by Jennae Vale
“I’m so sorry, lass. Do ye still have feelings for the man?”
Jenna managed a watery smile. “Oh, God, no! I immediately lost any feelings I’d ever had for him. I marched right over to my lawyer’s office and told him what was going on and he assured me that I could have the marriage annulled, which I did.”
“And so he’s angry with ye now and he wants to hurt ye,” Cormac stated. “Dinnae fash, lass, I willnae allow him near ye ever again. He willnae hurt ye.”
Jenna was taken aback by his determined pronouncement, and where it would have riled her just a few short days ago, now she found comfort in his words and in his arms.
“Thank you, Cormac, but you aren’t going to be here to protect me for much longer. You have to leave in a few days.”
“Aye, I do. Ye can come with me.”
Jenna shook her head resolutely. “I can’t, Cormac. I have a life here and I’m not sure exactly where it is you want me to go with you.”
“To Breaghacraig. To Scotland. Ye’d love it there. I ken ye would.”
“Cormac, please, can we just enjoy what little time we have together and not talk about crazy things?” Jenna pleaded.
***
Cormac knew it would be foolish to push Jenna. He had made progress with her and he didn’t want to send that progress backwards at this point. She was obviously happy to be here with him now and he could only hope that with the few days he had left, he would be able to convince her to leave with him. It wouldnae be easy, but he had more confidence today than he had done when he first arrived.
They sat by the fire and he held her closely in his arms, aware of every breath she took and how her arm had snaked its way around his waist. He enjoyed the sensation of having her hold him like this. She was the one thing missing in his life. He wanted her, more than he’d ever wanted any other woman. She was perfect in his eyes. He even enjoyed her bossiness, and that sharp tongue she used so swiftly. She was a strong woman. A woman who had become stronger because of the unfortunate situation with her husband. Cormac was happy that she had been able to extricate herself from the marriage and from a man who was without honor. Back home, a man like Jonathan would find himself in grave danger of losing his life for the insult he had brought to Jenna. It would be Cormac’s duty to defend her honor and he would have no trouble doing just that. Here, however, he was told by Edna that disagreements were settled by other means and he should not resort to violence if he could possibly help it. It was turning out to be a difficult task where Jonathan was concerned, but Cormac would do his best.
Looking down at the lovely woman curled against his side, Cormac realized that she had fallen asleep. He had hoped to kiss those lovely lips again this night, but he could see she was exhausted. He picked her up in his arms and carried Jenna to her bedroom, where he laid her on her bed, kissing her forehead gently. He took one last look and then left her room, closing the door silently behind him.
ELEVEN
Cormac held onto Jenna’s arm tightly, seeming to fear she might be swept away by the great gust of wind created when the monstrous BART train pulled into the Rockridge Station. The platform was filled with people, all heading into San Francisco on this gorgeous Saturday morning.
“This is our train,” Jenna said to Cormac. He didn’t move, instead staring up and down the line of cars in apparent wonder. She grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the open door of the nearest train car. He hesitantly stepped aboard and Jenna found them seats right away. “Dylan can be so flaky sometimes,” she complained. “He sends me a text in the middle of the night to tell me he can’t make it to the Children’s Hospital Charitable Ball. Since I don’t want to go unescorted, he suggested I take you.” Jenna glanced at Cormac, who was tightly gripping the seat in front of him as the train left the station. She smiled, reached out and gently released his fingers from their tight grip on the seat back.
“Does everything here move this fast, lass?” he asked, looking uncertain.
“Pretty much,” Jenna sighed. “I’m sorry to ask you to be my date to the ball at the last minute like this. I hope you don’t mind accompanying me.” She turned so she could see his face and smiled reassuringly at him.
“Nae. I dinnae mind. I’d be verra pleased to escort ye.”
If she could keep him talking, she might be able to get that look of horror off his face - the one that appeared every time he heard the train squeal as it rounded a curve. Before long, they headed into the tube that took the trains under the San Francisco Bay. There was total darkness outside the windows, where moments before it had been bright and sunny.
“Where did the light go?” Cormac asked, looking more and more concerned with each passing moment.
“Don’t worry. It’s dark because we’re passing under the bay. We’ll be out soon enough.”
“We’re under the water!” he exclaimed, disbelief written all over his face.
“Yeah. It’s okay, Cormac. Thousands of people do this every day. It’s not a problem.” The hand she had been holding seemed cold and clammy to the touch. She would never have believed that a big, strong man like Cormac could be frightened by a train. It almost made his whole time travel story seem more realistic. She kept a running conversation going with him until they reached their stop at the Embarcadero Station. “This is our stop, Cormac.” She scooted over, pushing him to get up. As they left the train, she heard a very audible sigh of relief leave his lips. She couldn’t help giggling as he hurried her away from the train.
Leaving the station, they emerged into bright sunshine once again. There were tons of people wandering to and fro on the sidewalks. Many were tourists and many were Bay Area citizens in the city for the day, undoubtedly sightseeing, shopping, going to the theater, or here to indulge in an excellent meal at one of the many amazing restaurants the city had to offer.
