Their Own Time

by Jessica Wayne

  He watched her leave for the second time and felt the familiar tug of lust in his stomach. She was attractive, sure, any man could see that, but there was something more that drew his attention. If Mrs. Kinley was right, and she was in danger, he was going to do everything he could to make sure she and her son were safe.

  When Wade made his way downstairs for dinner, hoping he wasn’t late because he had no idea what time it was, he took careful note of what he passed. He looked at everything as if it was another of his investigations, and he didn’t want to miss anything.

  Tapestries covered most of the walls just like they had in the entryway and his room, and thanks to his boyish interest in all things castles, he had discovered two secret doors hidden behind them. He made a mental note to search them once he had more time.

  Just as he was walking down a hallway he hoped led to the dining area, he heard the sound of a woman crying. His mind went on alert, and he reached for a gun that was no longer in a shoulder holster. Why? He wasn’t sure. Crying certainly didn’t signify the need for a weapon, but since he was already on guard, he assumed it was just a jerk reaction to the adrenaline that had yet to wear completely off.

  “Shit,” he muttered and headed toward the direction of the crying.

  He found the woman backed into a corner of what looked to be a linen closet.

  “Ma’am?” he asked, kneeling closer to her. “Are you okay?”

  Her eyes, a soft, warm brown, shot to his, and she tried to slink further back into her corner.

  “I won’t hurt you.” He put his hands up, palms out as a display of peace, and she relaxed slightly. “What happened?” he asked her and began checking for any sign of physical injury.

  “Did someone hurt you?”

  She started crying again, and he did his best to switch from cop mode to man. “What is your name?”

  She sniffled and looked up at him through tears. “‘Tis Delila.”

  “That’s a pretty name.” He smiled. “I’m Wade.”

  “I know who you are, Mister, Lady Chloe told us of you.”

  “Hopefully nice things,” he joked, but the woman looked horrified.

  “Of course nice things, Mister, we wouldn’t speak ill of a guest!”

  “Of course not, I meant it as a joke.”

  This got a smile out of the woman, and Wade noted that she was attractive, in an understated way. Her face was round and framed by two curls of light auburn hair. The rest of it was tucked up in a neat bun.

  “So, tell me what happened?” He sat across from her, but left the door to the closet open, not wanting any rumors spreading through the halls.

  “‘Tis nothing, Mister Wade.”

  “Nothing wouldn’t cause you to be crying in a linen closet.” He eyed her cautiously, not wanting to scare her.

  “I suppose it wouldn’t. It’s just, I gave my heart to Arthur, believing it would be returned, gave him more than that if you don’t mind me saying.” Her cheeks reddened with anger. “Well, I caught him with another woman moments ago in the hall behind the kitchen!”

  “Sounds like he’s a jackass to me,” Wade said simply.

  Delila smiled widely and nodded.

  “He is a jackass,” she agreed and covered her mouth on a laugh.

  “I believe you can do better, Delila, how’s about you go about your day with your nose turned up toward him. Doesn’t sound like he’s worth yours or the other woman’s time.”

  “I think that’s a fine plan, Mister Wade.”

  Wade stood and helped Delila to her feet.

  “Thank you.” She curtsied slightly and headed through the door.

  Wade watched, amused, and then headed the opposite way down the hall.

  “That was a nice thing that you did,” Chloe’s voice cut through his thoughts and seeped into his brain like a drug. How long had it been since a woman had that kind of effect on him, he wondered? Easy enough answer, he supposed—never.

  “She was hurting. Needed someone to talk to.”

  “You could have taken advantage of her, and you didn’t.”

  Her words sliced through him like a knife and anger flushed his cheeks.

  “I have not, nor would I ever force myself on a woman, Chloe. I have no tolerance for men that do.”

  She smiled lightly and touched his arm. He did his best to ignore the jolt of lust that resulted from the contact, but based on her face, she had felt it too.

