by Lana Dash
I walk back down the hall in a bit of a haze, Brianna’s face crystal clear in my mind. What was happening to me? I don’t even know this woman. But why does it feel like I’ve known her all my life? Something on the ground in front of the painting catches my eye and makes me stop. I kneel to pick it up and see that it’s a letter of some kind.
I flip it over in my hands. It's sealed, but there is no name on it. I tear it open and pull out the folded sheet of paper inside.
Dear Highland Stranger,
I know we haven’t met, and this is probably presumptuous of me to be saying this, but my heart is yours. The Highlands of Scotland call to me, but it’s the vision of you in my dreams that have stolen my heart. Although I can’t see your face, I will know it is you, that we are meant for one another with only a kiss. I long for your touch, your kiss, that moment when two souls become one. Whatever divides us, be it miles or time, we will find one another, and our love will be one stories are written about. Until then I will wait for you.
Sincerely Yours,
Brianna
I look back down the hall and wonder when she could have written this. I reread the letter, noticing that this letter was written ten years ago. Nothing about this night makes sense. First, Brianna appears like a ghost by the loch. And now it looks like she's written me a love letter years before meeting me. At least the hope filling in my chest tells me that I hope this letter is for me.
She says she’ll know I’m the one with a kiss. A determination in me that I’ve never felt before sparks hot inside my chest. I have one day to get a kiss from Brianna to see if this real.
3
BRIANNA
The following day when I wake up, I look around the room that looks like it’s hardly been touched by time and have to remind myself where I am. I'm in a castle in Scotland. I pinch my arm and flinch at the sharpness, but I can’t hide the smile that spreads across my face. This isn't a dream. I'm really here.
I pull back the heavy covers and swing my bare legs over the side. My jeans are lying over the bench at the end of the four-poster bed. I stop and think about how Katherine felt on her first day after she traveled back in time. She felt frightened and alone, despite already having a connection with Graeme. But for me, I feel like, for the first time in my life, I'm home.
I grab Letters from a Highlander off the bedside table, looking to re-read the chapter where Katherine is introduced to her new life. I flip through the pages but stop when I realize my letter is gone. I look around the room, wondering if it fell out, but I don't see it anywhere.
I playback the previous evening out in the woods and remember how I dropped the book when I fell. It had to have fallen out then. A feeling of loss comes over me, not for the loss of the letter itself, but for the potential, that letter could have brought to me. I know it's crazy to think that a man would read that letter and suddenly feel like there is something more between the two of us. I was only eighteen when I wrote it, and yet those feelings that I felt then are just as strong today as they were when I wrote that letter.
Colin's face pops into my mind, and he fits so well into the dream I've fantasized about so many times. Is it possible to just meet someone and know that they are the one for you? Am I crazy to even be having these thoughts?
A soft knock on the door makes me jump.
“Just a minute!” I yell as I lunge for my jeans and slip them on over the ample curve of my hips.
I run over to the door and swing it open to find Ainslie standing on the other side, smiling at me with a dress draped over her arm.
“Good morning,” she sing-songs, the soft lilt of her Scots accent making it would like a beautiful melody. “I was hoping you were awake.”
“Just barely.” I smile and step back so that she can come in.
“Did you sleep alright?”
“Like a dream.”
“Good.” She holds up the dress. “This is for you to wear at the festival.”
I take in the floor-length cream-colored dress, with long sleeves that bell out from the elbow. I’m a curvy woman, and I don’t often find that borrowed clothing fits me correctly.
“I don’t think I can wear that,” I say, shaking my head.
“Of course, you can,” she insists. “I worked on it last night to make a few alterations so that this dress would fit you like a glove.”
With anyone else, I might have been offended at her casual way of talking about how she had to alter clothing to fit my curves, but there wasn't a hint of malice in Ainslie's voice. She wasn't trying to shame me but help me, and I couldn't be mad over that. I wanted to stay for the festival, and after she and Colin allowed me to spend the night, I didn’t want to seem like an ungrateful guest.
Ainslie hangs the dress on a hook on the four-poster and pulls out a small makeup kit from her sweater pocket.
"The village likes to dress as authentically as we can for the festival, but I don't think it hurts to add a subtle touch of makeup to look our best."
I look at the dress and then back to Ainslie. "I'm not sure this dress matches the period you are going for here. It's beautiful for sure, but—"
“Trust me.” She smiles confidently. “This dress is perfect.”
Ainslie leaves me with instructions to take a shower and get ready. She insists that I don’t want to miss the opening of the festival.
I take a bath in the tub near the large fireplace. I'd like to take my time and soak my body after running and falling in the woods, but I don’t have too much time to linger. I open the small makeup bag she gave me and find a travel bottle of shampoo and a razor for my legs.
When I’m finished, I dry off and comb out my long brown hair, deciding to let it air dry into the soft wavy curls that I usually blow dry straight. I apply a bit of the makeup, trying to make it subtle so it's "time period appropriate.”
