Chapter Sixteen

After several days, and more tears and a few laughs, Winnie left to tell Heather’s family the full story, as she knew it, of what had become of her. She assured her old nursemaid it was for the best to not return, and after watching her leave, she was glad of her decision. It all felt surreal. She didn’t feel like she belonged with the Campbells anymore, and the few good memories she had just weren’t enough to make her want to go back.

Her family didn’t really want her, after all. In this day and age, she’d be a burden more than anything. She could just see her uncle trying to find someone to marry her off to.

“No thank you,” she muttered, climbing the winding staircase to the battlements.

Returning to her own time, what felt like her own time back in the twenty-first century was the best choice, even though it meant leaving her heart behind.

She couldn’t deny loving Erin, but she also couldn’t deny her need to belong. Perhaps all her running had been a search rather than an escape. And now that she’d settled all the questions about her past once and for all, she knew she belonged in the twenty-first century.

“Hey ladies,” she said, greeting Deidra and Tuck. “Doing a little exercise?”

“Just to relax. It gets the kinks out,” Tuck said, following through on a T’ai Chi move.

Heather waited until they finished and looked to the water churning in the loch, sniffed at the salty air, and smiled. As much as she loved it here, loved this spot just as Erin did, it wasn’t where she needed to be.

Jenny came up beside her. “You’re ready to go home, I believe.”

She smiled at the pint-sized scientist. “I am. So many questions have been answered, so much said and done, I feel—I don’t know what I feel.”

“You need to regain your footing, and the most solid ground for you is the twenty-first century.”

“Yes, that’s it. That’s it exactly. That time feels right somehow. This is wonderful,” she said, looking to the view again. “But it’s not—home. I’m out of my comfort zone here, always on edge. I know that doesn’t make sense, seeing as how this is where I’m from, but it’s how I feel.”

“Not at all. It makes total sense to me. Ian was a lot like you. He wandered for so long, never feeling as if he had a place in the world. Then when we met, fell in love, and married, he knew this wasn’t the right place for him any longer. It took some adjustments, but he’s more comfortable in the future. For you it’s an even bigger pull since you left here when you were a little girl. The bulk of your psyche was molded in our time, not this one.”

Heather laughed. “Thank you, Doctor Freud.”

Jenny adjusted her glasses with a grin. “Hardly Freud, but I’ll take it just the same.”

With a sigh, Heather gave the view one more look. “Now I have to tell Erin.”

“That I’m afraid, will be your toughest face-off,” Tuck said, moving up beside them. “He’s nuts about you.”

“Yeah, so I hear.” She let out a slow, deep breath.

“And you’re not exactly immune to him,” Tuck added with a wink, then disappeared down the stairs.

“I’ll see about getting things ready for our departure,” Jenny said, and followed her.

The sun glistened on the water, catching Heather’s eye, and she savored it. Okay, sure it was pretty, but she knew what she was really doing was stalling. She didn’t want to tell him.

“Jenny says they’re leaving tomorrow,” Erin said, stealing up behind her. He slipped his arms around her waist and rested his chin atop her shoulder.

She wrapped her arms over his where he held her and nodded. She couldn’t find the words, or rather they stuck in her throat like a big ole’ fishbone. Painful and choking her to death.

“You are to go with them. Determined not to stay in the time in which you were born.” Erin said.

She kept her tears at bay, barely, but found her voice. She had to make him understand. “Yes. This may be where I began, but it isn’t who I am now.”

“I understand, but before you leave there is something I must say.”

Garnering her nerve, she turned in his arms and looked up at him, telling herself she would not cry. “What is it?”

“Do you know how I feel, leannan? I’m in love with you.”

She swallowed hard at the sound of those words coming from him. It hurt like hell, but it was best to have it all out in the open. At least there was no doubt now.

He pulled her closer and rested his forehead against hers. “But I doona know how you feel about me.”

She may as well admit it out loud, because in the end it didn’t matter what he felt for her or what she felt for him. She was leaving and he was staying.

“You know damn well, I’m in love with you, but it doesn’t change things. I still have to leave.”

“I know, love. I know. But we have now, and it will have to be enough.” With a watery gaze, he crushed her to him and pressed his mouth to hers.

It was a kiss filled with raw emotion and she returned it with all that she was. This would be their moment, their goodbye, the one memory she would savor for the rest of her life.