  “I didn’t mean it that way,” Chloe said as she dropped her hand. “I only meant it as a compliment. I apologize if my words came out as if I were accusing you of something.”

  He looked into her eyes and saw something he couldn’t quite place. Had she experienced such violence before? His anger was replaced with something new, and he pictured her crying and alone. He would kill any man who dared hurt his woman.

  “If you follow me, I can show you where the dining area is.”

  His woman? Since when had he begun thinking of her as his woman? He shook his head and followed after Chloe. He was in way over his head.

  “I sent for the McKinleys,” Chloe said as they ate dinner that evening.

  “The McKinleys?”

  “Carissa.” Chloe tried to hide the twinge of jealousy in her voice at the mention of another woman in reference to Wade. She had no right to feel such a useless emotion. She had no time for what it might mean.

  “Oh, that’s right, I forgot she was married. Thank you, Chloe.”

  “Momma, may I be excused?” Fergus asked as he bounced in his seat.

  Chloe sighed and looked at his plate. He had barely touched his dinner, but such was the normal since they had moved into the castle. Her son would rather be running through its stonewalls slaying all sorts of imaginary dragons than eating dinner with her.

  She nodded, and he was gone before she could even smile at him.

  “He’s a good kid,” Wade said around a bite of potato.

  “Thank you.”

  “Must be hard raising him by yourself.” He paused. “If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to his father?”

  Chloe’s jaw hardened. She was not one to talk about Carrick McLaughlin, but she supposed he would hear the story from one of the staff if not from her, and she would prefer him to hear the version where she was not some hopeless victim afterward.

  “Would you like some whiskey?” she asked, standing. She didn’t want to talk about it in the open. Was not a story she wished for Fergus to overhear.

  “You have whiskey here?”

  Chloe couldn’t help but laugh at his expression. She knew he wasn’t from this time; she had pieced that much together with what she knew of Carissa. His genuine surprise at the fact that they had whiskey was the first thing she had truly laughed at in years.

  “Aye, we have whiskey. ‘Tis made with horse piss, though.” She grinned widely at him and knew the moment the joke had sunk in.

  “Nice try, but at this point, I would still drink it.”

  Chloe laughed again, how nice it felt! “I’ve no doubt you would. Come on, I have some in my room.”

  Chapter Five

  As Wade followed her up the stairs and into her chamber, Chloe pushed down the butterflies. She had never willingly allowed a man in her bedchamber; in fact, the only man she had ever been with was Carrick, and it was something she never wanted to repeat.

  She had decided to trust Wade after seeing the way he handled Delila, and she hoped that her trust was not misplaced. This would be the ultimate test, she supposed. Whether that was smart of her or not, she would soon find out.

  She pushed open the door to her room first, and then to the small sitting area off of her bedroom. She settled into one of the chairs in front of an already roaring fireplace while Wade took a seat in the other. She then poured whiskey into the glasses on the table between them.

  “Cheers,” Wade said and clinked his glass to hers.

  “So, you asked me about Fergus’s father,” Chloe said after taki
ng a drink. She turned to face Wade. “‘Tis not a nice story, there is no love involved.”

  Chloe watched as Wade’s expression darkened. She remembered how he had told her earlier that evening that he had no tolerance for men who forced themselves on women.

  “You don’t have to tell me, Chloe. I won’t push.”

  Chloe shrugged. She had lived through it, true, talking about it didn’t alleviate any of the anger she still felt nor did it ease any memories of the event, but she hoped that telling Wade would somehow help him to better understand her position in the castle.

  Chloe was no fool, she saw how her new guest looked at her, knew how she looked at him as well. Part of her hoped that in telling him her story, he night lose interest, that perhaps that loss of interest would take hers away as well. She couldn’t afford to enter into any relationship, whether it was physical or more. Truth be told, she wasn’t sure she could ever let another man touch her. She believed Carrick stole that.

  “People talk, and I would rather you hear it from me.”

  Wade nodded and took another drink from his glass. Chloe watched as the shadow from the flames danced across his face.