“I thought we’d get your tux out of the way first, and then we can grab a slice of pizza somewhere before we head back to the house to get ready.”
“What is a tux, Jenna?” Cormac had such a serious expression on his face that it took Jenna by surprise. Maybe they went by a different name in Scotland? It didn’t really matter, they were quickly approaching the shop where they would be picking it up and he’d see for himself what it was.
“You’ll see, Cormac.”
They entered the shop to be immediately greeted by Antonio, the shop owner.
“Jenna! What a surprise to see you here, I was expecting Dylan.” Antonio pecked Jenna on both cheeks and did a double take when he caught sight of Cormac.
“Dylan isn’t able to go to the event tonight. Antonio, this is Cormac MacBayne, he’s going to be my date for the ball. I thought maybe we could have him fitted for a tux, off the rack. He’s a little bigger than Dylan, but perhaps you can find something suitable for him.”
“Of course, of course! No problem. You know a lot of our local sports stars come here for their clothes,” Antonio said proudly. “I’m sure I’ll have no trouble finding something. Cormac, please stand over here so I can take your measurements.”
Cormac let go of Jenna’s hand for the first time since they’d begun their journey. He stood where Antonio directed him and let his eyes wander about the shop.
Antonio was tut-tutting all around Cormac with his measuring tape, and taking notes on a pad of paper as he went. “Okay. Follow me into the dressing room and I’ll bring in something I think will be perfect for you.”
Cormac obediently went in behind the curtain and gave Jenna a look of desperation just before Antonio closed it on him. “Remove your clothes,” Antonio called. “I’ll be right back. We’ll have you out of here in no time.”
Antonio strode through the shop picking shirts, ties, jackets, and pants with the ease of a professional who knew exactly what he was doing.
Jenna sat in a comfortable armchair by the window and waited.
“You are such a busy lady; I’m surprised you have time to come in here with your friend.” Ant
onio said, selecting a bow tie from a nearby rack.
“I took a few weeks off. I needed to get some rest, you know, with everything that’s been going on lately.”
“You mean, Jonathan, right?” Antonio asked astutely.
“Yeah. He’s a piece of work for sure.” Jenna forced her shoulders to relax and smiled at Antonio. It was amazing how quickly word travelled in her circle. She rarely saw Antonio, but he knew all about her troubles. “I know I run my parents’ foundation technically, but really it runs like a well-oiled machine, with or without my input.”
“It’s good you can get away. I should tell you, though, Jonathan has been in here recently. He bought some clothes and told me to charge them to your account. Of course, I refused. I told him I couldn’t do that without your express permission. He was very angry, but I naturally assumed you wouldn’t want him accessing your account, especially after everything that’s happened.”
Jenna smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Antonio. You did exactly the right thing.”
“Well, I’d better get to work, so you can get on with your day.” Antonio turned toward the curtain and pulled it open. “Oh, my!” Antonio swiftly pulled the curtain shut again and rushed over to grab a pair of boxer briefs from a nearby rack. “No underwear,” he stage-whispered to Jenna - who nearly choked on a giggle. This was turning out to be quite entertaining.
Cormac hadn’t uttered a sound and she wasn’t sure how he would survive all the attention being lavished on him by an obviously thrilled Antonio. The curtain opened again and Antonio asked, “Shoes?”
Jenna nodded and while Antonio went to locate a few pairs for Cormac to try, Jenna checked her texts on her phone and reconfirmed the time of the Ball on her calendar. Eventually, the curtain opened and she gasped at the sight in front of her. She couldn’t believe how amazing Cormac looked in a tux. She stood and walked up to him, looking him over from head to toe. She circled him, nodding in approval as Antonio stood proudly in front of Cormac, hands clasped together as if he would applaud at any moment.
“Wow!” Jenna exclaimed. “You… you look amazing.” She turned to Antonio. “That will work perfectly, Antonio. Put it on Dylan’s account, please. Maybe that’ll teach him not to back out of our plans at the last minute.”
Antonio laughed and asked, “Is there anything else we can get for your friend?”
“No. I can’t think of anything else he needs,” Jenna answered, still checking out Cormac in the tux. Antonio took Cormac by the arm and escorted him back into the dressing room, even as Jenna continued staring.
“I believe I can take care of getting this off, thank you, Antonio,” Cormac said stiffly from behind the curtain.
“Are you sure? It’s no trouble, really.” Antonio sounded hopeful and Jenna chuckled.
“Nae. I’ll call ye, should I need yer help.”
A visibly disappointed Antonio left the dressing room and headed towards the cash register. A few minutes later, Cormac had his own clothes back on and he emerged from the behind the curtain. Antonio’s face lit up when Cormac appeared. “I’ll pack your tux and get it ready to go, Cormac. It won’t take a moment.”
He headed into the dressing room and Cormac wrinkled his brow and shook his head at Jenna.
She just laughed. “It seems Antonio has taken quite a liking to you.” She lowered her voice, ensuring only Cormac would hear her words.
“Unfortunately, for the poor man, I only be interested in ye.” He gave her a roguish grin that set her heart to beating as if she had a hummingbird trapped inside her chest.