Finally, I pull the dress over my head, and it slips down into place like this dress was made perfectly for my body. I walk over to the mirror, and I'm shocked by what I see in my reflection. A giggle rises out of me. I look like how I imagined Katherine would.
“This is not real,” I tell my reflection, trying to sound stern, but the smile on my face doesn’t go away.
I make my way downstairs, listening for any sign of Colin or Ainslie. I can hear two voices whispering, and I make my way towards it but stop for a moment. I don't want to interrupt, so I wait for a pause in their conversation.
I recognize Ainslie’s voice when she says clearly. “She’s the Lady of the Loch Greer.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Colin scoffs.
"It's true. You can't see it because you and her—”
“Will you shut it?” He hisses.
I suddenly feel like a creeper listening in on their private conversation. I clear my throat and step into the room. Ainslie sees me first, and her face lights up. Colin is sitting with his back to me. He turns and starts to stand but stops when his gaze takes me in. His eyes widen, and his mouth opens slightly, but he doesn’t say a word.
“Is it too much?” I ask, running my hands nervously down the front of my dress. My words seem to snap Colin out of his trance, and he looks away.
“Are you mad?” Ainslie scoffs. “You look gorgeous.”
Colin clears his throat. “You look—stunning.”
4
COLIN
The clamp on my heart tightens in my chest, and it feels like I can't breathe. Brianna looks like the living, breathing embodiment of the Lady of the Loch. It’s like she’s stepped out of the painting from last night and is standing in front of me right now.
“You look—stunning,” I’m barely able to get out. And it doesn’t seem like it’s enough of a word to describe how Brianna looks standing like an angel in front of me.
“Thank you,” she says, a tremor in her voice.
I could stand here and stare at her all day for the rest of my life, but Ainslie insists we head outside.
Many of the villagers volunteer
ed to come to the castle early this morning to help set up the festival. I was up before the sun, and we were able to get everything done just in time for a quick shower.
I run my fingers through my still, slightly damp hair as I walk next to Brianna. I catch many looks from the villagers when they see her walk by them. And I don't miss the lustful glances from many of the men as their eyes travel down the curves of her body. My fists clench at my side, and I remind myself that I can't knock out their teeth as much as I'd want to at this moment.
“Are you sure I'm dressed okay?" Brianna asks after a little girl tugs on her mother's skirt and points at us as we pass.
"Trust me. You aren't getting all this attention because you don’t fit in.”
“Who’s the Lady of the Loch?”
I stop and turn to her. “How do you know about her?”
A pink hue colors her cheeks. “I heard you and Ainslie talking this morning.”
“I thought that she would have already explained it to you.”
Brianna just shakes her head. "All she said was that the dress, although it didn't match the period the villagers are dressing up in, will be perfect.”
“It’s perfect because you look just like the description in the story.”
I explain the story to her. How the first Laird McTavish who found her after she appeared by the loch one day. They fell deeply in love, but the Laird was called away to fight when the rebellion happened. Years passed, and every day the Lady would stand by the water edge waiting for her lost love to find her again. Until one day, she walked into the loch and was never seen again. Villagers claimed to see her ghost from time to time, keeping alive the myth of the Lady of the Loch.
“Have you seen her?” Brianna asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Once,” I say as I lean in closer to her.
“When?”
“Last night.”
BRIANNA
With one quick breath, I could have been blown over with a feather. I don't know if it was a story he was telling me or the way his eyes kept dipping down to look at my lips like he wanted to kiss me.
I had to grip my skirts tightly to keep from reaching out and grabbing his shirt, and pulling him to me. Heat pooled in my lower belly, and I had to press my thighs together to try and ease some of the ache. I've never felt so much for one person in my life, let alone someone I've only just met.
“I hate to interrupt this wee moment you two seem to be having,” Ainslie says with a smug smile. “But I need to make my announcements to start the festival.”
"No one is stopping you," Colin grumbles at her, but his eyes never leave mine.
“I’m afraid I will need to take my assistant with me.” She takes my hand in hers.
“Your what?” Both Colin and I ask in unison.
She doesn’t answer but turns and pulls me with her up the steps of the makeshift stage and over to the microphone. I look out and see many of the villagers sitting on benches or standing around an open field, marked off by rope and netting.
Ainslie taps the mic, and a bit of feedback squeals out loudly, making us all wince a bit. She starts her speech, talking about the history of the festival and the Scottish traditions these events stem from, but I’m hardly able to focus on her words. I watch Colin as he makes his way over to a group of men standing in the open field. Each one is looking bigger and stronger than the next.
“As I’m sure many of you have noticed, we have a new addition to the festival this year.” She gestures to me.
I'm not sure what to do, so I give a quick awkward wave to the crowd. Many of the villagers clap politely, but some of the men standing in the field whistle loudly. I feel my cheeks burn with embarrassment. I wish she’d given me some kind of warning that she planned to include me on this whole Lady of the Loch gimmick. I’m not even sure why I’m standing here.
“In honor of our special addition to the festival, the winner of the games today will be rewarded with a kiss from our very own Lady of Loch Greer.”