  “I was the handmaiden to the late Carrick McLaughlin’s daughter, Eleanora. We grew up together, I was only but a year older than her. My mother worked for McLaughlin as well, and my father was his stable hand.” Chloe sipped from her whiskey, and let the burn from the liquid ease away some of the memories.

  “My parents both died of sickness when I was young, and the McLaughlin family took me in. The lady of the castle, Carrick McLaughlin’s wife, passed away soon after. It wasn’t long after that when the staff began noticing the way McLaughlin was treating his maids. They would show up with new bruises, or wouldn’t show back up at all. Most of the staff left, but I stuck with Eleanora. She wasn’t mean like her father, but she was daft and paid no attention to anything that went on. When she was married off to the McKinley, I went with her.”

  “McKinley?” Wade asked.

  “Aye, Garrett McKinley was married before Carissa.”

  Wade nodded and stayed quiet so she could continue.

  “Eleanora became pregnant fairly quickly, and I overheard a conversation she and her father had during one of his visits. He told her that if the babe was a boy, she was to kill McKinley as he slept.” Chloe tightened her hands into fists. “I kept silent, prepared to warn Garrett if the babe was a boy, but Eleanora began experiencing her pains early, and both she and the babe died. It was a girl, and although Garrett didn’t love Eleanora, he grieved for them both.”

  “If he didn’t love her, then why did he marry her?”

  “It was arranged. Neither truly loved each other. Garrett had hoped the union would keep the two clans at bay. If the McKinleys had gone to war with the McLaughlins, they would have been devastated as the McLaughlins outnumbered them two to one.” When he nodded, she continued, “After she died, I came back here, and McLaughlin came to me. I foolishly believed he was grieving his daughter, so I thought I would console him. Evil man or not, I felt for him. He had discovered I had told Garrett of his plan, and he forced himself on me as a punishment. It was rough but over quickly, I left immediately after and went into hiding in the village.”

  Chloe watched as Wade stood and began to pace. She could feel the anger rolling off of him and wondered why he felt such emotion. It was years ago, and the man was dead. She continued anyway, “It wasn’t long before I realized I was carrying his child. I didn’t go to him, knowing that he would take my baby. So I chose to raise the child on my own, and I did. It wasn’t until Carrick kidnapped your friend Carissa and Garrett killed him that I admitted to anyone who Fergus’s father was.”

  “Kidnapped her?” His anger doubled now, and Chloe nodded. “Did he—”

  “No, he did not force himself on her. Garrett rescued her before Carrick had his way. Garrett told everyone that Fergus was the rightful heir to the McLaughlin land and everyone accepted that. Whether it was because they suspected it already or they feared Garrett McKinley, I’m not sure.”

  “He sounds like he is a good man.”

  “He is. He and Carissa are very much in love.”

  “I am glad she found someone.”

  Chloe heard the truth in his voice, and it eased some of the jealousy she was trying to ignore.

  Chloe pushed back in her chair as Wade knelt in front of her. The kindness in his eyes was strange to see given that she could still feel the anger that surrounded him.

  “I am so sorry, Chloe.” He reached for her hand, and she gave it to him. “I wish he wasn’t dead so that I could kill him myself. I swear to you that I will never let another man put his hands on you. You and Fergus will be safe as long as I live.”

  Chloe felt her breath catch when Wade gently touched her face. Her lips parted slightly, and every bad memory seemed to fade as she looked into his eyes. She saw him look down at her mouth and his own lips parted. Butterflies filled her stomach, and without thinking about it, she leaned toward him slightly.

  Just as their mouths were nearly an inch apart, she heard her door open, and she shot back in her chair.

  “Momma!” Fergus giggled and came running into the room.

  “What is it, Fergus?” she asked him as she stood. Wade stayed kneeling on the ground for a moment and then followed her.

  “I found a secret room!”

  “Ye’ did?”

  He nodded, excited, and gripped her hand. “Come on, I’ll show you! You should come as well, Mister!” he said and grabbed Wade’s hand with his other.