He pulled his lips from hers, their unsteady breaths mingling in the brisk breeze from the loch. “Come with me now. Let me love you just this once, leannan.”

She couldn’t speak, she could only nod, and let him take her by the hand and lead her down the stairs to his room.

With the utmost care, and tender touches, he removed her gown and she removed his kilt. He eased her onto the bed as they traded kiss for kiss, and touch for touch. The weight of him, crushing her breasts against his warm chest, sent jolts of electricity coursing through her. His hand teased a path along her side to the juncture of her thighs, and she thought she might burst from the pure pleasure of it all.

How was she going to leave this man behind? How would she ever be able to live her life knowing she would never experience such sweet agony ever again?

“Och, my bonny Heather. I canna wait much longer.”

“Then don’t. Please God don’t wait.”

With half a chuckle he rubbed his thick shaft against her moist center, and she nearly cried out.

“Don’t tease me, Erin. I need you. Now.”

“And I need you, love.” With that, he thrust home, and her world shattered.

They found their own frantic rhythm and rode the waves of pure passion until neither could hold on any longer. Together they exploded in a fiery downpour of sensations.

Neither would ever be the same again.

Their bodies, moist from their lovemaking, Heather shivered against the cool air surrounding them. Erin rolled to his side, pulling her with him and the covers over top. With a sigh of contentment, she nestled into his side and drifted off to sleep.

Erin sifted his fingers through her soft hair and listened to her even breathing. How would he be able to take a wife when the time came knowing she would be nothing like Heather? How would he manage to sire an heir knowing that somewhere in time, the woman who held his heart, who’d captured his very soul was but a sprinkling of magic water away?

He made a silent vow that he would do his duty, to his clan, to his family, and then carefully set it all aside. She was here now, in his arms, and he would not waste a moment of this time. Not for clan or family. This was all that mattered, she was all that mattered.

Slowly he woke her with tender kisses and teasing nips until once again they rode the wave of their passion.

No one sought them out. No one knocked at Erin’s door. No one called them to sup. The family understood what it meant and left them alone. Grateful for their solitude, they refused to waste it and spent the rest of the day and half the night loving one another. And when morning came, they made love one last time, both with tears gathering at the corners of their eyes.

****

After a quick break of their fast with the family, they all walked to the stream to say goodbye. Although it wasn’t needed to travel back, it was a way to leave without causing suspicion. Erin possessed Heather’s hand the entire way. It was part of him, she was part of him, and he had to hold on to her for as long as he could.

Although Burt was sad to go, he seemed ready to return to his energy drinks and video games, as well as the other comforts of the twenty-first century.

“Doona stay away too long,” his father said, and slapped Uncle Ian on the back. “I grow weary of besting the same group of men day in and day out.”

“I believe, old friend, I am one up at last count,” Ian said.

“Nay, that last bout was for fun, ’twas no’ a serious bit of sport.”

Tuck laughed. “You keep telling yourself that one, babe, cause you’re the only one who believes it.”

“Verra well, I will concede. This time.” MacLean turned to Burt. “And you, lad, keep up your training. I hope to see some serious improvement when next you visit. Even though you have to learn from this Sassenach.”

With a smile, Burt promised he’d do his best no matter what, which was enough to satisfy both men.

“Well, it’s time everyone,” Jenny said.

Erin pulled Heather to him for one last kiss. “I will miss you with all that I am, leannan.”

“I’ll miss you to. I hope—I hope you have a good life, Erin. I mean that.”

“Aye, and you as well, love.”

“I love you,” she said, and kissed him.

As painful as it was to end the connection, they had no choice, and she quickly joined Jenny and the others in their circle.

“Goodbye my love,” Erin murmured.

“Okay, everyone ready?” Jenny asked.

“No’ quite,” his da said, and with a mighty shove pushed Erin into their circle. “You’ve left one behind.”

“But—what—Da?”

“Come and visit when you can, lad. Your sister and Adam can handle things when the time comes.” He slid an arm around his mother’s waist. “Ne’er settle for less than love, son. ’Tis no’ the way a mon is meant to live.”

With a glassy-eyed gaze his parents waved goodbye, and within a blink, Erin’s arms were around Heather and his mouth against hers. Neither noticed the spinning, nor the change in scenery, they were only aware of one another.

“Geez, guys. Get a room already.”

Burt’s grumble brought their heads up with a laugh, and they were happy to see the familiar sight of his aunt and uncle’s home.