers and lock her inside.”
“By myself?” Callum’s eyes widened.
“Do ye see someone else, Callum?”
“Can ye get Muir ta help, she’s…OW!” Callum bent over, trying to catch his breath and hold onto the young woman at the same time. “Ye kicked me.”
“If you don’t let me go, I will do more than that.”
Callum gave Gavin a pleading look. “She is full of spit and vinegar, this one."
“Aye, I can see that she is, Callum,” Gavin said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Best get her up the stairs before she makes good on her threat, aye?”
Callum grumbled something under his breath as he wrapped his arms around her waist as tight as he could and lifted her in the air. Her feet thrashed back and forth, connecting with his shin. “Och, stop kicking me.”
“Let me go!”
“I can no do that.” He hoisted her up and part dragged, part carried her up the stairs.
“I don’t envy ye trying ta tame that one, my Laird,” Morgan commented offhandedly.
“Let me take her up the stairs, my Laird,” Broderick suggested. “I will tame her.”
Gavin cut his eyes towards Broderick. Even though he was several feet away he could see a fever burning in his dark eyes and how his breath came and went in rushed pants as he watched Callum carry the lass up the stairs.
“Nay, Broderick. I thank ye for the offer but Callum is doing a fine job.” There was no way Gavin would let Broderick in the room with the lass because there was no telling what he might do. He had seen how Broderick behaved with one women folk at the tavern and it still made his stomach turn when he thought of the vile things he did ta the poor lass.
Broderick tensed and fisted his hands at his sides. “O’ course my Laird,” he scathed the last. “If ye change yer mind, I will tend ta her and see that she gets in line for ye.” And with that, he turned and stormed out of the hall.
“If ye want ta keep the lass in one piece, ye better keep a close eye on her with the likes of Broderick around,” Morgan commented.
“Aye, I know,” Gavin admitted. “Why do ye think I had Callum put her in my chambers.”
“I’ll admit, I don’t envy ye that task, Laird,” Morgan continued as Callum howled out an expletive from above.
“I tend ta agree with ye, Morgan. I don’t much care ta want ta deal with the lass, myself.”
Morgan chuckled as he turned and walked away.
Gavin stood there for a few more minutes listening to Callum howl and the lass scream. It made gooseflesh rise on his skin. Nay, Gavin wasn’t looking forward ta dealing with that wild lass. Not one bit.
♦
It took several attempts over the span of three days ta get the lass ta settle down enough to even have a conversation with her or to be able to enter his room without having something thrown at his head. When she did finally let him in his room again she was still a mite put out and said as much ta him.
“Why won’t you let me go?” She was weak with hunger, he could see that.
“I can no let ye go.”
“I don’t understand, why not.” She paced the room and then sat on the trunk at the end of his bed.
When she looked at him with those light blue crystal eyes of hers, his belly flipped over on itself. She was the most beautiful lass he had ever laid eyes on. Her voice was raspy, sexy, and her dark lashes were in striking contrast to the paleness of her skin and accentuated her eyes beautifully.
“What is yer name, lass?” He asked, leaning back against the rough wooden door. He didn’t dare come any closer because she had a habit of pulling something from under her gown and trying ta bludgeon him in his head if he came too close.
“What difference does it make?” she yelled, fisting her hand on her skirt. “You won’t let me go.”
She was even lovelier when she was angry, Gavin thought ruefully. “I thought we could have a bit o’ conversation.”
“What for?”
He shrugged his shoulders.
She sighed and released something that she was holding in the folds of her gown.
To Gavin’s surprise, one of his dirks clattered to the ground at her feet. He had no idea how she had gotten hold of it.
“Oh, just take it,” she said, masking her face with a look of innocence.
Gavin was tempted to reach down and pick it up but he didn’t trust her. He had a feeling if he stepped forward to retrieve his dirk she would have something else to beat him with before he stood back up. “Makes no never mind ta me, lass.”
Her eyes showed her surprise and then she smiled. When she did, he thought his heart might just stop.
“You don’t trust me, do you?” She settled back on the trunk and lifted her feet up off the floor, tucking them under her gown.
“Trust is a strong word, lass. I don’t give it out freely, ye would have ta earn it.”
She seemed to ponder this and then smiled again. “You aren’t like the other men,” she commented.
“Nay lass, I do no suppose that I am.”
“But you are the Laird, here, correct?”
“Aye. That I am,” he admitted, feeling a swell of pride that she called him such.
“My name is Jillian,” she said finally.
“Jillian,” he repeated, liking the way her name felt on his tongue as he said it.
“What shall I endeavor to call you, other than Laird, of course?”
“Ye may call me, Laird.”
She laughed then.
Not a simple little laugh, but a full robust one, that made her face turn red and her body shake.
Gavin wasn’t sure what was so funny but for some reason he found humor in her laughter as well, and to his surprise, he started laughing right along with her.