  “Let’s see then.” Wade smiled and followed the little boy.

  Fergus dragged them along to one of the tapestries Wade had passed earlier.

  “See!” he exclaimed and pushed the tapestry aside.

  “That is awesome!” Wade said excitedly and reached for the door.

  “Should we look inside?” he asked Fergus, who nodded quickly.

  “Maybe there will be a dragon!”

  “Oh man, that would be something!” Wade responded.

  Chloe watched, amused, as Wade was so kind to her little Fergus. He wasn’t mocking or bored with his expressions. She could see he was just as excited as Fergus was to see what was behind the door.

  “Can we open it, Momma?”

  “I don’t see why not. But we should be quiet just in case it is a dragon.” She put her finger to her lips, and Fergus smiled widely.

  They pushed the door open, and it slid silently across the stone floor. Chloe didn’t miss the fact that Wade let himself in first, making it so that he could protect them if anything were in the dark hallway. She knew there wasn’t, she had spent her entire childhood exploring this castle and knew all of its secrets.

  They followed the slim hallway, and just as she remembered, it exited into the kitchen.

  “They used this tunnel to make the trips to the main chamber and the kitchen shorter,” she whispered to Wade, not wanting to crush her son’s imagination with the truth. She could see that he was currently daydreaming of the soldiers that surely hid in this secret hall from the enemy.

  “Can we look for more?” Fergus asked hopefully.

  “I think it’s time for bed.” Chloe smiled and lifted him into her arms.

  “Night, little man.” Wade ruffled Fergus’s hair.

  “Night, Mister Wade.”

  “Just Wade.”

  Fergus grinned. “Wade.”

  Chloe’s heart danced when her eyes met Wade’s. Telling him her story hadn’t brought disgust to his eyes, it hadn’t even brought pity into them. It had done nothing to curb her feelings. If anything, it had actually caused her to care for him more. She had almost kissed him! For the first time in her life, she wondered what it would be like to be with him. To allow herself to let her guards down and love.

  Wade watched them leave. How was it that he hadn’t even been here a full day, and he had already almost kissed his hostess? He scolded himself, she had be
en vulnerable. But she had almost kissed him as well, hadn’t she? He remembered the way her lips had parted, and she had leaned toward him.

  She had been through so much, though. Her story had made him so incredibly angry. Carrick McLaughlin was dead now, he reminded himself. He couldn’t hurt her or Fergus now, and Wade wouldn’t let anyone else hurt them, ever. Not even twenty-four hours after meeting her, and Wade was already falling for the Irish beauty.

  Chapter Six

  “So, the day we met, you told me that you were a detective, what is that?” Chloe asked as they sat in the grass and watched Fergus play.

  It had been two weeks since he had arrived in Ireland, on her land, and he had begun to think of her and Fergus as his family. Carissa had sent word back that they would be coming as soon as they could, but Wade was grateful she was taking her time. It gave him more time to get to know the two people he had begun to care for more than he had thought possible.

  Chloe didn’t know it, but each night after they had gone to bed, Wade walked the castle, ensuring no one was there that shouldn’t have been.

  “I solve crimes. If someone is hurt or is killed, I look for the bastard who did it.”

  “That is honorable work.”

  Wade nodded. It was, but truth be told, he didn’t miss it. He missed nothing of his old life, well except maybe running water. And pizza.

  “What caused you to become a detective?” She wondered.

  “I always wanted to help people. I had a little sister, and I honestly believed that if I became a cop, then I could protect her. Maybe no one would mess with her because of who I was.”

  “Where is she now?”

  Wade’s jaw tightened. “She was killed.”

  Chloe touched his hand gently.

  “I’m so sorry, Wade. Did they find out who did it?”

  “Her boyfriend. The man she was seeing,”hee clarified, unsure if she knew the term.

  “That is terrible. What did you do?”

  “I almost killed him. My partner stopped me. He is spending the rest of his life behind bars.”