Antonio came back with the tuxedo and other accessories neatly packaged, including the shoes they had found. Jenna was grateful it had only been a one-stop shopping expedition for Cormac’s sake.
Antonio followed them as they walked out the door of the shop. “I hope to see you again, Cormac. It’s been a pleasure,” he called as they headed down the street.
They rounded the corner and came to another shop, where Jenna picked up her own gown and some accessories, along with her shoes and then they made their way to her favorite pizzeria for lunch.
“I normally only order a slice, but something tells me you’ll want more than that.” She ordered the house special pizza for Cormac and a Margherita pizza for herself. She figured whatever she didn’t eat, Cormac would. She also ordered an Arugula salad to share.
She could tell Cormac was doing his best to appear relaxed and in his element, but it was obvious to her that he was anything but. Jenna wished she could put him at ease, as he seemed so out of place. She didn’t know what was wrong with her today, but she couldn’t stop smiling at him. She had been disappointed to wake up alone in her bed this morning. She must have fallen asleep out by the fire and Cormac, ever the gentleman, carried her to her bedroom and tucked her in. She hadn’t even woken up in the process. Somehow, she had come to a realization about him. It simply didn’t matter to her that he was leaving in a few days and that he didn’t have a penny to his name. She was going to enjoy every minute she had left with him. Tonight would be fun and she was quite sure she was not going to get drunk or fall asleep before she got to know Cormac MacBayne a whole lot better.
They enjoyed their pizza and salad. As she expected, Cormac ate most of it. He had a very satisfied smile on his face the whole time.
“Never had pizza before, huh?” Jenna queried.
“Nae. ‘Twas verra delicious. How do they make it?” Cormac wondered aloud.
“Well, it’s really not that hard. You just need to make good dough and have a really hot brick oven.”
She could tell he was thinking about that concept.
“What is it made from?” he asked.
“I have a recipe at home. I’ll copy it for you and you can take it with you when you go.” The thought made her sad, somehow. She didn’t want him to go, but she couldn’t expect him to stay either. He had told her he missed his family. That wasn’t a feeling she had ever experienced. She missed Dylan when he wasn’t around for a few days, but her parents were another story. They hadn’t been around much since she was a kid. She missed Ashley, who was off wandering around Scotland with her new husband, and she missed Ashley’s mother and father, who were both deceased. She’d spent most of her childhood with the Moore’s. Of course, her parents had always provided for her, she never lacked for anything, but they were never really involved in her life. They were busy travelling around the world all the time. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d seen them in person. It had been years. She spoke with them often, or at least, as often as she possibly could. Dylan was the only person she could really rely on since Ashley left, but she couldn’t expect him to drop everything to babysit her when she needed him. She was going to have to get her act together and get on with her life. Jonathan had destroyed what little faith she had in humanity, but somehow Cormac was giving that back to her. Damn. Why does he have to be leaving so soon?
Back at the San Francisco house, Jenna started the preparations for their evening. Cormac didn’t have much to do. He just needed to shower and put on his tux. She, on the other hand, had a manicurist coming by to do her nails, a hairdresser for her hair and a makeup artist. She had to look amazing tonight. She was accepting an award for her parents, who had generously donated an entire wing to the Children’s Hospital. She was only slightly nervous about getting up there in front of all those people. Her speech had been memorized and would be followed by a video montage of her parents doing good deeds all over the world. She felt guilty, because it bothered her that she had to share her parents with needy children around the globe. She felt selfish and it embarrassed her to even think about it. She had everything she could possibly want, there was no way she was going to begrudge any child the help they needed, when they needed it. If her parents could do that for so many, surely she could suck it up and be grateful to have been born to such giving parents.
Jenna directed Cormac to a spot on the sofa and turned the television on for hi
m. She showed him how to use the remote control and let him flip through the channels to find something to watch that suited him. While he was doing that, she opened the door to the manicurist, who set up shop in the dining room.
Cormac tipped his head back on the sofa to get a look at what was going on behind him. He had been pushing buttons on the remote control Jenna had handed him and found himself more confused than when he’d started searching ‘for something to watch’ as Jenna had suggested he do. He had many questions for her, but knew from experience she would not believe he didn’t know the answers. She had left the thing she called her ‘phone’ sitting on the table in front of him and it was buzzing loudly. He picked it up and marveled at the small square pictures all over it. He touched one and before he knew what was happening, he was seeing more things he couldn’t comprehend. He took the phone with him and got up to see what was causing the odd smell coming from the dining room.
The manicurist practically dropped the open bottle of nail polish when she got a glimpse of Cormac coming up behind Jenna.
“What is that smell?” he asked, wrinkling his nose.
“It’s the nail polish,” Jenna offered. “Melanie’s almost finished, so it’ll be gone soon.”
“Jenna, yer phone was buzzing like a bee. I know you like to keep it close by, so I brought it to you.”
“Oh, thanks. You can put it down over there. I’ll check it when my nails are dry.”
“Jenna, I must ask ye,” he hesitated, looking unsure of himself.
“Yes,” Jenna responded. “It’s okay. Ask me anything - within reason.”