My gaze locks with Colin’s. His mouth presses into a hard line, and he turns to glare at the kilted men making noises around him. I feel my heart plummet in my chest at his reaction. He's obviously unhappy with what Ainslie just announced. It figures the one man here I’d be willing to give a kiss to wants nothing to do with me.
Katherine never had that problem. I fume inwardly.
5
COLIN
“Did you see the ass on her?” I hear Magnus say to the lads as he nods his head towards Brianna. “I love to get my hands on that thing."
I take a menacing step towards him, but Dougal steps in between us and pushes me back a few steps.
"Don't listen to him," he says, his stance telling me he's read to stop me if I try to charge him. "He’s not worth it.”
“It looks like I’ve touched a nerve, Laird,” Magnus sneers.
My dislike of Magnus goes back to the days when we were wee lads in school. He'd always try and get me to react when he teased me about one day getting my title. I thought I couldn't dislike before, but right now, I'd like nothing more than to bash his face until he's unrecognizable.
Dougal’s an old friend and always looks out for me. He knows how Magnus likes to push me, and he's often there to keep me from doing something I might regret later.
“Beat him where it hurts,” he says.
“Oh, I plan on it," I growl.
“She’s watching you.” He jerks his head towards the stage.
I turn and see concern creased on Brianna's face. All the men here couldn't have stopped me from getting to Magnus, but one look from her, and I'm stopped dead in my tracks. The corner of her mouth curls up slightly like she’s happy that I stopped. There is no way that I’m going to disappoint her now. I’ve never been so interested in winning since the first time I participated in the games.
Ainslie leads Brianna off the stage, and they take their seats near all the action. My eyes find Brianna whenever it isn't my turn. I watch her as she listens to my sister explain the rules of each event. More often than not, our eyes will lock, and it's like the rest of the people here just melt away.
We work our way through each of the events—Tossing the Caber, Hammer Throw, Shot Put, Weight for Height, and Tug O’War. My motivation for a kiss from Brianna helps me sail through the competition. It also helps to see Magnus struggle after messing up his shoulder during the Hammer Throw.
“And the new champion,” Ainslie shouts excitedly into the microphone. “Unseating last year’s champion Magnus MacDonald. My brother, Colin McTavish!”
The villagers cheer from the stands, and Dougal claps me on the back, but all my attention is on the beautiful woman standing on the stage. I wipe myself down with my towel and take two steps at a time up to Brianna. I can tell she’s trying not to look too pleased with the results of today’s games, but the smile creeping up in the corner of her mouth is a giveaway.
“Are you alright with this?” I ask so quietly that only she can hear.
Her smile breaks through, and she nods.
"Give the lad his prize," Ainslie calls out, making Brianna giggle.
She pushes up on her toes and leans in to press a kiss against my cheek. I have to use all the strength in me, not to turn my head and steal a kiss from her lips that I couldn’t get out of my head last night. She pulls back, and I can see it in her eyes that she’s feeling something for me too.
“Oh, go on, Lady,” Ainslie chides. “Give him a kiss worthy of the champion he is.”
I want to scold Ainslie for embarrassing Brianna, but I would give any and everything I own to feel those full lips pressed against mine. I can see in her eyes the moment she decides to give in to Ainslie’s pressure.My cock twitches when Brianna's tongue pokes out and licks her lips. I lean down, meeting her halfway, unable to wait for a second longer. The surge of electricity that courses through me could power the whole village when our lips meet.
The sound of the villagers cheering ar
ound us seems to fade away, and it's only the two of us here.
BRIANNA
I’ve read thousands of books trying to describe a kiss like this, but it wasn’t even close to what I felt today with Colin. And I know that he felt it too. But I don’t understand his distance from me after the games. The food and drinks are served, and the whole village lets loose. Very few people talk to me at the feast. I even hear a few could talk about how they are scared of me.
Colin and Ainslie’s attention is in high demand, so I make my way down to the loch to think about the last twenty-four hours.
I couldn't have imagined everything that would happen when I stopped here yesterday for what I thought would be just for the afternoon. I dreamed of coming to Scotland for an adventure, but deep down, I never thought I'd find anything. I go to reach for my book in my back pocket but remember that I'm not in my clothes, and the book I like to lose myself in is sitting on my nightstand in my room.
I suddenly remember how I lost the letter in the trees when Colin frightened me, and I bolted. I backtrack my steps as best I can and look for the missing letter. My attention is so focused on the search that I don't hear the footsteps behind me until the last moment.
I gasp and spin around, knocking into Colin’s hard chest. His strong hands reach out and catch me before I fall on my ass.
“What are you doing out here?” he asks, his tone a bit harsher than he’s ever used with me before.
I narrow my eyes at him. The irritation and hurt I felt earlier from him ignoring me after that kiss coming full swing.
“None of your business.” I snap back.
“It is my business when you are a guest on my land.”
"Well, you won't have to worry about me being on your land much longer.” I turn around and start searching again for my letter. It’s probably mush by now after the rain that passed through last night, but I’m holding out one last sliver of hope.
